SINO BA ANG TUNAY NA COMFORTER, ANG HOLY SPIRIT O SI MOHAMMAD?

The Holy Spirit revealed Himself with the Father and the Son during the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan.

Anonymous said...

Dear Father Abe,

May katanungan lang po ako tungkol sa Holy Spirit. Dito kasi sa saudi may ilan na rin akong nakakausap na mga religious muslims tulad ng mga Muttawwa (saudi religious police) at may dalawa pang pilipino na nakausap ko din dun sa Islamic Center na nangungumbinse sa akin na mag convert sa Islam. Ang kanilang pilit na pinagdidiinan na hindi Holy Spirit ang tinutukoy sa Bibliya na isang Comforter na darating kundi si Muhammad daw. Ang kanilang rason, may nakakaranas na raw po ng Holy Spirit bago pa man dumating si Kristo kaya malinaw daw po na nung nandito na si Kristo ay nandito na rin ang Holy Spirit. So hindi daw po un Holy Spirit ang tinutukoy na Comforter sa Bibliya kasi nandito na sya bago pa man dumating si Kristo kaya tugma daw po na si Muhammad daw po un.

Sana magbigyan nyo po ako ng kasagotan ng meron din akong maibato laban sa kanila kung meron mang ibang pagkakataon na magkakaharap kami.

Maraming Salamat Fr. Abe

Marcelo

Saudi Arabia

October 27, 2010 11:04 PM

Fr. Abe, CRS said...

DEAR BRO. MARCELO,

[Ang kanilang pilit na pinagdidiinan na hindi Holy Spirit ang tinutukoy sa Bibliya na isang Comforter na darating kundi si Muhammad daw.]

YAN AY ISANG KABALIWAN DAHIL HINDI MAN LAMANG NABANGGIT SI MOHAMMAD SA BIBLIA. HINGGIL SA IDENTITY NG COMFORTER ITO ANG MALINAW NA ISINASAAD NG BANAL NA KASULATAN:

JOHN 14:15-17 "If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever - the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you."

JOHN 14:25,26 "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

JOHN 15:26 "When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."

JOHN 16:7,8 "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment...."

JOHN 16:13-15 "But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it know to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."

[Ang kanilang rason, may nakakaranas na raw po ng Holy Spirit bago pa man dumating si Kristo kaya malinaw daw po na nung nandito na si Kristo ay nandito na rin ang Holy Spirit.]

MAS PABOR ITO SA ATIN. KASI PARA SA CATHOLIC THEOLOGY ANG HOLY SPIRIT AY

* ANG ESPIRITU NG DIOS AMA [1 Cor 6:11].

* ANG ESPIRITU SANTO AY DIOS [1 Cor 3:16-17].

SO, IT IS BUT NATURAL THAT BEFORE THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS ALREADY PRESENT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE HE IS THE SPIRIT OF GOD [Genesis 1:1-2]. BUT AT THE SAME TIME THIS SAME HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD:

* Galatian 4:6 "The Spirit of the Son"

* 1 Peter 1:11 "The Spirit of Christ"

SO, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS PRESENT BEFORE CHRIST AS THE TRANSCENDENTAL SPIRIT OF GOD BUT WHEN JESUS WAS HERE ON EARTH THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS PRESENT IN HIS PERSON IN A PERFECT AND ABSOLUTE MANNER. AND WHEN JESUS WENT UP TO HEAVEN AGAIN HE PROMISED TO REMAIN WITH US UNTIL THE END OF TIME [cf. Matthew 28:19-20] THROUGH HIS SPIRIT.

ANG TANONG:

KUNG SI MOHAMMAD ANG COMFORTER PAPANO SIYA NAGING NAUNA KAY CRISTO?

KUNG SI MOHAMMAD ANG COMFORTER IBIG SABIHIN BEFORE MOHAMMAD WALANG COMFORTER?

ABA'Y HINDI PWEDE YAN. KASI ANG PRESENCE OF GOD AS A COMFORTER, GUIDE AND PROVIDER OF THE WORLD AY PRESENT NA NUON PA MAN. KAYA MALI NA SABIHING SI MOHAMMAD ANG COMFORTER.

[ So hindi daw po un Holy Spirit ang tinutukoy na Comforter sa Bibliya kasi nandito na sya bago pa man dumating si Kristo kaya tugma daw po na si Muhammad daw po un.]

PALPAK. ANG COMFORTER AY IPINANGAKO NI CRISTO SA KANYANG MGA APOSTOLES HINDI SA MGA ARABO HUNDREDS OF YEARS LATER. NO, NO, NO... ISA PA, ANO BANG COMFORT ANG IBINIGAY NI MOHAMMAD SA ATIN? WALA NAMAN A. ANG TUNAY NA COMFORT AY MATATAGPUAN SA PILING NG DIOS. SI ALLAH ANG COMFORTER HINDI SI MOHAMMAD. PAPANO MAGIGING COMFORTER NG LAHAT NG TAO ANG ISANG TAONG NAMATAY DIN?

[Sana magbigyan nyo po ako ng kasagotan ng meron din akong maibato laban sa kanila kung meron mang ibang pagkakataon na magkakaharap kami.]

I HOPE MAKATULONG ITO SA IYO.

October 28, 2010 7:41 AM

MORE ON THE GOD OF THE MOSLEMS AND THE REVELATION TO MOHAMMAD

The Lord Jesus as the Pantocrator - the All-Powerful Lord. He is holding the Book signifying that He is the Logos - the Word of God in Person, the Final Revelation of God. He is the Fulfillment of All-Prophecies.

Greg said...

Greetings of peace!

I've been following your discussions here and I have two things to ask. First, where can I find the complete text of Pope St. Gregory VII's letter to Anzir (Nacir), King of Mauritania? Patron saint ko po kasi si Pope St. Gregory VII because I was born on his feast day (May 25) kaya interested ako sa mga works niya. Moreover, I was named after him.

My second question is this: I read somewhere that only the Hebrew God (consequently, the Christian God) revealed Himself to man. Hindi po ba't nag-reveal din si God (Allah) kay Mohammed at yung revelations na yun ang naka-record sa holy book ng Islam na Koran? If God really made a revelation to Mohammed, bakit ang sabi ng Vatican II eh wala nang susunod pang revelation after Jesus Christ because He is the Father's definitive revelation? So what kind of revelation was given to Mohammed?

Thank you very much. May God bless you for your work of enlightening us to the truths of our Faith...

October 18, 2010 9:13 AM

Fr. Abe, CRS said...

Dear Greg,

I've been searching for the text also in the web but nothing comes out except the same citation in Nostra Aetate of Vatican II. We know that the quote is valid and true. Nobody questions that. But it seems that the text is not yet completely translated into English and no scholar has thought of posting it completely. Well, let us continue searching. May be we can find it in Latin or Arabic. He, he, he...

CONGRATULATIONS HA. YOU ARE NAMED AFTER A GREAT SAINT AND POPE. THE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA CALLED HIM: ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER.

Now going to your second question:

[My second question is this: I read somewhere that only the Hebrew God (consequently, the Christian God) revealed Himself to man.]

THE ONE AND ONLY GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO MAN. THE HEBREW GOD IS THE GOD OF ALL. AND YOU MUST BEAR IN MIND THAT IN THE BIBLE BESIDES THE REVELATION THERE IS THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD IN NATURE OR IN CREATION. IT IS THE OFFICIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH THAT GOD CAN BE KNOWN BY NATURAL REASONS EVEN WITHOUT THE AID OF REVELATION. EVEN HIGH SCHOOL CATHOLICS OR THOSE WHO SIMPLY READS THE CATECHISM KNOW THAT.

LET ME CHECK THE PRE-VATICAN II CLASSIC CATECHSIM, MY CATHOLIC FAITH by Msgr. Louis LaRavoire Morrow, STD (p. 12):

How do we know by our reason that God exists? - We know by our reason that God exists, because of:

1. The existence of the world.

2. The order and harmony of the whole universe.

3. The Testimony of our conscience.

NOW, ARE THE ARABS IGNORANT OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD? HE, HE, HE.. ARE THEY RECOGNIZING THE ORDER AND HARMONY OF THE WORLD? NO... IN FACT THEY ARE USING THE SAME ARISTOTELIAN PHILOSOPHY THAT ST. THOMAS AQUINAS USED. THE ARISTOTOLEAN PHILOSOPHY OF GOD AS:

1. UNMOVED MOVER

2. THE UN-CAUSED CAUSE

3. THE NECESSARY BEING

4. THE MOST PERFECT BEING

5. THE GOVERNOR OF THE WORLD

THIS FIVE WAYS OF ST. THOMAS IS DERIVED FROM ARITSTOTLE AND WERE DID THE MEDIEVAL THINKERS GOT THEIR COPY OF ARISTOTLE? FROM THE ARAB PHILOSOPHERS. ACTUALLY THE ARABS ARE USING THE SAME ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. I AM NOT SPEAKING OF CHRISTIAN ARABS BUT OF THE MOSLEM ARABS.

ST. PAUL TEACHES THIS. THE BIBLE TEACHES THIS. THE CHURCH TEACHES THIS. THAT THE PAGANS AND ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE CAPABLE OF KNOWING GOD IF THEY WILL ONLY LOOK AT CREATION:

Romans 1:19-20 "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"

THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR THE ARABS BUT THE SAME FOR THE GREEKS. ST. PAUL RECOGNIZES THE PRESENCE OF THE TRUE GOD AMONG PAGANS. HE IS NOT AS NARROW MINDED AS DECLARING THEM TO BE ALL HEATHENS AND DEVIL-WORSHIPERS. LOOK AT THIS:

Act 17:22-23 "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you."

IMAGINE, EVEN THOUGH THE AREA IS SURROUNDED BY IDOLS AND PAGAN gods and goddesses ST. PAUL STILL PROCLAIMED THAT THE ATHENIANS UNKNOWINGLY WORSHIP THE TRUE GOD. ST. PAUL IS TOO ECUMENICAL HERE. IF THE SSPX AND THE SEDEVACANTISTS WERE PRESENT THEY WOULD HAVE CONDEMNED HIM AS HERETICAL, MODERNIST AND UNFAITHFUL TO THE 2,000 YEAR SACRED TRADITION. HE, HE, HE...

THE MOSLEMS LOOKED AT CREATION AND THEY FOUND THE CREATOR MANIFESTED IN THEM. THAT IS WHY IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE MOSLEMS MAKE NATURAL ACTS OF RELIGION. AS ONE COMMENTER IN RORATE CAELI HAD EXPLAINED BEAUTIFULLY:

The great Jesuit scholastic of the Counter-Reformation, Francisco Suarez, explains in one of his commentaries on St. Thomas:

"Thomas, however, rightly distinguishes two kinds of religious practices: there are those which go against reason and against God insofar as he can be recognized through nature and through the natural powers of the soul, e.g., the worship of idols, etc. Others are contrary to the Christian religion and to its commands not because they are evil in themselves or contrary to reason as, for example, the practices of Jews and even many of the customs of Mohammedans and such unbelievers who believe in one true God."

Suarez, Tract. de Fide Disp. 18 Sect. III

This is why Muslims have traditionally been classified as infidels or even heretics, rather than heathens. They are not idolators as are those who worship created things or imaginary beings with a contingent essence.

ACTUALLY, EVEN SOCRATES, PLATO AND ARISTOTLE AND SOME PRE-CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHERS HAVE ATTAINED TRUE CONCEPT OF GOD, BUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE IS INCOMPLETE AND IMPARTIAL STILL DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF REVELATION OF CHRIST.

GOD MANIFESTED HIMSLEF TO ALL. BUT HE REVEALED HIMSELF TO THE HEBREW RACE FIRST... AND THROUGH THE JEWS THE REVELATION SHALL BE SPREAD TO ALL PEOPLE AND ALL PLACES [CATHOLIC]. BUT THE GOD WHO REVEALED IS NOT JUST THE HEBREW GOD. HE IS THE GOD OF ALL.

[ Hindi po ba't nag-reveal din si God (Allah) kay Mohammed at yung revelations na yun ang naka-record sa holy book ng Islam na Koran?]

AH, IBANG USAPAN NA YAN. DIYAN NA TAYO NAGKAKATALO. HE, HE, HE...

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR ALLAH [ONE AND ONLY GOD] IS THE SAME WITH THE GOD OF ABRAHAM. BUT WE DO NOT AGREE THAT ALLAH [TAKE NOTE, THE NAME OF OUR CHRISTIAN GOD OR THE HEBREW GOD IN ARABIC IS ALSO ALLAH. IF YOU WILL SPEAK ARABIC YOU WILL NOT SAY GOD, YOU WILL SAY ALLAH] REVEALED THE FULLNESS OF TRUTH TO MOHAMMAD. INSTEAD, JESUS THE CHRIST IS THE FINAL AND ULTIMATE REVELATION OF GOD.

[ If God really made a revelation to Mohammed, bakit ang sabi ng Vatican II eh wala nang susunod pang revelation after Jesus Christ because He is the Father's definitive revelation?]

WE DO NOT ACCEPT THAT GOD REVEALED TO MOHAMMAD. JESUS IS THE FINAL AND DEFINITIVE REVELATION. THE PERFECTION OF REVELATION WAS GIVEN BY JESUS AND THERE IS NO OTHER REVELATION THAT CAME AFTERWARD.

[ So what kind of revelation was given to Mohammed?]

A FAKE REVELATION.

EVEN THOUGH WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR GOD IS THE SAME THERE IS STILL A GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM. ONE OF THEM IS ON DIVINE REVELATION. WE ARE TEACHING THAT JESUS IS THE DEFINITIVE REVELATION OF GOD. THE SUMMIT, THE PERFECTION OF GOD'S REVELATION BECAUSE HE IS THE INCARNATE-GOD. NO HUMAN BEING CAN REPLACE OR SURPASS THE PROPHET WHO IS GOD IN THE FLESH.

POPE JOHN PAUL THE GREAT AND JOSEF CARDINAL RATZINGER REITERATED THIS POINT IN DOMINUS IESUS. THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN EQUAL OR SURPASS CHRIST.

[Thank you very much. May God bless you for your work of enlightening us to the truths of our Faith...]

PRAISE THE LORD. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU TOO.

October 18, 2010 11:48 AM