Was Jesus born on Christmas?

It’s not a trick question.

By Alice Camill / USCatholic

Photo from public domain

It sounds like a trick question akin to “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” Of course Jesus’ birth is Christmas Day. But did the Incarnate Word arrive on December 25? I’d say there’s a 1-in-365 chance.

While births are significant in scripture, birthdays are not at all. Honestly, we don’t know what year Jesus was born, much less the date. Sometime between what we call 7 BCE and 4 CE, the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. John’s gospel perceives the incarnation as central to history but the precise date is irrelevant. Details about Jesus’ birth, as narrated by Matthew and Luke, are shaped for theological reasons, and they are powerfully significant ones. Their historicity is less certain—and, for these evangelists, utterly beside the point. Mark shows no interest in Jesus until he’s a grown man. So anyone looking for the inches and ounces of Jesus’ birth will find the gospels unforthcoming.

So why did the church latch onto the 25th of December? That date doesn’t become a “thing” until the Roman Emperor Aurelius (270–275) institutes the sol invictus, or festival of the invincible sun. He sets this feast on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year on the Roman calendar. In the anxiety of waning light, the coming victory over darkness is merrily anticipated.

The sol invictus is so popular, and so light-centered, it becomes a no-brainer for Christian leaders to co-opt and consecrate the celebration on their liturgical calendar. Converts are drawn from the Roman world, after all. The recognition of Jesus as “Light of the world” weds happily with the established festival to remind new Christians that “the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow” (Luke 1:78–79). By the fourth century Christian calendars include the nativity as a regular feast.

That works well in Rome. In Egypt and Arabia, however, winter solstice occurs on January 6th. A feast proclaiming God manifest among us, Epiphany, dawns for those Christians as well—which they celebrate on their solstice. In this easternmost part of the church, the feast is less about Jesus’ arrival and more about how his divinity is revealed: by the testimony of the magi, in his baptism, and through the first miracle at Cana.

Later the West adopts Epiphany, and the East likewise assumes the nativity. With dual origins, Christmas-Epiphany becomes more an extended season with multiple meanings than a single event. For centuries the feast is hardly observed as a birthday party for Jesus, which some parishes throw today complete with cake and balloons. Early Christmas liturgies were pointedly determined to fight heresies. In heavy dogmatic fashion, Christmas honored “the eternal Word made flesh,” in contradiction to the suggestion that the human Jesus was a divine mirage.

It would be centuries more before crèches and evergreens lightened the mood and the meaning of Christmas. Yet those strings of lights still remind us that a light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can’t touch it.

This article also appears in the December 2017 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 82, No. 12, page 49).

Image: via Unsplash

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST WHICH IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!

Mary Did You Know (Performed by El Gamma Penumbra)

IBA TALAGA KAPAG TUNAY NA KAANIB SA TUNAY NA IGLESIA - ANG IGLESIA KATOLIKA!


"From Mary, we learn to surrender to God's will in all things.
From Mary, we learn to trust even when all hopes seems gone.

From Mary, we learn to love Christ her son and the son of God".

In Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and celebration of Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, the Mother of God. Here's the special performance with Love and Devotion performed by El Gamma Penumbra.

Credits
Song by: Pentatonix

Pope Francis in Myanmar and Bangladesh

Catholic Herald: Victims’ group apologises to priest after abuse claims dropped

(Getty image)

Fr Joseph Jiang sued the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests after abuse claims against him were dismissed

[Catholic Herald] The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has issued an apology to the Archdiocese of St Louis and two of its priests, Father Joseph Jiang and the late Mgr Joseph D. Pins, admitting allegations against them were false.

“The SNAP defendants never want to see anyone falsely accused of a crime. Admittedly, false reports of clergy sexual abuse do occur,” the group said.

“The SNAP defendants have no personal knowledge as to the complaints against Father Joseph Jiang and acknowledge that all matters and claims against Father Jiang have either been dismissed or adjudicated in favor of Father Jiang,” it said.

“SNAP acknowledges that false claims of clergy sexual abuse injure those clerics falsely accused and the Roman Catholic Church,” the apology added.

The apology was issued as part of a settlement with SNAP in a defamation lawsuit filed by Father Jiang in 2015, according to the archdiocese.

Mgr Pins died of cancer June 17, 2015. Ordained in 1970, he had been rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis for 13 years at the time of his death.

The priest had been mentioned in a civil lawsuit that accused the archdiocese and St Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson of supposedly covering up for a priest accused in 2012, wrongly as it turned out, of molesting a teenage girl. The suit claimed the archbishop and Mgr Pins ignored requests to reassign the priest.

Father Jiang was associate pastor at the cathedral basilica when allegations arose that he had molested a 15-year-old girl who attended Mass there with her family.

A judge dismissed the criminal case against Fr Jiang in 2013 because prosecutors could not show the priest was ever alone with the girl at her home, where the alleged abuse supposedly took place. In 2014, Father Jiang was arrested and charged with molesting a young boy, but a year later, that charge also was dropped.

To clear his name, Fr Jiang filed a defamation lawsuit in 2015 against the boy’s parents and SNAP, “contending that the boy had been coached to falsely accuse an innocent man,” according to court records. The lawsuit also accused SNAP of carrying out a “shameless smear campaign” that “destroyed the life of a promising young man and priest.”

As part of the settlement of the suit, SNAP issued the apology.

“SNAP apologizes,” it said, “for any false or inaccurate statements related to the complaints against Father Joseph Jiang that it or its representatives made which in any way disparaged Fr Joseph Jiang, Archbishop Robert Carlson, Mgr Joseph D. Pins and the Archdiocese of St Louis.”

Engr. Rafael Riorito O. Estorque's Article on Panoncillo (INC™) vs Cartujano (Catholic) Debate

7 VERSUS 1 – 1 IS THE WINNER? 

By Engr. Rafael Riorito O. Estorque

If we watch the debate, Mr. Cartujano admitted he was not able to provide a magazine xerox or answer the question of Mr. Panoncillo about the pasugo issue. Mr. Panoncilo was referring to page 11 of the book, Answering Iglesia ni Cristo. What about the SEVEN QUESTIONS asked by Mr. Cartujano? Can Mr. Panoncillo admit that he was not able to answer these since he gave irrelevant answers? INC members will surely say their minister gave correct answers. Yet, if we analyze the questions, was Mr. Panoncillo able to answer them?

1. Did Mr. Panoncillo provide a 3rd century manuscript with the words “MONOGENES HUIOS”? Mr. Cartujano showed a 3rd century manuscript with the words, "MONOGENES THEOS" through the projector during his first cross examination. Did Mr. Panoncillo show any 3rd century manuscript with the words “MONOGENES HUIOS”? NONE. What did Mr. Panoncillo do? He read the Jerusalem Bible (English translation) and his only answer was,"HINDI KUMO LUMA ANG MANUSCRIPTS AY YUN NA TAMA". Mr. Panoncillo did not show any book during the debate which stated the statement of textual scholars that support, “HINDI KUMO LUMA ANG MANUSCRIPTS AY YUN NA TAMA,” particularly John 1:18.

2. When Mr. Cartujano asked Mr Panoncillo about the Syntax of John 1:1c, "kai theos en ho logos", if it is common for a definite nominative predicate noun preceding a finite verb to be without the article. Was Mr. Panoncillo able to answer this? Only the ignorant will say this was answered by Mr. Panoncillo. What did he do? He just read the Tagalog translation of John 1:1. Is this the answer to the question of Mr. Cartujano? Why did Mr. Cartujano ask this? INC ministers often use John 1:1c because theos has no article in the 3rd clause of John 1:1c and it functions as an adjective!

3. Mr. Cartujano asked Mr. Panoncillo where he can read the word-for-word “SI JESUS AY HINDI DIYOS” in the Bible, since he also asked Mr. Cartujano the word-for-word that JESUS says “I AM THE TRUE GOD.” Was Mr. Panoncillo able to provide a verse? What was his answer? Mr. Panoncillo said, "You must prove that, not me.." See?

I heard the answer of Mr. Cartujano during the debate when he was asked where in the Bible you can read JESUS SAID, "I AM THE TRUE GOD."

Mr. Cartujano’s answer was Christ will not say that since the Jews forbid this according to the Jerusalem Talmud. He added what Christ said in John 8:54 that His Father gave him glory and in Hebrews 1:8, he was glorified by the Father and called "GOD".

4. When Mr. Cartujano asked Mr. Panoncillo if we look at the Original Manuscript like Codex Sinaiticus if Mark 16 is until 20 or only 8 verses, this was not answered by Mr. Panoncillo. What did he do? Mr. Panoncillo answered, "SANA AY NAGREKLAMO NA ANG PARI MO". And he referred to the hiligaynon translation and remarked.

5. Mr. Cartujano asked Mr. Panoncillo to refute Granville sharp in Titus 2:13 and he was asked by Mr. Cartujano to explain it grammatically that the person here refers to two persons and not just one. Was Mr. Panoncillo able to explain this? What did he do? Mr. Panoncillo said, "HINDI SA LAHAT NG PAGKAKATAON AY GRAMMAR!"

6. When Hebrews 1:8 was tackled, Mr. Cartujano asked Mr. Panoncillo, if he agreed to the translation, “Your throne, O God”. The answer of Mr. Panoncillo is the right translation is “God is your throne”. Likewise, he mentioned Psalms 45:6, so Mr. Cartujano asked him since Psalms was originally written in Hebrew. He was asked by Mr. Cartujano to explain the accentuation in the Masoretic text where there should be a pause between “throne” and “God”. Mr. Panoncillo answered, "HINDI ITO PANAHON NG PAGPAPALIWANAG".

7. Mr. Cartujano asked about the use of verse in the Old Testament because Mr. Panoncillo said some verses have a similar line, “Is there a God Beside me?”He was asked by Mr. Cartujano the meaning of the Hebrew word, “Yotzrei-fesel”. This was not answered by Mr. Panoncillo. The next statement of God was “Is there a God Beside me?” Since Mr. Panoncillo gave irrelevant answers, this was repeated by Mr. Cartujano. What is the meaning of “yotzrei-fesel?” He failed to give an answer.

Catholic Herald: Houses of Parliament lit up in red for persecuted Christians

by Madeleine Teahan posted Thursday, 24 Nov 2016 for Catholic Herald

The Houses of Parliament lit up in red to commemorate persecuted Christians last year

Buildings across the country were lit up to mark 'Red Wednesday'

The Houses of Parliament, churches, cathedrals, synagogues and universities were lit up in red yesterday to highlight the plight of persecuted religious minorities abroad.

The event – Red Wednesday – was organised by Aid to the Church in Need. Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, London Routemaster buses and Bolton town hall were also lit up in red to commemorate the persecuted.

On his Twitter account yesterday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby said: “In Communion this morning, we prayed for all victims of religious violence around the world – and for governments too. Peace between faiths means a shared commitment to love, truth and human dignity. May Christ give us grace to set an example. On #RedWednesday we must call on politicians to never use faith to motivate violence.”

He later posted a picture of Lambeth Palace floodlit in red, with the caption: “Lambeth Palace lit up for #RedWednesday tonight in solidarity with all those persecuted for their faith.”

Westminster Cathedral (Photo: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk)

At 6pm yesterday evening, Westminster Cathedral hosted a prayer service with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of the Syriac Orthodox Church, based in Damascus, Syria, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri Ameer of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational and Cultural Centre, Dublin, and Dr Sarah Bernstein, director-general of the Jerusalem Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations, Israel.

Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II (Photo: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk)

Bishop Angaelos, Britain’s Coptic Orthodox leader, released a video message of solidarity with persecuted Christians. Speaking outside the Coptic Cathedral of Saint George he said: “Today this Red Wednesday we stand in solidarity with all those who suffer. Christians of the Middle East, people of other religions all around the world, people of no religion who are compelled in whatever way. Today we stand in solidarity and say to you we stand by your side, we understand the burdens you carry, we will do more than just speak. We pray for you, we speak for you, we continue to raise awareness of your plight.”

Mary, Did You Know? (Dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God - Jesus)

This song will definitely make members of the cult of Manalo go into nuts. Merry Christmas to every Christian in the world!

Mary, Did You Know?
Pentatonix

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God

Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am

Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

Songwriters: Lamont Savory / Buddy Greene / Mark Lowry / Courick Clarke / William Barclay / Wayne Buchanan

Mary, Did You Know? lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

RAPPLER NEWS: Pope Francis on Lamborghini gift: Better to auction off

The Lamborghini Huracan sports car, which boasts a 610 metric horsepower, is blessed by the pontiff, who bent to scrawl his signature on its gleaming bonnet before sending it off to Sotheby's auction house

Agence France-Presse via Rappler

@afp

Published 11:06 PM, November 15, 2017

Updated 11:49 PM, November 15, 2017

SUPERCAR. This handout photo taken on November 15, 2017 at the Vatican and released by the Vatican press office, Osservatore Romano shows Pope Francis signing a Lamborghini Huracan received as a gift as Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali looks on. Handout / OSSERVATORE ROMANO / AFP

VATICAN CITY, Holy See – Lamborghini gave Pope Francis a personalized white supercar on Wednesday, but he put it up for auction to raise money for charity rather than give up his trademark popemobile.

The Huracan sports car, which boasts a 610 metric horsepower, was blessed by the pontiff, who bent to scrawl his signature on its gleaming bonnet before it was sent off to Sotheby's auction house.

The supercar usually goes for around 200,000 euros ($237,000), but this model – featuring gold stripes and gold-rimmed wing mirrors in homage to the pope's gold-tipped stole – is expected to beat that.

The money raised will go to four charitable projects, including one aimed at rebuilding the homes and churches of persecuted Christians in the Nineveh Plains in Iraq.

The Lamborghini will also help fund an Italian association helping victims of human trafficking and prostitution rings, as well as two organizations active in Africa aimed at supporting vulnerable women and children.

It is not the first time the Argentine has received a high-speed gift: in 2014 he was given a Harley Davidson motorbike and jacket, both of which he auctioned off for charity.

The famously humble pontiff is more of a fan of buses.

He opted to ride one the day after his election in 2013 instead of taking a limousine, and regularly used them in his homeland Argentina instead of taxis.

The pope, who loves to be close to the people, has stuck doggedly to using his open-topped popemobile to move through the crowds at masses at both the Vatican and on foreign trips, despite security fears.

He has stayed faithful to the white all-terrain vehicles with bubble tops despite an accident in Colombia this year in which he lost his balance while it was moving and ended up with a black eye.

Historically, popes moved around on a "sedia gestatoria", a ceremonial red silk-covered throne which was carried on shoulders until the 20th century, when it was swapped for the popemobile. – Rappler.com

Catholic Herald: Houses of Parliament to be lit up in red for persecuted Christians

Hindi po kasali rito ang mga pekeng "kristiano" na UMUUSIG sa mga tunay na mga kaanib ng TUNAY na Iglesia - ang mga Katoliko!

The Parliament building will be lit up along with at least 10 cathedrals for #RedWednesday

The towers of the Houses of Parliament (AP)

Catholic Herald - The Houses of Parliament in Westminster will be lit up in red for #RedWednesday next week in honour of the world’s persecuted Christians and all those who suffer for peacefully held beliefs.

John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and Lord Fowler, Speaker of the House of Lords, agreed to the initiative after being lobbied by parliamentarians, many of whom had been contacted by constituents.

Among those calling for Parliament to turn red was Trevor Harrison, from Sevenoaks, who wrote to his MP, Sir Michael Fallon.

He said he contacted his MP after attending an event in Parliament organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief – itself a supporter of #RedWednesday.

Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, which is organising #Red Wednesday together with Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Mr Harrison said: “Turning Parliament red is a wonderful way to get the message about religious freedom to as wide an audience as possible.”

“We all need to get behind #RedWednesday – we need to stand together against violence carried out in the name of religion – we need to speak up about regimes which persecute people of faith.”

This will be the second year running that Parliament will turn red for #RedWednesday.

So far this year, at least 10 cathedrals across the UK have pledged to go red including London’s Westminster Cathedral and others in Ayr, Edinburgh, Paisley, Birmingham, Norwich, Wrexham, Derry and Armagh.

In total, nearly 50 public buildings are expected to get behind #RedWednesday – schools, colleges and churches including London’s Anglican St Martin-in-the-Fields and All Souls, Langham Place.

There will be a week of vigils and other events across the country from November 19 to 26.

At 6pm on November 22 a solidarity service will take place outside Westminster Cathedral, with talks, witness testimonies, a video message by MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, music and speeches by Coptic Orthodox Bishop Angaelos, Neville Kyrke-Smith, national director of Aid to the Church in Need (UK), and Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Throughout the day, a traditional London red bus emblazoned with #RedWednesday slogans will be criss-crossing the capital, stopping at London landmarks.

HELPING THE POOR NEED NOT TO BE TRUMPETED!

Thus, when thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and in streets, to win the esteem of men. Believe me, they have their reward already.  But when thou givest alms, thou shalt not so much as let thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing, 4 so secret is thy almsgiving to be; and then thy Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward thee. [Matthew 6:2-3]

On the other hand, the Catholic Church which has been helping the poor worldwide for more than 2,000 years now do it for Christ silently. This is why we do not trumpet our good works for the world to applause us but we do it for the glory of the true Church of Christ and the Triune God to bless us.

Ilan nga ba ang kaanib ng INC™-1914?

Bragging they have more than 10 million followers, the Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 couldn't hide the fact that they only have more than a million die-hard supporters who are ready to defend their disobedient Executive Minister who kicked-out his own mother and siblings from the INC™-1914 founded by their grandfather Felix Y. Manalo.

"The Catholic Church in the Philippines counts at least 80,304,061 followers or 80% of the entire Philippine population, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. Also in the millions is the home-grown Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) which has about 2.3 Filipinos followers." [Source: Rappler]

When both religious institutions were criticized by Rappler, their journalists get two different reaction. From the Catholic Church, there were no vicious threats against their writers. In fact, their criticisms were all respected. Ironically, this “church” that boasts on its historic “return” (daw) to Rome (PASUGO God's Message February 2014, p. 7), the INC™-1914, its administration and their supporters did the unthinkable dipping their group to a cult-like religion.

"We weren't spared. We were attacked relentlessly and accused of being biased. We were targets of calls for a boycott. But we persisted."

REFUTING IGLESIA NI CRISTO®-1914: DID JESUS DENY HIS DEITY IN JOHN 14:28?

By Bro. Duane Cartujano

Jesus Christ took away his being God and became humble (Philippians 2:5-8).

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross."(Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus came here not to give glory to Himself but to the Father.

He is not like many people who give glory only to themselves.

"Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God."(John 8:54)

Another New Testament scholar used by INC ministers to twist the truth in John 10:30 is the Book of D.A. Carson on “The Gospel According to John.”

Now, will Parba, Ventilacion and other INC Ministers still accept the statement of D.A. Carson?

"At a popular level, this clause is often cited, out of context, by modern arians who renew the controversy from the early centuries that is connected with the name of Arius. In the clause before us, the father is greater that I cannot be taken to mean that Jesus is not God, or that he is a lesser God; the historical context of Jewish monotheism forbids the latter, and the immediate literary context renders the former irrelevant" (The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson, Page 507)

I just want to quote the comment of a highly respected Christian Scholar, Norman Geisler.

"The Father is greater than the son by office, but not by nature, since both are God. Just as an earthly father is equally human with, but holds a higher office than, his son, even so the Father and the Son in the trinity are equal in essence, but different in function. "(The Big Book of Bible Difficulties, Page 420)

When INC Ministers defended their wrong interpretation of John 1:1, they gathered what the scholar Dr. Daniel Wallace said.

Now, will Parba, Ventilacion and other INC Ministers still accept the statement of Dr. Daniel Wallace?

"In this context, it is obvious that Jesus is speaking with reference to his office, not his person. That is, the Father has great rank, but the Son is no less deity than is the Father. "(Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics by Daniel Wallace, Page 111)

May bago nang 'Jesus' ang mga INC™-1914 sa katauhan ni Felix Y. Manalo

Hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit ang turing ng mga kaanib ng INC™-1914 kay Felix Manalo at kahalintulad ni Cristo Jesus ay sapagkat ito ang kanilang paulit-ulit na ikinakabit sa pangalan ng kanilang 'huling sugo' sa kanilang mga pangangaral, maging sa pananalita o sa imprenta.

PASUGO Hulyo 1965, p. 12:

“Parehong-pareho ang espiritu ni Cristo sa diwa ni Kapatid na Felix Manalo sa pamamaraan ng pagdadala ng tungkuling tinanggap sa Dios."

PASUGO Mayo 1964, p. 1:

“Inihandog ng Dios ang kanyang sarili sa kanyang huling sugo upang dumiyos sa kanya. Samakatuwid, ang tanging may Dios na huling araw na ito'y ang huling sugo -- si Kapatid na Felix Manalo."

JUAN 10:16 - SI FELIX MANALO ANG TINUTUKOY NA PASTOR

PASUGO Mayo 1961, p. 22:

“Papaano magiging kawan o Iglesia ni Cristo itong mga tupa ni Jesus na nagmumula sa Pilipinas, hindi naman naparito si Cristo noong 1914? Ang sabi ni Jesus, Juan 10:16, 'magkakaroon sila ng isang Pastor'. Sino itong isang Pastor ng Iglesia na lilitaw sa Pilipinas? Ang pinagsabihan ng Dios: 'Huwag kang matakot, sapagkat ako'y sumasaiyo: (Isaias 43:5).

“Sino itong pastor ng Iglesiang lilitaw sa Pilipinas? Ito ang huling tinatawag o sugo na kasama ng Dios. Ito ang Kapatid na Felix Manalo. Noong sabihin ni Cristo na siya'y mayroon pang ibang mga tupa na wala sa kulungan at sila'y gagawing isang kawan at magkakaroon ng isang pastor, noon pa'y mayroon na siyang karapatan."

VS.

JUAN 10:16 - SI CRISTO ANG TINUTUKOY NA PASTOR

SULO pahina 58:

“Itinuturo din ng Iglesia Katolika na ang Papa ang siyang "Kataas-taasang Pastor". (Question 169). Ito ay salungat din sa turo ni Jesus at ng mga Apostol, sapagkat sinabi ni Cristo: "Ako ang tanging Pastor" (Juan 10:16)".

Sagot ni Bro. Duane kay Jose Ventilacion Di Umano sa mali-maling Greek Grammar (daw)

SAGOT SA KOMENTO NI JOSE VENTILACION NA DI UMANO AY MALI MALI ANG GREEK GRAMMAR KO DURING THE DEBATE

(Ni Bro. Duane)

Komokomento at binabanatan ako ng di umano'y nag-aral ng biblical languages sa harvard university at kinikilalang magaling sa biblical languages na si Jose Ventilacion ng mga INC members.

Ito ngayon ang sagot ko sa comment ni Ventilacion against sa akin.

Una, yung argument ko sa Greek ay sinasang-ayunan ni Dr. Eugene Ulrich, mentor ko sa Biblical languages at ng iba ko pang mga mentors na mga Professors din sa Biblical Languages e yung argument mo na nagfunction na adjective ang word na "theos" sa 3rd clause ng John 1:1 sinong Professor mo sa Harvard University ang sumasang-ayon dyan? I challenge you to show me their testimonies na sinasang-ayunan ng mga Professors mo ang arguments at mga grammar mo sa Biblical languages lalo na ang interpretation mo na si Felix Manalo ang Bird of Prey sa Isaiah 46:11.

Tanungin mo nga si Dr. Saley na kasama mo sa picture na isa mga Professors sa Harvard University kung sumasang-ayon sya sa interpretation mo? Sigurado ako mapapakamot sa ulo si Dr. Saley dahil maling mali ang interpretation mo tungkol sa Isaiah 46:11.

Pangalawa, at least ang Grammar ng Greek ko ay ibinatay ko sa mga textbook na Going Deeper with New Testament Greek, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics and A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament e yung mga grammar mo saang Greek Grammar Textbook mo pinulot?

Pangatlo, nakalimutan mo na yata ang isinagot mo kay Dr. James White noong tinatanong ka nya sa Grammar, ano nga ang isinagot mo sa kanya?, "We do not based our doctrine and teaching simply by means of grammar."

Kaya tigilan mo Mr. Ventilacion ang pagmamarunong mo sa Greek Grammar dahil lumalabas lang ang knowledge mo sa Greek kung ang mga kaharap mo ay hindi marunong.

INC™ received kickbacks from LTO officials?

This is the same LTO that was gung-ho in awarding the vehicle license plates contract to  a Dutch firm for millions of dollars. The making of these vehicle plates used to be done by a local company with links to an influential  religious sect.  Being a crucial voting bloc in local elections and national elections, the Iglesia ni Cristo did not have  to shell out kickback money to certain LTO officials. [CONTINUE READING]

Lowell Menorca II, INC™ ex-Minister Received a Refugee Status in Canada

The long road to safety for ex-INC refugee claimants

Two years after the controversy in the Iglesia ni Cristo broke out, ex-members Lowell Menorca II and Rovic Canono have filed refugee claims in Canada. One has been successful so far.

By Rappler

For Menorca, the road for his refugee claim has been a long one. Since he fled the Philippines with his family, Menorca said he had had to be careful as he went from country to country, first to Vietnam, then to Thailand.

Fearing that he was being followed and monitored – photos of him and his family in Vietnam had earlier surfaced on social media – Menorca took precautions on his way to Canada, wearing a face mask and a hat to avoid being recognized.

From some of his relatives in Canada, Menorca learned that he was already being expected at the airport. When he arrived in Vancouver in April 2016, he waited until the crowd had passed before making his way to immigration authorities and said he was applying for a refugee claim.

Menorca was led to a different room, where the initial interview took around 10 hours.

“They were trying to see how cohesive the story is, trying to look for lies, deception in whatever I’m saying. They were trained to detect if there is malicious intent with those claiming asylum,” he said. READ MORE

Greek Bible Scholars Reacting to Bro. Duane's Debate with the Iglesia Ni Cristo® - Founded by Felix Manalo in 1914

Email Response from Dr. Darrell Bock with Comment

Email Response from Dr. Eugene Ulrich with comment on my recent debate with the Iglesia ni Cristo

Birthday Greetings to the Grandson of INC™ Founder Felix Manalo

"By the way, I join my fellow Antipoleños and Rizaleños in greeting Ka Eduardo Manalo, executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), on the celebration of his 62nd birthday on Tuesday, October 31. On this occasion, we wish him good health and pray for the continuing success of his leadership of the church founded by his grandfather, the much-revered Rizaleño, Felix Manalo." -Dr. Jun Ynares, MD [Source: MB]

Fact: Felix Y. Manalo founded the Iglesia Ni Cristo® (INC™) in 1914 AD, not Christ.

Eduardo V. Manalo
Manalo in 2014
Religion	Iglesia Ni Cristo
Other names	Ka Eduardo/ Brother Eduardo
Personal
Born	Eduardo Villanueva Manalo (1955-10-31) October 31, 1955 (age 61) Quezon City, Philippines
Spouse	Babylyn Ventura (m. 1982)
Children	Dorothy Kristine Gemma Minna Angelo Eraño
Parents	Eraño G. Manalo Cristina Villanueva [Expelled by his son Eduardo V. Manalo]
Senior posting
Based in	INC Central Office Complex, Quezon City, Philippines
Title	Executive Minister
Period in office	September 7, 2009 - Present
Predecessor	Eraño G. Manalo
Religious career
Ordination	May 9, 1980 at Locale Congregation of Tondo, Ecclesiastical District of Metro Manila North (now Manila)
Previous post	Deputy Executive Minister Coordinator of Metro Manila Districts Assistant Dean of Evangelical College (EVCO) Resident Minister

LifeSite News: Massive turnout for rosary crusade in Poland. Liberals furious

WARSAW, Poland, October 9, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — Hundreds of thousands of Polish Catholics encircled their country with prayer Saturday, imploring Our Lady’s intervention to save Poland and the world.

As Catholics lined the country’s 2,000-mile border for the “Rosary at the Borders,” progressives and compatible media deemed the national prayer gathering “controversial,” xenophobic, Islamophobic, or “not” representative of the Catholic Church.

“Poland Catholics hold controversial prayer day on borders,” the BBC’s headline said of the event.

Rafał Pankowski, head of the Warsaw multicultural understanding advocacy group Never Again, told the Associated Press, “The whole concept of doing it on the borders reinforces the ethno-religious, xenophobic model of national identity.”

Krzysztof Luft, a former member of Poland’s largest opposition party, the liberal Civic Platform, tweeted, “Ridiculing Christianity on mass scale. They treat religion as a tool for keeping the backwardness in Polish backwater.”

“Rosary to the Borders” was organized by lay Catholics and sanctioned by Church leaders in Poland, with some 320 churches from 22 dioceses participating in roughly 4,000 locations along Poland’s border with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia and the Baltic Sea.

More than 90 percent of Poland’s 38 million citizens are Roman Catholic.

The Catholic prime minister of Poland endorsed the rosary event as well. Beata Szydlo tweeted, "I greet all the participants."

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Father Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, a spokesman for the Polish Bishops’ Conference, said it was the second largest prayer event in Europe after the 2016 World Youth Day. The New York Times reported, however, that final participation numbers were still being tabulated.

Airport chapels, considered gateways to the country, were prayer sites for Catholics as well, the AP said, and Polish soldiers stationed in Afghanistan prayed at Bagram Airfield there.

The prayer positions for the rosary event also included fishing boats at sea as well as kayaks and sailboats forming chains on Polish rivers, according to a report from Agence France-Presse.

“During the prayer, I was at the Chopin airport in Warsaw,” Father Rytel-Andrianik said, “and there were so many people that they were pouring out of the chapel.”

“This was an initiative started by lay people, which makes it even more extraordinary,” he continued. “Millions of people prayed the rosary together. This exceeded the boldest expectations of the organizers.”

Churches taking part kicked the prayer event off with a talk and celebration of Mass before Catholics headed to the border to pray the rosary.

The “Rosary at the Borders” took significance from the Our Lady of Fatima apparitions, scheduled on the first Saturday of the month during the 100th anniversary year of Our Lady’s appearance to the three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

Poland’s national Catholic prayer event also coincided with the feast of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on the October 7 anniversary of the 1571 naval victory of the Holy League Battle over the Ottoman Empire navy at the Battle of Lepanto.

The rosary is closely tied to the Lepanto victory, due to Pope Saint Pius V’s call for the faithful to pray the rosary for victory.

Some participants’ comments about Europe keeping its Christian roots or stemming the tide of Islam were framed in the media to paint the “Rosary to the Borders” as nationalistic or “Fears of Islam.”

“Let’s pray for other nations of Europe and the world to understand that we need to return to the Christian roots of European culture if we want Europe to remain Europe,” Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said at Mass on Saturday.

“It’s a really serious thing for us,” Basia Sibinska told AP. “We want to pray for peace, we want to pray for our safety. Of course, everyone comes here with a different motivation. But the most important thing is to create something like a circle of a prayer alongside the entire border, intense and passionate.”

Poland and Hungary have refused to take migrants under a quota system established by the European Union, causing controversy and threatening the two countries’ membership in the EU.

Concerns over the secularization in Europe, however, exist independent of the current migration crisis and its various implications.

The Times report said of the rosary prayer event that “Polish Catholics clutching rosary beads” had gathered for “for a mass demonstration” and called Poland “a nation moving increasingly to the right.”

Villanova University theologian Massimo Faggioli used Twitter to criticize what he termed using the rosary from “anti-immigrant use.”

“Using the Virgin Mary as a human shield and the Rosary as a weapon against Islam is not exactly my kind of thing,” he tweeted, and, “using the Rosary as a weapon against Islam is not ‘the Catholic Church.’”

Organizers had told LifeSiteNews the goal of the Rosary to the Border event was to follow Our Lady’s call at Fatima to pray the rosary for the rescue of the world.

“The Rosary to the Borders is not a crusade because we don’t want to fight with anyone,” said Maciej Bodasiński. “It is a giant commotion for, not against, something. We firmly follow her command, and we will pray at the borders of our country, going out in prayer and witness to the whole world, so that the Mercy of God is not confined to any border.”

Father Alexander Lucie-Smith, moral theologian and consulting editor for the Catholic Herald, said in a blog post that praying the rosary is not controversial, and it is our best weapon against evil.

Father Lucie-Smith noted that Poland has a different history that other European nations such as Britain, having been “wiped off the map on several occasions” in recent history.

“If the Poles seem more attached to national sovereignty than most, who can blame them?” he asked. “Their sovereignty has been much disputed. Moreover, the question of Polish nationhood is deeply connected to the Catholic faith. Both in matters of ethnicity and religion, the Poles have been steadfast in resisting Russification. Can you blame them?”

He also said the Poles are entitled to make their own choices in the matter of admitting migrants, and to pray for the salvation of Poland and the world was “admirable. The Polish example should spur others to do the same.”

Regarding the Battle of Lepanto connection, Father Lucie-Smith said marking the anniversary does not denote negativity toward another country, but it celebrates the liberation of those who were subjected to the despotic regime, including Christian galley slaves, making this something to celebrate.

He pointed out as well how praying for victory in war “has long been the Christian way” whether at Lepanto, during World War II, as well as up to and including the Nigerian bishops urging people today to pray the rosary in the face of Boko Haram, “which is completely in keeping with Catholic tradition.”

“Controversial? I don’t think so,” Father Lucie-Smith wrote. “Catholics have been doing these things for centuries.”

“Let’s hope we continue doing them for centuries to come,” he said. “As the website of the organizers of the Polish event reminds us, “the rosary is a powerful weapon against evil.” Let’s keep on using it!”

Catholic Herald: The Filipino bishops are standing up against Duterte. We should applaud them

This is what makes me prouder as a member of the TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST!

SOURCE:CATHOLIC HERALD

The president's war on drugs is clearly illegal. The Church has to take a stand

The War on Drugs, presently being fought in the Philippines by President Duterte and his death squads, has now entered a new phase, as the New York Times reports. The Church has offered to give sanctuary and protection to those police officers who wish to act as whistle-blowers, and who have evidence of illegal actions by their colleagues.

As the chairman of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, explains in a pastoral letter: “Law enforcers have come forward confidentially to us, their spiritual leaders, to seek sanctuary, succour and protection. They have expressed their desire to come out in the open about their participation in extrajudicial killings and summary executions. Their consciences are troubling them.”

Quite a lot is at stake in this matter. Here are a few observations.

First of all, the government, in embarking on a clearly illegal course of action, has issued a challenge to the credibility of the Church. If the Church were to say nothing about this, then it really could not claim to be an evangelical witness on this or indeed any other matter. The Church has to speak out, or be seen to fail. One cannot watch a spate of extrajudicial killings and summary executions (including that of several children) and say nothing. So, the current pastoral letter and the intervention it represents is not just the correct thing for the Church to do, it is the only thing or the Church to do.

As the New York Times reports, the Church is a powerful body in the Philippines, and has a history of taking on dysfunctional governments and winning. Again, this is an important role for the Church, and one it must fulfil in all countries were governments are chronically inefficient and corrupt and where civil society is weak. This too is part of the mission of the Church and its proclamation that a better society is possible.

The fact that the police are beginning to see the folly of Duterte’s war on drugs is highly significant. They are the ones who have to put the strategy, if it can be called that, into action. They must be aware of the potential for blowback. Not only do they risk being the targets of the drug gangs, they also risk, if indeed have not already lost, the confidence of the public. Their credibility as upholders of legality is already severely compromised. Hence the desire by some of them to reverse the current policy. It is hard to see how the President can continue in his war if he does not have the backing of the police. And if his much-vaunted war on drugs fails, what then?

Finally, all Catholics need to reflect. We are against drug taking, but is Duterte’s way the best way to minimise the harm done by drugs? Faced with the damage caused by drugs, should we turn to the moral evil of extrajudicial killings in order to overcome it? Or should we try something new? There must be a better way of dealing with this scourge. We could perhaps learn from the way we have dealt with tobacco and alcohol, where the attempt to minimise the harms done by both has been remarkably successful, without resorting to outlawing consumption or adopting illegal means to fight them.

Meanwhile, the Filipino bishops are to be commended for standing up for the rule of law, and for trying their best to support those who wish to bring the current anarchy in the Philippines to an end.

TURO NG SANTA IGLESIA NI CRISTO: PAG-AANTANDA NG KRUS, MASAMA BA?

Sabi ng isang nagpakilalang 'Noah Santos' sa kanyang FB, isang kaanib ng INC™ na tatag ni Felix Manalo noong 1914:

Kung tayo po ay mapag masid sa ating mga kaibigan na katoliko ay mapapansin natin na madalas silang nag AANTANDA o ang tawag sa English ay SIGN OF THE CROSS. Malimit nila itong ginagawa kapag sila ay madarasal, mapapadaan sa kanilang simbahan,kung sila ay natatakot, o iba pa mang gawain nila, sapagkat sa kanilang paniniwala ay makatutulong ito ng malaki sa kanilang buhay at makalulugod sa Diyos.

Anu ba itong PAG AANTANDA na kanilang ginagawa? Mabuti po ay basahin natin ang aklat katoliko na may pinamagatang “Siya ang Inyong Pakinggan: Ang Aral na Katoliko sa Pahina 11”

"ANG TANDA NG SANTA KRUS

"Ang paraang ginagawa sa paggamit ng Santa Krus ay dalawa: ang magantanda at ang magkrus. ANG PAGAANTANDA AY ANG PAGGAWA NG TATLONG KRUS NANGHINLALAKI NG KANYANG KANANG KAMAY; ANG UNA'Y SA NOO,... ANG TANDA NG SANTA KRUS AY SIYANG TANDA NG TAONG KATOLIKO,.." [Siya Ang Inyong Pakinggan:Ang Aral na Katoliko, Page 11]

Ang Sagot sa atin ng aklat na sinulat ng Paring si Enrique Demond, kaya isinasagawa ang PAG-AANTANDA o SIGN OF THE CROSS ay sapagkat ito ay TANDA ng taong Katoliko. At totoo naman ito dahil madali mo naman talagang makilala ang Katoliko sa Hindi Katoliko, kapag nasa sasakyan ka, pag napatapat sa Simbahan, at may nag-antanda eh alam mo na kagad na Katoliko iyon. Walang pag aalinlagan sa ikakikilala sa isang katoliko sapagkat ito ang itinuro sa kanila ng kanilang mga Pari.

Paano ang pagsasagawa ng PAG AANTANDA? Ayon narin sa aklat na ating binasa; ito ay paggawa ng tatlong krus ng hinlalaki ng KANANG KAMAY; ang una ay sa NOO.

Kaya kahit kaliwete ang taong katoliko ay kanan ang kaniyang gagamitin sa PAG AANTANDA; sapagkat ganon ang paraan na itinuro sa kanila. Unang lalapat ang Hinlalaki ng kanang kamay sa NOO. Hindi sa anu pamang bahagi ng katawan.

At dahil sa ito ay PAGAANTANDA na gamit ang KANANG KAMAY at NOO, kaya ito ay maaari nating tawagin na TANDA SA NOO at KANANG KAMAY.

Anu ang mababasa natin sa biblia tungkol sa TANDA SA NOO AT KANANG KAMAY? Ito ba ay tanda ng taong maliligtas? Ito bang tandang ito ang ibinigay para maging mga tunay na lingkod ng Diyos? Mabuti pa ay basahin natin mula sa Biblia,

Ang Tanda sa Noo at Kanang Kamay

Apocalypsis 13:16 “At ang lahat, maliliit at malalaki, at mayayaman at mga dukha, at ang mga laya at ang mga alipin ay pinabigyan ng isang TANDA sa kanilang KANANG KAMAY, o sa NOO;”

Ang sabi sa biblia binigyan ng TANDA sa KANANG KAMAY, o sa NOO.

Mabuti ba ang pagkakaroon ng tandang ito? Ano ba ang idududulot sa tao kung mananatiling magkakaroon o magsasagawa ng tandang ito?

Apocalypsis 14:9-11 "At ang ibang anghel, ang pangatlo ay sumusunod sa kanila, na nagsasabi ng malakas na tinig, Kung ang sinoman ay sumamba sa hayop at sa kaniyang larawan,at tumatanggap ng TANDA SA KANIYANG NOO, O SA KANIYANG KAMAY, Ay iinom din naman siya ng alak ng kaglitan ng Dios, na nahahandang walang halo sa inuman ng kaniyang kagalitan; at siya'y PAHIHIRAPAN NG APOY AT ASUPRE sa harapan ng mga banal na anghel, at sa harapan ng Cordero: AT ANG USOK NG HIRAP NILA AY NAPAIILANGLANG MAGPAKAILAN KAILAN MAN; AT SILA'Y WALANG KAPAHINGAHAN ARAW AT GABI, sila mga nagsisisamba sa hayop at sa kaniyang larawan, at sinomang tumatanggap ng tanda ng kaniyang pangalan."

Ayun ang liwanag ng sinabi ng Biblia na ang mga taong nagsasagawa ng PAG-AANTANDA o SIGN OF THE CROSS ay ang mga taong mapapahamak, “PAHIHIRAPAN NG APOY AT ASUPRE sa harapan ng mga banal na anghel, at sa harapan ng Cordero: AT ANG USOK NG HIRAP NILA AY NAPAIILANGLANG MAGPAKAILAN KAILAN MAN; AT SILA'Y WALANG KAPAHINGAHAN ARAW AT GABI” walang hanggang kaparusahan ang saapitin. Kakila kilabot po ito mga kaibigan naming Katoliko.

Anu ang pagamin ng isang Pari na si Aniceto dela Merced? Ganito ang nakatala sa kanyang aklat na kung tawagin ay PASIOSN CANDABA, sa pahina 210.

"Ipag uutos mag quintal sa noo o canang camay sucat pagca quilalanan na sila nga, i, campong tunay nitong Anti-Cristong hunghang." [Pasion Candaba, isinulat ng Paring si Aniceto dela Merced, Page 210]

Sabi ng Pari, ang nagtataglay ng TANDANG ito ay kabilang sa mga tao na tinatawag na Anti-Cristo o kalaban ni Cristo kaya po tiyak na mapapahamak at hindi maliligtas sa Araw ng Paghuhukom.

Kaya bakit pa ito tuluyang gagawin ng ating mga kaibigang katoliko? Kapag talagang inunawa ito ng ating mga kaibigan, tiyak na titigilan na nila ang ginagawa nilang Pag AANTANDA na palatandaang ibinigay sa mga taong KATOLIKO. Hindi ito ikaliligtas bagkus ay tiyak na ikapapahamak pa.

Salamat sa artikulong ito sapagkat nabibigyan tayo ng pagkakataon na maipaliwanag sa mga naguguluhan dulot ng mga mandarayang mga mangangaral ukol sa TUNAY na aral ng TUNAY at NAG-IISANG IGLESIA NI CRISTO - ang IGLESIA KATOLIKA.

KATOLIKO LANG BA?

Kamangmangan at maling sabihin ni Ginoong Santos (ang 'Santos' ay salitang Español na ang ibig sabihin ay "Mga Banal" sa langit o mga santo sa langit na ayon sa katuruang Katolisismo ay marapat na hinihingan ng panalangin bilang pamagitan kay Cristo) na KATOLIKO LAMANG ang nag-aantanda ng Krus.

Magugulat ang mga kaanib ng INC™ sa katotohanang hindi lamang ang mga Katoliko ang nag-aantanda ng krus. Maging ang mga Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, at mga Presbyterians (mga Protestante) ay nag-aantanda rin ng krus.  Ang mga mananampalatayang mga EASTERN ORTHRODOX ay nag-aantanda rin ng Krus bukod sa mga Katolikong Kristiano. Ayon sa Wikipedia:

When an Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic bishop or priest blesses with the sign of the cross, he holds the fingers of his right hand in such a way that they form the Greek abbreviation for Jesus Christ "IC XC". ... The blessing of both priests and bishops consists of three movements, in honour of the Holy Trinity.

Ang pagkakaiba lamang ayon sa Patheos, ang mga Katoliko ay nag-aantanda ng Krus mula KALIWA papuntang KANAN. Ito ay nangangahulugan na mula sa PASAKIT (kaliwa) kay Cristo ay ang kanyang MALUWALHATING PAGKABUHAY NA MAG-ULI (kanan).

Ang mag Eastern Orthodox naman ay mula KANAN papuntang KALIWA. Ito ay nangangahulugan na ang pananampalatayang Kristianismo ay nagmula sa mga HUDYO (kanan) papunta sa mga HENTIL (kaliwa).

Sa makatuwid, kinikilala, maging ng mga HINDI KATOLIKO ang katotohanang ang PAG-ANTANDA NG KRUS ay isang BANAL na GAWAIN. Ang pag-aantanda ng Krus ay gawain ng mga KRISTIANONG naniniwala sa AMA, ANAK at BANAL NA ESPIRITU sa IISANG DIYOS (Basahin ang 21 Things We do When We Make the Sign of the Cross).

PARI BA ANG NAGTURO?

Para sa mga Hudyo, isang SUMPA ang krus.

Para sa mga Romano, isang KAHIHIYAN ang krus.

Ngunit para kay Apostol San Pablo sa kanyang Sulat sa mga taga Galacia (6:14), ang KRUS NI CRISTO ay isang bagay na DAPAT IPAGMAPURI!

“Nawa’y ‘di ako magmalaki sa anumang bagay MALIBAN SA KRUS ng ating PANGINOONG HESU CRISTO.”

Hindi man binanggit sa Biblia kung "PAPAANO" isagawa ang PAGMAMAPURI sa KRUS ng ating Panginoong Jesu Cristo malinaw na ito ay ang simulain ng PAGSINTA at PAGYAKAP ng tao sa KRUS ni JESUS na siyang kanilang maging PAGKAKAKILANLAN.

Ayon sa kasaysayan, noong UNANG SIGLO, ang mga tao ay NAG-AANTANDA na ng KRUS. Ito ay mababasa natin sa sulat ni TERTULIAN (c. 250 A.D.) ang ganito:

"In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross" (De corona, 30).

Si SAN CYRYLO NG JERUSALEM (c. 386 A.D.) sa kanyang ARAL KATESISMO, sinabi niyang huwag itong ikahiya bagkos binigyan niya ito ng paliwanag (katekismo):

"Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest" (Catecheses, 13). Gradually, the sign of the cross was incorporated in different acts of the Mass, such as the three-fold signing of the forehead, lips, and heart at the reading of the gospel or the blessing and signing of the bread and wine to be offered occurs about the ninth century.

Ang pagsulpot ng MONOPHYSITES noong ika-400 A.D., na nagtuturong si Cristo ay may iisang KALIKASAN - ang pagka-DIYOS lamang (at hindi tao) ay nagbigay layon sa mga DALIRING SUMUSIMBULO sa ating pananampalataya sa pag-antanda ng Krus.

Halimbawa: ang pagsasambit ng Ama, Anak at Banal na Espiritu, tanda ng katotohanan na ang Iisang Diyos ay may TATLONG PERSONA.

Ang HINLALAKI, HINTUTURO at GITNANG DALIRI ay sumisimbulo muli sa KAISAHAN ng TATLONG PERSONA o BANAL NA TRINIDAD.

Ang nabanggit na tatlong daliri kapag pinagdikit ay kumakatawan sa daglat-Griegong I X C (Iesus Christus Soter - Jesu-Cristong Tagapagligtas); at ang dalawang natitira pang daliri na bahagyang nakayuko ay sumisimbulo sa DALAWANG KALIKASAN ni Cristo - ang pagka-DIYOS at pagka-TAO tunay at totoo.

Sa tagubilin ni Papa Inosent III (1198-1216) ukol sa pag-aantanda ng Krus ay ganito:

"This is how it is done: from above to below, and from the right to the left, because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) He passed to the Gentiles (left)." While noting the custom of making the cross from the right to the left shoulder was for both the western and eastern Churches, Pope Innocent continued, "Others, however, make the sign of the cross from the left to the right, because from misery (left) we must cross over to glory (right), just as Christ crossed over from death to life, and from Hades to Paradise. [Some priests] do it this way so that they and the people will be signing themselves in the same way. You can easily verify this — picture the priest facing the people for the blessing — when we make the sign of the cross over the people, it is from left to right...."

Ano man ang pamamaraan (technicality) ng pag-aantanda ng Krus, ginagawa ito ng mga Kristiano ng may buong PAGMAMAHAL Tatlong Persona - ang Ama, Anak at Espiritu Santo na siyang SENTRO ng ating pananampalatayang Kristiano.

TANDA NG KRUS SA NOO, MASAMA?

Masama ang layunin ni Ginoong Santos nang kanyang kuning sitas ang Pahayag13:16 at 14:9-11.

Malinaw namang WALANG BINABANGGIT sa Pahayag ukol sa PAG-AANTANDA NG KRUS na siyang 'TATAK NG DIABLO'.

Sa kanyang artikulo, VERY CONVINIENT niyang pinagdugtong ang mga talata sa Biblia LABAN sa pag-aantanda ng Krus na ginagawa ng mga Katoliko.

Ito ay typical na gawain na ng mga taga-sunod ni Ginoong Felix Manalo. Nais lamang nilang LINLANGIN ang kanilang mga kaanib at mga Katolikong salat pa sa kaalaman.

Ang BINABANGGIT sa PAHAYAG13 ay HINDI PO ang PAG-AANTANDA NG KRUS ng mga KATOLIKO.

Ipinapahayag rito ni San Juan na siyang nagsulat sa kanyang pangitain na NAGHAHASIK ng KASAMAAN si Satanas LABAN sa tunay na IGLESIA sa pamamagitan ng mga EMPEROR ng Roma na NAG-UUTOS at NAGTATAKDA na SILA ANG SAMBAHIN at hindi ang Nag-iisang Diyos (Pahayag 13:4). Ang sinumang DI SUMAMBA sa EMPEROR ay makakatanggap ng kaparusahan ng KAMATAYAN.

Ngunit alam naman natin na ang mga Unang Kristiano ay MATATAPANG na PINILI ang KAMATAYAN kaysa ang SAMBAHIN ang mga EMPEROR ng Roma. Kaya't sila ay ibinibilang nating mga BAYANI o SANTO / SANTA (martir) ng pananampalatayang Katolisismo.

TANDA SA NOO, ITINURO NA NI PROFETA EZEKIEL (9:4,6)

Ayon sa aklat ni Propeta Ezekiel, BUMABA ang KALUWALHATIAN (Shekinah) ng Diyos ng Israel sa pamamagitan ng CHERUB at inutusan ang isang LALAKING NAKASUOT ng lina at SINABIHANG TATAKAN NG "X" sa NOO ang NAGHIHINAGPIS laban sa kasamaan ginagawa ng mga tao.

At inutos ng Diyos sa isa pa, LIPULIN LAHAT lalaki at babae, bata at matanda, lahat ng mga gumagawa ng karumaldumal sa harapan ng Diyos MALIBAN sa mga MAY TATAK SA KANILANG na "X" sa KANILANG NOO!

Tandaan:  Ang 'X' ay literal na alpabetong Hebreo na taw!

Ano ang ITINATAK sa mga NOO ng mga Israelita upang MALIGTAS sa kapahamakan?

TAW!