Today’s Gospel Reading is from Mark 4: 1-20. Three sentences provide a dire warning we must pray that our Protestant friends in schism will choose to heed:
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
The emphasis on the last three lines was not added, but in the Scripture. To whom do they refer? This site reviews and responds to thousands of schismatic complaints about Catholic teaching. Many suggest different interpretations to “get around” such passages as “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood, you do not have life in you.” and “Thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. . .” along with His having given the keys to Heaven to Peter.
Many in schism do value Scripture, but only because they need to get around some “pro-Catholic” passages in order to maintain credibility and cash flows. We must pray that they do not try to wriggle around this passage. In it, Jesus says very simply and clearly that souls separated from The Church, “those outside” will be lost.
He is giving a very serious warning to all those who choose not to be with Peter and the disciples and The Church they built. This passage is of paramount importance because He is clearly telling us one way He separates the saved from the others.
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. (You = Those with Peter and The Disciples, who are Catholic.)
But to those outside (those in schism) everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.” (They = Those who cannot get to Heaven.)
It is hard to imagine a clearer separation. Wheat is being separated from weeds. Sheep are being separated from goats. The saved are being separated from those destined for eternal pain. Those with Peter and the disciples form the only Church Jesus personally founded. They have been separated from those outside that Church.
Are His words clear? Could this be anything but: A dire warning to those in schism.
Could anyone in their right mind argue with Jesus?
Would anyone in their right mind argue with Jesus?
