YOU Do Not Own the Faith: The Apostles Creed ... And Pride.

By: Dr. Zachary James Bramble

No Bishop, No Pope, Nor Any Layman Owns the Faith - Christ Does, and He is, “The Word.”

It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.

Perhaps this is a lesson in the destructiveness of the sin of pride, as we see the modern approach to Catholicism comes in many, and dare I say illegitimate, “flavors” of the one true profession of faith. To be clear I am not either immune, to pride, but neither is Pope Francis, Father James Martin, Dr. Taylor Marshal, Patrick Coffin, Bishop Kicanas, Bishop Barron, Traditionalist sects, any Novus Ordo Catholic, or Bishop Strickland. Why also we make these distinctions, is beyond my understanding especially since the faith is supposed to be preserved in our creed, and therefore unites us by these virtues on principle. Let us remember Christ’s words when we selfishly seek to take ownership of what ‘Catholicism” actually means. And yes, it was a matter of the devil, and an act of pride for the Bishops to recently assert that they own the word Catholic, and that any Catholic, cannot, in the name of Catholicism, assert his faith for it is that we share in one baptism and therefore possess the same fullness of the faith as any clergyman. After all the very word means universal. This however does not mean that we as laymen do not owe this same respect to our prelates who defend fervently, The Word, Christ as He has written it. But let us not also forget that Christ gave us a template, Scripture, upon which we must base our morality - and Scripture is Catholic doctrine. It would be a grave error to dismiss scripture as “opinion” as is often the case amongst some of the modern prelates of the Catholic Church, especially when discussing Catholic morality. It would be a sacrilege to see the Catechism be amended against Christ’s word, yet we hear rumors of this daily.

Every believer today, Including the priests, bishops, and the pope, in Christ, seeks to assess his own position, and further stake his claim in the faith, through intellectual means, or by some other means, within the body of Christ. Perhaps at some point these men are able to assert “a position,” but is this position consistent with Christ’s word, or is it a twisted man’s interoperation where he might try to justify that which he is too lazy to change in himself? I caution every man, every woman, every God-fearer to be careful of the evil-one in this spiritual loftiness, especially when agenda-based. Our Lord, even during his temptation affirmed the words of his father in heaven and so if any Catholic, or Christian for that matter, should take Jesus, The Word, for a fool, what equity does he then have in the Kingdom of God? Christ says:

Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Inlayed jealousy of a particular intellect, whether that man comes from Rome, or one of Rome’s subsidiaries, seems to be what drives every Catholic, and perhaps Christian, in his pursuit towards the truth, to prop himself up above another with “proof” from a specific Saint, or some particular prelate with a particular affinity for word-smithing. But what of this is actually valid if we first cannot assess the real words which our Savior confirms during his temptation, the whole of Holy Scripture. Christ says:

It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.

Let us not forget either, that doctrine rests upon the word, who is Christ. It is good to substantiate claims, but we should not use the Catholic faith to segregate Catholics, or confuse them should we possess wisdom, for the sake of worldly agendas. Before we try to divine a truth, or dress our words immodestly, perhaps we should first decipher what is “opinion” and what is truth, by the very words of our God, for he must be bound also by his goodness as St. Thomas Aquinas asserts. It is a fool’s errand to think that Leviticus is no less important on matters of Christian law, and sexuality, than the book of Romans is on subjects regarding morality if we also as the faithful believe in the continuity (as He was, is, and ever shall be) of the Trinity - God, Christ, and Ghost.

For who has power over Christ … ?

It is a lesson in humility for all of us, and one living image of Christ’s mercy, when men come to recognize that traditionalism, modernisms, sedevecantism, or any other “ism” that has been used to divide Catholics within, usurps “every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.” If we are to be united, we must not define ourselves as groups opposed since we again share in the same baptism, or we are no better than the Protestant Heresy of the Reformation. We should, in humility, admit our wrongs, and be not ashamed of our ignorances. Instead of traditionalist, Novus Ordo Catholics, Sedevecantists etc., and so on, we profess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and therefore we are simply Catholics. I challenge every priest, every bishop, every layman: you do not own the faith… you are, in your baptism, bound by the laws of God in scripture, which are Catholic doctrine, those which you profess in the creed. Therefore you are united in one baptism. You do not own the faith, Christ owns the faith.

Every way of a man seemeth right to himself: but the Lord weigheth the hearts. To do mercy and judgment, pleaseth the Lord more than victims. Haughtiness of the eyes is the enlarging of the heart: the lamp of the wicked is sin. The thoughts of the industrious always bring forth abundance: but every sluggard is always in want.

We are one body, made in the image of our God. We do not own the faith. We participate in His sacred heart. He owns us. Let us be grateful that God, through the intercession of his Blessed Mother has offered us a share in his Kingdom.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.