Deathbed Request: 'Tell me About the Trinity’

Catholic Online ^ | 6/7/09 | Deacon Keith Fournier

[tcg]

It was June of 2005. I was at the bedside of a dear friend, a faithful and inspiring Catholic.

He was dying; just the night before he had received the news that he had less than two weeks to live. The cancer that he fought with such heroic courage had spread throughout his lymph glands. He was preparing for the passing to the Father with the dignity and beauty that authentic Catholic Christian faith can forge in a soul receptive to grace.

Jerry lived a full and fascinating life.

He was always a staunch and courageous defender of the Catholic faith. He reminded me of the great lay evangelist Frank Sheed - at least what I imagine Frank Sheed was like, since I never met him. My friend loved to tell anyone who would listen of the beauty and fullness of truth found in the Catholic Christian faith. In fact, he would engage any issue concerning that faith, with anyone, and at any time.

He especially delighted when Christians of other communities would come home to the full communion of the Catholic Church....

After the completion of the Viaticum Service, during a tender and profound moment of silence, Jerry turned to me, focused his piercing, peaceful, and intensely inquisitive eyes upon my own, and asked a question that was so unusual - and so profound- that I have dwelt upon it since.

I will carry it within me for many years to come.

“Tell me about the Trinity”, my friend asked me, “are they really happy?” ...

[Invincibly Ignorant]

“It was June of 2005. I was at the bedside of a dear friend, a faithful and inspiring Catholic. He was dying; just the night before he had received the news that he had less than two weeks to live.”

I too was at the bedside of a faithful and inspiring Catholic. He had two days to live. He inquired of me during those two days and I explained to him Apostolic Succession, Perpetual Virginity, Communion of the Saints, Transubstaniation, what happens at Lourdes and mother Cabrini shrine, and purgatory. I now am confident he is teaching Catechism somewhere in heaven. Talk amongst yourselves I'm overklempt. :-)

[bronxville]

“His last 5 words were “tell me about the Trinity”? Lol. Thanx for the belly laugh.”

FYI - The article stated - “He was dying; just the night before he had received the news that he had less than two weeks to live.” therefore his last words weren’t “tell me about the Trinity” - that’s all.

Sorry if I misunderstood your post as I see you do really care about people.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Luther wrote in English? I thought he was German. Doesn’t the KJV use EURASMUS’ Greek text?

[Salvation]

If I’m not mistaken the Bible was translated into German by St. Boniface, a Bishop who was later martyred.

I’ll check on this because there were two German missionary saints last week and get back to you.

[swmobuffalo]

“just pointing out the truths of how the Bible got where it is today.”

Uh huh. Heard that one before, don’t buy into it.

And as for the church, the scriptures were around before the church came to be. The Catholic Church bears no resemblance to the early church. The “extras” didn’t appear in the early church.

The New Testament scriptures aren’t any more corrupt than the Old Testament scriptures. Examination of the earliest autographs with the best of the translations back that up.

[Ann Archy]

There are NO Catholics that don't think OTHER BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS aren't CHRISTIAN!! Who ever told you such nonsense is a liar. Anyone baptized into the CHRISTIAN CHURCH is a CHRISTIAN!

Geesh....I have heard with my own ears, Baptists telling me that I am NOT a Christian because I'm a Catholic....they said it's a CULT! Double geesh. STUPID PEOPLE.

[Salvation]

St. Boniface used his Bible as a shield against some pagans in Germany. He is often pictured with a Bible with a sword in it.

My priest must have mentioned the little tidbit about St. Boniface translating the Bible into German. I believe he was in Germany in the 700s. I'll keep checking.

[swmobuffalo]

Ummm, that’s not the stance of the Catholic church if I recall.

[bdeaner]

I sense on these Catholic thread a subtle condescending attitude toward non-Catholic Christians sort of like we are lost puppies gone astray.

The Catholic Church recognizes all Christians as Brothers and Sisters in Christ -- a favor, I should add, that is often not returned. Many non-Catholic Christians do not consider Catholics to be Christian.

However, Catholics hold that the Catholic Church is in the Fullness of Truth, because Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide his Church -- the 2000 year-old Catholic Church -- through the Apostolic succession, which are the Popes and the Magesterium of the Church, which protects, preserves and teaches the Deposit of Faith. And of special importance is participation in the Sacraments, such as the Eucharist and Confession, which provide extraordinary grace that is not available to non-Catholic Christians.

To put it another way, only the Catholic Church has the institutional authority to teach Scripture and Theological Truth with the full protection of the Holy Spirit. This is why Protestant sects continue to spread and splinter, because they have no authority to which to appeal when there are disputes over Scripture.

For a good read, I recommend David B. Currie's Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic. That's especially true if your background is Evangelical.

God bless.

[bdeaner]

That’s because they do. According to them unless you’re a Catholic you’re not a Christian. That’s not what the Bible says.

That's not true. Catholics hold that all Christians are Brothers and Sisters in Christ. However, the Catholic Church holds that only the Church has the protection of the Holy Spirit to teach, protect, and preserve the Deposit of Faith in Scripture and Tradition. It rejects Sola Scriptura, which is an assumption of almost all Protestantism.

[bdeaner]

And as for the church, the scriptures were around before the church came to be. The Catholic Church bears no resemblance to the early church.

I think you are quite mistaken on both of these points.

First, Biblical scholars -- both Catholic and Protestant -- tell us that the last book of the New Testament was not written until the end of the 1st century A.D., that is, until around the year 100 A.D. This fact would leave roughly a 65-year gap between Our Lord's Ascension into Heaven and the completion of the Bible as we know it. The question that begs to be asked, therefore, is this: "Who or what served as the final infallible authority during that time?"

If the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura were true, then since the Church existed for a time without the entire written Word of God, there would have been situations and doctrinal issues which could not have been resolved with finality until all of the New Testament books were complete. The ship would have been left without a rudder, so to speak, at least for a time. But this goes contrary to the statement and promises that Our Lord made about His Church--particularly, "behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the wqorld" (Matt. 28:20)--not to mention that He told his disciples: "I will not leave you orphans." (John 14:18).

This issue is of particular importance, as the first several decades of the Church's existence were tumultuous. Presecutions had already begun, believers were martyred, the new Faith was struggling to grow, and some false teachings had already appeared (cf. Galatians 1:6-9). If the Bible were the Christian's only rule of faith, and since the Bible was not fully written--much less settled in terms of its canon--until 65 years after Christ's Ascension, how did the early Church possibly deal with doctrinal questions without an authority on how to proceed? Of course they had an authority and a Church -- and it perfectly resembled the Catholic Church of today, both in terms of its worshop through the Mass and in terms of its hierarchical structure.

One need only look to the early Church Fathers to see that they held all of the central tenets of the Catholic faith and none of the Protestant heresies -- including and most especially the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

[Invincibly Ignorant]

Sorry if I misunderstood your post as I see you do really care about people.

Uh oh. I detect sarcasm. Sure sign of an angry person.

[Invincibly Ignorant]

Sorry if I misunderstood your post as I see you do really care about people.

Uh oh. I detect sarcasm. Sure sign of an angry person. Last words? Deathbed request? Don't see much diff Homer.

[swmobuffalo]

“and it perfectly resembled the Catholic Church of today, both in terms of its worshop through the Mass and in terms of its hierarchical structure.”

Bull. Pure bull. Period.

[bdeaner]

Bull. Pure bull. Period.

Well that was an intelligent answer. /sarcasm

If you are going to make a claim, better be ready to back it up. I am guessing you cannot. In fact, I am sure you cannot.

[red irish]

God bless YOU! We as the body of Christ that being all Christians,should try very hard to unite because we have many enemies and I believe the government is now one of those enemies. We stand together in the name of Jesus!

[campaignPete R-CT]

"TELL ME ABOUT THE TRINITY!!!!"


There were too many characters in this skit. I found it hard to keep track of who was whom.

(When you leave a transcript behind, the Broadway critics come in months later and tell you that you should have made it a musical ...)