‘Feast of the Holy Family’

Tomorrow is being observed by the Church of Rome as the “Feast of the Holy Family.” Here is some information about it:

By Tom Perna

… in the western lung of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the great feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. On this day, we seek to understand the unconditional love and sacrifice that existed between Jesus Christ, his mother, Mary and his earthly father, Joseph. The Holy Family is the perfect prototype for every Christian family.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 533 states,

“The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life: The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus – the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character… A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the “Carpenter’s Son”, in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work…” (Pope Paul VI, Feast of the Holy Family 1964). http://tomperna.org/2013/12/29/the-20th-anniversary-of-the-year-of-the-family/

This is NOT a biblical holiday.

The Bible never refers to the family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus as the “Holy Family.” And while Mary and Joseph had a role in God’s plan, and like all others an opportunity for salvation, this Roman emphasis on them is excessive. The Bible never hints that there should be a festival dedicated to them.

Furthermore, it may be of interest to note that many consider this Jesus, Mary, and Joseph group so important that it can affect the state of the dead. Notice:

In a Card, or Fly-leaf, issued by the Popish priests of Sunderland, now lying before me, with the heading “Paschal Duty, St. Mary’s Church, Bishopwearmouth, 1859,” the following is the 4th admonition given to the “Dear Christians” to whom it is addressed:

“4. And never forget the acts of a good Christian, recommended to you so often during the renewal of the Mission.

Blessed be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart, my life, and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me always; and in my last agony,
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, receive my last breath. Amen.”

To induce the adherents of Rome to perform this “act of a good Christian,” a considerable bribe is held out. In p. 30 of Furniss’ Manual above referred to, under the head “Rule of Life,” the following passage occurs: “In the morning, before you get up, make the sign of the cross, and say, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. (Each time you say this prayer, you get an indulgence of 100 days, which you can give to the souls in Purgatory)!” I must add that the title of Furniss’ book, as given above, is the title of Mr. Smyth’s copy. The title of the copy in my possession is “What every Christian must Know.” London: Richardson & Son, 147 Strand. Both copies alike have the blasphemous words given in the text, and both have the “Imprimatur” of “Paulus Cullen.” (Hislop A. Two Babylons. 1858. Loizeaux Brothers, 2nd American edition 1959, p. 89)

(More on purgatory, can be found in the article Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory?)

Christians are not to consider that Joseph or Mary are any type of mediator. The Bible is clear that there is just one Mediator–and that is Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Furthermore, the letter from Lucia of Fatima fame, when she wrote down some of the ‘third secret,’ she began her letter with the initials J.M.J., meaning Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. And she was the main one who falsely indicated that Jesus’ mother Mary appeared in Fatima, despite the fact that she knew what appeared in Fatima in 1917 did not look as Mary of the Bible would have looked. This was another deceipt she has fostered, yet her apparition reports have affected multiple millions. (Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.)

But let’s go even further back in history.

In 325 A.D., at the Council of Nicea, among the small minority who believed in the trinity there, was allegedly a group that defined it as consisting of the Father, Son, and Mary:

Consequently, we find the Melchite at the Council of Nice holding that there were three Persons in the Trinity — the Father, the Virgin Mary, and the Messiah their Son! (Brock M. Rome: Pagan and Papal. Hodder and Stoughton, 1883 Original from Oxford University, Digitized Apr 18, 2007, p. 134)

Is there one, who fears God, and who reads these lines, who would not admit that Paganism alone could ever have inspired such a doctrine as that avowed by the Melchites at the Nicene Council, that the Holy Trinity consisted of “the Father, the Virgin Mary, and the Messiah their Son”? * Is there one who would not shrink with horror from such a thought? What, then, would the reader say of a Church that teaches its children to adore such a Trinity as that contained in the following lines?–
"Heart of Jesus I adore thee; Heart of Mary, I implore thee; Heart of Joseph, pure and just; IN THESE THREE HEARTS I PUT MY TRUST." * 
If this is not Paganism, what is there that can be called by such a name? Yet this is the Trinity which now the Roman Catholics of Ireland from tender infancy are taught to adore. (Hislop A. Two Babylons. 1858. Loizeaux Brothers, 2nd American edition 1959, p. 89)

* (Quarterly Journal of Prophecy, July, 1852).

Notice also some the Protestant historian P. Schaff:

There was in Arabia in the fourth century a sect of fanatical women called Collyridians (Kollurivde”), who rendered divine worship to Mary. Epiphanius, Haer. 79. (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume IV, Chapter III, “Mohammedanism in its Relation to Christianity”, fn. 188; source)

Idolatrous worship is what many give to Joseph today, and even more give it to their version of ‘Mary” throughout the year.

Church of Rome is ‘Western Lung’?

Another point to bring out is the report about the Church of Rome being the “western lung” as Tom Perna brought out in his article.

Pope John Paul II (the pontiff prior to former Pope Benedict XVI) stated:

By rediscovering the great cultural treasures of the Christian East, in a new dialogue of communion, we will also allow Christian witness to breathe at this level, with two “lungs“, making our rightful contribution to humanity’s future (Pope John Paul II. CHRISTIANITY HAS DEEPLY MARKED CULTURE OF PEOPLES. Angelus, 1 September 1996. Taken from: L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English, 4 September 1996, “L’Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See”. http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP960901.HTM viewed 11/16/07).

The Orthodox apparently agreed that they were and are one of the lungs as the Orthodox Metropolitan John of Pergamon stated to John Paul II:

As Your Holiness has aptly put it some years ago, East and West are the two lungs by which the Church breaths; their unity is essential to the healthy life of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church (Speeches of Pope John Paul II and Metropolitan John of Pergamon. Made in private audience following a Mass to celebrate the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Rome, 28 June 1998. http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/ecumenical/john_pergamon_john_paul2.htm viewed 11/16/07).

It should also be noted that the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I (whose “official title” is His All Holiness, Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch) wrote:

Today, then, it is our obligation more than ever to reclaim the Christian roots of Europe and the spiritual, sacramental and doctrinal unity that it enjoyed prior to the schism of our two Churches. The re-evangelization of our peoples is “today, more so than ever before, timely and necessary, even within traditional Christian lands,” as we admitted and confessed in common here exactly one year ago.

Thus, we believe that Western and Eastern Europe must cease regarding themselves as foreign to one another…

Elder Rome has the foremost St. Peter as its apostle and patron. New Rome, Constantinople, has the brother of St. Peter, the first-called of the apostles, Andrew. Both invite us to the fraternal unity that they shared with each other and that can only be acquired when the cross becomes our point of reference and experience of approach.

Let us, therefore, beseech these two brothers and greatest of apostles that they may grant peace to the world and lead everyone to unity. (Bartholomew I’s Letter to Vatican Delegation. Zenit. December 5, 2007 http://www.zenit.org/article-21198?l=english).

The Patriarch of Constantinople is generally considered the first among equals within the Eastern Orthodox “sees.” Even if this unity with the Romans occur, individually the Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics as unifying will make them part of Babylon (according to both biblical and Roman Catholic prophecy).

I strongly believe the Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics and have had this published in 2007 on the internet and in The Journal: News of the Churches of God. Futhermore, many ecumenical meetings and pronouncements have been coming from those groups.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now former Pope Benedict XVI, interestingly wrote of Europe (the Mediterranean continent) and its two wings, Greek and Latin:

In the process of replacing boundaries, the conceptual continuity with the preceding Mediterranean continent…was assured by a theological interpretation of history: in connection with the Book of Daniel, the Roman Empire—renewed and transformed by the Christian faith—was considered to be the final and permanent kingdom in the history of the world in general, and therefore the association of peoples and states that was taking shape was defined as the permanent Sacrum Imperium Romanum [Holy Roman Empire]. (Raztinger J. Europe today and tomorrow: addressing the fundamental issues. Translated by Michael Miller. Ignatius Press, 2007, p. 13)

We can consider the rise of the Carolingian Empire, on the one hand, and the continuation of the Roman empire in Byzantium and its mission to the Slavic people, on the other, as the true and proper birth of the continent of Europe…(ibid, p. 17)

Greco-Christian, European culture of Byzantium…one of the two wings of Europe (ibid, p. 18).

Latin [that is, Western] Europe…(ibid, p. 19)

…the Christian idea of empire…the sacred foundation for history…(ibid, p. 20)

The two halves of the old Europe, before the modern era, had known essentially only one opponent that it had to confront in a life-or-death battle, namely, the Islamic world. (ibid, p. 22)

Believing Christians should…contribute to Europe’s recovery of the best of its heritiage and thus to the service of all mankind. (ibid, p. 34)

The successor to the Roman empire was the so-called “Holy Roman Empire.” Thus, even the former Pope Benedict XVI realizes that the “Holy Roman Empire” is part of the image in Daniel 2 and that one leg/wing represents the Roman/Latin Catholic west with the other the Eastern/Greco/Byzantine east. Cardinal Ratzinger also seems to be teaching that the “Holy Roman Empire” is the last part of the image of Daniel 2 and he is suggesting that it is a good thing.

Yet, he seems not to realize that in the end, God intentionally destroys the image, by attacking the last part (striking the feet it stands upon in Daniel 2:34) which implies that God was not pleased with this image or its “sacred foundation.” That empire will be destroyed:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:41-44)

Since the Bible is clear that God will destroy the final formation of that empire (Daniel 2:34,40-44), the development of a unified Europe to fulfill this is not something that should be encouraged. (It is also of interest that Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out Europe’s historic opponent Islam, as both biblical prophecy–like Daniel 11:40-43–and Catholic private prophecy seem to tell of a time that the Europeans will defeat the forces of Islam once again.)

There is no biblical festival for the “Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” but the “Western lung” is observing it anyway. More troubles will hit the world after the Western and Eastern lungs/feet come together in support of the final ecumenical European Beast power. And it will likely involve even more idolatry that is involved in today’s Roman Catholic festival (cf. Revelation 13:).

Some items of related interest may include:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis I is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis I be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? This is a YouTube video.
The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis would seem to be number 112–if he is that one–and if so, he is to reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?