Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 6

Grandson Dominics Wedding – he roasted 2 pigs and make 30 gallons of beer for the celebration

We had a wild Saturday. We returned home from the Danube River Cruise Pilgrimage at 2:30 AM (due to flight delays) and then popped up early in the morning to host 13 people in our little house and head off to the wedding.

Dominic and Anna had a lovely Latin Mass wedding, accompanied by a whole choral and instrumental group playing the most beautiful music and chant. It was truly ethereal and blessed with over 350 in attendance. Many of them were their fellow graduates from Wyoming Catholic University, all sporting their black Stetson hats.

Dominic and Anna prepared for this wedding way in advance, and the reception was spectacular. Dominic purchased two giant hogs and butchered them and dug a pit to roast them for two days. The pulled pork was exceptional.

Plus he brewed 30 gallons of his own beer for the reception — 5 different types. Delicious!!

The lively dancing and singing went on for hours with all the young folks square dancing and ballroom dancing with their live band and youthful enthusiasm. The speeches were deeply moving and spiritual. A great time was had by all.

If you want to feel old, think about having two grandsons married! But we and their parents encourage our grandchildren to find a good Catholic spouse and marry young like we did. Janet was 19 and I was 21 and it was the best thing we ever did.

In an age where young people are not marrying, just “shacking up” and contracepting, it is preparing for a very lonely and unfulfilled old age. God bless our family and the Catholic way of life!

Here is a short video of the wedding and dancing. Dominic and Anna are accomplished ballroom dancers.

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St. Peter: Bumbling Disciple or Competent CEO?

My latest article for Catholic Answers Magazine. Was Peter a bumbling idiot or a competent businessman? Why did Jesus choose Peter unless he was qualified to lead the church? This is a whole new perspective on Peter that most people have not considered.

Click on the link or the image below to read the full article.

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/st-peter-ceo-of-the-catholic-church

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Danube 10: 20th Anniversary Celebration & Gala Dinner in Prague

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since we started leading pilgrimages. With many locations in over 10,000 people it’s a very humbling for Janet and and I.

We thank John Hale and Mark Slater of Corporate Travel Services for their unwavering loyalty and operational partnership.

To celebrate we had a big Gala Dinner at the end of our Danube River cruise in Prague, Czech Republic. I hope you enjoy it.

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Danube 9: Mass at Infant Jesus of Prague, City Tour, Awards Dinner and more!

All day Prague, Czech Republic! Sightseeing tour through Hradcany Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Royal Castle, St. George’s Basilica, and Mass at the Church of Our Lady Victorious where you see the Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague

Crossed the Charles Bridge to visit the Old Town — one of the best historical city centers in Europe. Jan Hus statue, Moldau River (listen to Smetana’s famous “Moldau). Free afternoon for lunch, prayer, exploring, etc.

Awards Dinner, memories of 20 years of pilgrimages, blessing religious items, then packed for early AM departure home.

OUR DAY IN PRAGUE (Awards and Memory Gala Dinner soon)

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Acts of the Apostles: The Birth of the Catholic Church

Being seasick is terrible. I experienced it earlier while fishing all night on the Sea of Galilee. Fishermen and travelers in the first century were often nauseated while bobbing up and down on the seas of the Roman Empire.

St. Paul’s most faithful friends were writing the life of Christ and the first history of the Church and we can imagine him keeping notes and recording memories as he sat on the bow of the ship as it cut through the water with Paul on his later journeys. Writing quills and parchment were primitive means of writing by our modern standards, yet Luke wrote one of the most important and well-written documents known to the modern world. His writings have certainly proven seaworthy.

Luke’s history, written mostly from acquired tradition and only briefly from first-hand experience with the Apostle Paul (cp. “we” sections in Acts 16:10, 17; 20:5-15; 21:1, 18, and 27:1, 28:16), has come down to us as the Acts of the Apostles. Somewhat of an unusual title considering it tells us nothing of the apostolates of Thomas, Andrew, Philip, Matthew or the others. In fact, it only relays bits and pieces from the lives of Peter, John, and Paul.

Alternate titles have been proposed, such as Acts of the Holy Spirit, but the accepted title is from the earliest centuries, quoted in the Fathers and recognized early as an inspired text. It is not a complete history of the early Church, just bare facts, but rather an outline of crucial events and turning points in the early Christian community. This is theology, history, and eternal truth woven by a master into a beautiful tapestry.

As we begin reading Acts, full of anticipation to see what happened after Christ ascended into the clouds of heaven, we find that this is not Luke’s first document. The opening words begin, “The first account I composed, Theophilus”. Luke had written an earlier history, again told like a master weaver full of eternal truths and a deep understanding of the life and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This of course is the Gospel of St. Luke written about AD 62 or thereabouts, just before Acts. The recipient of both, Theophilus, was probably a Roman dignitary interested in the full story of this new “religion”.

Luke alone provides the account of Jesus’ ascension of Jesus into heaven (Lk 24:51; Acts 1:2, 9?11). He also gives us the outline not only for the Acts of the Apostles but the expansion of the whole Church from the first century until today. Before disappearing into the clouds, Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, emphasis mine). This is exactly what happened, as we shall see.

For the whole article, click here.

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Danube 8: From Passau to Pilsen to Prague; Exceptional Local Folk Dinner Show!

Celebrate Mass on the ship, breakfast and we disembarked to head into the Czech Republic. Stopped in Pilsen with a panoramic tour with a group Lunch at Restaurant Na Spilce paid for by us and our suppliers for the 20th Anniversary Celebration. Enjoy the local Pilsner beer.

One of the buses had a mechanical problem with the suspension and we had to send 27 people to Prague on the train. And boy did they have a good time! The bus was fixed a few hours later and arrived at our hotel with all the luggage and taken up to the room before we got back from dinner. We pulled a rabbit out of the hat today! And thanks be to God!

Then on to Prague to settle in to our Almanac X Alcron Prague Hotel. A special dinner of Czech specialties at the very elegant Restaurant U Marčanů with traditional local folk entertainment which was unbelievably fun and entertaining.

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Danube 7: Passau Germany and Marian Shrine in Altötting

We arrived in Passau Germany early in the morning. After breakfast, we drove through the lovely Bavarian countryside to Altötting. Mass and a tour at St. Anne’s Basilica and a stroll of the town visiting the “Black Madonna of Altotting,” a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary visited by over 1 million people a year.

Return to Passau for lunch, free time on the ship before a tour of Passau and nice dinner and evening and packing to leave the ship tomorrow when we head into the Czech Republic.

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Musings on the Greatest Danger to the West and Freedom-Loving Democracies

In discussion with a friend, I wrote the following and thought I would share it. Of course, the greatest danger is our own selves as we abandon the Judeo-Christian worldview and increasingly adopt a Marxist, Materialist, Humanist perspective.

But, these musings are related to outside dangers which become relevant mainly because of our shift away from the Christian worldview that made the West great.

“Everywhere we travel in the world it is acknowledged that “as America goes, so goes the world.” Most countries and people who love freedom and democracy say that if America falls the whole world will fall.

Who will it fall to? I used to think it was the Muslims who are our biggest threat. They used to conquer with the sword but now they conquer with immigration and the population bomb.

Now my thinking has shifted. I think that China is more likely our greatest enemy, more than Islam. And they will be much more ruthless than the Nazis and the Soviets.

Like Protestantism, Islam is very divided and therefore can never unite to become conquerors of the world — there are too many factions within Islam that oppose and fight against each other. “United we stand, divided we fall.”

This is also what happened in Europe. When we were following “the footprints” of Martin Luther through East Germany in 2017 with a group (mostly converts) commemorating the 95 Theses and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (“Deformation”), our guide said that Germany is atheist and lost its faith because of years of Soviet Communism.

I told her and my group that she was incorrect. The whole problem in Germany was started by Martin Luther when he divided Christianity. “United we stand and divided we fall.” Had Germany stayed united and strong in the Catholic faith there is nothing that the Communists could’ve done to crush their national pride, unity and Christian faith.

Poland is a good example of a country that stayed faithful to the one holy Catholic and apostolic Church. And they still stand strong today having survived Nazism and Soviet Russia. Germany collapsed.

If Christianity was united institutionally and morally and philosophically — Islam and China would have no chance against us.

However, we in the West have given up the worldview that made us such a powerhouse of good with enterprise and ingenuity that has never been rivaled. We are now very near collapse from within.

China is quite different than Islam. They have a powerful unified communist government. They are ruthless and have goals to conquer the world.

I told my kids that we have two enemies — one to the east and one to the west. The Chinese and the Muslims are rising up against the West on both sides. And right when we in the West should be strong and resilient, we are collapsing morally, economically, militarily and philosophically.

President Trump was only a short parenthesis to the decline.  The two powers of Islam and China are powerful and our great-grandchildren may live under the rule of one or the other.

Unless of course, the Lord causes a huge revival or the 2nd Coming of Christ happens. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

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Danube 5: Dürnstein, Wine Tasting in Spitz, Emmersdorf, Melk Abbey, Conversion Story

Durnstein | Spitz | Emmersdorf for Melk Abbey

Savored the region’s renowned wines in Spitz. Time on ship after driving back to Durnstein. Guided tour and Mass at Melk Abbey surrounded by Renaissance buildings and winding streets.

The Abbey is the setting for Umberto Eco′s “The Name of the Rose”. Free time at Melk Abbey then back to Emmersdorf for dinner and Steve’s talk. Ship departs for Linz.

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Mary a Mediatrix? Isn’t there just One Mediator?

The Bible says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).

Yet Catholics refer to Mary as a Mediatrix (feminine form of the word mediator).

So, isn’t that prima facie evidence that Catholics make up doctrines, worship Mary and disregard the Bible?

I was again challenged with this the other day. Interesting how the same old, same old keeps coming up no matter how many times you answer it. Interesting how these same misconceptions keep coming up as though some contentious power keeps inserting them into gullible minds. Interesting how people love to twist the rubber nose to make it obscene, grotesque, and distorted.

So here was my short response — again!

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In 1 Timothy 2:5 Paul recognizes that there is a huge chasm between the holy God and sinful men. Paul states that there is only one mediator that can bridge that uncrossable gorge.  How do we sinners reach a holy God across such a chasm?

God has provided the solution. He has provided the-one-and-only Mediator (1 Tim 2:5), the bridge, the stairway between heaven and earth, (John 1:51 based on the ladder seen by Jacob). This one Mediator is the God-Man Jesus Christ and he is the only one that can bridge the gap–mediate–between heaven and earth to bring reconciliation between God and men.

Thus, there is one Mediator to reconcile God and man. Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant as the writer of Hebrews informs us three times, for example: “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24). No one else could have ever become such a mediator of the New Covenant.

However, after Jesus has accomplished such an act of redemption and mediatorship, he calls us to share in his ministry.

I remember my father saying to me before I joined the Catholic Church, “When you become Catholic you will pray to Mary and remember that Paul says there is only one Mediator between God and man.” I lovingly but sternly replied to my father, “Dad, never ask me to pray for you again!”

My father was shocked but understood my meaning. As soon as he asks me to pray for him — he asks me to be a mediator between him and God. I told him that to be consistent with his Protestant theology he should not ask me or anyone else to intercede for him, to be a mediator — one who stands in the middle — but he should pray directly to Jesus himself.

But Scripture constantly commands us to pray for one another, to intercede for our fellow humans. We are all “mini” mediators sharing in the mediatorship of Christ. And it goes the other way too. When God tells us to share the Gospel with lost sinners he is asking us to stand between himself and the sinner to share the Gospel, although he could have chosen to communicate with them directly.

Mary is not the infinite mediator, nor does she impose on the prerogatives of her Son. She, like us, intercedes for sinners and the people of God. Mediatrix is simply the feminine form of mediator. All of us share in the ministry of Christ, mediating and praying for our fellow man. In this sense, all of us are mediators and the females among us are mediatrixes.

I am frequently asked, “Where does the Bible say we should pray to dead saints?” to which I usually ask, “Where does the Bible say that saints are dead?”

Those of us, including most Protestants, believe that when a person dies in friendship with Christ they are still alive in Christ.

To prove that those who died in a state of grace were not dead, Jesus said to the Sadducees (who didn’t believe in the resurrection which is why they were “sad you see” — as my dad used to joke with us kids), “‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matt 22:32). Jesus said that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still alive.

Those who say “Why do you Catholics pray to dead saints” need to understand that those who die in Christ are not dead. Catholics affirm that they are alive and in the presence of Christ and that they can intercede for us as much as my father or I can intercede for each other.

Mary and the saints do not answer our prayers, any more than I answer the prayers of my dad. Rather, Mary, the saints and you and I all are intercessors. We do not answer the prayers, we simply intercede with the Father through his Son Jesus.

When I take pilgrimage groups to Israel I always take them to the top of Mount Tabor where the Transfiguration took place. I always ask people how a “dead guy” like Moses could be talking to Jesus about things that are taking place on earth (Lk 9:31).

When my father asks me to pray for him he asks me to stand in the middle — to be a mediator, an intercessor — and when God commands me to preach the gospel to the lost, he tells me to stand in the middle — to be an ambassador for Christ as Paul says,

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20).

(Opps, to the right is a Pentecostal group acting as mediators, interceding with God, standing in the middle as they pray for this man!)

I hope that helps explain why we call Mary a mediatrix and why all of us are mini-mediators sharing in the ministry of Christ — the one-and-only mediator of the New Covenant, but certainly not in any way claiming to be the one mediator of the New Covenant, nor in any way arrogating to ourselves or to Mary the unique prerogatives and ministry of Jesus.

One last thought on this matter. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding of the differences between prayer and worship. In the Catholic tradition they are very different things. In Protestantism prayer and worship are sometimes used as synonyms. Pray simply means to ask, whereas worship is to adore.

If a Catholic says he “prays to Mary” it’s perceived as worship by many Protestants, but the Catholic it simply making a request that Mary intercede for us — the same as when my dad asked me to intercede for him. In Catholicism there is a big difference between pray and worship.

We honor, love and venerate Mary. We ask her to pray for us. But we worship God ALONE!

For more on this and other Marian topics, all filmed on location in the Holy Land, check out my documentary MARY, MOTHER OF GOD here.

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