Salvation Seminar.       “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith....” (Ro. 1:16.)       Salvation. Saved from what? Saved for what?       In the Introduction to his book, Salvation , Dr. Michael Patrick Barber points out that Catholics are very familiar with the language of “salvation,” and we think we know what being saved means – until we are asked about it. Then we generally stumble.       We call Jesus “Savior,” so why should we be reticent about being saved? Especially if salvation matters a very great deal.       Dr. Barber tells of a priest he knew who would say in his homilies (sermons) things like, “Don’t get distracted by all that fancy theology. All that matters is that you have Jesus in your heart.” Of course having Jesus in our hearts is a truth, all would agree. “But it is not simply enough to love the ...

  Are You Saved?          What’s salvation? What does that mean? Every Sunday when we recite the Nicene Creed we say that Jesus Christ came “for us men and for our salvation.” Why Jesus came! So what does salvation mean?  Beginning on Sunday, February 2nd, the author of these articles, Dibby Green, will lead a seminar exploring the question. The seminar is for 10 weeks (Feb. 2 through Palm Sunday), on Sundays from 11:30 AM to 12:20 PM, in the Parish Hall at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 9970 California City Blvd., in California City. This seminar will read together and discuss an easily-to-read, easily-to-understand, but profound and deeply Biblical book titled, Salvation , by Dr. Michael Patrick Barber, Scripture scholar and theologian with the Augustine Institute. The book is part of the “What Every Catholic Should Know” series published by the Institute. The seminar is open to everyone – you don’t have to be Catholic! All are welcome. We have...

  St. Barnabas 35. Britain, Cyprus, and Martyrdom. St. Paul likely spent the winter of 57/58 AD in Corinth (cf., 1 Cor 16:5-6), where he wrote his letter to the Romans. Among the many people he greets is the “household,” or “family,” “of Aristobulus” (Ro 16:10). This expression, “household” or “family,” implies that St. Aristobulus may not himself have then been present in Rome, but his extended family was. So where might Aristobulus, the brother-in-law of Barnabas, have been?  There are several reports that both Aristobulus and Barnabas were sent by St. Paul to Britain in order to prepare the way for Paul’s desired missionary work in Britain. Christianity had previously arrived in Britain, purportedly by Joseph of Aramathea. [1] Aristobulus assisted the Apostle St. Andrew in his evangelization, and was also appointed the first Bishop of Britain [2], which may have been in 63 AD [3], although he likely had arrived in 58 AD [4]. St. Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre, writing in 303...