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To the untrained reader of Scriptures, rejecting the doctrine of Purgatory is the easiest thing to do.   However, in the 16 th century in response to the Protestant rebellion against the Church, the Council of Trent has infallibly declared that “there is a purgatory” (Sess. VI, cap. XXX; Sess. XXII cap.ii, iii), which makes this doctrine an article of faith that cannot be denied, altered or revoked. This, of course, does not mean that those of us who are seeking to understand the doctrine and further investigating its veracity are automatically excommunicated and must not partake of the Eucharist. Rather, it means that we must fervently seek and exhaust all possible venues from whence we might ascertain the truth.   After having done all that, when possibilities diverge each according to personal interpretation of Scriptures, we must then yield to the Magiesterium (the Pope in communion with the rest of the bishops around the world) whose authority far surpasses any o...

As promised in my previous post , this blog entry is dedicated to offer further Biblical evidence of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Previously, it was made clear from the typology that exists between Eve and Mary that the latter was the Second Eve, whom God protected from the stain of Original Sin.  Another typology in the Bible that cannot be ignored is the Ark of the Covenant foreshadowing the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The chest-like object in the OT was made of incorruptible acacia wood that was covered with pure gold.  The spiritual meaning of these two elements when the Ark is seen as a reference to Mary is that Mary is also incorruptible.  She is empty of any sin that would render her corrupt.  Now, let us look at the evidence from the Scriptures. The Ark of the Old Covenant contained the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written (Exodus 25:16). The Ten Commandments are the word of God.  Likewise, Mary, the Ark of th...

The doctrine of Immaculate Conception in the Catholic faith states that God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin from the moment of her conception.  The Blessed Virgin was born without a sin according to God’s will.  God the Father handed this gift to her, so that she may fulfill her role as the “Mother of the Lord” in the plan of salvation (Luke 1:43).  Like many other foundational doctrines of the Christian faith, such as Trinity, there is no one verse in the Bible that states the doctrine of Immaculate Conception.  Instead, an in-depth analysis of certain Biblical passages is required for a reader to discern this truth from the Sacred Scriptures. It is important that we understand typology in the Bible before we say anything about Mary.  Typology is when a person, an object or an action in the Old Testament refers to a person, an object, or an action in the New Testament. The Bible is full of those. Lord Jesus says, “For as Jonah was three d...