Echoes in Eternity

Who Else Needs To Keep The Kids Entertained?

Children and grownups all over the world are enthralled and captivated by the challenges and exploits of inspiring heroes, children, people, kings that are faithfully brought to life through the power and creativity of animation.

So, is the idea of an Animated Kid's Bible so far fetched?

Not really when you consider that animation is the most artistic and highest form of illustration that exists in these contemporary times. Furthermore illustration has been part of telling the story of the Bible to children since mankind has been able to document images.

Children love to be told stories, give them crayons and they will create pictures, play them a song and they will sing and dance to it, tell them a story and they will listen. Animated Children's Bible stories are just one step further in the evolution of telling this story which began with Gutenberg's publication of the Bible in 1450. Even that primitive book was elaborately illustrated with beautiful figures, flora and fauna.

There are many illustrated Bibles in existence and this includes everything from the etched woodcuts that decorated the pages of early Bibles to the illustrated children's favorite known as the Lion's Bible to the very controversial Japanese graphic novel known as the Manga Bible. The very first illustrated bible comic came from DC comics. DC Comics and Spire books also put out full cartoon versions of the Bible in the 1940s and 1950s. Like these Bible comics which are collected and respected by many enthusiasts as being genuine works of art, the Animated Kids Bible serves to dish up the moral lessons that our children need to learn while at the same time delivering timeless tales of courage, faith and endurance such as the tales of Noah, Abraham, John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.

Whether we like it or not it is cartoons, graphic novels and animations that are grabbing our children's attention nowadays.

The success of animation by big time graphic novelists such as Frank Miller (who did the film noir called Sin City in 2005 and the story of Sparta called 300 in 2006) are certainly inspiring Christian animators as most graphic novels and animated films take the form of morality tales. This is exactly why the stories in the Bible so well suit the graphic animation format. Like a graphic novel most tales told in the Bible are morality tales with messages that warn us "not to go there" unless we end up like the tale's protagonist.

Furthermore the Bible contains some pretty spectacular scenarios that would put even James Cameron, Stanley Kubrick and Quentin Tarantino to shame. There is probably no creation story as incredible as the book of Genesis nor is there an apocalypse film on the market as powerful as the book of Revelation.

Don't get the idea that the Animated Kid's Bible is anything like Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. These DVD videos are state of the art biblical animation in 3D-CGI and are exactly like the animation you see in major blockbuster films.

The Animated Kids Bible satisfies the imagination of children and encourages their education, with thrilling adventure stories from the bible, brought excitingly to life in language that children today can understand.

To preview go to http://www.thekidsbible.com

Tom Broadbridge is President of 'The Kids Bible Company LLC' a media & entertainment company that produces 'The Animated Kid's Bible' DVD Collectibles. To find out more, view a trailer, check FAQ's or character gallery -- go now to http://www.thekidsbible.com


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Fasting Without Prayer Is Just A Diet

True biblical fasting requires prayer. You can pray without fasting but you can’t fast -God’s way – without prayer. If you’ve decided to fast, here are a couple things to keep in mind:

1. Numerous times in the New Testament, Jesus talked about fasting. He always said “when,” not “if” you fast. It is something Jesus expects from Christians. Although fasting should come from your heart’s desire, at first it may seem like a chore. That’s okay. Tithing isn’t always easy, either. But your obedience means more to God than your sacrifice. Like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it will become.

2. If you struggle with bulimia or anorexia or any other condition where it is imperative that you eat regularly, you should never participate in a full fast. There are other options, as indicated below.

3. Fasting is not manipulation. You may be fasting to hear God more clearly or to receive an answer to a specific prayer, but you cannot fast God into doing something for you. God is always concerned about the condition of our hearts more than He is about giving us what we want.

4. Unless you hear differently from God on this issue, don’t think you need to be on your knees for the full fasting period. God understands that you have a family, a job and daily activities. Fasting and prayer can be done around these things. Again, it is an issue of the heart.

5. You will get hungry! Headaches, fatigue, and general loss of energy are all natural parts of a fast. This is your body reminding you that you’re not giving it what it wants most. But, unless you have a condition like one mentioned above, you will get through it – even though your mind will tell you otherwise.

Here are the four most common forms of fasting:

1. Twenty-Four Hour Fast – This is the most normal and convenient fast today. It takes place from sun-down to sun-set the following evening. Jewish tradition was to eat a full meal in the late afternoon and then fast until dinnertime the next day. You may want to eat a large early dinner and spend an hour with God after dinner, asking Him to bless your fasting time. Waking up the next morning knowing you will be able to eat that evening makes dealing with the hunger pains a little easier to bear.

While most people drink only water throughout their fast, natural fruit juices are another option. Some people also choose to eat only fruits and vegetables during their fast, although this form is usually implemented during a longer fast (like a three-day or longer). If caffeine is a major factor, you may choose to allow for morning coffee to eliminate headaches.

2. One Meal Per Day – This is recommended for those who are new to fasting or who have a condition that doesn’t allow for a full, twenty-four-hour fast. Try eliminating one meal per day and replacing it with prayer time.

3. Food-Specific Fast – This form of fasting is traditionally practiced by Catholics during Lent. Whether it’s chocolate, sugar, chips, red meat, soda, or candy, this type of fast is a great disciplinary exercise as well as an excellent way to surrender a desire to God. Use the time you would spend eating that particular food studying God’s Word and listening for His voice.

4. A Complete (or Radical) Fast – Going without food and water for any period of time can be a health risk. The Bible talks about a few people who abstained from both food and water, including Ezra, Daniel, Esther, and Paul. But these cases were rare and extreme. If you do choose to partake in a radical fast, do so only with clear direction from the Holy Spirit.

Fasting is a form of worship and obedience. The benefits are many. See the following scriptures for further study on fasting:

2 Chronicles 20:3
Matthew 9:14
Matthew 6:16

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How To Effortlessly Raise Funds For Your Church

Most churches and religious organizations depend on the collection plates every Sunday to provide the majority of the funding needed to keep the church alive. After all, there are a lot of expenses when it comes to running a church. Not only is there a mortgage and utility bills, there are also the costs of the bibles and the hymnals, along with sound costs, projection costs etc. We haven’t even touched on the costs of supplies for nursery care and Sunday school. And what about coffee and cookies for after the service? The pastor and other associate ministers also require a significant yearly salary. Running a church and keeping it alive and thriving is a costly endeavor these days, and it can be hard to fill the collection plates or bags every Sunday with less people every day using cash or checks. Many churches also have periodical fundraisers to help with the costs of the church. With the Internet, there are many easy ways to have a successful fundraiser for your church with minimal effort and cost. One attractive idea is to sell those silicone bracelets. They are cheap to manufacture, and selling them at even less than two dollars a piece can create a huge profit.

By making it easy for church members to donate via credit card and debit card donations, a flailing church can greatly increase their number of donations. Using a virtual terminal on your church website is a surefire way to allow your members to donate as much as they want to with simply a click of the mouse. Also, for churches and other religious organizations, Capital Merchant Solutions waives the setup fee, which is normally 249$.

Using a virtual terminal is much like any other means of credit card processing. You login using the provided username and password that is provided to you by the online payment gateway provider. You are then able to enter the required information, including the customer’s name and address, their credit card number and expiration, the dollar amount etc. Once you submit the information by hitting the ‘process’ button, you will immediately receive the response telling you whether the card has been approved or declined. An added bonus to this is that if the card is approved, the funds are immediately deposited into your bank account.

This is a great option for any business or organization, and especially for churches. The recurrent billing option on the website may soon replace the envelopes on the offering plate. It is possible for church members to donate a set amount of money periodically, which is a hassle free donating option for the person giving, and also the person or organization that is on the receiving end. Called ‘automatic tithing’, this revolutionary idea is changing the way that church members deal with giving. It is easy to sign up on the website for set transactions. No more inconvenient stops at the bank machine before church to get money for the offering envelope, and no more trying to find a check to put in. Simply sign up for automatic transactions and the donator will have peace of mind knowing that he or she is giving automatically.

The key to raising money for any organization, including churches, is to ensure that giving money is easy and accessible for everyone, which is why using an Internet payment gateway is such a viable option for most groups. Once you have decided on the avenue you are going to pursue for your fundraiser, it is time to raise awareness and make sure that people know which options are available to them should they decide to give. The nice thing about an Internet payment gateway is that it makes it easy for non-members to give also. They simply have to go to the website and fill out the required information. When churches use a virtual terminal to raise funds, they are appealing to a broader audience than just the members if the congregation.

So, no matter which fundraiser your church chooses to pursue, having a virtual terminal makes it easy and effortless for anyone with a computer to contribute to the cause. And with the free setup options, it is an affordable addition to any churches web page, and one that will be guaranteed to increase the amount of donations to the church. It is also a great thing if your church is trying to raise money for a certain cause. If you have a group that is going on a mission trip, or if you are trying to raise money for any of the number of associations that your church supports, it is certainly much easier for people to give by just logging onto the website. This way, if people weren’t in church on the day that the collection was for a certain organization, they can still donate quickly and effortlessly.

Todd I.Nelson is the Director of Marketing for HolyProcessing.com. He specializes in providing simple, profitable, church fund raising options that most congregations have never dreamed of.


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Coming Together In The Light

The oneness that is shared by all of life can be perceived on many levels – in the whisper of a beloved, in the smile of a child, in the fragrance of a flower, in the graceful dance of a leaf as it falls from a tree – all of these gestures of life can touch the heart and cause it to embrace life in its fullness, to experience something of the mystery of connection that resides within all living things.

Yet, the heart may at times be overshadowed by the mind, with its rational and analytic gifts. This mind, when given priority in determining our view of life, can bring forward new understandings and visions of the possible, but it can also prevent understanding from happening and limit vision and connection. For the mind can be dismissive of the heart and invalidate the deeper intuitive knowing that springs spontaneously from the soul. When this happens, we only believe what our physical senses tell us. Then, only what is visible is perceived as real.


The truth of the heart connected with the soul is other than this. The heart in its deepest layer knows itself to be part of something larger. It feels the rhythm of life moving through it, and can acknowledge the great beauty and mystery of the universe. It does not need the mind to tell it whether a greater Life is real. It feels part of this greater Life and thus knows it to exist.


This inner knowing is brought forward when we join together with other souls in the light. Such joining can more easily release the supremacy of the mind because of the synergy that joining with others creates. This synergy can open channels to the heart and make possible that which would not be possible under other circumstances.


Light itself is the great revealer. It is the force of God's love and will united in an energetic matrix that can penetrate human consciousness in order to heal it from within.


The synergy of light, created when many come together in the light, is based on the interweaving of all the strands of light that individual souls carry within themselves, with those they can receive from higher dimensions, and those they resonate with in other souls. These multiple strands merge with each other into a stream of vast power and energy that is more than the sum of its parts. Such merging is a reason that collective consciousness can be such a powerful force in shaping individual perception. It is also the reason that consciousness can more easily bridge dimensions when joined with others as one, for the light itself finds its way back and forth across dimensions to the Source of life itself.


In prayer or meditation, when people sit together and align themselves with the Source of life and light, a great stream of holy energy is formed out of the specific intentions of those joining together. This stream has the ability to accelerate the healing and awakening of individual souls, and also the ability to broadcast its energy to the planet as a whole. Such a joining is of direct benefit to the self. It is also of direct benefit to the planet.


In the times to come, the sense of the oneness of souls will become as natural as feeling embedded and separate within one's own skin has felt natural in the past. And souls will recognize their sharing in the Oneness as simply a statement of truth and of identity, rather than something that has to be struggled to attain. Before that time, however, what is needed is the active effort of every soul who seeks to promote peace and unity, to join in heart and spirit with others, both for the purpose of individual healing, and for the purpose of healing the Earth. In this way our coming together in the light becomes a light for the planet – one that can infuse and transform this sacred globe so that it becomes a planet of harmony and light, where division and hatred can exist no longer.

For more about meditating in the light for purposes of personal and planetary healing, see One World Meditations, a global meditative effort that brings light and healing to the Earth and strengthens the inner connections between people.


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How Easter Day Is Selected

As I look at the temperature seeing its 36 degrees in my old NJ neighborhood. I noticed that Easter 2008 is the earliest that I can remember, although I do remember an Easter snowstorm when I was a small child in the 60s. But as I think on this I started to wonder why Easter seemed so early this year. In 1984, it was in last April, where as it was the weekend my grandfather passed away. It is a moving target as to what date it is and it lead me to research how this came about.

The natural inclination is to think that Easter and Passover are on the same weekend. After all, the Gospels all speak of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Last Supper was the Passover Meal. And the offer to release Jesus was part of a Passover Custom. And in the end, Jesus, the Lamb, was the Pascal Sacrifice. For Passover, God passed over the Jews and Jesus passed over death. There are may common parallels. The this year they are split. So how is it that Easter is now and Passover is in April this year and they are not concurrent?

In the early church, Easter was commemorated by the early Christians on the same day as Passover. But the problem with that method is it meant that Easter Sunday could be on a Tuesday or whatever day Passover landed on that year. As we know that Jesus was laid in the tomb because it was Sabbath and Passover for the Jews very clear evidence from the Gospels that the death of Jesus occurred on a Friday and that he rose from the death on a Sunday. This would be the basis in later discussion of why Easter will always be on a Sunday and should not stay strictly to the day that Passover falls on in any given year, which was based on the lunar events in a Jewish Calendar. So to determine the date, according to the Jewish calendar, Passover, is picked to be on the first full moon after the spring equinox.

The alternate method for picking the day was holding Easter Sunday the Sunday after Passover. When Constantine legalized Christianity for the Roman Empire in the 4th century, he commanded that the method of selecting Easter be normalized so that all Christians were celebrating Easter on the same day.

In 325 AD, the council of Nicaea was held. In addition to addressing the problem with the Gnostics, and the heretics in the church by instituting the Nicene Creed, they also added to the discussion how Easter would be handled from there on out.

The basic decision was that Easter would always be on a Sunday because that was taken directly from the Gospel. They went on to extend the power to decide which Sunday to the Bishop of Alexandria and he solely would announce what Sunday would be Easter Sunday Each Calendar year.

Beth Guide is the webmaster for Rosary Religious Inspirational Gifts .


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The Rosary And Penance

The Blessed Mother appeared to three children in Fatima in 1917. Our Lady made three requests one of which was penance. As with Lent, a period of penance, it becomes worth the discussion to see how Our Lady, Penance and the Rosary all tie together.

When we look at penance and its use in the Gospels it was used to turn way from and bring life back to God. Thematically as well as the Gospels, the apparitions of Our Lady have also spoke of atonement, turning away from sin and praying the Rosary. And Fatima was a striking reminder of that. The Blessed Mother said that men needed to change their lives and ask for forgiveness for his sins. Sr Lucia who was one of the children the Blessed Mother appeared to spoke of how much she remembered Our Lady stressing not to offend God anymore and that God was already extremely offended with the way things were going. Keep in mind this was 1917.

It was not only Sr Lucia who spoke on penance but Jacinta the other young girl who was at the apparition of Fatima said that if mankind only knew what eternity was they would change their lives, using the Biblical definition of penance, turning away from sin. Part of message also was that the Lord liked sacrifice to help make up for sin and that many of the souls that go to hell are go because there is no one to make sacrifices for them. So the question is how these sacrifices are defined. The sacrifice the Blessed Mother asked was for us to offer up the suffering that God may send us. We often here to offer up our cross. According to Our Lady sacrifice is required by everyone. One of the hopes of Fatima it would seem was that a person would turn problems over to God.

Additionally, Pope Benedict, when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, helped unpack the third mystery of Fatima and that basically it was a cry of Penance Penance and Penance according to the Angel that appeared to the children with a flaming sword in his left hand. . Cardinal Ratzinger contributed a theological commentary at the end of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in 2000, in part was an attempt to interpret the Secrets of Fatima. He said that we needed to accept the urgency of penance conversion and faith are all relative to the sign of the times that we need to accept these principles. But ultimately according to Sr Lucia the purpose of the apparitions of Fatima was to help people grow in faith and hope.

Another commonality of the Rosary and Penance is that the Rosary is usually prescribed as a penance a person may receive after they go to confession, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receiving absolution.

In the end The Rosary is the path to salvation it is a pray that Our Lady advocates in her messages is sacrifice, and penance in conjunction with prayer and can most poignantly seen in the apparitions of Fatima.

Beth Guide is the webmaster for Rosary Religious Inspirational Gifts , who feature over 500 Rosaries


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When Politically Correct Becomes Incorrect

Doesn’t it seem that everything in the world revolves around being politically correct? From religious views to moral values, some people teach others to bite their tongues when it comes to their convictions and beliefs. People want Christians to remove “Christ” from Christmas, and replace it with Happy Holidays because it is more inclusive to other religious doctrines.

People tell Christians not to criticize homosexuality because it might be offensive to someone who chooses to practice that lifestyle. It is even at the point where some Christian ministers refuse to talk about such hot-button issues as abortion to avoid conflict with some parishioners. Many people in today’s society simply view religion as a platform to make them feel better about their lives, and then return to their daily routines with no regard to God’s will or their own sinful nature.

There was once a time in American culture when morals were more important than a person’s sensitivity. There was a time when people viewed the Holy Bible as law, and a guideline to how one should live their life. If God’s word commanded that, “Thou shall not kill,” people understood that no child of God should take the life of another human being under any circumstance.

However, in modern times, many so-called Christians believe that it is acceptable to disregard passages in the Bible that contradict the way they choose to live their life. If a minister makes them uncomfortable with God’s message, they will simply move to another church where the minister avoids controversial topics and concentrates on more “unifying” subjects. They are apparently unaware that feeling uncomfortable with the word of God is the first step towards changing for the better and living life for Christ.

To many of the elders in our society, the morals of young Americans are non-existent. In their era, school shootings and gang wars were nonexistent. Moral dilemmas such as premarital sex, single-parent households, and same sex marriage were totally taboo, if even thought about.

People in past generations studied God’s word thoroughly, and were not ashamed to call it the blueprint of their life. If God’s word said you were to wait until marriage before engaging in sexual intercourse, then you waited until He blessed you with your significant other.

If the Bible stated that, “every man should have a wife, and every woman should have a husband,” that was understood to be the definition of marriage. The problems that exist today because of sexual immorality, such as pestilence and unwanted children would not be an issue.

However, because of everyone’s desire to be politically correct, the thin line between right and wrong is blurred.

Moreover, because of people’s unwillingness to correct each other’s mistakes, this society is raising a generation that is very apathetic to God’s word and His purpose for the human race. They are unaware that marriage is to reproduce and repopulate the Earth, and therefore same sex marriage will never be acceptable in the eyes of God. Because of immorality, people are unaware that God’s word does not change, despite the fact that what society considers culturally acceptable is constantly changing.

We take prayer out of public schools and wonder why guns and violence has taken its place. Non-believers, such as California atheist Michael Newdow, are constantly challenging the mere mention of God and/or any religious doctrine.

Although the government has avoided offending its diverse citizens, the definition of morality is absent from the vocabulary of many of today’s youth. It is as if society puts more emphasis on being politically correct, as opposed to just being correct. We question God when natural disasters strike, but never allow people to question the way we live our life, and therefore never see reason for improvement.

During the holiday season, the debate over “Christ” in Christmas always takes center stage. Various companies and retailers usually choose more inclusive terms such as Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings as opposed to the more specific Merry Christmas.

Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, God sent Christ to Earth to show a fallen world how our Heavenly Father wants us to live our lives. The commandments he demanded us to follow would definitely cure the world of the ills that tear at the fabric of our very existence. The way Jesus Christ lived his life is a true example of the correct way one should live their life, even if it is not politically correct in the eyes of critics and non-believers.

Todd Smith is the web master for Regal Mag The preeminent Online Magazine for African American Men


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What Is Spiritual Purification?

Spiritual purification is not an intellectual process, but one that is initiated by the creative power of light - the very force of Creation that was manifested at the beginning of time and that furthers Divine intention throughout time.

Spiritual light travels across all dimensions of reality, both physical and non-physical, affecting one's body as well as one's consciousness. This is particularly true for those who are already more light-filled and more sensitive to energies. But it is also true for those who are less sensitive.

While some people, today, are making a deliberate effort to purify, there are many more for whom this development is taking place without conscious intention, due to the intensification of spiritual light on the Earth. As those aspects of consciousness that are not aligned with light are uprooted from body, mind, and emotions, they begin releasing into awareness, bringing new understandings and experiences on all levels of being. Some of these experiences are uplifting, some difficult to sustain. The process of clarifying and releasing on all levels, based on the action of light, allows the soul greater access to the outer personality-self, and forms the foundation and fundamental process of purification.

Light is also the Intelligence of God, conveying truth, love, and inspiration to the consciousness of mankind. Its purpose, to reveal a new vision and awareness of sacred reality to humanity so that mankind can live in direct and conscious relationship with the Source of life.

Though the purification process follows certain general principles, it is unique to each individual and can be entered into with different degrees of depth and commitment. Though it is meant to touch every level of human experience, its particular focus will be determined by the areas in need of healing in individuals.

For example, some may experience spontaneously arising intuitions of dietary changes that are needed to promote health. Unlike intellectual knowledge, these can come suddenly into consciousness, without prior intention or study in this area. Behind such intuition lies the intelligence of light and of the soul, conveying to the psyche which foods will promote greater healing and growth and which will not. Also, on a physical level, unusual symptoms may occur for a period of time that are undiagnosable, caused by the movement of energy that is rearranging and opening pathways within the body.

In other instances, attention to mental process may become a central focus of purification, with greater light illuminating tendencies of mind that may be disturbing but that nevertheless influence behavior. Here, the striving toward separation from unwanted mental influences, and movement toward positive states of mind, become central to the purification process.

Emotional purification is a significant area of healing for most people, and as an effort is made to engage with this level and to become more conscious and responsible for the emotional energies one carries, undesirable ways of feeling and perceiving that may have seemed intractable in the past can finally be set free.

In the most basic sense, purification has to do with purity – with the aspiration toward cleansing the body, mind, and emotions of all that is separated from God's light and love. This cleansing results in a return to one's spiritual roots and identity. As the process unfolds, it deepens the desire to place one's spiritual life in the center of life, and to allow the rest of life to be shaped around this.

The level of commitment to the purification process grows as authentic experiences of spiritual reality take place, and also as the heart opens to greater truth. When these two developments are present in a powerful way, commitment can happen simply and with an absence of conflict. When they are less present, fear or resistance may be experienced by that part of the self that wishes to continue with habits that do not serve the wholeness of one's being. Such fear can gradually be absorbed by light as one continues with the process. However, it can also cause a turning away if one feels unready to deal with underlying issues.

In the end, the depth of purification will be determined both by light-conditions on the Earth which accelerate and deepen the process, and by the nature of the soul and the degree to which it has begun to communicate with the outer self.

As light increases on the Earth, the tendencies of mankind will naturally gravitate toward the development of a spiritual life, one in which the desire for the sacred arises spontaneously from one's heart, and in which nothing that is physical is separated from one's spiritual identity and core. In this way, all of life will become sanctified, and mankind will finally be able to open doors of perception and knowledge that have long remained closed to ordinary human experience.

Julie Redstone is a teacher, writer, and founder of Light Omega, a center for spiritual teaching and healing in Western Massachusetts. The purpose of Light Omega is to create an understanding of the sacred transition into light that the Earth is presently going through and the changes this will bring to individual and planetary consciousness.


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What Is A Pyx

As the Eucharist Ministers to the sick approach the altar they each have their Pyx to carry the Eucharist to the sick or homebound of the parish. But what is a pyx and why does it have such a funny name.

The word Pyx is rooted in Greek and means a container. The full word it originates from is Pyxis. Additionally the pyx is carried in a fabric pouch which is called a burse. This is the proper way to transport the Pxy. The Eastern Catholic church view the pyx as a .portable. tabernacle that is used to hold a host. In the Roman Catholic church the pyx is also known as a lunette.

A lunette, a German term that means a crescent shaped item that is made of gold or silver that is made to hold a host upright in an item such as a monstrance. The host is set in the lunette or stand to provide a secure stand to hold the host in. In the actual Monstrance, there is a pyx that is made of glass. This was set this way so that the Precious Body, or consecrated host, would not touch the glass of the Monstrance. There is a slot in the Pyx that the Lunette slides into the Monstrance that helped insure that the Host does not tip or lean. The Lunette was used largely before the period of Reformation and it part of many antique monstrances that predate the 15th century.

The pyx is also used often by missionaries, this is in addition to those who use one to carry Eucharist to people who cannot attend mass within a particular community. The Missionary may use a pyx to carry the Eucharist into a mission type area. The pyx is filled with Eucharist, or consecrated host. They used a the Eucharist and a and a breviary, or set of prayers to hold large communion services which Eucharist is offered to large groups of people.

Through the centuries the pyx has been made of different materials and are constantly being redesigned to better serve the user. In the modern era, most are shaped like a pocket watch with an ornate image of something to do with Jesus, the Eucharist. Many bare the image of a Challis, which is used to distribute the Precious Blood. Some are designed with the Lamb of God on them, which is common image to represent Jesus, the Lamb of God or our Pascal Sacrifice. There are some with wheat and grain imagery on them, symbolized the bread of life that comes from grain. These are all universal symbols for Eucharist and why they are ornately displayed as part of the pyx.

Antique Pyxides, the plural of the word pyx, were also made of glass or carved from wood. Some were very ornate and Large, almost more like a modern day tabernacle, these can hold many hosts making it easier for larger distributions. Oppositely some are very small and palm-sized which service only one or two communicants.

Whether the 15th century or the 21st century, the pyx is a is used in the exact same manner though out the world and throughout time.

Beth Guide is the webmaster for Rosary Religious Inspirational Gifts . There are many Pyx to choose from and the site.


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History Of The RCIA

RCIA The return of the Catechumenate

When trying to put together a solid timeline of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), you have to go back to the early church at the point when the 12 Apostles were in charge of it, directly. They would go though the towns and countries spreading the Good News and would come upon small communities where individuals would come together in small groups and study the works of Jesus. They would communally work on the call ot conversion. This was being done at a time when persecution was very common place and most of the participants in this knew they faced and their conversion would demand possible martyrdom.

After the first 100 years of the church the conversion process and the Initiation process began to have some form to it. This was the very beginning of the catechumenate, a process that is still used to this day. The conversion of Gentiles was very comprehensive as to make sure that each person understood the Judeo Christian culture, teachings and history. St. Justin spoke on this and it was followed in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus.

As we moved to the 3rd and 4th centuries, the process had developed into a three year program. During this time Constantine made Christianity legal in 315 and that saw large numbers of candidates start into the process, however, the system was not fully developed and had very little control over it. By the 5th century the catechumenate began to go by the way side. The need for conversion in Europe was no longer needed as frequently and may children were being baptized as infants.

The lack of a Catechumenate caused both the Dominican Order, named for St Dominic and the Augustinians, named for St. Augustine to both start the process to re establish the catechumenate. They did not like the practice of baptisms occurring during mass. In 1538 there was an Episcopal conference. During this conference these two groups asked that the pastors return to the missionary principles and return to missionary principle of the early church and reestablish the catechumenate. It was unsuccessful. The process stayed as it was all the way up through the early 20th century.

In the early 1900s there was a revival moment to re-add the Catechumenate to the process of conversion. In France there were many problems because of the number of non practicing Catholics. And in African, it was very apparent that they were working in a missionary capacity and needed to build the Catholic Church from the ground up just as the early Christians did by going to small communities.

Whether the success of the French and African programs or just the recognition that working within small groups makes for a more successful situation, Vatican II took up the cause of the Catechumenate, and called for it to e reinstated. The Bishops by overwhelming majority reinstated and restored the catechumenate. The vote was 2,165-9-1. By 1966 a temporary rite was handed out to all the parishes outlining the process and a secondary version was handed out in 1969 and by 1972 the Catechumenate was back and instated in parishes and by 1986 the US Bishops were mandating that this rite be implemented in ALL US Parishes and gave a nation plan of how to do it. By 1988 it was completely in place.

From 1988 though present the process has been evolving. In 2000 the Bishops again visited the subject only to find that may parishes were not really fleshing out the program . But despite the tepid reception of the program and its installation, the Bishop to date have refused to change the program. They feel it is very important to the community for conversion of the entire parish.

Beth Guide is the webmaster for Rosary Religious Inspirational Gifts a site featuring a full line of RCIA Gifts


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