First, my live stream will be pushed to later this afternoon—probably about 2pm MST.
I did, however, want to briefly post about icon veneration, something that I advocate in accordance with the seventh ecumenical council. I see no real arguments against the council that would compel me to disregard its ecumenical status in the Church. The only arguments I hear against it are found in relationship to the ten commandments (words) and its prohibition against graven images. The problem with this argument, however, is that it ultimately fails to account for the way in which God revealed himself to Israel, versus the way in which God reveals himself in the New Covenant world. Graven images were forbidden because God revealed himself by words, rather than form. In the new covenant, on the other hand, God is now revealed in the person of Christ, a visible and depictable form.
Furthermore, it would seem to me that the distinction between veneration (dulia) and worship (latria) is a fair and right distinction. As Christians who accept the seventh council, we recognize that sacrifice = worship. Thus, our worship is only ever directed toward God. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices and we offer the holy Eucharist as a sacrifice before God. These are things we do not and would not ever do with icons. We honor them by putting them in prominent places in our homes and places of worship. We may even bow and kiss them, but these are acts of reverence and honor, not worship since sacrifice is not involved.
In summary: Icons can be venerated and made because of the incarnation and because we are called to honor one another, greeting each other with a brotherly kiss. The use of icons in worship is to honor the restoration of the image of God in mankind. Worship, however, involves sacrifice and is only ever offered to God.
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
The Mere Catholicity movement runs only through listener support. The work that I (Jonah) do requires time and money. Without the financial support of my Locals community, I would not be able to continue making content. Simple as that. It is only thanks to this group that I can continue providing you with content that (hopefully) both edifies and challenges!
The good news for you is that joining the community itself is completely FREE! Once you sign up, you will be able to see most posts, live streams, and even content posted by other users. However, you will only be able to observe. You will not be able to comment, post, or see any exclusive content. This might be a good way to see if you want to support later down the line. So please join! Even if you cannot afford to give at this time!
Now, for those who do wish to give ...
Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
