Top Ten Reasons to Call a Priest Father
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TOP TEN BIBLICAL REASONS TO CALL A PRIEST "FATHER"!
"Some" say we should not call a priest, father, because of Matthew 23; "call no man father".
(10) Jesus used the term "father" to denote a parental relationship.
Matthew 10:21 "Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death."
(9) The crowd called David "our father" in the presence of Jesus yet He did not correct them.
Mark 11:10 "Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!"
(8) Jesus refers to Abraham as the father of the Jews.
John 8:56 "Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad."
[#'s 10, 9, & 8: Show that there is no 'prohibition' against using the term 'father' for any man on earth.]
[#'s 7-1 show why people should actively call those chosen by God to lead His people "Father"]
(7) St. John refers to the believers as children. What would they naturally call him...but father?
1 John 2:14 "I write to you, children,"
(6) St. Paul refers to himself and his co-workers as treating the believers as fathers would their children.
1 Thessalonians 2:11 "As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children,"
(5) St. Paul refers to himself as father of the believers at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 4:15 "Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel."
(4) St. Paul referred to his relationship with St. Timothy as that of a father with his son.
Philippians 2:22 "But you know his worth, how as a child with a father he served along with me in the cause of the gospel."
(3) The Old Testament used the term father for a priest.
Judges 17:10 "Stay with me," Micah said to him. "Be father and priest to me,"
(2) The Pope should be called "Holy Father" because he is the successor of the Office of Peter the Apostle on whom Christ founded His Church.
Matthew 16:18 "And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."
Which refers back to Old Testament prophecy that refers to the leader of the House of Juda as a "Father" to the nation.
Isaiah 22:21 "And I will clothe him with thy robe, and will strengthen him with thy girdle, and will give thy power into his hand: and he shall be as a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda. 22 And I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulder: and he shall open, and none shall shut: and he shall shut, and none shall open."
(1) But, the number one reason why we should call a priest father is because the verse that is commonly used to prove that we should not call a priest father is misunderstood and does not mean that we can not call a priest father!!!
At the time of Jesus you had many so-called "teachers, masters, Rabbis, fathers" (Matthew 23:8-10) of God's word. Some even totally contradicted one another. In order to put an end to the confusion Jesus established the 'Magisterium' or 'Teaching Office' of His Church.
Basically Jesus is saying that you have only 'One' to look to for the 'Truth', that is God.
Scripture tells us that Jesus says there is "One Truth". John 14:6 "Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me."
Scripture also tells us that there is 'One Authority' established on earth by God to carry on; Matthew 16:19 "And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."
ONLY SAINT PETER RECEIVED THE KEYS!!!
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We should be thankful to God for the wonderful gift of the Magisterium!
Unlike "some" (Jn. 18:38) who do not know the truth. Our God did not leave us "orphans" (Jn. 14:18) He made sure that His spirit would guide the Church to all truth!!!
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