Dear Friends of the Kolbe Center,
Pax Christi!
One of the greatest blessings that God has bestowed on this apostolate is His gradual formation of a world-wide community of Catholics committed to helping to restore the true Catholic doctrine of creation as the foundation of the Faith. It is an immense privilege to know these men and women who come from every part of the world, from every background and walk of life. It is also edifying to see the price that each of them has been willing to pay to hold fast to "the Faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3) and especially to the sacred history of Genesis as it was understood in the Church from the beginning. Few have had to pay a higher price for their fidelity than Rob Auten, a professional scientist and a member of our advisory council. In his introduction to an excellent booklet that has just been made available through the Kolbe web store, he writes:
Brothers and Sisters, I have been a Catholic Christian for 20 years; a California licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist for 41 years; an intentional adult disciple of Jesus Christ for 49 years; and a validly baptized Christian for 65 years. I began as a Presbyterian, evolved into a non-denominational evangelical, and I became a Catholic in 1999 because I had become convinced that the Catholic Church was, and still is, the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ, outside of which there is no salvation. And therefore, I became certain that for me to continue to go forward in my walk with Jesus, and to not fall away from Him and lose my salvation, it was necessary that I come into full communion with His Church. Entering into the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church; and into the fullness of the faith of all time; and into full communion with all the angels and the saints of all time was serendipity: intellectually, spiritually and emotionally more wonderful than I ever could have imagined as a lifelong Protestant Christian. To make a public Act of Faith in all that the holy Catholic Church teaches to be revealed by God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived, and to stand up and confess the Nicene Creed with my brothers and sisters each Sunday was gloriously liberating for this now converted, former believer in Sola Scriptura as interpreted by private-judgment alone. Nevertheless, it's the same Jesus that I know, love, and follow today, that I knew, loved, and followed from my Presbyterian infant Baptism as a boy, and as an intentional adult disciple.
I Have No Regrets!
In the process of my conversion to Catholicism I lost my ex-wife of 30 years along with my house and home, and I became a stranger to my three sons and to every living member of my extended family. But honestly, though I mourn this tragedy, I have never had a single day of regret because of the joy of finding Jesus truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Eucharist, and in receiving the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Mother, into my own heart and home as my own Mother, just as the beloved disciple did at the foot of the Cross on Good Friday (John 19:25-28). I have now come all the way home, for better or for worse, in good times or in a Church crisis, and, God help me, I'm home to stay! Amen.
In our work for the Kolbe Center, we always try to follow the wise rule of St. Augustine, "In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; and in all things, charity." We also link this rule to the principle of the onus probandi, or burden of proof, which reminds us that "the literal and obvious sense of Scripture must always be believed unless 'reason dictates or necessity requires"" (Leo XIII, Providentissimus Deus) and that any doctrine of faith or morals that the Magisterium of the Church has consistently taught at a high level of authority cannot be subsequently overturned by an act or decree at a lower level of authority. Consequently, the burden of proof rests on those who challenge the traditional literal historical interpretation of Genesis 1-11 and the doctrines derived from that interpretation, not on those who defend it! When these principles are upheld, the integrity of God's Word and of the Deposit of Faith can always be maintained, but when they are abandoned, the result is the catastrophic theological and moral confusion that Rob analyzes and explains. Rob's booklet can be purchased in hard copy for a suggested donation of $5.00 or downloaded as an e-book for any donation or no donation at all.
February 2, the Feast of the Presentation will mark the culmination of an extremely important spiritual initiative called "Rosary to the Interior," which is described in detail on the website at this link. I encourage all of our readers to participate in this movement.
With gratitude for your past prayers and support, and looking forward to working with you for the Kingdom of God in 2019, I am
Yours in Christ through the Holy Theotokos,
Hugh Owen
