Mon, 28 September 2009
St. Irenaeus Ministries was invited to be a guest on the Life on the
Rock program on EWTN on September 4, 2008. This is a recording of that
portion of the program.
St. Irenaeus Ministries is a Rochester, NY based apostolate promoting orthodox Catholic faith named after St. Irenaeus, an early Christian bishop and writer only two generations removed from the time Christ walked the earth who spoke out against heresies. We discuss our activities, with special focus on the practical implications of evangelization, such as conversion. Special attention must also be paid to promoting renewal, and strategies for promoting renewal and a real, living, active faith include paraclesis (the act of walking beside) and challenging men and women through ministries such as Bible study, discipleship counsel, fellowship, and religious teaching, which are discussed thoroughly. It is the duty of all Christians to bring the message of Christ to the world, not just through programs, but by bringing the message out of the pews and shining forth Christ to everyone we meet, personally and one-on-one. Christ's message is a radical one and requires a radical commitment to His message, and we need brethren to encourage us. You can also watch this interview on YouTube. To purchase a copy of this episode of Life on the Rock on DVD, visit the EWTN religious Catalogue. |
Mon, 21 September 2009
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus tells us that there will be wars and
rumors of wars that many will wrongly think to be the coming of the
end. This suggests that the end will be many years from the time of the
Discourse, and thus it is appropriate to focus our attention on how the
Apocalyptic impacts our lives today.
We should look to this present time not as a time of delay or a time of anticipation, but as a time when God is making the preparations for the time to come. We must not see this as a time to relax, but it is also unwise to look for numerology or hints to the time of the end. This present time is one where troubles happen, and some of these troubles may have to do with God's plan for the end times, but many will not. God has graciously given us this time so that we may repent, but we should be living it as though the end times are imminent. The closing theme is Gerard Satamian's Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com |
Mon, 14 September 2009
The early Church viewed the apocalyptic writings as vital to the faith.
Early Christians saw the end times as imminent, though not necessarily
coming soon, as suggested by the exhortation to preach the Gospel to
all the nations. In the same way, faulty wiring might pose an imminent
danger, but it might not actually cause a catastrophe for many years.
We also look in-depth at the circumstances surrounding the Olivet Discourse and some prophecies in Daniel. Every generation should see itself as standing on the precipice of the end times, an end which God has delayed through His mercy so that we may have time to repent. We must keep our attention on the end and keep Heaven as our goal. The closing theme is Gerard Satamian's Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com |
Mon, 7 September 2009
Continuing the discussion of Christian Apocalyptic literature, we read
excerpts from Daniel, who prophesies the coming of the Christ, the
pseudepigraphal Enoch, which expands on the Sons of God mentioned in
the book of Genesis.
The Olivet Discourse is another example, where Jesus expounds on the last days, as a capstone to a series of questions He was asked. Like the early Church, we do not know when the End Times will come, but we must assume that the end may be coming at any time, and we must look for the signs that it is coming. The closing theme is Gerard Satamian's Chansons Sans Paroles Op. 2 Pastorale, from the album Dry Fig Trees. www.magnatune.com |