2025 archive of From the Pastor
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 9/12/25
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate Why did Jesus die? Who caused his death? What was the main accusation against him? The Jewish leadership sought false witnesses to accuse Jesus of destroying their religion and traditions. When that failed, they told Pilate that Jesus opposed ... Read More »
By the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 9/04/25
By the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man We bow our heads when we recite this article of faith during the Mass. Literally translated from the Greek, the phrase is: “He took flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made ... Read More »
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 8/29/25
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven For us men? The Greek ‘anthropos’ translates to ‘human being’ or ‘mankind’ in a gender-inclusive sense. A Greek-speaking person in the first century saw almost no male connotation in ‘anthropos,’ since ‘aner’ was the word used ... Read More »
Before all Ages
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 8/20/25
Before All Ages I was born on December 18, 1958. My life began at conception, but my age is counted from my birthday – both within the bounds of time. We divide time into B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini). In B.C., we count backward from year 1, ... Read More »
Through him all things were made
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 8/14/25
Through him all things were made Most religions proclaim God as the Creator. Christians, in particular, believe that God the Father created everything. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, ‘Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity.’ The Church’s ‘Rule of Faith’ affirms, "There exists ... Read More »
Consubstantial with the Father
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 8/06/25
Consubstantial with the Father In 2011, the third edition of the Roman Missal was introduced in the United States. In the Nicene Creed, the phrase ‘one in being with the Father’ was replaced with ‘consubstantial with the Father.’ ‘Consubstantial’ is a transliteration of the Latin ‘consubstantialem,’ itself a faithful ... Read More »
God from God Light from Light
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 7/31/25
God from God Light from Light The phrase ‘God from God’ comes from the original version of the Council of Nicaea. Subsequent developments at the councils of Constantinople (381 A.D.) and Chalcedon (451 A.D.) removed those words. Thus, the Greek Nicene Creed states, "Light from light, true God from ... Read More »
The Only Begotten Son of God
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 7/26/25
The Only Begotten Son of God Jesus is the Son of God. I am also God’s son. What is the difference between me and Jesus as sons of God? The difference is this: Jesus is the Father's Son by nature. We are God's children by grace. Our sonship is ... Read More »
And in One Lord Jesus Christ
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 7/19/25
And in One Lord Jesus Christ I believe in Jesus, the Son of Man, ‘Jesus Christ,’ the Anointed One, and ‘Jesus the Lord,’ the Son of God. Jesus is his name, Christ his title, and Lord his divine nature as God. The Word became flesh for me, entering ... Read More »
Of All things Visible and Invisible
Posted by Arul Rajan Peter on 7/11/25
Of All Things Visible and Invisible The universe is incredibly vast, yet my experience of it is limited. I haven’t even seen most of the places and people in this world. How then could I possibly grasp the immense expanse of the sky, the planets, the galaxies, and the ... Read More »