Showing posts with label angels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label angels. Show all posts

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Peter, Paul, and 16 Soldiers

Readings for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 2014:

Saints Peter And Paul 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
June 29, 2014

As kind of a test: how many soldiers were assigned to guard Peter? In the acts of the apostles we are told that they laid hands on members of the Church to harm them. And under that persecution Peter was arrested and taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. And as the story goes the Church is praying for Peter and so finally an angel appears to help Peter escape the chains from his wrists and was told put on his sandals and cloak, follow me said the Angel.

Now my question to you is why did it take 16 soldiers, Roman soldiers at that, to keep one Christian in custody. There is no indication that he was out to hurt anybody. Did they think that by arresting Peter, who was obvious the leader of this new band of troublemakers, they could keep control of them.

The question needs to be asked, "what made them so fearsome that they had to be imprisoned, persecuted, executed and brought under the control of the state? Well the simple answer is, they preached the gospel. The preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles and the followers of Christ was clearly coming against the dictates of a very sinful world.

Sometimes we have to ask ourselves has anything really changed these last 2000 years. I declare to you without hesitation that unless we realize that we are in a war against evil in the world and this war can only be won if we turn our hearts and our minds to Christ, we will not win. Remember Christ died on the cross to overcome death and sin in our world.

So now another question: why does God allow evil to exist in the world. Maybe the simplest answer I've ever heard to that question was posed in the movie entitled, Oh God, when God, played by George Burns was asked that question, by Denver, he gave the answer, "I don't allow evil, you do." We are taught a more philosophical answer to that question, that God allows evil in the extent that God can use it for good. Yeah I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me either but when it comes to the mind of God we are all left in awe!

We can reflect along with Peter that the Lord sent his angel and rescued him from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting. The new Evangelist is convinced that if the risen Jesus can do it once, the risen Jesus can do it again.

The other Saint in our Solemnity today is St. Paul. As the letter of St. Paul to Timothy reminds us that he must have been anticipating that the time, that, he calls his departure is at hand. He says I have competed well; I finished the race; I have kept the faith. How often have we heard father Statz say of himself and of his ministry that if only he can finish the race and keep the faith. As I reminded you and him last Wednesday's 5:30 Mass, as Paul reminds us in his letter, that a crown of righteousness awaits. Paul reminds us in his letters that being an Apostle for Christ is not paved with palm branches and flowers, but is paved with thorns, and thistles, rocks and potholes, also in our day rough paved and gravel roads.

So the question arises again what has changed in 2000 years? One thing we can depend on absolutely is that the Church was persecuted in the past and will be persecuted today and in the future. For the Church is Christ's active body in the world. So as they Crucified Christ on the cross the Church will be Crucified in the politics of our world. WHY? Because, the church being the body of Christ can do nothing else but engage in this war on the side of Christ. Our opponents in this war can get very vicious and mean at times but remember they follow no rules. But when there are, no rules, engagement comes to light people of goodwill recognize it and want more and more to have what we have. So sometimes, when it seems like rules and more rules control our lives we nevertheless with patience and Love for Christ and his Church, we come to realize the peace and security we have in this, One Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. You might reflect on this too, from time to time, what a great blessing it is to belong to a Church that recognizes that we are all sinners and yet provides a means to restore our Baptismal Purity. This is no small matter for there is no greater means to Salvation, Eternal Life, then the Sacraments of this Church.

So we can reflect on the lives of Peter and Paul and how sin affected them personally. And finally how they were martyred for their faith and yet are remembered as great Saints of the church. I would want all of us to understand that sin is never, never, the last word. The church looks at sin, as a doctor looks at an ill patient, someone to be healed and brought back to perfect life, in Christ. Do I dare ask, "what are you waiting for?" Sin, can devastate the soul, as cancer devastates the body. How does this all work?

The closing words of our gospel today are great comfort to us individually and as a Church community because it says, "I will give you the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." This authority has been given our priests in the Sacrament of Confession! Because this homily is attempting to deal with the sins of the world I beg you to not add your sins as ammunition to the evils of the world.

You all be Good, be Holy, Preach 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, December 1, 2013

Going to Hell With Dante

Jan Van der Straet/Stradanus, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.
"...There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight...."
(C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, via C.S. Lewis Quotes, About.com)
I think quite a few folks still enthusiastically commit both errors: not that the same person would be likely to nurture a Faustian fascination with the demonic and insist that demons, angels, and all things spiritual are nonsense. Marlowe's Doctor Faustus nearly does so: but he's a character in an Elizabethan drama. (October 10, 2011)

The "excessive and unhealthy interest" in devils that Lewis discussed isn't, I think, limited to folks who try to make demons work for them. Colorful faith healers of earlier generations and folks who see no problem with do-it-yourself exorcisms don't enjoy a prominent place in American society today, which is just as well.

Knowing my Limits

I have the same authority to cast out demons that any other Christian has: but I'm not an exorcist. Prayers like "Saint Michael, the archangel" and sprinkling holy water are pretty close to my limit.

I'm no more qualified to go toe-to-toe with Satan, than I am ready to join a SWAT team. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1506, 1668, 1673; Code of Canon Law, 1172)

I don't think holy water, or the words of any prayer, are magic, by the way. That would be superstition: which is against the rules. Using holy water reminds me of my baptism, it's a sacramental, and that's another topic. Topics. (Catechism, 1667-1673, 2111)

Jonathan Edwards, Mark Twain, and Me

Jonathan Edwards didn't invent Hell, but his "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon helped popularize it in America: sort of.

Back in 1741, when Edwards wrote "...Angry God," the Great Awakening was firing folks up with fear of hellfire.

The Great Awakening passed, but the notion that God has anger management issues didn't: along with several distorted ideas about Hell. Several generations after "...Angry God," Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain wrote:
"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, p.377 of Evan Esar, "20,000 quips & quotes" (1968))

"I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 'All right, then I'll go to Hell."
(Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), via Bartlett's Quotations, 16th ed.)
By the late 20th century, quite a few Americans had decided that Hell didn't exist at all. Others apparently thought it was a place for folks they didn't like, and I had become a Catholic: which is yet another topic.

More of my take on coming attractions and common sense:

Hell: Real; Optional; and Undesirable

Hell is quite real. It's not the climate that makes it a punishment: it is the eternal separation from God.

God didn't create anyone whose inevitable destination was Hell: but every person can decide that loving God isn't worthwhile, and walk away from eternal happiness. I think that's a daft decision, but it is an option. (Catechism, 1033-1037)

Hell isn't a counterpart of Heaven run by an 'antigod.' Satan is just a created being, an angel who misused free will and convinced some other angels to reject God. (Catechism, 328-330, 391-395, 632-635)

God won't drag anyone into Heaven, kicking and screaming. We aren't forced into Hell, either. Where we spend eternity depends on choices we make: to love and serve God, or not. (Catechism, 1021-1022, 1854-1864)

Sin and Judgment

As I said last week, sin isn't all about sex, drugs, and rock & roll. It is a failure to love God and love our neighbor.

Realizing that some action is sinful is one thing. Deciding that the person who commits the act is going to Hell is profoundly imprudent:
"1 2 Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

"For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you...."
(Matthew 7:1-5)
We're supposed to leave the final judgment of individuals up to God. (Catechism, 1854-1864)

We know about Saints because of what they do, and that's yet again another topic. ("New Laws for the Causes of Saints," Congregation for the Causes of Saints(1983))

In Dante's version of Hell, lust is assigned the second circle: a windy place for folks who let emotions run their lives.

There's nothing wrong with emotions, God designed us to experience them. But God also gave us reason, and expects us to use it. (Catechism, 1763-1770, 1778)

No sin is unimportant, but some merely hurt our relationship with God: while some sever it entirely. The good news is that it takes a conscious, deliberate rejection of God and God's mercy to sever our ties with the Almighty.

Deliberately ignoring God is an option, not noticing the Almighty isn't. (Catechism, 1849, 1854-1864)

Hell, Imagined

Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" reflects an educated 14th century Catholic layman's view of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory: but it's not an official Catholic document.

The "Divine Comedy" isn't a theological treatise, either. It's a poem, a work of imagination. Dante populated his (fictional) Hell with folks he knew, or knew about. I've run across several explanations for that creative choice.

Maybe he really was a vindictive little twerp who was trying to "get even" for insults, real or imagined. Maybe he had deep-seated neuroses. Or maybe Dante used the names of people his readers would recognize, because their public lives made them exemplars of some particular failing.

I think the later explanation is more plausible: particularly since Dante went to the trouble of writing two more epic-length segments of "The Divine Comedy" after "Inferno."

Dante wasn't the first to imagine what Hell might look like, but his epic poem helped shape today's imagery. Again, Dante's terraced funnel is fictional: a poet's image, not Church teaching.


(From Mediakron Dante, Gregory Kane, used w/o permission.)

I think it's also important to remember that Dante's "Divine Comedy" takes the poet and reader on a guided tour of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. It's an effective way of showing the "big picture," even if it's an allegory, not a gazetteer.

Here's an overview of Heaven, Hell, and everything in between: as imagined by Dante.


(From Mediakron Dante, Gregory Kane, used w/o permission.)

Those concentric spheres make it look like Dante put Earth in the middle of the universe. I think it's more accurate to say that we live near the bottom. In "The Divine Comedy," the only place downhill from here is Hell. Late Medieval and Renaissance cosmology is - you guessed it - another topic.

Finally, we get one life, one final decision, and that's it. Purgatory is a sort of ICU for folks who died in God's grace and friendship, but aren't ready for heaven. (Catechism, 1021-1022, 1030-1032)

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

An Unusually Quick Response to "Defend Us In Battle"

I remembered about my shift at the Adoration chapel today: a half-hour after it started. Adding to my frustration, a time-sensitive chore had to be done before I went there.

I was anything but calm as I swung into the parking lot and signed in. Happily, someone had been able to fill in for me: but my nerves were jangling.

Following my usual routine after getting seated in the Adoration chapel, I said the St. Michael's prayer.

This time, during the phrase "defend us in battle," I felt tension drop out of me.

I'm used to having my moods shift rapidly: but not in that direction.

The rest of my time in the chapel was calm, quiet, and shorter than usual. This week is going to be more hectic than usual: but I'm glad I spent time with the Blessed Sacrament.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Fallen Angels and Risk/Benefit Ratios

I've posted about angels before. (February 20, 2011) Angels are people, but not human. They're "purely spiritual creatures" with intelligence and free will, but without a physical body. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 329-331)
"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)
Since they don't have any bodies, angels can't sin, right?

Wrong.

An Offense Against Reason, Truth, and Right Conscience

Here's some of what the Church says about sin:
"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 have trouble imagining an angel tempted to sin by indulging in, say, gluttony: or any other distraction that involves physical senses. But angels have intelligence and free will, so they could certainly decide to disobey God.

Some angels made that lifestyle choice:
"DEVIL/DEMON: A fallen angel, who sinned against God by refusing to accept his reign. Satan or the devil, the Evil One, and the other demons were at first good angels, created naturally good, who became evil by their own doing (391, 1707; cf. 2851)."
(Catechism, Glossary)
I've opined about the notion that "spiritual" means "good" before. (June 3, 2012, December 18, 2009)

The Fall of the Angels

Satan's radical change of allegiance and subsequent eviction from Heaven has inspired a stories, silly and otherwise, from "Paradise Lost" (1667) to Doctor Who and "The Satan Pit" (2006). Tales like Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" can be entertaining. My opinion.

I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to take Satan seriously: but not too seriously. (Catechism, 391-395) I've broken out some main points, but remember: I've got the teaching authority of "some guy with a blog." I recommend following the links and learning what the Catechism says.

About Satan and other fallen angels:
  • Satan
    • Was created good
    • Decided to become evil
    (Catechism, 391)
  • Some angels "radically and irrevocably rejected"
    • God
    • God's reign
    (Catechism, 392)
  • The fallen angels cannot repent
    (Catechism, 393)
  • Satan
    • Led our first parents to disobey God
    • Tried to divert Jesus from His mission
      (Catechism, 394)
  • Is
    • A creature
    • Very powerful
      • "but still a creature"
    • Can cause great harm
    • Cannot prevent the building of God's reign
      (Catechism, 395)

Angels, Choice, and Mercy

'How can God be good, and still put people in Hell? It's a nifty-sounding question, but misses the point.

When I face my Lord, I'll be judged on my faith and works. (Catechism, 1021) That puts the 'go/no go' decision in my hands. 'No pressure,' and that's another topic.

About the fallen angels: they're the ones who decided to say 'no' to God. Being the sort of creatures they are, they can't 'change their minds:'
"It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. 'There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death.'272"
(Catechism, 393)

Satan: Evil, Powerful, and That's All

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight."
- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, via Esther Lombardi, About.com)
That's one of my favorite quotes about Satan and company.

Here's a less catchy, but more official, statement:
"The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature - to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but 'we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.'275"
(Catechism, 395)
I've posted about Providence before. (September 24, 2010) It isn't as silly or spiteful as some folks made it seem. More topics.

(Not) Dealing With the Devil

Like I said earlier in this post, I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to take Satan seriously: but not too seriously.

I'm not about to try 'matching wits with the Devil.' Stories like "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "Damn Yankees" are entertaining: but they're fiction.

The Church's rules about going to Satan or demons for help boil down to "don't." (Catechism, 2116-2117) That makes sense to me, since the risk/benefit ratio is way out of whack. It's that Matthew 10:28 thing.

Taking Sides

I follow the Man:
  • Who said
    • "...take courage, I have conquered the world."
      (John 16:33)
    • "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."
      (John 8:58)
    • And made it stick
  • Who was killed
  • Who gave his followers orders
    • Which we are still carrying out
      • Two millennia later
    (June 3, 2012)
Knowing what I do, and having read 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, why would I want to take sides with another creature, against God? That just doesn't make sense.

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Background, angels:
"St. Augustine says: ' "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is "spirit"; if you seek the name of their office, it is "angel": from what they are, "spirit," from what they do, "angel." '188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they 'always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven' they are the 'mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word.'189

"As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.190

"Christ 'with all his angels'

"Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: 'When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . . .'191 They belong to him because they were created through and for him: 'for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.'192 They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: 'Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?'193"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 329-331)

"From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 '"Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.'203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God."
(Catechism, 336)
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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Visible World

Angels aren't - as far as I know - part of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Not in the way priests, deacons, monks, and nuns are, anyway. On the other hand, angels are involved in the Catholic Church. There's a very quick introduction to the angel angle of Catholicism in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 333-336. Including a mention of guardian angels. (Catechism, 336)

Angels, Guardian Angels, and Definitions

I'm a 'recovering English teacher,' so I think it's a good idea to know what words mean. I was fascinated by language long before I took up teaching, and that's another topic.
"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."
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church)
I've been focusing on the invisible world - angels, mostly - for three 'Wednesday' posts now. It's time to look at the visible world.

Rich, Diverse, Orderly

The next part of the Catechism (337-349) is about the part of creation that we can observe more-or-less directly.
  • God created the visible world
    • The visible world is
      • Rich
      • Diverse
      • Orderly
    (Catechism, 337)
  • God created
    • Everything
    • Out of nothing
    (Catechism, 338)
  • "Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection."
    (Catechism, 339)
  • Everything is interdependent, the
    • Sun
    • Moon
    • Cedar
    • Little flower
    • Eagle
    • Sparrow
    • Everything
    • Because God wants it that way
    (Catechism, 340)
There's more, about the beauty, interdependence, and order of the visible world.

Bottom line:
"God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed - the sixth day."
(Genesis 1:31)
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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

My Lord and His Angels

Before I get started about Jesus and angels, a reminder: I've got the authority of "some guy with a blog." I don't speak for the church.

There's a pretty good discussion of "Christ 'with all his angels' " in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 331-333. That's my starting point today.

Jesus in the Center

Jesus is the center of the angelic world. (Catechism, 331) No surprises there:
"For in him 8 were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. "
(Collossians 1:16)
Angels have been around from the start of creation: taking an active role. (Catechism, 332)

That's 'active,' not 'central.' Angels are messengers, agents. (Catechism,329) It wasn't an angel who died at Golgotha. That was my Lord, Jesus. Mark 15:22 and all that. And that's almost another topic.

"Blow, Gabriel, Blow?"

I'm a convert to Catholicism. Along the way, I learned a lot about the Church: and learned that some of what I thought I knew was four or five centuries out of date, or simply wrong.

I was a little surprised to learn that the Church takes the Last Judgment quite seriously. Up to that point, what I'd heard about it came mostly from radio preachers. And Hollywood musicals.

The preachers' theology was generally more imaginative than the lyrics of Cole Porter's "Blow, Gabriel, Blow." ("Nobody's Darling" (1943)) The tap dance version in Anything Goes (1956) is a pretty good bit of choreography - and look for the wiggling wingtips. Which is another topic.

But 'imaginative' isn't necessarily 'plausible.' Or true.

What the Church says about angels tends to be more prosaic:
"...it is the angels who 'evangelize' by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.199 They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.200"
(Catechism, 333)
That takes us from those shepherds on night watch, to indications that this creation's endgame will be impossible to miss, when it comes. (Matthew 24:31, Luke 2:8, Acts 1:10-11) Which is yet another topic.

"Why are You ... Looking at the Sky?"

After my Lord stopped being dead - still more topics - He had several meetings with his apostles. Then, as now, folks seem to have wanted to know exactly what God has in mind. Which doesn't seem all that sensible, under the circumstances. (Job 38:1-41:26)

Here's what Jesus said, when asked: "...'Lord, are you at this time going 4 to restore the kingdom to Israel?' " (Acts 1:6)
"5 He answered them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.

"6 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

"When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight."
(Acts 1:7-9)
I don't blame the apostles for happened next. This was before folks were used to seeing videos of jetpacks on the Web - with flight trials for a commercial version in last year's news.

After Jesus left - vertically - the apostles stood there. Just stood there. Until angels told them to shake it off, and get back to work:
"While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

"They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.' "
(Acts 1:10-11)
Two millennia later, we're still waiting: and there's still work to do. And that is, you guessed it, yet again another topic.

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Sunday, February 26, 2012

First Sunday in Lent; God is Reclaiming His Broken Creation

Readings for February 26, First Sunday in Lent 2012:

First Sunday in Lent 2012

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 26, 2012

Have you ever heard the click as the door locks behind you and at that instant you remember that you don't have the keys? Have you ever gotten locked out of your car with the engine still running?

This week, the doorway to Lent clicks behind us and we face five weeks of encounter. Perhaps it was like that for Jesus when the Spirit drove him out into the desert. He finds himself there in the wasteland with only the wild beasts for company. It's a predicament from which there is no escape until the Angels come to wait on him. The same applies to us with our own Guardian Angels.

Being as how Ash Wednesday is the beginning of these five-weeks of encounters, the Ash Wednesday comments of Pope Benedict the 16th are quite appropriate for us this Sunday. "You are dust and to dust you shall return" is not only an invitation to humility, but also an announcement of the path to salvation.

The Pope made this reflection Wednesday as he celebrated evening mass for the start of Lent at Rome's Basilica of Santa Sabina.

Referring to Genesis's description of the fall of Adam and Eve and God's response, the holy father explained; "When God, says to man, 'you are dust and unto dust you shall return!' together with the just punishment he also intends to announce a path of salvation, which will travel through the earth, through that 'dust,' that flesh will be assumed by the Word."

It is in accord with this salvific perspective that the verse of Genesis is taken up by the Ash Wednesday liturgy: as an invitation to penance, to humility and to an awareness of our mortal condition, but not to end up in desperation, but rather to welcome, precisely in this mortality of ours, Gods unthinkable nearness, which, beyond death, opens the passage to the resurrection, to paradise finally rediscovered," he added.

The Pontiff spoke of the possibility of divine pardon as depending "essentially on the fact that God himself, in the person of his Son, wanted to share our condition, but not the corruption of sin. And the father raised him with the power of his Holy Spirit; and Jesus, the new Adam, became, as St. Paul says, 'life-giving spirit,' the first fruits of the new creation."

Benedict the 16th concluded with a prayer that all might find the way to "our true homeland."

"That God who banished our first parents from Eden, sent his Son to our earth devastated by sin," he said. "He did not spare him, that we, prodigal sons, might return, contrite and redeemed by his mercy, to our true homeland. May it be so for each one of us, for all believers, for every man who humbly recognizes his need of salvation."

What is God saying to us?

At the outset, see God's invitation to Noah to work with God in making right what went wrong with creation. The story of God's saving humanity and the animals using an ark hewn from gopher wood speaks of God's patience with us. God, the Eternal Creator and Sustainer of life could have chosen to wipe the slate clean, consigning all creation to judgment and destruction. But the story tells us God went to great lengths to involve one person in a small family as partners with God in making this world what God created it to be.

If God would go to such lengths to reclaim his broken creation, what lengths might God go to love us back to himself? We who know we are of dust and are to return to dust are the beloved sons and daughters of God. This world that God pronounced "Good" is still God's world needing our attention, our involvement, our care. The bow still splashes across the sky after a storm to remind us of the lengths God went through along time ago and the lengths God still goes to love us back into relationship with him.

The gospel lesson shows us another dimension to this heartbeat pulsing through our lessons. Our Lord, still feeling baptismal water dripping from his brow, is led into the wilderness and there, after a 40 day fast, is tempted by the devil. Mark's telling of this event is the briefest in the Gospels of the spirit driving our Lord into the wilderness; he is there 40 days tempted by the devil, his only companion "wild beast", and finally, angels ministering to him. Out of the crucible of these 40 days Jesus comes to Galilee declaring, "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news."
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Angels, Theology, and Gilligan's Island

I'm pretty sure that nobody's going to watch "Gilligan's Island," and think they've learned how to survive a shipwreck.

I'm not sure how many folks take television theology seriously.

On the other hand, real-life analogues to my imaginary 'Bombastic Bob, Preacher of the First Hallelulia Church of Snort-and-Stomp' attract followers, so maybe some folks accept the good-enough-for-a-story assumptions behind these shows:
  1. "Teen Angel"
    (TV Series 1997–1998)
    • "After eating a six month old hamburger, Marty DePolo dies and God's Cousin Rod appoints him as his best friend's guardian angel."
      (imdb.com)
  2. "Touched by an Angel"
    (TV Series 1994–2003)
    • "Monica, Tess, and Andrew are a trio of angels sent to earth to tell depressed and troubled people that God loves them and God hasn't forgotten them."
      (imdb.com)
  3. "Highway to Heaven"
    (TV Series 1984–1989)
    • "A probationary angel sent back to earth teams with an ex-cop to help people."
      (imdb.com)
  4. "Charlie's Angels"
    (TV Series 1976–1981)
    • "The adventures of three sexy female private eyes."
      (imdb.com)
One of those series got it seriously wrong, when it comes to what angels are. And it's not number four.

"CHARLIE'S ANGELS?!"

The '70s television series was, in a way, more accurate than some more earnestly 'uplifting' and 'spiritual' programming. The decidedly flesh-and-blood trio in "Charlie's Angels" were, in a way, angels. They served as agents for the unseen Charlie.

Angels, like Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael, are servants and messengers of God. "Angel" is a sort of job title:
"St. Augustine says: ' "Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is "spirit"; if you seek the name of their office, it is "angel": from what they are, "spirit," from what they do, "angel." '188 With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they 'always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven' they are the 'mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word.'189"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 329)

I'm No Angel

Although I try to let God work through me, I'm no angel. Not like the guardian angels, or the rest of the host of Heaven.

I'm a human being: created with a physical body and a soul.

Angels are created along different lines:
"The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls 'angels' is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition."

"As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.190"
(Catechism, 328, 330)
I don't hear the word "corporeal" used all that much. Maybe a definition is in order. If not, skip to the next heading.

Corporeal:
  • Having material or physical form or substance
  • Affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
    (Princeton's WordNet)

I'm Human: Soul and Body

I can't be an angel because I'm another sort of creature. Angels are people created as pure spirit: no body. I'm a person created as a living being who is spiritual and corporeal/physical:
" The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic LANGUAGE when it affirms that 'then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.'229 Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.

"In Sacred Scripture the term 'soul' often refers to human life or the entire human person.230 But 'soul' also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him,231 that by which he is most especially in God's image: 'soul' signifies the spiritual principle in man."
(Catechism, 362-363)
A human being is designed and created as a spiritual/physical person. We don't 'become angels' when we die. We become dead. Our bodies stop living; we experience our particular judgment; and will later be raised from the dead. And that's another topic. Topics.

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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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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.