Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 31

Vatican’s New Rules on Apparitions and Supernatural Phenomena

This last week the Vatican published new rules for dealing with alleged apparitions and other supernatural events like locutions, weeping statues, visions, Eucharistic miracles, Marian apparitions, etc.

Are they supernatural, from God, to be believed or rejected, and if so, how long will it take before the Church let us know, and who in the Church has the authority to make these decisions? And what if there are good things about the event, but serious questions still to be investigated? Must we wait decades for some guidance?

This is why the Vatican has come up with a list of six rules that can be applied to such events in a quicker and more appropriate manner. The hope is for quicker and clearer guidance and direction for the faithful on these issues.

Jimmy Akin has done a fine job of breaking it down in a simple and understandable manner. I tend to agree with him on the rules and think (and hope) it will add clarity in the future.

He ends the article with speculations that Rule 3 was created to cover Medjugorje. I tend to agree with him on that as well.

You can read Jimmy’s whole article here: What You Need to Know About the New Vatican Rules on Supernatural Phenomena

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Catholic Football Player Harrison Butker called out by National Football League for Promoting his Catholicism

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has come under fire for his courageous and inspiring commencement speech at Benedictine College. In that speech, he called on Catholics to live up to the high ideals of our Faith, including the defense of the dignity of every human life, the foundational role of the family, and the gift of motherhood.

He is now the target of death threats, libel, and calls by left-wing groups to have the NFL fire him. The NFL even issued a statement distancing themselves from Harrison Butker – all because he expressed basic Christian beliefs in public… at a Catholic school.

If the NFL truly believes in “inclusion” then they must ignore attempts to cancel Christians like Harrison Butker.

Additionally, College Football Hall of Fame Coach Lou Holtz expressed his support of Butker’s speech.

Sign the petition to support him — Janet and I did!

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Lourdes & Fátima again is 2026

We just got back from Lourdes and Fatima and our travels on pilgrimage through Portugal, Spain, and France.

Everyone had such a great time and so many people asked when we’re doing it again…

… so we are announcing that in September 2026 will be taking another pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima. Stay tuned.

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From Baptist to Catholic! Here is our Conversion Story with Pictures – Sunday is our 30th Anniversary!

We were received into the Catholic Church 30 years ago on Pentecost. I will post more about that this weekend as we celebrate.

But attached is our story — what happened to cause devout Evangelical Protestants to become Catholic.

Click the image to read the whole story and share it with friends if you think it may help them to discover the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church.

 

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Northern Lights in Michigan!

Northern Lights! The iPhone makes it look more dramatic than it is, but we drove out into the country away from ambient lighting to see the northern lights, and this is what we saw, a bit brighter than reality though.

I saw them once before when I was about 20 years old and they were green and dancing. These are not dancing, but they were quite colorful.

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Our Grandson Dominic Brown is engaged to be married!

Hard to believe how fast time flies. I remember what seems like yesterday — he was a little tyke as cute and sharp as a whip. They lived with us a few years while building their house.

Now he is 21 years old, smart and handsome and engaged to be married.

He is a student at Wyoming Catholic and a devout Catholic man. He is engaged to Anna Tabling who is a wonderful Catholic girl and also a student at Wyoming Catholic.

We couldn’t be happier! Congratulations to them both and to our daughter Cindy and her husband Ben Brown who have done such a top-notch job of raising their 5 kids.

But yikes, it makes Janet and I feel old, especially since we have another grandson about to the pop the question to a fellow student at Ave Maria University in Florida — and we will certainly be GREAT grandparents soon.

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Albert Einstein Admired the Catholic Church

I confirmed this quote from several sources.

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The 5 Solas of the Protestant “Reformation” – What do we agree and disagree on?

I recently recorded a podcast with the increasingly popular Bryan Mercer of Catholic Truth. Our topic was the Five Solas of the Reformation. “Sola” of course means “alone”.

Bible Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone and to the Glory of God Alone.

What can we as Catholics agree upon and disagree with these “solas” and how do most Protestants use sound bites and slogans to promote their agenda?

Either listen with audio alone (no pun intended) or watch on YouTube.

https://catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-5-Solas-of-the-Protestant-Reformation_-Catholic-Response-with-Steve-Ray.mp3

 

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Questions I Answered on Catholic Answers Live – Jesus during 40 Days between Resurrection and Ascension

Another fun show during the 40 days between Jesus’s resurrection and ascension. Where was he? To whom did he reveal himself? Did 2,000 people witness his resurrection?

https://catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ca240506a-2.mp3

Questions Covered:

What kind of body did Jesus have after his resurrection? How will that effect us?

Where did Jesus appear in those 40 days?

Who did Paul list as witnesses and why were there no women included as his witnesses?

Paul said that 500 brothers saw the risen Lord. Was it really 2,000 with youngsters who would be witnesses into the 2nd century?

18:54 – Why didn’t Jesus keep the wounds from his scourging, but only the five wounds?23:05 – Since Jesus has a body in heaven and so does Mary, are we going to have the same bodies purified and cleansed in heaven?43:12 – It makes sense to me that Jesus changed his physical appearance, and they didn’t recognize him. I’m a recovering alcoholic and people didn’t recognize when I became sober.50:50 – 1. Cor 15:28 What does this mean? And how do I respond to people who claim this disproved Jesus divinity?

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Love these multiple short notes of conversion

This week has seen several such emails and personal comments as I gave talks in several venues in Texas. People wandering through various denominations and religious groups before discovering their true home in the Catholic Church.

Here is one such e-mail I received today and it can be multiplied many times. The Church has it’s problems, but it always has. But the Church is also alive and still attracting the best and the brightest of Protestant Christians into her arms of love and truth.

We had an email exchange a few years ago now. At that time I think I was still a pastor in a Protestant church having grown up Catholic until 16. I am currently an itinerant evangelist. I just wanted to let you know I came back into the Catholic Church on Easter vigil this year.Thank you so much for taking the time to message me. Thank you for your books and YouTube content all playing a huge part in my journey. I have a road ahead that may get painful and lonely  ministry wise but I am not frightened of that.I appreciate prayer as my family although not opposed are not on this journey with me just yet. God bless you and family immensely in all you do for the Lord and His church!

Keep sharing the truth of our Catholic Church, living it faithfully in a neo-pagan world and remember that Jesus and his Church are the sole hope for this lost world and the salvation of our souls.

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