Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heaven. Show all posts

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Fire, Brimstone, and Lollipop Faith

Today's Gospel reading, John 3:14-21, includes one of my favorite bits from the Bible:
"For God so loved the world that he gave 7 his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn 8 the world, but that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17)
That's reassuring, and poles apart from the "Sinners it the Hands of an Angry God" flavor of faith popularized by Jonathan Edwards.

Since Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian,"1 I'd better explain a few things.

I'm a Christian, but not a Protestant — and certainly not a fundamentalist Protestant.

I'm a Catholic, one of those "superstitious and idolatrous" papists James Ussher wrote about. (February 5, 2014)

That means I can think the universe is billions, not thousands, of years old, play Bingo, or like rock 'n' roll — without abandoning my faith.

I'm also convinced that Earth isn't flat, Adam and Eve weren't German, poetry isn't science, and thinking is not a sin. And that's another topic. (February 27, 2015)

Getting back to God, the world, and long-term planning; as a Catholic, I must act as if I will live forever — which can be good news, or bad news.

Humanity, each of us, is basically good: like everything God creates. But each of us can make bad decisions, and we're living with consequences of a very bad decision made by our first parents. (Genesis 1:31; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 388-389, 988-1014)

My main job, just like everyone else, is loving and serving God. (Catechism, 1, 355-358, 1721)

Whether or not I do that job is up to me, every moment. Humans are rational creatures, able to decide what we do: or don't do. (Catechism, 1730-1738, 1762-1770)

Despite the claims of folks riding Edwards' coattails, God does not have anger management issues: and isn't waiting for an excuse to drop me into Hell.

On the other hand, nobody's dragged, kicking and screaming, into Heaven. If I decide that I'd rather not act like a rational creature, I can opt out of Heaven. It'd be my decision: a daft one, but mine. (Catechism, 1021-1037)

God Doesn't Hate You: But He's No Patsy


Then there are cheerful thoughts like these:
"...every unconverted Man properly belongs to Hell...."

"...The God that holds you over the Pit of Hell, much as one holds a Spider, or some loathsome Insect, over the Fire, abhors you...."

"...you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God...."
("Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," pp. 6, 9, 15, 18; Jonathan Edwards (July 8, 1741) (via Digital Commons@University of Nebraska-Lincoln))
Some folks, understandably, don't particularly like being told "you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God" if you don't agree with some enthusiastic disciple of Edwards.

I think, and hope, that Edwards meant well.

Good intentions only go so far, though. "I meant well" doesn't work as an excuse. Not in the long run, and that's almost another topic. (Catechism, 1750-1753, 1789)

God doesn't hate me: or you. God loves each of us. That was the point of our Lord's mission. (Catechism, 458)

But God isn't a senile old fool, rewarding folks for doing anything they like. There are rules, standards of behavior. They boil down to 'love God, love your neighbor, see everyone as your neighbor.' (Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31 Luke 10:25-30)

I've got very serious face time with my Lord coming, a sort of final evaluation. Can't say I'm looking forward to that, but it's unavoidable. (Hebrews 9:27; Catechism, 1021-1022, 1051)

If you're expecting a rant about Jonathan Edwards, or anyone else, roasting in Hell — you'll have a long wait. I've got enough on my rap sheet as it is, without trying to muscle in on God's territory. (February 1, 2015)
"...judging others leads us to hypocrisy ... a person who judges gets it wrong...because he takes the place of God, who is the only judge: taking that place is taking the wrong place!..."
(Francis I)
"...although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God."
(Catechism, 1861)
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged."
(Jesus, in Matthew 7:1)

Hellfire and Lollipops



(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)

I grew up in a region where the Ussher and Edwards version of faith was endemic. On the 'up' side, radio preachers and their attitude about commies, music, and the 'Whore of Babylon' set me on a path that got me into my Lord's outfit; and that's yet another topic.

Reaction to fire and brimstone diatribes encourages — my opinion — some folks to assume that religion is a psychiatric disorder and/or con game. Can't say that I blame them. That stuff is toxic.

Cherry picking another set of Bible quotes, others apparently decided that following God is all about happy faces and good times. I've mentioned the prosperity gospel and syncretic religions before. (May 17, 2013; June 19, 2009; January 27, 2009)

"Love" isn't "approval," by the way.

Not letting a friend drive drunk is tacit disapproval of his decision to endanger his, and others', lives. But it is, arguably, a loving act. Labeling someone a useless drunkard, maybe not so much. (May 5, 2013; April 26, 2011)

Scaring folks silly with threats of hellfire, or handing out spiritual lollipops, may be effective at boosting church attendance — in the short run. But that sort of thing smacks of psychological manipulation: and isn't, I think, a good idea.

Wrenching myself back on-topic, God has standards of behavior. They're simple, but not easy: love God, love my neighbor, see everybody as my neighbor. No exceptions. (Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-27; Luke 10:29-37; Catechism, 1825)

Sin, Love, and Robots


We're not robots, programmed to do exactly what we're supposed to: so not loving someone is an option. (July 27, 2014; May 23, 2012)

Sin isn't liking the 'wrong' kind of music, or not following social mores of 'decent' middle-class Americans, ca. 1950.

It's deliberately acting against reason and truth. It's also a very bad idea. (Catechism, 1849, 1853, 1854)

Like it says in John 3:16, God loves the world so much that our Lord came to give us a way out of the mess we're in.

But what we do and where we go is up to us.

Loving folks who aren't lovable is hard. So is using our brains, instead of doing whatever feels good — or easy — at the moment. (December 14, 2014; July 11, 2012)

Hell is real, a permanent residence — with no exit — set up for folks who'd rather not associate with God. (Catechism, 1033-1037)

It's not where curiosity is punished, Heaven isn't a celestial country club for folks who live up — or down — to Holy Willie's standard, and I've been over this before. (August 1, 2014; January 4, 2012; August 8, 2010)

Living the Truth

"You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble."
(James 2:19)
Believing that I should love God, love my neighbor, and see everybody as my neighbor isn't enough.

I'm expected to act like what I believe matters.
"For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

"6 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

"If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,

"and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?"
(James 2:13-16)
That gets me back to today's Gospel reading. After that reassuring start, there's a reality check.
"9 And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.

"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."
(John 3:19-21)
Loving others doesn't sit well for some folks. I can decide that I'll look out for number one, no matter what. That's going to have consequences.

Responsibility and an Ancient Mandate


I could read what James 2:16 says about giving folks who need "the necessities of the body," and start fretting because I haven't ended world hunger.

Happily, I'm only responsible for what I can do as an individual, and as a member of my culture. (Catechism, 1928-1942)

The phrase "social justice" didn't show up until the 1840s, when folks like Luigi Taparelli said that ethics matter more than economic theory — but the mandate to care for those in need is ancient. (Deuteronomy 26:12-13; Matthew 25:34-40)

And that's yet again another topic.

More about faith and giving a rip:
1 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, quoted in Jonathan Edwards (theologian) (Wikipedia)
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Sunday, October 12, 2014

God's Kingdom, a Wedding Parable, and the Rest of the Story

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014:

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
October 12, 2014

This is a story of an older couple to be married. Both had lost their spouses to death and had grown children. The combined children sent out this wedding invitation to their friends on behalf of their mother and father, Philip, Richard, Karen and Allison, John, Matt and Steve, we request your presence at the marriage of our mother and father. Because they are combining two households, they already have at least two of everything, so please! no presents! Reception and garage sale immediately following the ceremony.

There is no more hopeful event on earth than a wedding... at any age. Jesus loved weddings. On one occasion he referred to himself as a bridegroom. So it is not surprising that at least one of his parables is to teach us, using a wedding parable.

So in the gospel today a parable about a wedding. Jesus seems to have such a concern about a man and a woman joining together in marriage that his first public miracle was performed at Cana in Galilee. The changing of water into wine at the request of His mother, this was so that there should be no embarrassment at the wedding feast. The Church has added to the significance of this wedding at Cana that it is now called the second of the luminous mysteries of the Rosary.

The kingdom of heaven is like a king, He said, who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them that all was ready. But they did something quite extraordinary-- they refused the invitation. This was most unusual-- to refuse the Kings invitation. Nevertheless, there were those who refuse to come.

Then the king sent more servants and said, "tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and fatted cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet."

Again his invitation was spurned. Some of those who receive the invitation went back to their fields or back to their businesses. The rest seized the king's servants mistreated them and then killed them.

The king was enraged as you might imagine. He sent his army and destroy those who were guilty of these crimes and burned their city. "Then he said to his servants, 'the wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners an invite to the banquet anyone you find.' "

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

This parable sounds very much like the parable we had last week about the land owner who rented out his vineyard to some rebellious tenants. But this story takes a strange twist. The wedding does go on with those who chose to come. However, "when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding garment." How did you get in here without a wedding garment, friend? The man was speechless. He was not wearing the right clothes.

We were told when we studied this in class that the King provided the wedding garments for his guests. So to find a guest without a wedding garment, was a great insult. Because of this insult he told his attendance to bind him hand and foot and cast him outside into the darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

This can be a shocking text for many people. For you see, it is not about clothes at all. This text implies that there are certain qualifications for those who follow Jesus. This text implies that God cares how his children live.

Many people today have heard the message of grace: "Jesus loves me, Jesus accepts me just as I am. Whoopee! I'm saved. I'm headed for the promised land." But, wait just a moment. That is only part of the gospel message.

The point of the story is, that God's kingdom is the kingdom in which love and justice and truth and mercy and holiness rain unhindered. These are the clothes you need to wear for the wedding. And if you refuse to put them on, you are saying you don't want to stay at the celebration.

You may think these are harsh words, but they are very much a part of the gospel. God loves us as we are, but God expects us to clothe ourselves with the character of Jesus Christ. That's one reason we come to worship. To get to know Christ so that we might be more like him.

The great reality is coming here, some of us daily and for sure the rest of us on Sunday and receiving Holy Communion makes us more Christ Like, for what we received we become.

To come to a conclusion we may wonder how a 2000 year old parable concerning an invitation to a wedding is a concern to us today. So I purpose a question to you, why are you here? Who invited you here? Please remember the words we hear at Communion time which says, "Blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb." I wish for you to consider that it is the Father calling you to the wedding feast of his Son in this Mass and every Mass. The challenge for us is what do we wear? I wish to challenge you that it isn't the clothes we wear although that is important, but as you heard earlier in this homily is Love, Justice, Truth, Mercy and Holiness that we are to wear as a response to the call of the Father to the wedding feast of his Son.

So you all be good, be holy preached the gospel always and if necessary use words!
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Lazarus, Life, Death: and More

Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent 2014:

Fifth Sunday of Lent 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
March 6, 2014

We have homily group with Father Greg on most Thursdays which has caused me to change all of my plans for today's homily, to reflection on six words from today's gospel reading. That being, "And Jesus wept." And, "Lazarus, come out!" Keep these six words in mind as I share with you some of the thoughts that I shared with Father Mark, then he challenged me to share with you, what I told him.

Some of the story, at least parts of it you have heard from this pulpit but never the complete story. The story begins with the illness and death of my wife Agnes now almost 9 1/2 years ago. Father Andrew attended her with great compassion those last few days and she was saying things to him that I only learned about later. She told him one day that she was glad Lawrence was a Deacon, it would give them something to do. Could she have really realized the connection that her Deacon would have to this parish community?

Two things she told me shortly before she died that will stay with me forever, one being that she wanted to go to heaven to hold her baby, for we had lost a baby and miscarriage. She also told me that she was not afraid to die, for that wasn't the problem: it was the process. And I'm betting the vast majority of us would say amen to that. Father Andrew reminded me at homily group that I had commented when Agnes died, that now we have a celibate Deacon. I honestly do not remember saying that but if Father Andrew says is true, you can bet it's true.

Her death has left a huge hole in my heart, as well must have happened to Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus. Death it seems is so final, yet our hope is in Eternal Life.

My oldest son and his wife took me on a cruise after Agnes's death. We flew into New York, took a ship up the coast and down the St. Lawrence waterway. A great blessing aboard that ship was a Priest and his group, so we had Mass each day. One day he told me specifically that the Mass would be Agnes.

Returning to Minnesota, and now I'm leaving my son's house and I remember parking in his driveway and crying, and crying, and crying. Finally, thinking my son is going to be excited if he sees my car still in his driveway.

My reflection of that happening is what I shared with Father Mark, that he indicated I needed to share with you. The question for me arises, why did you cry?, who are you crying for?, Finally I concluded, I was not crying for Agnes, I was crying for myself. Crying, for suddenly I realized how alone I was. Going home to an empty house was something I was not used to.

But how quickly things change and how much did Agnes know that she was now telling us that her husband being an Deacon would fill his life with the Love of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and his concern for each and everyone of you.

Having shared all of this with you today I nevertheless would want you to reflect on the Gospel reading of today concerning Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Maybe opening your Bible when you get home starting with chapter 11 of John's Gospel and read through the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus and realize that this is a story of family relationships. The restoration of Lazarus' dead body is also a restoration of a family. The point I'm trying to make is that, whether a family is restored fully here on earth or restored fully in heaven it is the mission of God, because God sees in human beings the necessity of family relationships.

About 9 1/2 years ago now John Paul II was asked the question, "would your desire to be and see your loved ones in heaven detract from the Beatific Vision?" His answer was, "Oh no, but it will enhance it".

Again, what I'm trying to say is that, just because the family is broken, because of the death, of one of its members that this is not a permanent happening. I am so convinced of this that it causes me to reflect on the Holy Family and their brokenness, at the death of Joseph, and Jesus, and finally the restoration of that family when Mary is Assumed into heaven by her Son. The Holy Family is forever in Heaven, together.

Brokenness, can be a parish happening as well. So for a couple of moments we will reflect on the death of Father Richard McGuire. Apparently seven weeks ago he learns that he has lung cancer and comes home and tells the priest he's living with, I'm going to see Jesus before you! Many parishes and peoples are hurting because this most wonderful priest has been called home. The brokenness that we feel here on earth will be restored in heaven, where brokenness is healed, where with loved ones, we behold the Face of God.

So you all be Good, be Holy, and preached the Gospel always and if necessary use Words!
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Looking Forward to Heaven

When I think of Heaven as a particular place, my mind's eye often sees a vast cosmopolitan city: interior concourses so huge that the Statue of Liberty would make a nice focal point; and skyscrapers designed in a blend of art deco and high Gothic styles.

My imagination takes me in those directions because I'm familiar with both styles. Both represent what architects can achieve when they decide that stone or steel can be beautiful, as well as practical.


(Carol M Highsmith, Luis Argerich, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
The Chrysler and Kavanagh buildings.


(© Professor Jeffery Howe, Boston College, used w/o permission.)
Saint Étienne, Bourges.

Heaven probably doesn't look like that. Then again, some parts might.

Permanent Address: Heaven, I hope

Heaven is an eternal life with God. I don't 'deserve' to be there, but what my Lord did on Golgotha opened Heaven for me, and everyone else. Opting for Heaven is an option. I could decide that loving God is less important than 'me time,' which seems like a daft decision. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 598-618, 766, 1023-1029, 1033-1037)

Considering what my Lord did for me, I think I can put up with a little inconvenience and frustration now and then: and that's not quite another topic.

Revelation and Responsibility

Reading Revelation as a none-too-reflective 21st-century man, I could assume that once I get to Heaven someone's going to write on my forehead, and I'll get to boss folks around. Imagery about writing on foreheads and reigning forever looks like a sort of combination wild party and power trip.

Like I've said before, Revelation wasn't written by an American.

On the other hand, I think this is true:
"They will look upon his face, 3 and his name will be on their foreheads."

"Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever."
(Revelation 22:4-5)
"This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called 'heaven.' Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness."
(Catechism, 1024)

"In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God's will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him 'they shall reign for ever and ever.'605"
(Catechism, 1029)
Reigning with Christ is a good thing: but let's remember that Jesus died for each of us. I think it's reasonable to expect that fulfilling "God's will in relation to other men and to all creation" involves work: and responsibility.

It's probably like the "good and faithful servant," whose reward for being responsible was - bigger responsibilities.
"His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' "
(Matthew 25:23)
Think of it as job security?

Finding God's Kingdom

Today's readings talk about "nations of every language," "the discipline of the Lord," and this creation's endgame: Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; and Luke 13:22-30.

Don't expect to see an 'End Time Bible prophecy' here, by the way. I take Matthew 24:35 seriously, and do not think trying to second-guess God makes sense. (November 14, 2010)

I'm looking forward to Heaven. This isn't 'pie in the sky by and by' stuff, where the payoff for being good now is self-gratification later. If I don't like working for God now, why would I expect to enjoy a Heaven where I'll still be working for God?
"...This earthly life would make no sense if it were merely the staging ground for the life to come. God puts us on this earth to learn how to live here so we will be prepared to live here after. If we find nothing of God's kingdom here on earth we are not likely to find a home in heaven...."
(Reflection by Deacon L. N. Kaas (August 25, 2013))
There is a sort of 'payoff,' for me anyway. I like knowledge, and look forward to getting a clear look at - everything.
"At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known."
(1 Corinthians 13:12)
"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed 2 we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
(1 John 3:2)
Knowledge isn't useful - unless it's put to use. Thinking beautiful thoughts is okay, but following my Lord also means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and generally making myself useful.

Not that I've done everything listed in Matthew 25:34-40. I hope Jesus won't mind that I focus on what I'm fairly good at doing. Writing seems pretty close to "...the expression of wisdom..." and "...the expression of knowledge..." I read about in 1 Corinthians 12:8: and that's sort of another topic.

I don't think we'll build 'a heaven on Earth.' Not on our own, at least.

But making our world a better place is part of our job. (Catechism 1928-1942)

My guess is that we've got a lot of time to work with: and will need every millennia of it.



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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Angels, Art, and Aliens

Back to " 'I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.'." Last week I posted about God having created everything that's visible and invisible. Any one creature can't be both, and I've been over that before.

This week I'm going over some of the same ground, but going in a different direction:
"The Scriptural expression 'heaven and earth' means all that exists, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and earth and distinguishes the one from the other: 'the earth' is the world of men, while 'heaven' or 'the heavens' can designate both the firmament and God's own 'place'-'our Father in heaven' and consequently the 'heaven' too which is eschatological glory. Finally, 'heaven' refers to the saints and the 'place' of the spiritual creatures, the angels, who surround God.186..."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 326) [emphasis mine]
What this paragraph doesn't mean is that God looks like Burt Lancaster or Charleton Heston in their roles as Moses.

Maybe some of the billion or so Catholics living today may think that God is a white male of above-average height with silvery pompadour hair: but that's not what the Church teaches.

I'm getting off-topic.

Astronauts, Angels, and Getting a Grip

It also doesn't mean that Christianity is wrong because the International Space Station crews haven't seen any angels.

Heaven:
  • Isn't
    • That pastel cloudscape we see in cartoons
    • Someplace we can fly to
  • Is
    • Eternal life with God
Like I've said before, I'm just "some guy with a blog." Here's something from a more authoritative source:
"HEAVEN: Eternal life with God; communion of life and love with the Trinity and all the blessed. Heaven is the state of supreme and definitive happiness, the goal of the deepest longings of humanity (1023). "
(Catechism, Glossary)
There's a pretty good discussion of Heaven in Catechism, 1023-1029.

Angels

One more bit from the Catechism:
"The profession of faith of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) affirms that God 'from the beginning of time made at once (simul) out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal, that is, the angelic and the earthly, and then (deinde) the human creature, who as it were shares in both orders, being composed of spirit and body.'187"
(Catechism, 327)
Angels are people, but they're not human. Not even close:
"ANGEL: A spiritual, personal, and immortal creature, with intelligence and free will, who glorifies God without ceasing and who serves God as a messenger of his saving plan (329-331). See Guardian Angels."

"GUARDIAN ANGELS: Angels assigned to protect and intercede for each person (336). See Angel."
(Catechism, Glossary)
There's more about angels in Catechism, 329-336.

Art

Angels don't look like those wimpy dudettes with wings you see in paintings. I like religious art, by the way: even some of the sappily sentimental stuff you sometimes see in card and gift shops. And that's another topic.

Angles don't 'look like' anything, since they have no bodies. They're purely spiritual creatures. (Catechism, 330) Gnosticism notwithstanding, being purely spiritual isn't necessarily the same as being purely good. Satan is a case in point, and that's yet another topic. (October 31, 2011)

Aliens

About a half-century ago, I ran into folks who seemed to believe that angels were space aliens. Or that space aliens are angels. There's something about the idea that humanity isn't alone in the universe that brings out the silly side in folks. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (September 24, 2010))

I don't 'believe in flying saucers.' I don't think that inexplicably benevolent space aliens are going to solve all our problems.

But I don't think that there aren't any people around except us and angels: fallen and otherwise. (September 23, 2010, April 19, 2010, November 12, 2009)

The question of whether or not there were physical worlds other than the one we're standing on came up about eight centuries back. Then as now, some folks really didn't like the idea that we might not be alone.

Some of them said that God couldn't have made more than one world like ours. Apparently the 'just us' chaps assumed that there weren't other worlds because Aristotle said so. I'm simplifying the situation a bit, of course.

That's when the bishop of Paris issued Proposition 27/219 of 1277. As far as I know, it hasn't been rescinded: so, as a practicing Catholic, I'm forbidden to claim that God can't make other worlds. Even if Aristotle wouldn't like it.

And that's yet again another topic.

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

"Visible and Invisible"

I'm starting a new section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church today, the one titled, " 'I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.' " Here's how it starts:
"The Apostles' Creed professes that God is 'Creator of heaven and earth.' The Nicene Creed makes it explicit that this profession includes 'all that is, seen and unseen.'

"The Scriptural expression 'heaven and earth' means all that exists, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and earth and distinguishes the one from the other: 'the earth' is the world of men, while 'heaven' or 'the heavens' can designate both the firmament and God's own 'place'-'our Father in heaven' and consequently the 'heaven' too which is eschatological glory. Finally, 'heaven' refers to the saints and the 'place' of the spiritual creatures, the angels, who surround God.186..."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 325-326)

"Eschatological?!"

"Eschatological" is a 14-letter word meaning "of or relating to or dealing with or regarding the ultimate destiny of mankind and the world." (Princeton's WordNet) Although the words sound a little alike, at least in my dialect of English, "eschatological" has little or nothing to do with with "scatological:" "dealing pruriently with excrement and excretory functions" (Princeton's WordNet): apart from an ancient Greek root.

Moving on.

English isn't the Official Language of the Catholic Church

As an organization, the Catholic Church is about two thousand years old.

During the first few centuries, around the Mediterranean Sea, Latin and Greek were sort of like English and French are today: If you walked into a city, the odds were pretty good that you'd find someone who spoke one or the other. Or both. I've been over this sort of thing before:
By the time my Lord made Peter the first Pope (Matthew 16:13-19 and all that), what we call the Old Testament had been accumulating for several thousand years. That's why documentation in the Catholic Church tends to be in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, with some Aramaic and other languages. English, the sort we speak now, is only a few hundred years old. More topics.

The point is that, although the Church provides the Bible and other documents in my native language: those are translations. And translations can be more - or less - accurate. Yet more topics.

The Nicene Creed: Not Written in English

Take the second sentence in that excerpt, for example:
"The Apostles' Creed professes that God is 'Creator of heaven and earth.' The Nicene Creed makes it explicit that this profession includes 'all that is, seen and unseen.'"
(Catechism, 325) [emphasis mine]
The Catechism, English translation, almost got the sort of creative translation that gave us the 'liturgical two-step' back in the 'spirit of Vatican II' days: and that's yet again another topic. The translation we've got is okay: but it doesn't have the latest corrections that were made in the liturgy.

More about that:
I've been over this before:

Translating: Imaginatively and Otherwise

The Nicene Creed, English translation, used to start out with:
"We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is seen and unseen...."
("Changes in the People's Parts," via USCCB.org)
Now that we've got a translation that's more accurate than the earlier attempt, the Nicene Creed starts:
"I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible...."
("Changes in the People's Parts," via USCCB.org)
Here's part of the explanation for why using an accurate translation is important:
"This Creed was originally adopted at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325 and updated at the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381. It is therefore also referred to as the 'Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.'

"The first major change is difficult to miss: the Creed will now say 'I believe' instead of 'We believe.' Other language groups have been using 'I believe' in the vernacular, because it is a straightforward translation of the Latin 'Credo.' This offers a recurring opportunity to reaffirm one's personal faith, just as when individuals respond, 'I do,' if there is a renewal of baptismal promises during Mass.

"The next change is from 'seen and unseen' to 'visible and invisible.' The Latin 'visibilium' and 'invisibilium' convey a more specific demarcation between the bodily and the spiritual realms. For instance, a child playing hide-and-seek may be unseen yet is still considered visible, whereas one's guardian angel is indeed invisible by nature...."
(Commentary on the Order of the Mass, "Changes in the People's Parts," via USCCB.org)

"Unseen" isn't Necessarily "Invisible"

Maybe changing "Credo/I believe" to "we believe" is 'minor.' I don't think so: but I also think that there's a difference between one person and a crowd.

As for "seen and unseen" to "visible and invisible:" again, maybe it's subtle. I think it depends on a person's point of view. Me? I think that things are still visible, even when I close my eyes and can't see them. If something's invisible: I think I won't see it, whether my eyes are online or not.

Slightly-related posts:
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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Purgatory: It Ain't No Caribbean Cruise

Yesterday was the Solemnity of All Saints, or 'all Saints day.' Today is 'all souls day,' or the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. We'll be praying for the eternal peace of folks who died in the parish during the last year - and others.

Praying for someone who's dead may seem odd: dead is dead, right?

Death and being Catholic

Someone who is dead is just that: dead. Not living. From a strictly secular point of view, there's not much to do for someone who's dead: apart from disposing of the body, and maybe saying some nice things about the deceased.

I'm a practicing Catholic. I worship the Son of God who was tortured and died, but who didn't stay dead.1 I have to believe that death is real: and that death isn't the end of my existence. I put a few links about that sort of thing under "Background," below.

Death, Then the Big Reality Check

So, since I'm a Catholic, I believe that I'll be whisked straight to front-row-center in Heaven? Not hardly. I'm looking forward to the final performance review we call particular judgment. Not that "looking forward" gives quite the right impression. I'd better have gotten my repentance done by then, because there's no repentance after death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 393)

My eternal status will be determined at that particular judgement. The Last Judgment is another, related, topic.

So, right after that particular judgment, I get shot straight to Heaven? Or Hell? Probably not.

The Saints are, present tense, in Heaven. They're the folks who "...lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord...." (Catechism, 2156) In principle, I could have "lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord." Maybe I'll have perfected myself by the time I die. But somehow, I don't think I can count on that. "Perfect?" Me?!

Where are Members of the Church?

The Baltimore Catechism isn't the only one to use a question-and-answer format. Here's how one of our teaching aids explains where Christians are:
"Q. Where are the members of the Church to be found?

A. The members of the Church are found partly in heaven, forming the Church Triumphant; partly in purgatory, forming the Church Suffering; partly on earth, forming the Church Militant."
("Catechism of Saint Pius X")
The current official English-language Catechism is a great deal more wordy about Purgatory.2

By the way: The phrase "cleansing fire" comes up in connection with Purgatory. I rather like the "cleansing" part of that, since I'm none-too-confident about becoming absolutely perfect by the time I die. The "fire" part, though, sounds unpleasant: and an excellent incentive to do as much as I can now, of the spiritually heavy-lifting.

Somewhat-related posts:
  • Communion of saints
    • Catechism, 946-948
    • And commending the dead to God's mercy
    Background:
    1 Maybe the Resurrection doesn't seem all that remarkable, now that we've been hearing about it for two millennia. At the time, though, it's pretty obvious that folks who had been with Jesus of Nazareth weren't expecting to see him again. Apart from the women who went to finish the job of preparing his dead body. (Matthew 28:1-7, Mark 16:1-7, Luke 24:1-8, John 20:1-9) Then there's that working breakfast we read about in Luke 21: and that's another topic.

    2 Purgatory isn't a 'get out of jail free' card for Catholics. As I said, that "cleansing fire" doesn't sound at all comfortable.
    "All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

    "The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607
    "As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.608
    "This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: 'Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.'609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
    "Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.611"
    (Catechism, 1030-1032)
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    Monday, October 31, 2011

    Angels, Demons, Theological Hooey, and Redemption

    Last week's post about Christopher Marlowe's "...Faustus" featured the bit where Doctor Faustus asks for a wife, and gets "a DEVIL drest like a WOMAN, with fire-works."

    Today, I'm picking up where Faustus almost changes his mind.

    Return of the Bipolar Duo

    Mephistopheles has just said that man must be niftier than Heaven, because Heaven was made for man. "Fairer" is the word Marlowe used, actually. Back to the play:
    "...FAUSTUS. If it were made for man, 'twas made for me:
    I will renounce this magic and repent.

    "Enter GOOD ANGEL and EVIL ANGEL.

    "GOOD ANGEL. Faustus, repent; yet God will pity thee.

    "EVIL ANGEL. Thou art a spirit; God cannot pity thee.

    "FAUSTUS. Who buzzeth in mine ears I am a spirit?
    Be I a devil, yet God may pity me;
    Ay, God will pity me, if I repent.

    "EVIL ANGEL. Ay, but Faustus never shall repent.
    [Exeunt ANGELS.]...    "
    ("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

    Heaven, Hell, and Retirement Plans

    First of all, just what is Heaven? And is it really better than Hell?

    If Heaven is what's shown in some cartoons - all puffy clouds, pastel colors, and people holding radically under-stringed harps - it'd be awfully bland for my taste.

    Then there's the disturbing notion that Heaven is infested with the sort of self-righteous pests most of us would cross the street to avoid:


    (ArizonaLincoln (talk), via Wikipedia, used w/o permission)

    If Heaven really is a sort of pastel wasteland inhabited by disciples of malignant virtue, the old quip might be true: "Heaven for climate, and hell for company."

    Happily, that's not the case.

    "Supreme and Definitive Happiness?" Sounds Good

    The Catholic Church's discussions of Heaven and Hell lack the sort of vivid descriptions I've run into elsewhere: golden towers, flaming gorges, that sort of thing. What we do get is, I think, much more useful for planning purposes:
    "HEAVEN: Eternal life with God; communion of life and love with the Trinity and all the blessed. Heaven is the state of supreme and definitive happiness, the goal of the deepest longings of humanity (1023).

    "HELL: The state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed, reserved for those who refuse by their own free choice to believe and be converted from sin, even to the end of their lives (1033). "
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary) (links added by me)
    So: I've got a choice:
    • "Supreme and definitive happiness" with God
    • "Definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed"
    In one way, it's a 'no-brainer.' Obviously I'd prefer an eternity of "supreme and definitive happiness" to any alternative. In a way, that's what the drug culture was about, a half-century back: desperate folks trying to find happiness in a world that made no sense to them.1 And I'm getting off-topic.

    Prayer of the Tax Collector

    Or, maybe not so much. Some of the folks I've known don't seem to be good candidates for Heaven. Like the one who killed herself.2

    For that matter, when I look in a mirror, I see someone who had better pray like the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. At the end of all things, I may find that "I have friends in both places."3

    Do I have any right to say who is going to Heaven, or Hell? No. We're told to "stop judging" others. (Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-38, 41-42; and see footnote 10 in Luke:6) On the other hand, we're expected to exercise 'good judgment.' I've been over that before:

    Spirits, Faustus, and Theological Hooey

    Last week I wrote that "EVIL ANGEL fed Faustus the sort of theological hooey that seems to resonate in that learned head." Here's what I was talking about:
    "...EVIL ANGEL. [to Faustus] Thou art a spirit; God cannot pity thee.

    "FAUSTUS. Who buzzeth in mine ears I am a spirit?
    Be I a devil, yet God may pity me;
    Ay, God will pity me, if I repent.

    "EVIL ANGEL. Ay, but Faustus never shall repent.
    [Exeunt ANGELS.]...    "
    ("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")
    I'm no expert on Elizabethan English, but in this passage "spirit" probably means "any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings." (Princeton's WordNet) GOOD ANGEL and EVIL ANGEL are "spirits" in this sense. So is Mephistopheles.

    Doctor John Faustus isn't.

    Angels aren't Human

    He can't be. He's a human being: albeit a fictional one. At this point in the play, Faustus has been making decisions that are bad: but he's no devil.

    Despite what we've seen in some recent television series, human beings don't become angels when we die. We don't become demons, either. We're human beings.

    Angels aren't human. They're "spiritual, non-corporeal beings." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 328-330) "Corporeal" means "having material or physical form or substance." (Princeton's WordNet) Angels are non-corporeal: they don't have bodies.

    Demons or devils are angels who decided to rebel against God. (Catechism, 391-395.)

    Humans aren't Angels

    Human beings are animals. But not just animals.

    I've been over this before.4 Humans are:
    • Animals
      • A special sort of animal
        • Endowed with reason
        • Capable of
          • Understanding
          • Discernment
        (Catechism, 1951)
    • People
      • Rational and therefore like God
        • Made in the image and likeness of God
        (Catechism, 1700-1706)
      • Created with free will
      • Master over our actions
        (Catechism, 1730)
      (Adapted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church)
      (first posted August 31, 2011)

    Confusing the Already-Confused

    Offhand, I'd say that EVIL ANGEL is trying to confuse Doctor Faustus: which doesn't seem like such a difficult job. Remember, John Faustus recently explained that their contract was null and void: because Hell didn't really exist.

    Not believing that Hell exists isn't all that remarkable, by itself. For most of my life, one of the easy ways to appear sophisticated was to deny the existence of Hell, Heaven, or God. Or to claim that everything is god, and that's another topic.

    Dealing with fallen angels isn't all that remarkable, either, sadly.5

    Calling up a demon, negotiating a contract with the creature: and then telling the demon that Hell doesn't exist?! Now that's remarkable.

    Sin, Redemption, and Doctor Faustus

    The Catholic Church has a few things to say about sin, including this:
    "Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as 'an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.'121"
    (Catechism, 1869)
    I am a sinner. There's nothing unusual about that. We live in a fallen world: and that's almost another topic.

    My soul needs redemption. The alternative - is simply not acceptable.

    Redemption is:
    • The act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
    • Repayment of the principal amount of a debt or security at or before maturity (as when a corporation repurchases its own stock
    • The act of purchasing back something previously sold
      (Princeton's WordNet)
    Since I'm a practicing Catholic, I have to accept Jesus of Nazareth as my Redeemer. Actually, I don't have to: but again, the alternative simply isn't acceptable.

    Here's a little of what the Church has to say about Jesus the Christ:
    "Christ's death is the unique and definitive sacrifice

    "Christ's death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,'439 and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the 'blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'440

    "This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices.441 First, it is a gift from God the Father himself, for the Father handed his Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with himself. At the same time it is the offering of the Son of God made man, who in freedom and love offered his life to his Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation for our disobedience.442

    "Jesus substitutes his obedience for our disobedience

    " 'For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.'443 By his obedience unto death, Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering Servant, who 'makes himself an offering for sin,' when 'he bore the sin of many,' and who 'shall make many to be accounted righteous,' for 'he shall bear their iniquities.'444 Jesus atoned for our faults and made satisfaction for our sins to the Father.445"
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 613-615)
    There's more, of course. There always seems to be more.

    Let's see what Faustus says after EVIL ANGEL says: "Ay, but Faustus never shall repent."
    "FAUSTUS. My heart's so harden'd, I cannot repent:
    Scarce can I name salvation, faith, or heaven,
    But fearful echoes thunder in mine ears,
    'Faustus, thou art damn'd!' then swords, and knives,
    Poison, guns, halters, and envenom'd steel
    Are laid before me to despatch myself;
    And long ere this I should have slain myself,
    Had not sweet pleasure conquer'd deep despair.
    Have not I made blind Homer sing to me
    Of Alexander's love and Oenon's death?
    And hath not he, that built the walls of Thebes
    With ravishing sound of his melodious harp,
    Made music with my Mephistophilis?
    Why should I die, then, or basely despair?
    I am resolv'd; Faustus shall ne'er repent.—
    Come, Mephistophilis, let us dispute again,
    And argue of divine astrology.100
    Tell me, are there many heavens above the moon
    Are all celestial bodies but one globe,
    As is the substance of this centric earth?    "
    ("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")
    That footnote is a bit interesting: to me, anyway:
    "[ And argue of divine astrology, &c.— In THE HISTORY OF DR. FAUSTUS, there are several tedious pages on the subject; but our dramatist, in the dialogue which follows, has no particular obligations to them.]"
    (Footnote 100, "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")
    Looks like Christopher Marlowe showed compassion for his audience - or didn't want them to walk out - and edited his source material. Even so, what follows seems a trifle long-winded. More about that, next week.

    Other posts in this series:
    Vaguely-related posts:
    Background, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
    • Angels
    • Devils/demons
    • Heaven
    • Hell
    • Redemption
      • Christ's death as the sacrifice of,
        613, 616
      • The Church as the instrument for the redemption of all,
        776
      • At the center of the Good News,
        571, 601
      • And the Eucharist,
        1372
      • Extension of redemptive work,
        634
      • Life of Christ as a mystery of,
        517, 635, 1067
      • For many,
        605
      • Mary serving in the mystery of,
        494, 508
      • Meaning of the redemption can be understood by faith alone,
        573
      • Proclaiming and promising of,
        55, 64, 601
    • Repentence
      • 393 (repentance is possible before death, not after)
    • Sin
      1846-1869
      (Not an exhaustive index)
    "...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:
    1 I don't think what happened to Jimi Hendrix and others was a good thing. At all. But I was one of 'those crazy kids:' and understand that Timothy "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" Leary didn't sound so crazy at the time. Particularly compared to parents and others who demanded lockstep conformity to their dreary preferences. I've mentioned "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1956) before.

    Post-WWII America really was, I think, "Happy Days:" for someone like Howard Cunningham in that long-running television series. Between economic boom times, veteran benefits, and cultural leftovers from an earlier age, America was a great place for someone who was an adult, male, and white. I think being a tad unobservant helped, too.

    I remember the 'good old days,' when "she's as smart as a man" was supposed to be a compliment, and a clergyman named King was still alive. What happened after the '60s could have been better: but America was desperately overdue for cultural and legal upgrades. I've posted about conformity and getting a grip before:
    By the way, about "veteran benefits:" I think they make sense, to an extent. And that's a topic for another blog:
    2 Suicide is a difficult topic. I've discussed it a few time, including this post:
    3 I found the anonymous "Heaven for climate, and hell for company" quotation on page 378 of Evan Esar's "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968). Back on page 377, near the start of the section of quotes on Heaven and Hell, I found ones that were attributed to specific individuals, like Ed Howe, Ben Johnson, Lincoln Steffens: and Mark Twain. Including these:
    "I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell - you see, I have friends in both places."

    "When I think of the number of disagreeable people that I know who have gone to a better world, I am sure hell won't be so bad at all." (Mark Twain, 377, Evan Esar's "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968))
    No rant, by the way: Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain was no theologian, and lived in a place and time that was at least as spiritually confused as today's America. Not in the same way, of course.

    4 I've posted about angels - both kinds - and human beings before:
    5 I've posted a few times about the reality of demons, and the screwball notions folks have:
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    Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

    Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

    What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

    From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

    I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

    For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

    Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

    Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.