19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Salt of the Earth, July 28, 2002
This review is from: Why Do Catholics Genuflect?: And Answers to Other Puzzling Questions About the Catholic Church (Paperback)
This is an informative book and should be read by all Catholics who want to better know their faith and be able to defend it charitably. Mr. Kresta's articulate explanations shed a lot of light on centuries old doctrines and practices of the Church. His writing style is easily understood yet conveys deep meanings which all make good sense.
The chapter on Sacred Tradition shows how the Catholic Church guarded the Gospel and the deposit of faith for its first 330 years, before defining the books of Sacred Scripture and compiling the canon of the bible at the end of the 4th century. He explains how the Bible is a Catholic book, and was translated into vernacular versions well before the Protestant Revolt. Contrary to what some may claim, the Church never kept the bible from the faithful.
Another great chapter is the one on authority, which tells how the Church is apostolic, with apostolic teaching and apostolic succession. I like the author's reference to the "Evangelical Dictionary of Theology," a standard Protestant reference book, which says, "Peter's primacy or leadership among the twelve apostles and in the primitive church is now generally accepted by Protestant and Catholic scholars alike." And of course Pope John Paul II is the 264th successor of Saint Peter.
Mr. Kresta well explains the truth found in Matthew chapter 16, where Jesus "In keeping with the ancient custom, appointed Peter as the chief steward over the royal household, the Church, and gave him the keys of the kingdom." Peter was given the power by Christ to bind and to loose in matters of faith, morals, doctrine, and conscience.
Mr. Kresta notes the importance of knowing that the Bible is not the only source of faith, as Luther erroneously taught in the 16th century, for without the intervention of a divine, infallible teaching apostolate distinct from the Bible, we could never know with divine certainty what books constitute the inspired Scriptures, and we could never know for sure what they mean. Moreover, a number of revealed truths have been handed down by Sacred Tradition only.
The teaching of Christ that His Gospel is to be learned not from the Bible alone, but from a divine, infallible Apostolate until the end of the world is clearly set forth by St. Paul in Romans 10:14-18.
Mr. Kresta's chapter on salvation is probably the best chapter in the book, containing jewels such as, "the Catholic Church doesn't teach salvation by works but rather, to use St. Paul's phrase, salvation by grace through faith working in love (Gal. 5:6). The faith that brings us into right relationship with God and makes us adopted sons and daughters of God is also a working faith. Paul calls it `the obedience of faith' (Rom. 1:5)."
The author corrects the Protestant error of thinking we are justified by faith alone. "If our faith doesn't bring forth good deeds, St. James tells us, then our faith is not saving faith." More good lines: "But while Christians aren't saved by works in themselves, they will be judged according to them. The grace to believe in Christ is the grace to obey God. Faith is made complete by expressing itself in action. We were created for good works."
This is all top notch Christian instruction! Kresta exposes the "eternal security--once saved always saved" error too, explaining from the bible and reason why Christ's many exhortations to remain faithful to the end would be meaningless if our ultimate salvation were assured.
The author covers all the big questions really well: purgatory, relics, the sacraments, sacramentals, why the Mass is the highest form of worship on earth, why annulments aren't the same thing as civil divorce, holy water, why artificial contraception is a great moral evil, it's all here! One thing I would have liked to see included is the Angelus and blessings.
Mary, the mother of God, is given ample space. Catholics are often condemned by Protestants for praying to Mary and the saints. But Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father ..." He didn't tell us to say "My Father," but "Our Father." Yes, we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord--we are `one body, one body in Christ'--and we do not stand alone. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Jesus is the one Mediator, of course, but we are all in Jesus! Jesus reaches out to us through other souls, so it's natural that we would go to him through others, too. The Protestants are guilty of having a shrunken notion of God. They don't realize that the Church is the body of Christ (Col. 1:24) and that we are all intermediaries of grace within Christ, not separate. They like to brag about their "personal relationship with Christ," yet they use legalistic language to express that relationship, and not a familial one. They worship the Head, but Catholics worship the whole Christ. Below Christ, there is no one more important to our salvation than Mary--she is our mother in the order of grace and our advocate before God.
Kresta relates the many reasons for honoring Mary: Jesus honored her, and we are all called to imitate Christ; Mary is the model Christian; Mary "magnifies" the Lord (Luke 1:45-46) and thus the truth about Jesus is revealed through Mary; when Jesus' side was pierced with the sword, Mary's soul was pierced (Luke 2:35). All praise of Mary rises straight up to God--she is God's most perfect creature (Christ is the 2nd person of the Trinity and is divine).
When we pray to Mary, she takes our prayer, makes it better, and prays to God for us. Jesus said, Where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I with you. So when you pray through Mary she joins you, and you know your prayers are heard by God!
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kresta slipped Apolegetics in and ... I actually like it, June 18, 2002
This review is from: Why Do Catholics Genuflect?: And Answers to Other Puzzling Questions About the Catholic Church (Paperback)
I picked up this book to learn more about my Catholic faith because of the title. I have a pre-disposition not to like Apologetics because I tend not to want to be confrontational.
So, I read this book to further develop my sense of awe of the Catholic faith's symbols, sacraments and saints. As it turns out the book uses scripture and church history to clarify differences between Catholics and other Christians.
Through this interesting and well-written book, I have completely changed my view of Apologetics. I no longer see it as a dry - intellectual exercise. I now see it as a simple and meaningful part of my Catholic faith.
Al Kresta's straightforward manner clarified the issues and helped me see that Catholics can easily answer Scriptural issues brought to them by Non-Catholics.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Truth About Al Kresta . . ., March 25, 2002
This review is from: Why Do Catholics Genuflect?: And Answers to Other Puzzling Questions About the Catholic Church (Paperback)
Let's face it, Catholics and Protestants, while using the same words and terms, operate with different definitions and with different emphasizes. At times, it can feel like we are almost speaking two different languages. It takes some doing for Catholic apologists to learn how to communicate their faith in a manner that is easily accessible to Protestant Christians. I know. I've been running a Catholic apologetic ministry for a number of years now and Al Kresta - more than anyone I know - has mastered and is fluent in both these religious dialects. With years of experience on Protestant and Catholic radio, Al has honed his skills in communicating the faith in a manner that is clear, insightful and compelling regardless the religious affiliation of his audience. Al applies these same "bi-lingual" skills masterfully in his new book, "Why Do Catholics Genuflect?" The result is an accurate, punchy, non-threatening and entertaining read. "Why Do Catholics Genuflect?" is one of only a few books that I can recommend without reservation for Catholics to give to their Protestant friends and family members. I also highly recommend it for Catholics who wish to learn more about their faith and be able to share it with others in a competition manner.
BTW... This is also a great book to have a few copies placed near your front door for any unexpected door-to-door evangelists who may show up.
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