Take a pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray!
5th Century Pilgrimage Ships carved images in Negev Desert in Israel
Interesting article of 4th century drawings of pilgrimage ships arriving in the Holy Land. The port was in Gaza and the huge church where the pilgrims first arrived was in Rafah in the Negev Desert in Israel.
Imagine the difference in travel from pilgrims on rustic boats in the 400’s and the jets that arrive full of pilgrims in Tel Aviv today!
The pilgrims landed at the large port in Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea and took the half day walk to the Church in Rafah (I added a map in the article and link below). A good number of pilgrims scratched graffiti onto the rock walls depicting the ships that had brought them across the sea.
See the images and read the report here: file:///Users/SteveKRay/Downloads/Boats-in-Rahat-in-Negev.pdf
Our 30th Anniversary into the Church – 1994-2024
It was 30 years ago today on Pentecost Sunday that our family of six was received into the Catholic Church along with our friend Rob Corzine.
Today we gathered again at the same parish with the same priest to celebrate our 30th anniversary. We are no longer 6 but now 30!
Unhappily our daughter Charlotte and family were unable to join us because of logistics and distance, but some of those who sponsored us into the church were there to celebrate as well.
Here is a picture we took with Fr. Ed Fride who received us at Christ the King in Ann Arbor, Michigan. And a few from 30 years ago.
2024
1994
Vatican’s New Rules on Apparitions and Supernatural Phenomena
This last week the Vatican published new rules for dealing with alleged apparitions and other supernatural events like locutions, weeping statues, visions, Eucharistic miracles, Marian apparitions, etc.
Are they supernatural, from God, to be believed or rejected, and if so, how long will it take before the Church let us know, and who in the Church has the authority to make these decisions? And what if there are good things about the event, but serious questions still to be investigated? Must we wait decades for some guidance?
This is why the Vatican has come up with a list of six rules that can be applied to such events in a quicker and more appropriate manner. The hope is for quicker and clearer guidance and direction for the faithful on these issues.
Jimmy Akin has done a fine job of breaking it down in a simple and understandable manner. I tend to agree with him on the rules and think (and hope) it will add clarity in the future.
He ends the article with speculations that Rule 3 was created to cover Medjugorje. I tend to agree with him on that as well.
You can read Jimmy’s whole article here: What You Need to Know About the New Vatican Rules on Supernatural Phenomena
Older Posts
Why Do We Call St. Ignatius of Antioch and others APOSTOLIC FATHERS?
Today I am pre-recording a podcast with William Albrecht on the Apostolic Fathers. So I am p0sting this timeline and a link to my documentary
Catholic Football Player Harrison Butker called out by National Football League for Promoting his Catholicism
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has come under fire for his courageous and inspiring commencement speech at Benedictine College. In that speech, he called on Catholics
Lourdes & Fátima again is 2026
We just got back from Lourdes and Fatima and our travels on pilgrimage through Portugal, Spain, and France. Everyone had such a great time and
From Baptist to Catholic! Here is our Conversion Story with Pictures – Sunday is our 30th Anniversary!
We were received into the Catholic Church 30 years ago on Pentecost. I will post more about that this weekend as we celebrate. But attached
Will my Mom be with Dad in Heaven? Will They Know and Love each other in Heaven?
I am reposting this because we buried my mother over a year ago at almost 101 years old and because it was a big concern
Northern Lights in Michigan!
Northern Lights! The iPhone makes it look more dramatic than it is, but we drove out into the country away from ambient lighting to see
Our Grandson Dominic Brown is engaged to be married!
Hard to believe how fast time flies. I remember what seems like yesterday — he was a little tyke as cute and sharp as a
Did Jesus Ascend into Heaven from Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12) or from Bethany (Luke 24:50)?
Since we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension, I thought it would be good to share this bit of information from the actual site
Albert Einstein Admired the Catholic Church
I confirmed this quote from several sources.
The 5 Solas of the Protestant “Reformation” – What do we agree and disagree on?
I recently recorded a podcast with the increasingly popular Bryan Mercer of Catholic Truth. Our topic was the Five Solas of the Reformation. “Sola” of
Questions I Answered on Catholic Answers Live – Jesus during 40 Days between Resurrection and Ascension
Another fun show during the 40 days between Jesus’s resurrection and ascension. Where was he? To whom did he reveal himself? Did 2,000 people witness
Vine, Branches & Fire: Where Will You End up?
One must care for their land. We own 1/2 an acre of land and a while ago I was cutting wild vines out of the
Quite the quote from Pope Francis: “there is too much frociaggine (faggotry) in seminaries.”
Special weekend with my daughter Emily and her in-laws in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Huron. Love being Catholic and love being a family.
4
Harrison Butker does NOT back down on his speech and Catholic truth!
Harrison Butker Breaks Silence on Speech Controversy: ‘Never Be Afraid to Speak the Truth’
Protestants protesting about Catholics' veneration of Mary: A question: Why do you want to have Jesus without Mary when you would not have had Jesus without Mary?