The Cornerstone #20 – The Bible emphasizes Redemption (6min) >>> Play

Ave Maria! When St. Thomas Aquinas sides with the opinion that if man had not sinned God would not have become incarnate (no sin, no Incarnation), he cites that the Scriptures everywhere speak of Redemption from sin as the motive of the Incarnation. The Franciscan thesis of Bl. John Duns Scotus acknowledges that Christ came as Redeemer; while this is a true motive of the Incarnation, it is not necessarily the primary or exclusive motive. If the Franciscan thesis is correct, that sin or no sin the Word would have become flesh, then what about the dominating theme of Redemption in both the Old and New Testament? Watch and find out as Fr. Maximilian elaborates on this point.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #20: Sin, Scripture, & The Primacy first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

“He is the image of the invisible God.” St. Paul speaks of Christ as the visible image of the invisible Godhead. The Greek word, translated as “image”, is eikon. Watch this episode as Fr. Maximilian Mary shows the implications of this revelation about “Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4) and who alone reveals God to us (cf. Jn 1:18).

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #22: Colossians 1:15a first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

“He is… the firstborn of all creatures.” In reference to the Word-made-flesh St. Paul speaks of Christ as the “firstborn of all creatures” (Col 1:15) & “firstborn of many brethren” (Rm 8:29). To be the firstborn presupposes that He shares the same nature (created, human–hence the Word Incarnate); but how can the Incarnate Word be the firstborn since He is not chronologically the first creature or man born? St. Paul is speaking about God’s eternal design before the heavens and the earth were made! Jesus Christ is, from all eternity, foreseen FIRST, before all creation (and thus before foreseen sin). This is why he is called “the Alpha… the Beginning…” (Apoc 21:6). In God’s intention and eternal purpose, Jesus has absolute pre-eminence because He is first in God’s plan, the first predestined.

This video series is based on the book A Primer on the Absolute Primacy of Christ by the host Fr. Maximilian M. Dean, FI Ave Maria!

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #23: Colossians 1:15b first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

In this episode Fr. Maximilian Mary covers key points of Christian metaphysics based on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians. The language of the Holy Apostle reveals Christ as the Exemplary Cause of all creation: For in Him were created all things (Col 1:16); the Efficient Cause (secondarily) of all creation: All things have been created through Him (Col 1:17); and the Final Cause (secondarily) of all creation: All things have been created unto Him. (Col 1:17). Watch and discover why Christ is truly the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things (cf. Apocalypse 21:6). Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last! (Apoc. 1:17).

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #24: Colossians 1:16-17 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

A key for establishing the absolute primacy of Christ is the fact that the Word-made-flesh has a primacy over the Angels. In this episode Fr. Maximilian shows that for St. Paul and Bl. John Duns Scotus, Christ’s headship is not simply over fallen mankind, but over the Angels as well. Christ is the “Head over every Principality and Power.” (Col 2:17). His primacy is over “all things” (Col 1:18), both in the heavens (Angels) and on the earth (mankind). The headship and primacy of Christ over the Angels indicates that in God’s eternal plan He willed one, and only one, economy of grace, namely gratia Christi. Otherwise we would have to maintain that there were two economies of grace: the first, original economy of grace, gratia Dei, for Angels and Adam and Eve; then a second, better economy of grace for fallen mankind (not the Angels, since they would be under the gratia Dei). But the Franciscan thesis, rooted solidly in Scripture and Tradition, holds that God’s plan was always and only that Angels and Saints were to receive all graces through Jesus Christ as their Head, sin or no sin.

This video series is based on the book A Primer on the Absolute Primacy of Christ by the host Fr. Maximilian M. Dean, FI

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #25: Colossians 1:18 first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

According to the Franciscan thesis, Saints and Angels alike were predestined to grace and glory in Christ. “For it has pleased God the Father that in Him all His fullness should dwell, and that He should lead all things to unity [apokatallaxai] in Christ, whether on the earth or in the heavens…” (Col 1:19-20). The Angels are under the headship of Christ and receive grace and glory through His mediation as the “firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15). Interestingly, the Franciscan position on the test of the angelic spirits is this: they were shown the mystery of Christ, namely, that God in the Person of the Word would assume a created nature lower than theirs and that they would have to serve the Human Nature of Christ their King and God. The bad angels, the demons, said with Satan: non serviam (I will not serve). Whereas St. Michael and the good Angels declared, “Who is like unto God?”. Watch and learn more about the test of the Angels.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #26: Test of the Angels first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

“Click in” as Fr. Maximilian Mary recapitulates all that he has said thus far about the absolute primacy of Jesus Christ and prepares to launch into the subject of the mediation of grace and glory through the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Having established the absolute primacy of Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone will show where Our Lady fits into God’s plan and what that means for our spiritual life.

Ave Maria!

This video series is based on the book A Primer on the Absolute Primacy of Christ by the host Fr. Maximilian M. Dean, FI

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #27: Absolute Primacy of Christ first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

If Christ is the one mediator between God and man, how exactly does He mediate grace to us?

According to Bl. John Duns Scotus, Christ mediates it 2 ways: ex unione and ex gratia. “Ex unione” refers to His very existence as the God-Man, which is a singularly unique union between God and His creation. But He is also the Mediator of grace to the elect “ex gratia,” that is, from the fullness of grace He possesses as the Son of Man.

So what’s the difference and why does it matter?

Listen now to Fr. Maximilian for another eye-opening and heart-opening teaching on the Primacy of Our Lord and Savior.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian Dean – The Cornerstone #28: How Christ Mediates Grace first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

Catholics often hear it said that, “If it weren’t for the fall (of man), there would have been no need for the Incarnation (of Christ).” “On the contrary,” according to Bl. John Duns Scotus. Christ is the mediator between God and man, sin or no sin. As He Himself said, “No man comes to the Father except through me.” The plan of our divine adoption as Children of God was established before the foundation of the world, and the basis of that plan was not the sin of Adam.Christ came first to elevate us in the spiritual order, and secondly to redeem us from the sin of our first parents.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #29: Incarnation: Elevate 1st, Redeem 2nd first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Ave Maria!

Continuing on the theme of Christ’s mediation of grace, Fr. Maximilian reflects on how Christ allows us to participate in His mediation. We are all actors or players on the stage of life, and, to borrow somewhat from Shakespeare, we each have a part to play in God’s plan. Do some participate more fully in God’s plan than others? Do all the children of God have an equal share in His mediation of grace? Listen now as Father Maximilian explains the uniqueness of Mary and her place on center stage.

Ave Maria!

This video series is based on the book A Primer on the Absolute Primacy of Christ by the host Fr. Maximilian M. Dean, FI

The post Video – Fr Maximilian – The Cornerstone #30: Unique Role of Mary first appeared on AirMaria.com.