REFRESHER COURSE ON CONSTANTINE AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE VIS A VIS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH by Carlos Antonio Palad of Defensores Fidei

The Map of Roman Empire during the time of Constantine. Below is the icon of Emperor Constantine his mother Empress Helena, venerating the Holy Cross.

The standard historical mythology followed by Rodimus et al can be described as follows: The true Church founded by Jesus Christ existed until c. 300 AD, when Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and in the process, paganized the Church and turned into the Catholic Church.

Actually, the Evangelicals claim that Catholicism was founded in the 4th century, but couldn't agree on exactly WHEN it was founded, just as they couldn't agree on anything!

Followers of this myth further insist that the Roman Empire used the Catholic Church as an instrument to destroy the remaining Christians. Of course, the underlying assumption here is that Catholicism experienced continuous and uninterrupted peace under the protection of the Roman Empire -- which is simply not true!

It is a myth that has no real academic support, and is totally at variance with the facts. The fact is that the Catholic Church continued to suffer violence even during Constantine' s reign, and after Constantine. The Catholic Church suffered near-continuous persecution until the 7th century -- first, at the hands of the Roman Empire, then at the barbarians.

Permit me to present my:

Refresher Course on Constantine and the Late Roman Empire vis-a-vis Catholicism

Constantine had his vision of the Chi-Rho and the "In Hoc Signo Vinces" shortly before the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312 AD.

He and the Co-Emperor Licinius legalized Christianity in 313 AD in the Edict of Milan

In 316 AD Constantine helped the Church against the Donatist heretics. When Licinius renewed the persecution of Christians in the Eastern Empire in 320-324, Constantine deposed him and became sole Emperor of the Roman Empire from 324 to 337 AD.

In 325 AD Constantine helped convene the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council. This Council reiterated the ancient apostolic teaching on the Divinity of Christ against the novel teachings of Arius by a vote of 316 for and 2 against.

Beginning in 330 AD, Constantine began to be influenced by Arian bishops and theologians. By 335 he was clearly hostile to Catholic bishops (for quasi-political rather than truly theological reasons) and had exiled several of them; and in 337, he was baptized at his deathbed by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. Although there is no clear indication that he himself was personally an Arian, he was an ambivalent Christian, at best. By no means can he be considered as a "founder" of Catholicism!

After Constantine' s death, the Roman Empire was split into two, the West being ruled by a Catholic (Constans) and the East by an Arian (Constantius) . By 350 the Emperor of the West was dead, and the Eastern emperor Constantius -- an Arian -- ruled the entire Empire, fiercely persecuting the Catholic Church. He was followed by the pagan Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) who was hostile to Christianity. From 364 to 378 the Eastern Roman Empire was once more ruled by an Arian, Valens, who persecuted the Catholics. In short, the period after Constantine saw the Catholic Church being severely persecuted once more by the Roman Empire. So much for the ignorant Evangelical myth that the Roman Empire had invented Catholicism beginning with Constantine! Only the ignorant who don't bother to read, believe this kind of mythology!

In 379 the Catholic emperor Theodosius stopped the persecutions. In 381 he helped convene the Council of Constantinople I that defeated Arianism with finality. In 394 -- after a final pagan attempt to restore paganism and destroy the Church -- he proclaimed Catholicism as the state religion of the Roman Empire.

But wait! That is not the end of the story!

Even as Arianism was defeated in the Roman Empire, the Germanic and barbarian tribes became Arian in the 4th and early 5th centuries due to the missionary work of the heretical Ulfilas. From 378 AD to 476 AD the Roman Empire was repeatedly and continuously invaded by barbarians who were either pagans or Arians. This was an era that saw the Catholic Church lose many more martyrs. Many areas of the Roman Empire fell into the hands of Arian barbarians who continued to persecute the Catholic Church.

In short: the legalization of the Church in the Roman Empire did NOT stop the continuous killing and exiling of Catholics for their faith.

Beginning in the first years of the 5th century, continuous pagan Anglo-Saxon invasions of England resulted in the obliteration of the Church there by the late 5th century.

In North Africa, the Vandal barbarians (who were Arians) seized control from the Roman Empire c. 430 AD. In fact, St. Augustine died during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals. They also sacked Rome in 455, stealing from Catholic churches in the process. The Vandals continued to rule until 534 AD, when the Byzantines defeated them. Vandal rule from c. 430 AD until c. 530 AD was a long and dark night for the Church in North Africa, which suffered numerous martyrs.

In Spain and Gaul, the Arian Goths / Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 AD, ruled from c. 475 AD until 507 AD in France (when they were defeated by the pro-Catholic Franks) and in Spain from c. 475 AD until 718 AD. The Visigoths were Arians until 587 AD, and their rule was marked by the loss of much Catholic blood. In fact, the conversion of the Visigoths to Catholicism in 587 was due to the fact that the king at that time, Reccared, was deeply affected by the martyrdom of his brother St. Hermenegild, who had been killed for his faith by their devoutly Arian father King Liuvigild. As soon as Liuvigild died and was succeeded by Reccared, the latter became Catholic.

In Italy itself, the Arian Ostrogoths ruled from 476 AD until 555 AD, during which, despite their relative tolerance, they killed many Catholics, including St. Boethius and Pope St. John I, who was starved to death.

As late as the 7th century, the last barbarians -- the Lombards -- continued to be militantly Arian, and posed a threat to the Church.

Pope Benedict to baptize California convert at Easter Vigil

Modesto, Calif., February 25 (CNA).-A convert to Catholicism who lives in California will be one of seven people baptized by Pope Benedict XVI during the Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Ceres, California resident Heidi Sierras, 29, completed the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) at St. Joseph's parish in Modesto last year. But through a series of connections—a parishioner who knew a nun at the Vatican—Sierras was chosen for an open spot for a North American to be baptized by the Pope at the 2009 vigil.

Sierras told the Modesto Bee there was never any question whether she would make the trip to Rome.

"It's incredible," she commented. "I feel like, 'Why me?' I felt undeserving. But how could I say no to that? It's an incredible opportunity."

"It's almost like I'm going to be baptized by Jesus himself. It's an incredible feeling," said Serras, who will also receive her First Communion from Pope Benedict.

Her husband Dan was also enthusiastic.

"To say I'm excited would be an understatement," he told the Modesto Bee. "It's unbelievable that she's going to be baptized by the Pope, considering there are only seven people selected in the world. I'm extremely happy because it's a true blessing, what she's going to experience.

Sierras reported that she did not attend church as a child, but her husband Dan was raised as a Catholic. He began attending Mass more frequently about three years ago, with Mrs. Sierras accompanying him.

She decided she wanted to know more about the Catholic faith and signed up for RCIA classes.

Serras will be accompanied to Rome by St. Joseph's pastor Fr. Joseph Illo, RCIA instructor Stacy Phillips and about 40 other parishioners.

The seven people whom the Pope baptizes every Easter in Rome are chosen to represent the seven continents of the globe and the universality of the Church.

ASH WEDNESDAY by T.S. Eliott

Ash Wednesday

- a poem by T S Eliot

Because I do not hope to turn again

Because I do not hope

Because I do not hope to turn

Desiring this man's gift and that man's scope

I no longer strive to strive towards such things

(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)

Why should I mourn

The vanished power of the usual reign?

Because I do not hope to know

The infirm glory of the positive hour

Because I do not think

Because I know I shall not know

The one veritable transitory power

Because I cannot drink

There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is

nothing again

Because I know that time is always time

And place is always and only place

And what is actual is actual only for one time

And only for one place

I rejoice that things are as they are and

I renounce the blessèd face

And renounce the voice

Because I cannot hope to turn again

Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something

Upon which to rejoice

And pray to God to have mercy upon us

And pray that I may forget

These matters that with myself I too much discuss

Too much explain

Because I do not hope to turn again

Let these words answer

For what is done, not to be done again

May the judgement not be too heavy upon us

Because these wings are no longer wings to fly

But merely vans to beat the air

The air which is now thoroughly small and dry

Smaller and dryer than the will

Teach us to care and not to care

Teach us to sit still.

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death

Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

II

Lady, three white leopards sat under a juniper-tree

In the cool of the day, having fed to sateity

On my legs my heart my liver and that which had been

contained

In the hollow round of my skull. And God said

Shall these bones live? shall these

Bones live? And that which had been contained

In the bones (which were already dry) said chirping:

Because of the goodness of this Lady

And because of her loveliness, and because

She honours the Virgin in meditation,

We shine with brightness. And I who am here dissembled

Proffer my deeds to oblivion, and my love

To the posterity of the desert and the fruit of the gourd.

It is this which recovers

My guts the strings of my eyes and the indigestible portions

Which the leopards reject. The Lady is withdrawn

In a white gown, to contemplation, in a white gown.

Let the whiteness of bones atone to forgetfulness.

There is no life in them. As I am forgotten

And would be forgotten, so I would forget

Thus devoted, concentrated in purpose. And God said

Prophesy to the wind, to the wind only for only

The wind will listen. And the bones sang chirping

With the burden of the grasshopper, saying

Lady of silences

Calm and distressed

Torn and most whole

Rose of memory

Rose of forgetfulness

Exhausted and life-giving

Worried reposeful

The single Rose

Is now the Garden

Where all loves end

Terminate torment

Of love unsatisfied

The greater torment

Of love satisfied

End of the endless

Journey to no end

Conclusion of all that

Is inconclusible

Speech without word and

Word of no speech

Grace to the Mother

For the Garden

Where all love ends.

Under a juniper-tree the bones sang, scattered and shining

We are glad to be scattered, we did little good to each other,

Under a tree in the cool of day, with the blessing of sand,

Forgetting themselves and each other, united

In the quiet of the desert. This is the land which ye

Shall divide by lot. And neither division nor unity

Matters. This is the land. We have our inheritance.

III

At the first turning of the second stair

I turned and saw below

The same shape twisted on the banister

Under the vapour in the fetid air

Struggling with the devil of the stairs who wears

The deceitul face of hope and of despair.

At the second turning of the second stair

I left them twisting, turning below;

There were no more faces and the stair was dark,

Damp, jaggèd, like an old man's mouth drivelling, beyond

repair,

Or the toothed gullet of an agèd shark.

At the first turning of the third stair

Was a slotted window bellied like the figs's fruit

And beyond the hawthorn blossom and a pasture scene

The broadbacked figure drest in blue and green

Enchanted the maytime with an antique flute.

Blown hair is sweet, brown hair over the mouth blown,

Lilac and brown hair;

Distraction, music of the flute, stops and steps of the mindover the third stair,

Fading, fading; strength beyond hope and despair

Climbing the third stair.

Lord, I am not worthy

Lord, I am not worthy

but speak the word only.

IV

Who walked between the violet and the violet

Whe walked betweenThe various ranks of varied green

Going in white and blue, in Mary's colour,

Talking of trivial things

In ignorance and knowledge of eternal dolour

Who moved among the others as they walked,

Who then made strong the fountains and made fresh the

springs

Made cool the dry rock and made firm the sand

In blue of larkspur, blue of Mary's colour,

Sovegna vos

Here are the years that walk between, bearing

Away the fiddles and the flutes, restoring

One who moves in the time between sleep and waking,

wearing

White light folded, sheathing about her, folded.

The new years walk, restoring

Through a bright cloud of tears, the years, restoring

With a new verse the ancient rhyme.

Redeem The time.

Redeem

The unread vision in the higher dream

While jewelled unicorns draw by the gilded hearse.

The silent sister veiled in white and blue

Between the yews, behind the garden god,

Whose flute is breathless, bent her head and signed but

spoke no word

But the fountain sprang up and the bird sang down

Redeem the time, redeem the dream

The token of the word unheard, unspoken

Till the wind shake a thousand whispers from the yew

And after this our exile

V

If the lost word is lost, if the spent word is spent

If the unheard, unspoken

Word is unspoken, unheard;

Still is the unspoken word, the Word unheard,

The Word without a word, the Word within

The world and for the world;

And the light shone in darkness and

Against the Word the unstilled world still whirled

About the centre of the silent Word.

O my people, what have I done unto thee.

Where shall the word be found, where will the word

Resound? Not here, there is not enough silence

Not on the sea or on the islands, not

On the mainland, in the desert or the rain land,

For those who walk in darkness

Both in the day time and in the night time

The right time and the right place are not here

No place of grace for those who avoid the face

No time to rejoice for those who walk among noise and deny

the voice

Will the veiled sister pray for

Those who walk in darkness, who chose thee and oppose

thee,

Those who are torn on the horn between season and season,

time and time, between

Hour and hour, word and word, power and power, those who

wait

In darkness? Will the veiled sister pray

For children at the gateWho will not go away and cannot pray:

Pray for those who chose and oppose

O my people, what have I done unto thee.

Will the veiled sister between the slender

Yew trees pray for those who offend her

And are terrified and cannot surrender

And affirm before the world and deny between the rocks

In the last desert before the last blue rocks

The desert in the garden the garden in the desert

Of drouth, spitting from the mouth the withered apple-seed.

O my people.

VI

Although I do not hope to turn again

Although I do not hope

Although I do not hope to turn

Wavering between the profit and the loss

In this brief transit where the dreams cross

The dreamcrossed twilight between birth and dying

(Bless me father) though I do not wish to wish these things

From the wide window towards the granite shore

The white sails still fly seaward, seaward flying

Unbroken wings

And the lost heart stiffens and rejoices

In the lost lilac and the lost sea voices

And the weak spirit quickens to rebel

For the bent golden-rod and the lost sea smell

Quickens to recover

The cry of quail and the whirling plover

And the blind eye creates

The empty forms between the ivory gates

And smell renews the salt savour of the sandy earth

This is the time of tension between dying and birth

The place of solitude where three dreams cross

Between blue rocks

But when the voices shaken from the yew-tree drift away

Let the other yew be shaken and reply.

Blessèd sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden,

Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood

Teach us to care and not to care

Teach us to sit still

Even among these rocks,

Our peace in His will

And even among these rocks

Sister, mother

And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,

Suffer me not to be separated

And let my cry come unto Thee.

The Beautiful Cebu Catholic Television Network's Chapel.

The painting in the corridor of the station depicting the Church of Cebu in a classic theme of Greco-Roman arts.

After leaving SM Cebu Mrs. Gabatingan brought us to the station of the Archdiocesan Radio to see its beautiful Chapel. And indeed it is very beautiful. It was in the second floor and the light was minimal since we don't know how to open the lights and where the location of the switch were.

The Lamb of God adorns the front of the beautiful Altar of Sacrifice

I was expecting a simple, bereft Chapel instead I found a very beautiful one of classic design. The materials are of excellent quality which shows that the administrators have given their best to honor the Lord with the best thing that the Archdiocese could offer. Even the chairs can be used for the best Opera House in the country. It is but fitting that the Lord be given priority over the rest. It speaks well of the spirituality and deep religiosity of the Cebuanos.

The very beautiful Altar of the Chapel. Even though the lights were off the Chapel was magnificent in beauty.

The Lectern for the Word of God

The Blessed Virgin as Queen of Heaven, handing the Rosary to her children

One of the cute angels adorning the Altar

Another cute angel

And another angel Our Lady of Fatima

The Angel of Light

The Holy Trinity and the Holy Family

The celebrant's chair

Another angel of light

Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the beloved Filipino martyr from the Visayas

The Podium for the Commentator of the Mass

The Chapel viewed from the Altar

One of the beatiful Chapel lights on the ceiling

50 BIBLICAL PROOFS FOR THE PRIMACY OF ST. PETER AND THE PAPACY by Dave Armstrong

St. Peter the Apostle and First Pope

50 New Testament Proofs for Petrine Primacy and the Papacy

[pp. 233-238 of A Biblical Defense of Catholicism]

The Catholic doctrine of the papacy is biblically-based, and is derived from the evident primacy of St. Peter among the apostles. Like all Christian doctrines, it has undergone development through the centuries, but it hasn't departed from the essential components already existing in the leadership and prerogatives of St. Peter. These were given to him by our Lord Jesus Christ, acknowledged by his contemporaries, and accepted by the early Church. The biblical Petrine data is quite strong and convincing, by virtue of its cumulative weight, especially for those who are not hostile to the notion of the papacy from the outset. This is especially made clear with the assistance of biblical commentaries. The evidence of Holy Scripture (RSV) follows:

1. Mt16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

The rock (Greek, petra) referred to here is St. Peter himself, not his faith or Jesus Christ. Christ appears here not as the foundation, but as the architect who "builds." The Church is built, not on confessions, but on confessors - living men (see, e.g., 1 Pt 2:5). Today, the overwhelming consensus of the great majority of all biblical scholars and commentators is in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding. Here St. Peter is spoken of as the foundation-stone of the Church, making him head and superior of the family of God (i.e., the seed of the doctrine of the papacy). Moreover, Rock embodies a metaphor applied to him by Christ in a sense analogous to the suffering and despised Messiah (1 Pt 2:4-8; cf. Mt 21:42). Without a solid foundation a house falls. St. Peter is the foundation, but not founder of the Church, administrator, but not Lord of the Church. The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11) gives us other shepherds as well (Eph 4:11).

2. Mt 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven . . ." The "power of the keys" has to do with ecclesiastical discipline and administrative authority with regard to the requirements of the faith, as in Is 22:22 (cf. Is 9:6; Job 12:14; Rev 3:7). From this power flows the use of censures, excommunication, absolution, baptismal discipline, the imposition of penances, and legislative powers. In the Old Testament a steward, or prime minister is a man who is "over a house" (Gen 41:40; 43:19; 44:4/ 1 Kgs 4:6; 16:9; 18:3/ 2 Kgs 10:5; 15:5; 18:18/ Is 22:15,20-21).

3. Mt 16:19 ". . . whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.""Binding" and "loosing" were technical rabbinical terms, which meant to "forbid" and "permit" with reference to the interpretation of the law, and secondarily to "condemn" or "place under the ban" or "acquit." Thus, St. Peter and the popes are given the authority to determine the rules for doctrine and life, by virtue of revelation and the Spirit's leading (Jn 16:13), and to demand obedience from theChurch. "Binding and loosing" represent the legislative and judicial powers of the papacy and the bishops (Mt 18:17-18; Jn 20:23). St. Peter, however, is the only apostle who receives these powers by name and in the singular, making him preeminent.

4. Peter's name occurs first in all lists of apostles (Mt 10:2; Mk 3:16; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13). Matthew even calls him the "first" (10:2). Judas Iscariot is invariably mentioned last.

5. Peter is almost without exception named first whenever he appears with anyone else. In one (only?) example to the contrary, Gal 2:9, where he ("Cephas") is listed after James and before John, he is clearly preeminent in the entire context (e.g., 1:18-19; 2:7-8).

6. Peter alone among the apostles receives a new name, Rock, solemnly conferred (Jn 1:42; Mt 16:18).

7. Likewise, Peter is regarded by Jesus as the Chief Shepherd after Himself (Jn 21:15-17), singularly by name, and over the universal Church, even though others have a similar but subordinate role (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2).

8. Peter alone among the apostles is mentioned by name as having been prayed for by Jesus Christ in order that his "faith may not fail" (Lk 22:32).

9. Peter alone among the apostles is exhorted by Jesus to "strengthen your brethren" (Lk 22:32).

10. Peter first confesses Christ's divinity (Mt 16:16).

The Chair of St. Peter in Rome decorated by the great artist Bernini and elevated in the High Altar of St. Peter Basilica in Rome. The Chair is shown in the photo guarded by two Angels and supported by Four Great Fathers and Doctors of the Church, two from the East and two from the West, signifying the Univeral Authority of St. Peter.

11. Peter alone is told that he has received divine knowledge by a special revelation (Mt 16:17).

12. Peter is regarded by the Jews (Acts 4:1-13) as the leader and spokesman of Christianity.

13. Peter is regarded by the common people in the same way (Acts 2:37-41; 5:15).

14. Jesus Christ uniquely associates Himself and Peter in the miracle of the tribute-money (Mt 17:24-27).

15. Christ teaches from Peter's boat, and the miraculous catch of fish follows (Lk 5:1-11): perhaps a metaphor for the pope as a "fisher of men" (cf. Mt 4:19).

16. Peter was the first apostle to set out for, and enter the empty tomb (Lk 24:12; Jn 20:6).

17. Peter is specified by an angel as the leader and representative of the apostles (Mk 16:7).

18. Peter leads the apostles in fishing (Jn 21:2-3,11). The "bark" (boat) of Peter has been regarded by Catholics as a figure of the Church, with Peter at the helm.

19. Peter alone casts himself into the sea to come to Jesus (Jn 21:7).

20. Peter's words are the first recorded and most important in the upper room before Pentecost (Acts 1:15-22).

Another ancient chair believed to be used by St. Peter during his stay in Rome. The enemies of the Faith might claim that this chair appears to be for the rich. Of course, when St. Peter was in Rome he was given hospitalities by some prominent Jewish and Roman Christians. This is historically supported that many prominent members of the Roman Society became Christians during the time of Sts. Peter and Paul.

21. Peter takes the lead in calling for a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:22).

22. Peter is the first person to speak (and only one recorded) after Pentecost, so he was the first Christian to "preach the gospel" in the Church era (Acts 2:14-36).

23. Peter works the first miracle of the Church Age, healing a lame man (Acts 3:6-12).

24. Peter utters the first anathema (Ananias and Saphira) emphatically affirmed by God (Acts 5:2-11)!

25. Peter's shadow works miracles (Acts 5:15).

26. Peter is the first person after Christ to raise the dead (Acts 9:40).

27. Cornelius is told by an angel to seek out Peter for instruction in Christianity (Acts 10:1-6).

28. Peter is the first to receive the Gentiles, after a revelation from God (Acts 10:9-48).

29. Peter instructs the other apostles on the catholicity (universality) of the Church (Acts 11:5-17).

30. Peter is the object of the first divine interposition on behalf of an individual in the Church Age (an angel delivers him from prison - Acts 12:1-17).

31. The whole Church (strongly implied) offers "earnest prayer" for Peter when he is imprisoned (Acts 12:5).

32. Peter presides over and opens the first Council of Christianity, and lays down principles afterwards accepted by it (Acts 15:7-11).

33. Paul distinguishes the Lord's post-Resurrection appearances to Peter from those to other apostles (1 Cor 15:4-8). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus make the same distinction (Lk 24:34), in this instance mentioning only Peter ("Simon"), even though they themselves had just seen the risen Jesus within the previous hour (Lk 24:33).

34. Peter is often spoken of as distinct among apostles (Mk 1:36; Lk 9:28,32; Acts 2:37; 5:29; 1 Cor 9:5).

35. Peter is often spokesman for the other apostles, especially at climactic moments (Mk 8:29; Mt 18:21; Lk 9:5; 12:41; Jn 6:67 ff.).

36. Peter's name is always the first listed of the "inner circle" of the disciples (Peter, James and John - Mt 17:1; 26:37,40; Mk 5:37; 14:37).

37. Peter is often the central figure relating to Jesus in dramatic gospel scenes such as walking on the water (Mt 14:28-32; Lk 5:1 ff., Mk 10:28; Mt 17:24 ff.).

38. Peter is the first to recognize and refute heresy, in Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24).

39. Peter's name is mentioned more often than all the other disciples put together: 191 times (162 as Peter or Simon Peter, 23 as Simon, and 6 as Cephas). John is next in frequency with only 48 appearances, and Peter is present 50% of the time we find John in the Bible! Archbishop Fulton Sheen reckoned that all the other disciples combined were mentioned 130 times. If this is correct, Peter is named a remarkable 60% of the time any disciple is referred to!

40. Peter's proclamation at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) contains a fully authoritative interpretation of Scripture, a doctrinal decision and a disciplinary decree concerning members of the "House of Israel" (2:36) - an example of "binding and loosing."

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the crowd from the Pontifical Chair. He is the present successor of the See of Peter.

41. Peter was the first "charismatic", having judged authoritatively the first instance of the gift of tongues as genuine (Acts 2:14-21).

42. Peter is the first to preach Christian repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

43. Peter (presumably) takes the lead in the first recorded mass baptism (Acts 2:41).

44. Peter commanded the first Gentile Christians to be baptized (Acts 10:44-48).

45. Peter was the first traveling missionary, and first exercised what would now be called "visitation of the churches" (Acts 9:32-38,43). Paul preached at Damascus immediately after his conversion (Acts 9:20), but hadn't traveled there for that purpose (God changed his plans!). His missionary journeys begin in Acts 13:2.46. Paul went to Jerusalem specifically to see Peter for fifteen days in the beginning of his ministry (Gal 1:18), and was commissioned by Peter, James and John (Gal 2:9) to preach to the Gentiles.

47. Peter acts, by strong implication, as the chief bishop/shepherd of the Church (1 Pet 5:1), since he exhorts all the other bishops, or "elders."

48. Peter interprets prophecy (2 Pet 1:16-21).

49. Peter corrects those who misuse Paul's writings (2 Pet 3:15-16).

50. Peter wrote his first epistle from Rome, according to most scholars, as its bishop, and as the universal bishop (or, pope) of the early Church. "Babylon" (1 Pet 5:13) is regarded as code for Rome.

In conclusion, it strains credulity to think that God would present St. Peter with such prominence in the Bible, without some meaning and import for later Christian history; in particular, Church government. The papacy is the most plausible (we believe actual) fulfillment of this.

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ON FASTING

ON FASTING

by St. John Chrysostom

The value of fasting consists not only in avoiding certainfoods, but in giving up of sinful practices. The person wholimits his fast only to abstaining from meat is the one whoespecially lowers the value of it.

Do you fast? Prove it by doing good works. If you seesomeone in need, take pity on them. If you see a friend beinghonored, don’t get jealous of him. For a true fast, you cannotfast only with your mouth. You must fast with your eye, your ear,your feet, your hands, and all parts of your body.

You fast with your hands by keeping them pure from doinggreedy things. You fast with your feet by not going to seeforbidden shows or plays. You fast with your eyes by notletting them look upon impure pictures. Because if this isforbidden or unlawful, it mars your fast and threatens the safetyof your soul. But if you look at things which are lawful andsave you increase your fast, for what you see with your eyeinfluences your conduct. It would be very stupid to eliminate orgive up meat and other foods because of the fast but feed withyour eyes upon other things which are forbidden.

You don’t eat meat, you say. But you allow yourself to lis-ten to lewd things. You must fast with your ears, too. Anotherway of fasting with your ears is not to listen to those who speakevil or untrue things about others. “Thou shalt not receive anidle report. “This is especially true of rumors, gossip,untruths which are spoken to harm another.

Besides fasting with your mouth by not eating certain foods,your mouth should also fast from foul language or telling liesabout others. For what good is it if you don’t eat meat orpoultry, and yet you bite and devour your fellow man?

Article courtesy of the

EWTN Library. This blog however got this from the Blog of Sis. Shirley Monreal entitled: EX FIDE IN FIDEM. Here is the link: http://saiden.page.ph/fidem/2009/02/st-john-chrysostom-on-fasting/

CEBU TOUR, Part 11 Meeting New Friends and A Renown Painter in SM Cebu

The Artworks in front of SM Cebu

At the evening of our second day in Cebu, after visiting the Fort San Pedro, the Basilica of the Pit Senyor, the Taoist Temple and the Mactan Shrine, we proceeded to SM Cebu in order to meet the friend of Ms. Carpio. And when we finally met her she is no other than Mrs. Gabatingan.

A Painting inside SM Cebu depicting Traditional Filipino Family: Deeply religious, with strong family ties and hardworking

Mrs. Gabatingan is a gracious lady. She treated us with hospitality for which the Cebuanos are known for. She brought us to a very nice restaurant and ordered the food which are specialties of the Cebuano people. And while we were eating she delighted us further with stories of faith in Cebu, of the life and culture of the people, gave us suggestions where to go and visit and the best place to shop in and around the City.

Mrs. Gabatingan [in blue] and her sister [left] treated us in a restaurant at the second floor of SM Cebu. Ms. Carpio was the one who introduced us to Mrs. Gabatingan.

She also informed us about Mr. Romulo Galicano. The reason why the Lady Governor of Cebu, Gwen Garcia, was present in the Gallery as well as the Who's Who in the society and in the media was due to the homecoming of Galicano, Cebu's beloved son.

The Restaurant we've been through

After the meal, Mrs. Gabatingan introduced us to Mr. Galicano himself unfortunately we didn't get the chance to have photos taken with him because his schedule interview with ABS-CBN reporte was about to start. Instead, we roamed around the gallery in order to see his works and indeed they are impressive and very beautiful.

The portrait paintings presented here in are all works of the famous Filipino artist Romulo Galicano who hails from Cebu. We were all wondering about the lines right inside the portraits and we were told that it is actually the unique and distinctive characteristics of Gallicano portraits. He is the first artist who have done portraits with lines.

The paintings are hereby presented here. My only regret is that my ignorance of professional use of camera really manifested that night because some shots really blurred the paintings due to improper use of flash. Real expert knows how to tame the camera in order to bring the best possible pictures.

Some materials used for the portraits are displayed in the gallery

I present these paintings here as a salute to Romulo Galicano. To tell him that as Filipinos we are proud of his national and international success. It is also a paean to the greatness of our Cebuano brothers, especially the Cebuano artists, whose God-given talents are truly worldclass.

Several prominent ladies and figures in the society have posed before Galicano While we were eating, I suddenly noticed that a very good Soprano was singing in the Gallery. She was singing the Visayan classic "Usahay" beautifully. When I asked Mrs. Gabatingan about the identity of the Soprano, she smiled and answered: "Never mind Father. Such talent is very common here in Cebu." Of course she is right. Musical talent is truly very common in the country. It is no wonder that Filipino artists are making wave from Broadway to West End and our singers are gaining world-class recognitions.

Classic theme -- Mother and Child. For sure the Evangelicals will not claim that this painting is pagan in origin. Yet they are doing that when the characters depicted are Mary and the Child Jesus.

Cebuano musicians serenading the people viewing the Gallicano gallery right in the main hall of the newly built SM Cebu extension.

Mr. Romulo Galicano himself being interviewed by a reporter from ABS-CBN

The Galicano Gallery in the SM Cebu ground hall