The Glory of God Is Man Fully Alive

A lot of teachers have phrases and mannerisms that become inherently associated to them. Mr. Finke squints at students and their likely incorrect answers. Mr. D'Souza has his Friday Funnies, and uses the words "trivial" and "tedious" more often then maybe he realizes. But the most meaningful association that I have encountered at Jesuit between any one phrase and a teacher is Mr. Cole and "The Glory of God is man fully alive."

In reflecting on this quote, I will start with the latter portion. What does man fully alive mean? The short answer is that man is doing what he is created to do. Metaphors for this can be observed in almost every aspect of nature. One of Mr. Cole's favorites is that of a squirrel. A squirrel doing what he is created to do would involve gathering and nuts, making and raising squirrel offspring, and running and climbing on trees. Man is similar in that there are parameters in the definition of what it means to live as a human. The difference is man can go against this image of himself, whereas a squirrel cannot.

Breaking it down even further, what exactly was man created to do? Well in order to understand what man was created to do, we must first understand what he was created with, and who created him in the first place. Man was created in the image of God, with an intellect, will, and a capacity for love. Man was given the gift of life by God, the omni-benevolent Creator. Thus, humans were created to love and serve God with all of their mind, heart, and soul. The only way to fully live is to constantly fulfill this task.

This can be tied in with the Universal Call to Holiness that God extends to all of us. We are all called to sanctify our lives, and in every part of our life at that. To truly live fully alive, your full life must be given to God.

Now to the first part of the phrase, "the Glory of God." The Glory of God is His approval, His metaphorical (and not literal in any sense) beaming down at us from Heaven. In the phrase "the Glory of God is man fully alive," "is" is a linking verb, meaning that the Glory of God and man fully alive are the same thing. Thus, the Glory of God is man obeying His natural law and doing what He calls man to do.

God does not need such glory. He is omnipotent and perfect. He does not desire anything for Himself, because He by definition could not want anything for Himself. He does however want us to share in His love,  which was His purpose in creating us in the first place. Thus, doing what we are called to do--loving and sharing in God and His love--is God's Glory. God gave us life so we could live.

I remember this phrase first being popped in my mind the first day of freshman year. Except this time, Mr. Cole posed it as a question: "what is man fully alive?" I truthfully did not know the answer, but I raised my hand anyway. After all, on the syllabus Mr. Cole had just passed out it said participation was factored into our grade.

It's been real the past two years, Mr. Cole. It is up to me now whether I take what I have learned in Theology I and II and practice it in real life. Either way, you have to know what it means to be man fully alive before you can truly live. Thank you for showing me how to live as I was created to live.

-Shoe

P.S. This is likely our last blog post. Hope all you grads enjoyed it.

The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive

Our theological year throughout Mr. Cole's class has been filled with sacraments, history of the Church, the nature of Christ, and heresies about the Holy Trinity. However out of all of these topics, one stands out to me as the most important. This is the motto "The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive" that Mr. Cole loves to appropriate with "Stockwell" (a classmate) (#insidejoke) (to all you classy twitter fanatics out there).

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this phrase. To me, Man Fully Alive is more than just a simple phrase; it constitutes a way of life. When you break down the very meaning of a "Man Fully Alive", it is possible to reach some questions. First, what does it mean to be 'fully alive' in contrast to just 'alive'? I think the most important contrast is that "fully alive" gives mankind's existence a connotation with a purpose. God created man in His image, giving us intellect and free will and the capacity to love. Therefore, we can say that man's purpose is to use the gifts of God, to strive to become more like God. This last explanation is the very meaning of a Man "Fully Alive". When a man realizes his purpose in life, and does everything to actualize and practice this purpose, he is a Man Fully Alive.

Now, let's get to the meaning of the entire phrase. "The Glory of God " means that God's Glory, God's 'thumbs up' is best understood in the context of a man fully alive. So, after piecing the two terms together, we know that God's Glory IS man's striving to be more like Him. God's Glory isn't the building huge shrines from some misplaced notion that throwing money at the Church without a true intention. God's Glory, the very way we see God in the world is man following Christ.

So after going through this phrase and what it means to me, I think a little reflection time on the year is at hand. First, I think this year was BY FAR the best year of theology in my life (I've been to CCE) in terms of learning more about my faith. From asking some pretty tough questions to Mr. Cole and getting back great answers, I've learned more about my faith this year than I have in the past 15 combined.  From learning about the nature of God, to learning about the one True Catholic Church, to learning about current issues in Catholic society, I'm certainly glad to have taken (even though it wasn't optional) this course.

Thanks Mr. Cole for a great year.

Man.

-atohme

The History of Anointing

The history of anointing has many roots in the Bible. One of the earliest passages in the Old Testament that talk about anointing is the anointing with oil of the early Kings of Jerusalem. A specific Biblical example of this was the anointing of David, who was chosen the youngest of all his brothers to rule the Church. However, outside of the Bible, Apostolic Tradition in 235 A.D. included one of the earliest liturgies and a rite for anointing of the sick. However, outside of the Christian Rites and the Bible, the earliest reference of anointing of the sick also comes in the Magisterium, which is the teaching body of our Church. The Magisterium defined this teaching in the the letter of Pope Innocent I, which is hard to come by. Furthermore, Anointing is a Sacrament, meaning it is a sign of grace from God that is given to humanity. The first council, meaning a group of CHurch officials, that described that Sacrament was the Council of Florence in the year 1439. The effect of the sacrament is to cure the mind, body, and soul. In summary, anointing is usually done with oil and is supposed to be done when a person is close to death.

All You Need to Know About Communion

Communion is one of the most important parts of the Christian mass because it represents our taking of the Eucharist given to us by Christ at the Last Supper. Further, the Catholic Church is called Catholic because of its universal nature. This might lead some people to imply that all people are allowed to have communion and partake in the body of Christ. However, this is not the case. There are specific criteria to be able to take communion. Catholic.com explains that, “The Church sets out specific guidelines regarding how we should prepare ourselves to receive the Lord’s body and blood in Communion. To receive Communion worthily, you must be in a state of grace, have made a good confession since your last mortal sin, believe in transubstantiation, observe the Eucharistic fast, and, finally, not be under an ecclesiastical censure such as excommunication.”

Therefore, Catholics who are in a good state of grace and have confessed their mortal sins are eligible to partake in the Communion of Christ. However, another part of the Church are non-Catholics and to see if they are eligible for communion or not. Catholic.com explains again that, “Scripture is clear that partaking of the Eucharist is among the highest signs of Christian unity: "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). For this reason, it is normally impossible for non-Catholic Christians to receive Holy Communion, for to do so would be to proclaim a unity to exist that, regrettably, does not.”

-atohme

Reflection on the Priesthood and Today's Culture

It seems like there has been a shift in society's view of priests and other clergymen. Hundreds of years ago, the Priesthood was an extremely respectable position. Many intelligent and capable young men took up being a pastor as their trade. This is no longer the case. It's not to say that the Priesthood is not respected; it is still a respectable position, even through society's lenses. However, something about the Priesthood seems separate from the rest of our culture. Something about it just doesn't fit. To an outside viewer, it appears as if the priests have ostracized themselves into a sort of cultural isolation.

Priests are supposed to be separate from the rest of society. They are the brave men who have answered God's call and who have given their lives completely to God. As one priest in the video said, "Being a priest is not natural: it's supernatural." Being a priest is not, per say, normal.

Here is where the Priesthood runs into some issues with today's culture. Even though being a priest is not normal, the pool of men that the Priesthood draws from--every man that has ever lived--is made up of normal guys. Rather than seeing joining the Priesthood as an act of bravery and answering God's call, an average man in today's culture would view it as simply separating himself from the mainstream (with negative implications).

To change this perception of joining the Priesthood, either the Priesthood or society would have to change. The Priesthood cannot just arbitrarily change though, as it was instituted by Christ and only Christ can change it. Until society views priests as normal members of a community, this perception will remain.

Faith or Reason?

A controversial topic today in Catholic and scientific communities is whether we should look to faith or reason to decide our beliefs. The Catholic Teaching says it is a mixture of the two, while the scientific community is solely based on our reason. This blog post will explain a few of the tenants on faith and reason and why we should strike the right balance between the two.

Why need Faith?

Faith is one of the most important parts of Catholic Teaching. In fact, much of Catholic theology is based on faith. We see many Biblical references to the clash between faith and reason, such as when God commanded Abraham to kill Isaac on the mountaintop. In this example, the contrast between faith and reason is clear- should we follow what we think to be God's words, which might tell us to kill; or should we follow the Ten Commandments and not kill? The Bible makes it pretty clear which one is the victor in this situation. Abraham decides to choose for faith, and just about as he is going to plunge the blade in Isaac's heart, God tells Abraham to stop. This dilemma gives a clear-cut reason why we should consider faith at all, because it is based in the Bible.




The second reason why we should use faith is because when you think about it, there is no way to 100% tell if God exists or not until after death. This means what we should use our faith, and believe in something that our reason cannot access for certain, in order to consider following God's commandments at all.

The third reason why we need faith is to believe in the teachings of the Church that might not make too much sense. The most clear teaching of the Church that confuses many people is the concept of the Holy Trinity, that there are three Persons but all part of the same substance.

Does this mean we shouldn't use reason?

Absolutely not! Reason is something essential to our Catholic Faith because, like faith, we can use it to reason about the existence of God, the validity of the Sacraments, Church Teachings (and so on). To completely discard reason would be to completely disregard the fact that God created us with intelligence, and free will, which is not right.

So, what should we do?

We should find the right balance between faith and reason. Catholicism is not just a bunch of random beliefs, it is a religion dedicated to central teachings which are aided by our use of both faith and reason.

-atohme

Forgetfulness

You may recall that I wrote about laziness in a previous blog post. At the very end I proclaimed, "I now feel doubly obligated to get my blog posts in on time as if I do not this post would become atrociously hypocritical." Sure enough, last Monday, I show up to school and feel pretty ashamed of myself. A greeting from my blog partner and a "Hey did you do your blog posts?" accomplishes this feeling. This time however, it was not directly due to laziness (I am no hypocrite). I simply forgot.

Laziness has a clear theological explanation. After the fall, concupiscence entered the world. Concupiscence causes man to be selfish, in particular with his time. Thus, man has a tendency to be lazy. But forgetfulness (if you'll excuse my rhyme) is a bit more hazy. 

On one hand, forgetfulness is a consequence of laziness. Using my personal example, if I had written down my blog assignment in my planner, I most likely would not have forgotten about it. I was too lazy to take out my planner, and thus forgot I had work to do. This would mean that forgetfulness is another consequence of the concupiscence man has inherited from Adam and Eve. 

On the other hand, people do not intend to forget things. The nature of forgetfulness is that something simply never crosses someone's mind. There is no will or action involved; a moral decision is not made. This is distinct from the omission of an action, as choosing to omit an action is still a choice in itself. Because there's no real choice involved, it is hard to put someone at moral fault for forgetting something. 

This is why I say forgetfulness is a bit hazy in relation to whether or not it is caused by Original Sin. It all comes back to this question: did man forget even before the fall? In short I would say yes forgetfulness is caused by Original Sin and the fall, but distinct from laziness. The Catholic Church teaches that Original Sin darkened human will and weakened human intellect. A weakened human intellect would also involve a weakened memory, hence forgetfulness.

This concludes my two-part series on laziness and forgetfulness. If I am lazy or forget again, I will admit to my hypocrisy but will not make a blog post exclusively covering it.

-Shoe

Reflection on the Video with Ronald Davis

The Catholic Church teaches that all humans were made in the image of God, and as such are equal in their inviolable dignity. In short, the Catholic Church believes every human person is a human person. Earth-shattering, I know. But as evident in Ronald Davis's video, many people do not recognize this fact. Ignorance, a consequence of Original Sin, clouds people's intellects to make them believe people like Ronald are just bums, and inferior to all others. It's dehumanizing enough to have no home and have to beg for food and shelter; such ignorant folk only humiliate the homeless even more. 

I think Ronald's story can teach us a lesson about judging and condemnation. People are quick to label homeless people as drunks and crackheads. Many of us look at someone like Ronald and assume he or she is just a good-for-nothing bum. But we do not know their story. We do not know what they have been through. We cannot honestly judge Ronald for not having a job when employers will not hire him due to his appearance and he has no phone number to leave them. As humans we have no right to judge other humans and make assumptions about them. The only thing we can assume about somebody is that they are a human being like the rest of us. 

Reflection on YouTube video ''Homeless Man Ronald Davis"

Although I had seen this video before, it was very powerful the second time around. The most important thing I got out of this video is the concept of human dignity and that every human, no matter the richest or poorest in the world, has the same amount of dignity and is equally a "human being". I think the most powerful part of this video was how Ronald Davis said "God Bless you Sir" after he heard a man walking down the street calling him a bum and other names. This proves that some people in the world, unlike others, have a sense of forgiveness that is awesome.

After watching this video, I am more conscious of those in need around me, especially ones without a home to go to at the end of the day. When you think about it, having a meal is always certain. However, sometimes these people do not have enough money for even a meal at the cheapest places. This influenced me greatly to think about the problems in society. Hopefully Mr. Ronald Davis will find employment soon and get some good luck.

If you haven't seen it before, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AusCA28efa0&feature=youtu.be

Reflection on "All Are Welcome!"

This article is about two main things- first it explains the role of the Church and the perosns who make it up; and second it preaches a philosophy of “hate the sin but not the sinner”. On the first note, a kid joins the family for dinner one day, bringing the analogy to “the Church as catholic” which means the Church is universal and is for all humans. Next, the article goes on to explain the role of the person in the formation of the Church; specifically that we all make up the body of Christ and are members of the priesthood of the laity (incorporating class teachings +1) because of our partaking in Christ’s nature as a priest.

The second part of the article talks about the philosophy of “hate the sin not the sinner’ which I think is an important distinction that needs to be made in Christian theology today. So long Christians have blamed x person as a “bad person” , but not as a “good person with bad actions”. Genesis and the creation story teaches us that all of God’s creation is created good, but after the fall this creation takes on original sin and because lazy and sins. So, it is technically improper to hate the person; we must instead hate the sin.

I think this article is a good one to explore the characteristics of the Church, especially its unity and apostolic qualities. Furthermore, it is a good article to explore the basics of “hate the sin, not the sinner” that was crucial to Jesus’ teachings.

Reflection on "All Are Welcome!"

I think this blog makes a very important and necessary observation about the universality of the Church. Many people misinterpret universality to think that their actions do not matter, that there are no rules that they have to follow to be a part of the Church.  The Church does not discriminate against people in the slightest; however, it does discriminate against people's actions. Discriminate implies that there is little or not justification for an action, and is probably not the right word for this situation. The Church condemns sinner's actions rightly.

Another observation that I think would help this blog would be that all people can follow these rules that the Church imposes upon them. After seeing this article, one might object by saying that the rules cannot be followed. For example, the author brings up the example of someone having to wash their hands in order to eat dinner at their house. What if the rule was that they would have to steal the Mona Lisa, put it back, then steal it again, and then sit down at the dinner? Kind of ridiculous right. However this is not the case. These "rules" the author I keep referring to are capable of being followed by every single human being. For example, the Church does not want unmarried people of different sexes to cohabit before marriage. All humans have the ability to not partake in this activity--it's not an impossible sanction by any means.

The Church is a universal Church. Although it has rules, these rules are also universal.

All Dogs Go to Heaven...Not

Our family owns a lovable 5 year old cockapoo named Maddie. Maddie's favorite activities include chasing squirrels around the yard and playing fetch with her masters. She's a mischievous one as well, stealing food off the counter on a consistent basis. Dogs such as Maddie are great companions, and many people treat their dogs as members of the family. One lady even filed for a tax deduction because she considered her dog "a dependent."

As much as we all love dogs, and all sorts of pets for that matter, we have to recognize that they will not be joining us one day in Heaven. Maybe it is sad, but at the same time, they are not going to Hell either. They, along with the rest of creation aside from humans, go nowhere--their existence is defined by their material body, not anything more.

What I'm getting at is that our dogs and cats do not have souls. The soul, the spiritual element that gives humans our intellect, will, and capacity to love, is unique only to man within creation. The soul is made directly in God's image, and is what elevates human dignity above that of the rest of creation. The Church teaches that after humans die, our souls separate from our earthly bodies, going to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory (I believe this is discussed in a previous post by atohme). After dogs die, they have no soul to separate from their body.

This is not a terribly controversial issue in the Church. In fact, it is so uncontroversial that people often fail to realize it.

Some do object however. People often insist that their dog can indeed think rationally, and experience emotions. However, these are distinct from human rational thought and emotion. A dog's actions and thought processes are mere products of evolutionary adaptations and consequences involving rewards and punishments. A human, on the other hand, can have complex thought processes, such as pondering God's existence, that a dog could never hope to do (which kind of has a double meaning, because a dog cannot hope).

I love my dog, but the Church teaches that she cannot love me back. Ruff.

-Shoe

The Church's Stance on Women Priests

A few weeks ago, Maria McClain, a 71 year old devout Indiana Christian, was ordained as a priest in defiance of Church law. I had heard of movements to include women in the priesthood, but never did I hear of such radical actions as schism for this cause. Upon further research, Maria is not a unique case. Approximately 10 years ago, a group of three male bishops secretly ordained seven women as priests, some of which were ordained as bishops so they could ordain other women. They pride themselves on being crusaders fighting against unjust, out-dated, patriarchal rules.

Obviously, the Church does not allow women to be priests. Those involved in the above escapades were surely excommunicated from the Church, as they are essentially forming their own church. This movement however has been gaining momentum in recent years. A demand for more priests, due to a lack of male ones, has left many people thinking the next logical move would be to allow women priests. The Church remains adamant in her stance forbidding female priests, and here is why.

The Church will likely never change the rule that there can be no female priests, not because it is a sexist, patriarchal institution, but because it has no authority to do so. The Church recognizes that Jesus chose his first twelve Apostles to use as the foundation for his Church. All twelve of these Apostles were men, and ordained only men to assume their authority. This has been a tradition in the Church held for its entire almost 2,000 year old existence.

For the Church hierarchy to go against Jesus's actions in founding the Church and allow the ordination of women priests, it would be asserting its authority above Christ's. The Church recognizes that she simply has no place to do that. Her hands are tied--maybe it would be beneficial for women to be included in the priesthood, but she has no authority to make that happen.

The priesthood is not a "job", and the Church is not an "employer." If this were so, and the Church picked which people could become priests, it would certainly be discrimination to exclude women. Rather, the priesthood is a calling by God. The Church is in no position to recognize the legitimacy of a woman's calling to the priesthood, as Jesus never called a woman to this position in his ministry.

Technically the Church can change its stance on women priesthood. And for all we know she might. However, theologically, there is no justification for such a move.

Sources:
http://www.wthr.com/story/17413563/indiana-woman-seeks-to-be-ordained-as-roman-catholic-priest

-Shoe

Scriptural Beginnings of Baptism

The scriptural beginnings of Baptism are mostly found in the New Testament, however some are found in the Old Testament. First, a reference to baptism was made in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis when the Bible explains the sanctity of circumcision. In the book of Psalms, Psalm 51 says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me

from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me”.

This is a clear scriptural beginning of Baptism because the book of Psalms says “wash away all my iniquity” which means baptism. Furthermore, the most clear first reference to baptism in the New Testament comes in the Gospel of Matthew when John the Baptist baptizes the followers of the coming Christ. The Gospel says,  “John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were

baptised by him in the Jordan River”. 




This Biblical passage clearly shows that Baptism has many scriptural beginnings and continues through the teachings of Christ up until his Resurrection. After the death and resurrection, members of the Church continued this tradition, which has many roots in Sacred Scripture.

-atohme

The Sacraments and Human Nature

The sacraments correspond with human nature in many ways. First, the sacraments physical effects ensure that their signs can be spread across humanity and give us the grace necessary to live a life in Christ. The sacraments in a sense ‘perfect’ our human nature because they give us the graces necessary to try to avoid sin and also become Christlike figures. This is significant because our Christian mission is to adopt these principles and Love our Neighbor.

Specifically, the sacrament of penance allows us to enter into an ever-present life of closeness to God. As humans, we are all subject to the temptation of sin and through the sacrament of penance our relationship with God is restored. In this case, our human nature plays a big role in the life of the Sacraments- we are all tempted to sin because of this nature and through the Sacrament of penance this nature can be ‘perfected’ so we can be Christ-like figures.

The Sacrament of Eucharist also allows us to perfect our human nature. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is the receiving of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, thus when we partake in this Sacrament we are elevating our human nature to another level- a transcendental level- and we receive the body and blood of our Savior.

-atohme

Miracles

A miracle is defined as an event that surpasses the laws of nature, and is attributed to a divine origin. There are many miracles that have happened throughout the course of human history: the most important being the Resurrection of Christ. How many times have you seen a dead person come to life again? Never. That's what makes the Resurrection significant and also the centerpiece of the Christian Faith. A couple famous miracles include:

1. The Shroud of Turin

This is more than your ordinary Shroud. According to the Bible, this is the Shroud that was used to wrap the body of Christ when he was laid to rest in the tomb. However, recent scientific evidence proves that this could truly be the Shroud that covered Jesus as he lay dead. Carbon dating has shown an outline of a male body with wounds that seem as if the man suffered crucifixion. Furthermore, dirt particles on the Shroud match those from ancient Jerusalem. More than just a coincidence.




2. The Crossing of the Red Sea

According to the Old Testament, the Pharaoh of Egypt kept the Israelites in captivity for many years. After firmly denying to let them leave and after Ten Plagues, the Pharaoh remained firm in his decision. So, Moses (a prophet) split open the Red Sea and led the Israelites out of captivity and into the Promised Land. According to the Bible, Moses lifted his staff and the sea parted in half. After the Israelites had crossed, Moses closed the seas and drowned the Egyptian army. What a guy.



-atohme

The Catholic Church: Hate It or Love It, You Need It

Scandals constantly hit the Catholic Church. Recently, priests have been caught touching and talking to children inappropriately, which are absolutely tragic and gut-wrenching events. Numerous other sex scandals have been exposed over the years. Even more prevalent in the Catholic Church is the corruption. Money-hungry Church officials exist in every generation, abusing the Church for his own personal gain. There were times between 1000 and 2000 AD that the Church was so corrupt it is a miracle in itself that she still exists.

Events such as these are what have inspired videos such as "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus." You may believe in Jesus Christ and love him, but not be so crazy about the Church. I'll now offer a defense of the Catholic Church, despite its corruption.

First of all,  you still need the Church. Jesus Christ specifically instituted the Church as the means of the salvation he won for us by His Paschal Mystery. The Eucharist and all other Sacraments are celebrated solely through Jesus Christ's Mystical Body; there are no loopholes to this fact. Even if Church officials are corrupt and you do not particularly like them, the fact remains that the Church is the only way for you to be saved.

Second, human corruption does not detract from the Church's authority and holiness in the slightest. Humans are naturally corrupt due to our corrupted natures from Original Sin. It makes sense that the humans within the Church are corrupt and scandalous. In fact, it can almost be expected. However, the Holy Spirit still guides the Church and protects it. Jesus Christ still instituted the Church, so the Church is still Holy. No matter what the people within the Church community say and do, the Church's divine origin maintains its holiness and authority.

Last, the fact that the Church is so corrupt and still exists is a testament to its divine origin. Any typical, human organization would crumble under scandals and corruption as severe and widespread as the Church has withstood. However, the Church has withstood them all, and continues to today. This can only add to your confidence that the Church is truly Jesus's Church.
-Shoe

Why Is There Evil in A World Created by A Good God?

Two weeks ago tomorrow, two men mercilessly bombed the Boston marathon. Armed with makeshift pressure-cooker bombs, these two disrupted a normally fun-filled and blessed day, killing three and injuring hundreds more. Surveillance video shows one of the suspects placing a backpack with a bomb in it right next to an 8 year-old boy. This attack was pure evil.

How could God allow such evil to enter our world? This is a question that I'm sure troubles many intelligent grad students trying to discern their faith. If God is truly good, and if he is omnipotent, he wouldn't allow such evil things to happen to us, right?

God works in mysterious ways. Although this is a common cliche, it is entirely true. At first glance, it may seem as if nothing good came from the Fall. Only evil, sin, and death. But this is not true at all. Through the Fall, God has produced an even greater good (produced is an awkward verb here, but I cannot think of a better one). It is because of the Fall that Jesus Christ was made incarnate to forgive us of our sins. And it is because of the Fall that Jesus Christ will come a second time.  The greatest thing that has ever happened to mankind, Jesus Christ's coming, would not have happened without the Fall.

Superficially, this contradicts the Church's generally means-based philosophies. God is allowing evil in order to create more good, seemingly an ends-based approach from the All-Knowing One. However, this does not contradict means-based philosophy. God does not cause the evil; He merely allows it. In other words, evil was not created by God directly, but rather by the absence of the good God created. Because God takes no action, it cannot be said He violates any sort of Kantian rule. 

Philosophical discussion aside, this idea of creating more good from evil through Jesus Christ is known as the Felix Culpa, or Happy Fault. St. Augustine, an Early Church Father, wrote about this while justifying God's failure to stop sin. 

As bad as sin and evil are, we are better off with it because of Jesus Christ. God would not allow such darkness to enter our world if this was not true.

-Shoe

Protestantism and Ecumenism

This is a continuation of Shoe's post on Schisms in the Catholic Church.


Our last section in Theology class was largely over Protestantism and Ecumenism. Protestantism, given its name by the Protestant Reformation, happened predominantly in the 15th century and was started by Martin Luther. Martin Luther started this Reformation because he was fed up with the Catholic Church's selling of indulgences. In turn, he created a new Church the "Protestant" Church. Nowadays, this Protestant Church has over 30,000 different Churches and continues to splinter.

Therefore, Ecumenism, or bringing back all of the Churches into the one true Church is necessary. One of the Four marks of the Catholic Church is its Oneness, meaning Christ created one True Church on Earth. However, this does not mean we call Protestants "Non-Christians". These generations of Protestants are called "separated brethren" meaning they were born into the Protestant faith through no fault of their own.

 

Currently, the Church is closest to bringing back the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some Anglican Churches (parts of the Protestant Churches) have come back to the Catholic Faith. However, the end goal is 100% coexistence in the one Truth.

-atohme

Laziness

Laziness is a common problem, especially for grad students. There are other things a busy college student would rather do than hit the books, one of which is nothing at all. We wait to do assignments until the last minute (or even after they're due) not because we have something better to do, but because we simply do not feel like doing them.

As a Sophomore with severe Sophomore-itis and with a theology teacher who has not come to class in a week and probably will not be coming back too soon, I can relate. This blog post was technically supposed to be done sometime the previous week. Each night however, I had an excuse to put it off. All the weeknights leading up to Sunday- "I can just get it done on Sunday." Sunday night- "I'll just watch the Rockets game." Yesterday- "I have a golf banquet." Finally, about an hour before I usually retire for the night, I have decided to get it done.

So what would the Catholic Church teach about such laziness? Laziness is a consequence of Original Sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, concupiscence entered the human race. Concupiscence is the tendency of man towards sin, after the Fall. This tendency is not washed away at Baptism, and must be battled constantly by a Christian in their everyday lives. It is this tendency that tempts me and other students from doing our assignments on time, rationalizing our evasive actions all the while (making excuses).

On another note, being lazy is not doing what God has called us to do. Currently, God is calling us to be good students. Putting off assignments and procrastinating is doing exactly the opposite: it is searching for loopholes and "the easy way out" to God's call.

Whatever actions/positions God calls you to, fulfill such obligations with all of your will. God calls us to be the best we can be, not an ok, slacking individual. Laziness is merely a symptom of someone not fulfilling their true potential as determined by God.

I now feel doubly obligated to get my blog posts in on time as if I do not this post would become atrociously hypocritical.
-Shoe

Lukewarmness

A wise Asian man in a movie once said: "Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later get squish just like grape." 

In many instances, ESPECIALLY when it comes to religion, you have to pick a side. Hanging around in the middle not only doesn't accomplish anything for yourself, but it only makes things worse. This hanging around in the middle is known as lukewarmness.

This is a topic that really hits home, as a Luke myself. Lukewarmness is essentially settling for mediocrity. It's saying "I'm good right here" and not striving for anything more. As it pertains to the Church, lukewarmness is manifested in the baptized Christians who only go to Church on Christmas and Easter (CEOs as my pastor calls them). People who say they believe in God and Jesus as our Savior but don't really do anything about it-those are the lukewarm. And this is just as bad as atheism/agnosticsm.

Think of it this way. You're walking along a road. On one side of the road is a field where you are safe. On the other side is a cliff where obviously you could fall. But in the middle of the road are cars travelling seventy five miles per hour that are sure to squash you like a grape. On the field side you are definitely safe, on the cliff side you could still save yourself, but in the middle you are sure to be run over by an 18-wheeler that's absolutely hauling.

Even if you choose a different religion or no religion at all, at least you are thinking about it. At least you are trying to understand God and your faith. The worst thing you could do is not care, because then you are sure to suffer (and be on the news for a pretty horrific car accident).

In Rev. 3:16 Jesus talks about lukewarmness also. "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." 

Mr. Miyagi and Jesus are clearly on the same page. 
-Shoe

The Church is Apostolic

The last of the four marks of the Church is Apostolic. Theologically, this mark is extremely significant. As a grad student trying to discern your religion, you need to know for sure that the Church you put your faith in truly is the Church. Through the Church's Apostolic nature, we are certain the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus instituted. 

We can say that the Church is Apostolic in several ways. The Church was founded by the Apostles and continues to teach through the Apostles. However, the reason in my opinion this mark is so important is due to Apostolic Succession. The Church has held and continues to hold Apostolic Succession today. Each bishop can trace his office back to one of the original twelve Apostles, which is truly amazing. This is extremely important for our Faith. We know for certain that the authority of the Church comes directly from the Apostles, rather than being arbitrarily created by mere men sometime in the last two thousand years. 

The Catholic Church is the sole Church of Christ, and Apostolic Succession ensures us of this. Other Christian churches simply cannot claim to be Christ's Church, as only the Catholic Church was founded upon the Apostles. This is key in giving the Church legitimacy as well as affirming to grads such as you that she is the true Church.

-Shoe

The Four Marks of the Church

There are four main marks of the Church that reflect  upon our creation and our destination. These four marks of the Church come directly from Christ as our founder, and will continue until the end of time. Therefore, the Church is perennial (never-ending) and always works by these four marks.

The First Mark: One

The oneness of the Church is prevalent in its creation and destination. The Catholic Church was the only Church founded by Christ and given to the Apostles to maintain over time. Other Churches (besides those of the Catholic Rites) are not fraudulent, but aren't the true Church Christ made on earth. Our creation by Christ guides His pilgrim Church on earth so that all of its members can attain eternal salvation.




The Second Mark: Holy

The Church is said to be holy primarily because it was founded by Christ Himself. Furthermore, the Church is holy because through it we are able to attain salvation that can only be given through the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Church isn't just made up of people on earth, but rather a dual-connection between people and earth and the saints in heaven. Through the Church, people are able to become saints, adding to the second mark of holy.



The Third Mark: Catholic

In modern usage, the word "Catholic" means universal. In terms of the Church, this definition gives the best explanation of its goals and message. The Catholic Church strives for unity, and its goal for all its members and members on earth to attain salvation through Christ and its sacraments. The Catholic Church is not a selective organization, but rather open to everyone at every time.



The Fourth Mark: Apostolic

The Church can be called "Apostolic" because of its founding with the Twelve Apostles and its Apostolic succession, defined as the true line of bishops and popes from St. Peter. When Christ founded the Church, he gave St. Peter the ability to bind and loose, and Catholics know that every pope is from the line of St. Peter and thus has Christ's authority.

-atohme

Rites in the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has many different rites that began from the ancient Roman times and continue into the modern day. This has developed from many different forms of worship with each preserving its own cultural and artistic heritage.

There are over 20 Rites in the Catholic Church today; and each of these rites is in full communion with the others. As opposed to the Orthodox Church, who do not accept papal infallibility, the Rites of the Catholic Church are mostly the same except in the Form of Prayer. The word "Western Rite" refers to the Western Churches, such as the ones established in Rome. Here are a few Catholic Rites:

The Alexandrian Rite

This rite is also known as the Coptic Rite, originated in Egypt and includes the Ethiopian Rite. The languages in this liturgy are Coptic, Arabic and Ge'ez.



The Antiochene Rite

This was developed under the Church of Jerusalem but named for the origin of the Church in Antioch. From this rite develop the Maronite and Syrian Catholics. The official language is Arabic.



The Armenian Rite

Traces its origins back to Early Church Fathers and Armenian is used as its language of founding .





Source: The Church: Sacrament of Salvation by Dr. Scott Hahn
-atohme

Racism and the Church: Something to Make All Catholics Proud

Racism is a huge issue in our world. Prejudices simply because of someone's skin color are rampant, and intolerance has led to violence and hatred. Racism was so intertwined in our culture and government, a massive, years-long movement was needed to only superficially squash it. But even today, remnants of the KKK and other hate organizations continue to do what they do best: hate.

The Catholic Church stands on the polar opposite of such hate organizations as the KKK. Theologically speaking, Catholics recognize the equality of all persons. We were all created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we all have inviolable dignity. Superficial qualities such as skin color or ethnicity do not hinder this inherent attribute in the slightest. To the Catholic Church, and rightly so, there is no justification for racism.

Beyond such reasoning, the Church is all about love. Catholics believe Jesus/God is the epitome of love, and thus strive to be like Him. Jesus also commands us in his New Law of Love to love one another as He loves us, meaning love without limitation. Hate is not in the Church's vocabulary, and thus neither is racism.

This is an issue that has to make all Catholics proud. Now that the public has a negative consensus on racism and it is no longer a "controversial" issue, its easy to see that the Church had things right all along. When our country employed slave labor, the Church spoke out against it. When colored people had different rights than whites, the Church spoke out against it. And when the South segregated colored individuals from whites, the Church, rightly so, spoke out against it. Recognizing that the Church has always taken the right stance on an issue like racism makes me proud to be a Catholic.

It makes you wonder which other seemingly "controversial" topics the Church has taken hard stances on will be crystal-clear in the future...

-Shoe

The Church and Schisms

Approximately 700 years ago, perhaps the largest schism the Catholic Church has ever faced occurred. Known as the Protestant Reformation, this grand series of splits rattled the Catholic Church, forcing her to gather and further clarify/declare her beliefs. This was certainly not the first attempt at disunity from the Church; the Eastern Churches had separated hundreds of years before. However, this time of schism would prove significant in years to come simply by the sheer number of followers the various denominations would attract.

As a Grad student, you have probably encountered the remnants of such schisms on your respective school's campus. A middle-aged man dressed in a coat and tie likely approached you, pushed a bible in your hands, and popped the question, "Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?" Sects of Protestants have fiery, and honestly overbearing, evangelical programs aimed at youth (and especially educated youth). Here are the Catholic Church's teachings on schism.

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines schism:

"Schism (from the Greek schisma, rent, division) is, in the language of theology and canon law, the rupture of ecclesiastical union and unity, i.e. either the act by which one of the faithful severs as far as in him lies the ties which bind him to the social organization of the Church and make him a member of the mystical body of Christ, or the state of dissociation or separation which is the result of that act." 

Separating from the Pope/the Catholic community harms the unity and oneness of the Church, and is seen as a sin against such. It is interesting how all schisms start out with good intentions. However, these good intentions are extrapolated to the Church and its authority, resulting in a separation from such authority. For example, Martin Luther was absolutely correct when he criticized the selling of indulgences. By creating a new and separate church however, he simply took this idea too far. Such schismatics took their criticisms too far, and greatly harmed the unity and oneness of the Church. 

When you're discerning your faith, remember this. Eastern and Protestant Churches split from the Pope and the Church, and not the other way around. The one whole and complete Truth lies only within the Catholic Church. Sure, there are elements of Truth in all religions, ESPECIALLY different Christian denominations. But the Catholic Church is the true Church that Jesus Christ instituted to save us all. 
-Shoe
Sources:
Forget, Jacques. "Schism." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 14 Apr. 2013<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13529a.htm>.

Purgatory- Cleansing before the Beatific Vision

A big issue in today's society is what happens after we die. In the Catholic Faith, we believe that we either go to Heaven, due to our good actions on earth, or Hell, if we commit bad actions on earth. However, there is a third place that is less-discussed in Christian Literature. This place is called Purgatory- a place where one is to be cleansed before entering Heaven and experiencing God.

An artistic conception of Purgatory 

Why we need Purgatory

Purgatory is necessary in order to truly experience God. We know God is infinite and the ultimate sign of Love, so in order for us to be worthy to be in His presence, we must be cleansed. This "cleansing" is known in the place of Purgatory.

Catholic Church Teachings

Many Ecumenical Councils, including the Council of Trent, have discussed the issue of Purgatory. The Council of Trent in 1551 set a definitive teaching on Purgatory, explaining,

"To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the 'eternal punishment' of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the 'temporal punishment' of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain. [Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1712-1713; (1563): 1820.]"

Essentially, the purification of Purgatory frees the human from the temporal punishment of sin. When this punishment of sin is alleviated, our connection with God is restored, and we are able to enter into Heaven. Think of this as a shower with good consequences.

-atohme

Love- Subjective or Objective?

Love is a feeling that all human beings feel at one time or another throughout their lives. In terms of the Catholic Church, love is objective. However, I think love is subjective as well, as it does vary from person to person.

Love as Objective

The Catholic Church teaches that Love comes from God, as He is the ultimate form of Love. The reason God created us was not to advance an interest of his own, but just out of His pure Love. This means that Love stems directly from God, and He is its source. Furthermore, we can say God is objective- meaning everyone recognizes the same attributes in God: Omnipotence, Omnibenevolence, Eternal, and so on. This means that God is objectively verifiable. Now, to spice this up with some transitive properties- if God is the source of Love, and God is objective, then we can say Love as a concept, is truly Objective.

Love as Subjective

Love as subjective stems from the way humans view love in the current world. Obviously, we all do not love the same people and are not attracted to the same type of people. This must mean that love is subjective, that it varies from person to person, and that people have different loves. This answer might seem really short, but the next section explains why.

Different Interpretations

This question, whether love is objective or subjective is up to much interpretation. On one hand, people could answer this question thinking "would all people love the same person?", terminating in the conclusion that love must be subjective. However, other people might think "is the concept of love objective", which terminates in my first answer. This is a good question up for debate- and it's a little bit of both.

-atohme

Current Events- Contraceptives and the Catholic Church

A big dispute in today's society is the use of contraceptives, whether they be condoms or drugs in order to have sex without causing pregnancy. The Catholic Church's view on contraceptives has remained  firm from the beginning of time until the modern time. In 1994, Pope John Paul II clarified the Church's position saying,

"Unfortunately, Catholic thought is often misunderstood ... as if the Church supported an ideology of fertility at all costs, urging married couples to procreate indiscriminately and without thought for the future. But one need only study the pronouncements of the Magisterium to know that this is not so. Truly, in begetting life the spouses fulfill one of the highest dimensions of their calling: they are God's co-workers. Precisely for this reason they must have an extremely responsible attitude. In deciding whether or not to have a child, they must not be motivated by selfishness or carelessness, but by a prudent, conscious generosity that weighs the possibilities and circumstances, and especially gives priority to the welfare of the unborn child. Therefore, when there is a reason not to procreate, this choice is permissible and may even be necessary. However, there remains the duty of carrying it out with criteria and methods that respect the total truth of the marital act in its unitive and procreative dimension, as wisely regulated by nature itself in its biological rhythms. One can comply with them and use them to advantage, but they cannot be "violated" by artificial interference."

Essentially, John Paul II's message was that the Church holds sex as a marital act of unity, whose intent is procreation. Therefore, artificial interference such as contraceptives are against the Church's teachings, because they take a key element, creation of new life, from sex.



However, a 2007 study from Catholics for Choice conducted by president Jon O'Brien found that "plenty of Catholics disagree with Church teachings on contraception, especially when the distribution of condoms can help curb the spread of HIV and AIDS."


So, we can see that many modern groups, from the White House to Catholics themselves, disagree with the Church's ban on contraception especially in areas with high risk of HIV and AIDS. A truly interesting topic indeed.

-atohme

The Catholic Church's Views on Abortion

Abortion is a pretty controversial topic in our world today. People are particularly adamant in their beliefs regarding the topic, and there really is no middle ground (by abortion's very nature). In your days of college you may have even heard of people getting abortions, or experienced one yourself. Your beliefs regarding abortion may be holding you back from committing fully to the Catholic Church. Let's go ahead and clear up exactly why the Catholic Church believes what it believes.

The Catholic Church is against all forms of abortion, and here's why. The Church teaches that life begins at conception. The Church also teaches that each person is made in the image of God, and therefore has inviolable dignity. Therefore, any attempt to kill a fetus is directly infringing on that person's dignity (not to mention their autonomy). It's also just plain killing, which is addressed in the Ten Commandments.

I realize that a lot of this argument rests on the teaching that life begins at conception. You may want a secular argument for why a tiny clump of cells is indeed life.  First, a weaker but still legitimate argument: that tiny clump of cells WILL be a walking, talking human. Even if you do not think it is life, by that logic it will be life one day, and you are killing that person. But that argument is not even necessary. The cells that make up a fetus are living, human cells, all working together to support the fetus. This IS a human life.

Catholics are all about freedom so long as that freedom does not infringe on the freedom of others (which is also the goal of the Constitution, so a secular world can still relate). The right to have an abortion infringes on that small human's right to life, and is thus not ok in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

-Shoe