Kingdom Parables

M. M. NINAN
Seven sacraments were decreed: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist,
Penance, Extreme Unction, Orders and Matrimony.
This scheme was complete when the word of God was taken away from
the common man in AD 1198 and a sever inquisition was instituted to
destroy all those who held different views and they were exterminated
with an iron hand. One means of making money was to sell ‘masses’ and
forgiveness of sin. One could buy this pardon in advance for a whole life
time and even for dead people.
But in spite of all these, there were people who learned to love the Lord.
Through persecutions they kept the word and studied it. Some even
ventured to translate the word of God into the languages of the
common people. Hue and cry, excommunication and stakes followed.
The first English Bible was translated and published by John Wycliff in
13 82. Xemenes de Asners, a Pope who became a hermit produced the
Polglot Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Latin and got in printed. The
Spanish Bible appeared in AD 1478, the French Bible in AD 1487, the
Bohemian Bible in 1488 and the Scottish and German Bibles in Ad
1520. Wherever and whenever the Word of God was given it was
followed by great revivals which gradually got momentum till
reformation and Protestantism led by Martin Luther (AD 1517)and
other caved in.
Even within the Roman Catholic Church were people who consecrated
themselves to serve humanity and extension of the idea of Christian love
and faith though shrouded in Romanism. Thought they never came out
of the Romanism and remaining within its bounds they evangelized as
much as they could. Among them are Adrian ( who evangelized
Scotland), Wilfred (who evangelized England), Cadda of
Northumberland, Wilfrid the apostle to Germany, Bernard of Clairvauss
the hymn writer, Peter Bruyes, Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Thomas
Aquinas and Catherine of Sienna - the patron saint of Italy.
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