The Feast of the Holy Trinity

The Athanasian Creed  --  Quicunque Vult

Whoever will be saved shall, above else, hold the catholic faith. Which faith, except everyone keeps whole and undefiled, without doubt he will perish eternally.

And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.

For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and the holy Spirit is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.  And yet they are not but one eternal. As there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensibles but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. And yet they are not three almighties but one almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. For we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge every person by himself to be both  God and Lord. 

So we cannot by the catholic faith say that there are three Gods or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created not begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son not three Sons; one Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits.  And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater of less than another; but the whole three persons are coeternal together and coequal, so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved is compelled thus to think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the world; and man of the substance of his mother, born in the world;  

Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;  Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead and inferior to the Father as touching hie manhood;  Who, although he is God and man, yet he is not two but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking the manhood into  God; One altogether, not by confusion of substance but by unity of person.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man  is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sits at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.

At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies and will give an account of theiur own works. And they that have done good will go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.

This is the catholic faith which, except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

Whitsunday -- the Feast of Pentecost

Our Lord Jesus Christ, being seated on the right hand of God, sent, as He had promised, the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, who, after His Ascension, continued  in prayer at Jerusalem, in company with the Blessed Virgin, awaiting the performance of His promise.

Let us pray in like manner with the Church: "Come O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love."

Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, alleluia: et hoc quod continet omnia, scientim habet vocis, alleluis, alleluia, alleluira, -- essurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimic ejus: et fugiant, qui oderunt eum, a facie.

Gloria Patri....

***

Der Geist des Herrrn erfüllt den Erdkreis, alleluia. Er, der das All zusammenhält, kennt jede Sprache, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Gott stehe auf, zerstieben sollen Seine Feinde; vor Seinen Anblick sollen  fliehen, die Ihn hassen.

Ehre sei....

***

The Spirit of the Lord filleth the world: halleljah!
Let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice before God: yea, let them eceddingly rejoice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Let God arise: let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

Glory be to the Father....

Unbelief is a Wonderful Thing.

Gottesdienst Online has a reference to http://puritycommunion.org/landing/. The topic is "Purity Communion." Bread & Wine wafers and sanitary dispensers prevent the spread of germs among the communicants.

The theologian J. S. Bach had this to say about Holy Communion (Was Gott tut daß ist wohl getan) "No poison can be in the cup that my Physician sends me."

Need I say more?

May 6 - St. John Before the Latin Gate

The Martyrology presents stories, both fact and fictional, about the Saints and the days upon which they are commemorated. One that I find to be quite interesting is this particular commemoration of St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist. He may have endured many torments; but he died in exile on the Isle of Patmos.The commemoration of St. John on this day presents a strange legend.

It is said that St. John was bound and brought to Rome from Ephesus by order of Domitian, and the Senate condemned him to be taken to that (Latin) gate and placed in a cauldron of boiling oil, from which he came out more healthy and vigorous than before.

This is but a sample of the legends contained in the Martyrology.