Saint Adrian III (d. 885) Pope Hadrian III

Saint Adrian III (d. 885) Pope Hadrian III

Also known as: Hadrian III

Little is known of the life or papacy of Adrian III, or why he is venerated as a saint. He was born in Rome and was elected to the Chair of St. Peter on May 17, 884.

During his reign, there was a great famine in Rome, which he mitigated as he could. He opposed an aristocratic faction led by Formosus, Bishop of Porto; had George of the Aventine, a member of the Formosan group and a notorious murderer, tried, condemned and blinded; and had a widow of another of the group whipped naked through the streets of the city.

Adrian died either in early September or on July 8, 885, near Modena, while on his way to a diet in Worms, Germany, at the invitation of Emperor Charles the Fat, probably to settle the question of Charles’s succession and to seek help in defense against the Muslim Saracens. He was buried in the monastery of Nonantula, where his memory has ever since been held in veneration.

Cultus confirmed: 1892 by Pope Leo XIII

Feast: July 8 (formerly September 7)

Christians risen, ascended, expected, and yet still present

Christians risen, ascended, expected, and yet still present

The answer came on what Christians hail as the first Easter and in events which shortly followed that Easter. By it the judgement of man by the cross was not lightened or revoked, but Christians have been convinced that in it faith in God was vindicated, and God was seen not to have been defeated but to have triumphed and to have revealed the fashion in which His sovereignty is exercised.

The records, which have reached us, do not make dear the precise sequence of events on that first Easter. However, from them it is obvious that the disciples did not expect the resurrection and that it took, them completely by surprise. The accounts also declare explicitly or by unmistakable inference that the body of Jesus which a few hours before had been reverently and sorrowfully laid in a rock-hewn tomb and carefully sealed in it by a huge stone was not to be found, but that the guardian boulder had been rolled away and that those who had come to anoint the body found the tomb empty. It is abundantly affirmed that the disciples were profoundly convinced that they had seen the risen Jesus, had talked with him, had watched him eat, and had viewed the wounds in his hands and his side, and that one of their number, incredulous, had had his doubts removed by the invitation to put his fingers on the marred hands and his hand into the wounded side.

Jesus' concern for individuals

Jesus' concern for individuals

Although Jesus had much to say of the kingdom of God, and in that must have meant, if not a visible social structure, at least the relations of men to one another, he was deeply and primarily interested in individuals and saw society, customs, and institutions only as they affected individuals. To him the Jewish respect for the Sabbath must not be permitted to stand in the way of helping individuals, whether that entailed healing them or relieving their hunger. He declared that he had “come to seek and to save that which was lost,” and by that he meant individuals.

Some of the best remembered parables of Jesus centre about care for the individual.

He compared his concern for “the lost” with the shepherd’s leaving the ninety-nine in his flock who were safe in the fold and going into the wilderness to look for the one stray until he found it and with the woman sweeping her house meticulously in search of a missing coin and then, when she had discovered it, calling in her neighbours and friends to rejoice with her. 

Inner group and agonizing hour of Jesus

Inner group and agonizing hour of Jesus

There were about Jesus a quickness and a directness which no observing reader of the Gospel narratives can miss. Jesus could blaze forth in anger. Men remembered his glance. It is interesting to note how often, even in our brief accounts, Jesus is described as looking at a person. Here was a characteristic which stood out in the memories about him cherished by Jesus’ intimates — his looking on the rich young ruler and loving him, his look at the time of Peter’s denial which set that unhappy, loyal, puzzled soul to bitter, heart-broken weeping. Jesus enjoined decisive action — the cutting off of an offending hand or the plucking out of a wayward eye, striving (the Greek is the word from which our “agonizing” is derived) to enter in by the narrow door. He condemned the aimlessly drifting, un-thought-out life. He had no use for indecision — for those who said “I will follow thee, but” — and declared that he who put his hand to the plow and looked back was not fit for the kingdom of heaven. He who would become the disciple of Jesus  namely, learn of him — must renounce all that he had. He even had admiration for the vigorous action of the steward who, when his dishonesty had been disclosed, adopted a bold method of making his future secure.

Jesus and the lost sheep of the house of Israel

Jesus and the lost sheep of the house of Israel

The sympathies of Jesus were as broad as the human race. To be sure, some incidents appear to belie this generalization. On one occasion Jesus seemed to put off the plea of a woman of another nation by saying that he was sent only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” and in dispatching his disciples on a mission of preaching and healing he instructed them not to go to non-Jews, whether Gentiles or Samaritans, but only to these same “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yet in each instance there is another possible explanation than that of exclusiveness. In dealing with the Canaanitish woman he rejected the suggestion of the disciples that he send her away and did as she requested when she proved herself in earnest. The mission of the twelve was for a special purpose and did not imply a continuing exclusion of Gentiles from the Gospel. Again and again there are incidents and sayings which are clear evidence that Jesus went out of his way to reprove racial bigotry and believed his message to be as broad as humanity. Among these were his initial sermon at Nazareth in which he angered his fellow-townsmen by calling attention to occasions in the Scriptures in which Gentiles had been helped by the prophets when those of the house of Israel were apparently passed by, his selection of a Samaritan as the example of a good neighbour, his healing of the servant of the Roman centurion, and his commission to his apostles after his resurrection to make disciples of all nations.

The manner of Jesus

The manner of Jesus

What manner of man was Jesus? No one can fully enter into the consciousness of another or completely understand him. No two human beings are exactly alike. The differences are often subtle and yet the very qualities which elude observation and precise description may be the most important. How impossible it must be, therefore, adequately to understand and to describe one who stood out so markedly from his contemporaries and from all men, both before and since.

In the first century and through the generations that have followed opinions have sharply differed

It is evidence of his importance, of the effect that he has had upon history and, presumably, of the baffling mystery of his being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many peoples and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount. More men notice Jesus than ever before, but appraisals have never been as varied or as numerous as in the past two centuries. This is the more extraordinary in view of the brevity of the records which have survived from the memories of his intimates. It is not his teachings which make Jesus so remarkable, although these would be enough to give him distinction. It is a combination of the teachings with the man himself. The two cannot be separated, but if they could the man would be the more important.

Jesus Birth, boyhood and youth and hidden years

Jesus Birth, boyhood and youth and hidden years

Born in a manger in Bethlehem, the town associated with the name of David, the most glamorous of the Jewish kings, and reared in the village of Nazareth, Jesus grew up in a humble family. From the hills back of Nazareth a commanding view could be had of the plain of Esdraelon, crammed with history, and of snowy Hermon. From what we know of his later years, we may be fairly certain that Jesus often climbed these hills and, always sensitive and observing, fed his soul on the beauty around and below him and thought deeply on the life unrolled before him.

We catch very few glimpses of Jesus until, when about thirty years of age, he began his public career. From the names of his brothers which have come down to us, we gather that the family cherished the Maccabeean tradition and were loyal to the Jewish faith. 

Jesus way to his crucified long hours of pain: scientific facts, details and video

Jesus way to his crucified long hours of pain: scientific facts, details and video

Under these circumstances it is not surprising that Jesus was arrested and executed.

He himself had been expecting that outcome, for he was too clear-headed not to see that if carried through the course, which he was pursuing could have no other climax.

Indeed, he had declared that it was of the very essence of his mission, that apart from it his unique relationship to God could not be understood.

What is difficult and perhaps impossible fully to ascertain is the course of thought by which Jesus came to the deep conviction that he must bring the issue between himself and the dominant elements in his people to so sharp a focus at this particular time and then allow himself to be seized. The reasons for his challenge are fairly clear. Being sure as he was of God’s goal for men, of God’s purpose in Jewish history, law, and prophecy, confronted by entrenched privilege which, while professedly standing as the guardian of the Jewish heritage, was both blind to the true content of that heritage and was utilizing its championship to obtain for itself prestige, power, and wealth, he could no other than protest.

But why did he permit himself to be killed so soon after his public career had begun?

Unmasking Islam: How Arabs joined Muhammad only for booty and captured women for sex

Unmasking Islam: How Arabs joined Muhammad only for booty and captured women for sex

At the initial stage, Islam was an absurd truth claim like a practical joke, but when Muhammad was able to draw the sword and successfully used it, the whole thing became serious.

So while estimating the significance of Muhammad, we should not judge him solely as a mystic or religious reformer, though he may have the elements of both, but rather as a ruthless politician and opportunist pressed with peculiar political problems amongst barbarous people and at a critical moment of history.

Therefore the picture that emerges of the Prophet in the above traditional accounts is not at all favorable to Muhammad. The Muslims cannot complain that this representation of their beloved Prophet was drawn by an enemy. The early Arabs did not believe in his Prophetic claim and there is sufficient proof that Muhammad was taken aback when those intellectuals of Mecca pointed to the weaknesses of the Qur’an. They fell heavily on Muhammad and pressed him hard demanding answers and explanations to the irrationalities they spotted in the Qur’an, but Muhammad and Allah stood there wordless and powerless like two ‘Divine fools’.

Unmasking Islam: A false Prophet Muhammad and his sexual perversion

Unmasking Islam: A false Prophet Muhammad and his sexual perversion

The original book of Ibn Ishaq is lost to history and all we know of it is what is quoted from it by the later writers, particularly Ibn Hisham and al-Tabari. These quotations are fortunately quite reliable. Ibn Hisham edited and abridged Ibn Ishaq’s work about sixty-five years later. In his edition, Hisham (Guillaume, 1955, p. 691) wrote, “I am omitting things which Ishaq recorded in this book. I have omitted things which are disgraceful to discuss and matters which would distress certain people.” 

This particular comment of Hisham speaks volumes. Today we need to know, what were those ‘disgraceful to discuss’ discussions Hisham omitted from Ishaq’s original works and what were those ‘matters which would distress certain people’.

We understand Hisham’s position. He was actually compromising with the truth to save his life, which was dependant upon not offending the cleric-kings during his time. But he was honest enough to admit that he had compromised with the truth.

Saint Adeodatus I (d. 618) Pope Also known as: Deusdedit

Saint Adeodatus I (d. 618) Pope Also known as: Deusdedit

Adeodatus was born in Rome, the son of a subdeacon named Stephen. He had been a priest in Rome for 40 years when he was elected to the Chair of St. Peter to succeed St. Boniface IV. Consecrated on October 19, 615, he was the first priest who was not also a monastic to become pope since John II (r. 533–535).

His pontificate was conducted in a time of many troubles—war between the Lombards and Byzantines, a plague of leprosy, and a major earthquake. He gave generously to the victims and helped them in any way he could. He was equally supportive of his clergy, who were impoverished by the same events, leaving each a year’s stipend in his will.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST. MARK AND HOW WAS CHRISTIANITY INTRODUCED INTO EGYPT

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ST. MARK AND HOW WAS CHRISTIANITY INTRODUCED INTO EGYPT

The Coptic Church or the Church of Alexandria is called "See of St. Mark;" one of the earliest four sees: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Rome.

HOW WAS CHRISTIANITY INTRODUCED INTO EGYPT?:

St. Mark is considered the founder of the Coptic Church.

However, evidence indicates that Christianity was introduced into Egypt before St. Mark, though undoubtedly, it must have been on a very small scale. The following are some interesting points on this subject:

1) The Book of Acts refers to the Jews of Egypt who were present at the Pentecost (Acts 2:10). Upon their return home, they must have conveyed what they saw and heard about Christ to their relatives.

2) The same book mentions an "Alexandrian Jew named Apollos" who arrived at Ephesus... He was described as an eloquent man with sound knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.

The uniqueness of Jesus and the conflict with the religious leaders

The uniqueness of Jesus and the conflict with the religious leaders

This uniqueness of Jesus and the revolutionary contrast of his teaching with the traditions of his people were the source of much of the conflict, which brought Jesus to his death.

The fashion in which Jesus brushed aside some of the customs and prohibitions most cherished by the Pharisees appeared to these self-constituted guardians of Judaism to threaten all for which they and their forefathers had fought against the surrounding world of paganism. What seemed to them to be his disregard of the Sabbath, his contempt for prescribed ablutions, and his willingness, even eagerness, to associate with those whom they regarded as sinners were in their eyes unforgivable breaches of religion and good morals