When Protestants removed themselves from the sacrifice of the Mass, they eventually lost all ability to discern what is true worship and what is not.
It is not surprising that they often accuse Catholics of worshipping Mary. They don’t know what worship even means.
They had been married for only 20 days.
Most newlyweds dream of a long life together.
A home.
Children.
Years of shared memories.
But for Saints Timothy and Maura, their marriage would end on a cross.
And it would become one of the most extraordinary love stories in Christian history.
Timothy was a young lector in the Church, responsible for safeguarding and reading the Sacred Scriptures. Maura was his newlywed wife.
They had been married for less than a month when persecution broke out in Egypt during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.
Timothy was arrested and ordered to surrender the Christian books in his care.
He refused.
The authorities tortured him mercilessly, demanding that he reveal where the Scriptures were hidden.
Still, he would not betray Christ.
When the governor learned that Timothy had recently married, he ordered Maura to be brought before him.
Perhaps, he thought, she could persuade her husband to give in.
Instead, she strengthened him.
Standing before the governor, Maura boldly professed her faith in Jesus Christ.
The enraged officials turned their cruelty upon her as well.
For days, the young couple endured horrific tortures.
Their bodies were broken.
Their wounds multiplied.
Yet neither abandoned Christ.
Ancient accounts tell us that during their suffering, Timothy and Maura encouraged one another to remain faithful.
Rather than despair, they spoke of Heaven.
Rather than fear death, they fixed their eyes on eternity.
Finally, the governor sentenced them both to crucifixion.
Two crosses were erected facing one another.
For nine long days, the young husband and wife hung there in agony.
Yet rather than despair, they encouraged one another.
They prayed together. They sang hymns. They reminded each other of Christ's suffering and the promise of eternal life.
When one grew weak, the other strengthened them.
Their final days were not filled with bitterness.
They were filled with faith.
Together, they endured.
Together, they hoped.
Together they carried their final cross.
Around the year 286 AD, Timothy and Maura surrendered their souls to God and entered Heaven as martyrs.
Their story reminds us that the strongest marriages are not built merely on human love, but on a shared love for God.
Timothy and Maura were married for only a few weeks on earth.
But their union lasts forever in Heaven.
Saints Timothy and Maura, pray for us.
On Pentecost Sunday, the Church grants a Plenary Indulgence to all the faithful who publicly recite or sing the hymn:
Veni Creator Spiritus.
A plenary indulgence is a complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, a beautiful gift of God’s mercy!
Veni Creator Spiritus (English Translation)
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
And in our souls take up Thy rest;
Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
And fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
To Thee, the Comforter, we cry,
To Thee, the Gift of God Most High;
The Fount of life, the Fire of love,
The soul’s Anointing from above.
The sevenfold gifts of grace are Thine,
O Finger of the Hand Divine;
Thou art the Promise of the Father,
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our senses with Thy light,
And make our hearts with love unite;
Strengthen our weakness by Thy power,
And drive all evil foes away.
Grant us through Thee to know the Father,
And know the Son, and Thee, His Spirit;
And may we evermore believe,
And in the Triune God confide.
Glory to God the Father be,
Glory to Christ, Who rose from the dead,
And to the Holy Paraclete,
Now and throughout eternity. Amen.
How to receive it:
1. Publicly pray or sing the Veni Creator Spiritus (in church, with family, or in a group)
2. Receive Holy Communion
3. Go to Confession (within about 20 days before or after)
4. Be detached from all sin
5. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
@farmingandJesus Still, 200? Our Lord wanted only one church. 200 or 40,000 is still more than one. Catholics have remained one for centuries. Prot denominations barely last one century.
This rant is for all the Novus Ordo trad Larps (and their podcasters). I recorded this almost a year ago and it stays relevant
The Indult Trad Larp!!!
https://t.co/fz2Uxm48cg
@ChristandGuitar Or could it be both are the one true church? They have more in common with each other than most protestant denominations have with each other, and have lasted longer giving the credence that they are both supported by the Holy Spirit. They are holy, catholic, apostolic.