King Josiah, Consequences, and Love

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

By some standards, this isn't a particularly "Christian" blog. I don't rant about the unending fires of Hell, or dwell on cheerful thoughts like this:

"...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...."
(Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God," Jonathan Edwards (1741))

That's because it's not 1741 any more, and I'm Catholic. I've talked about the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, and Mark Twain, before. (December 1, 2013)

As a Christian, I agree with Simon Peter:

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

"We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.' "
(John 6:68-69)

Authority and Consequences

I became a Catholic after learning who holds the authority my Lord gave Peter. (September 13, 2014)

As a Catholic, I have to believe that God wants each of us to seek, know, and love Him with all our strength. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1-3)

That's why God sent my Lord to live as one of us, be tortured, executed, and then stop being dead. (Catechism, 484-486, 638)

I also must believe that God creates a good and ordered universe: and didn't make a horrible mistake when creating us. Humanity, and each of us, is basically good — but since our beginning, we have lived with the consequences of our first parent's willful disobedience. (Catechism, 289-299, 388-409)

Baptism isn't so much a matter of washing a dirty soul, as restoring life to a spiritually dead one. (Catechism, 1213-1274)

Since two of our six children died before getting baptized, I'm particularly interested in the "baptism of desire." That, and the "baptism of blood," are — another topic. (Catechism, 1257-1261)

Joy and Elizabeth weren't baptized because they died before birth. My wife and I were preoccupied each time, and I've been over that before. (May 3, 2010)

"And He Found it Very Good"

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

That's after Genesis outlines God's creation of everything: "the heavens and the earth," and humanity. (Genesis 1:1-31)

Genesis?! I'm a Christian — and a Catholic — so I take the Bible very seriously. It's 'in the rules.' (Catechism, 101-133)

But I don't consult Sacred Scripture when my computer is on the fritz, and I understand that scientific discoveries are an invitation to "even greater admiration." (Catechism, 283)

Truth cannot threaten an informed faith, and poetry isn't science. (September 21, 2014; July 18, 2014; September 21, 2014; October 13, 2013)

Like everyone else living today, I'm called to seek God: but wounded by sin. I need help. That's where my Lord comes in. (Catechism, 763-766, 771, 1949)

I can decide to seek God and act as if following God's will matters: or not. But I can't work or pray my way into heaven. (James 2:26; Catechism, 1704, 1730, 1815, 1987-2016)

Sin — deciding to act against reason, truth, and a right conscience — is real. It is an offense against God, and a very bad idea. It's not that I could hurt the Almighty. The problem with sin, deliberately turning away from God, is that it can result in my being permanently separated from my Lord: in Hell. (Catechism, 1033-1037)

God doesn't send anyone into Hell: but nobody's dragged, kicking and screaming, into Heaven.

As long as I'm alive, I can decide that my offense was wrong: and ask God to forgive me. (Catechism, 1849, 1851, 1861)

God forgives sins. It's a fairly straightforward process: but there's more than just saying 'I'm sorry.'

After that, I have work to do: fixing, as far as I can, the damage done to myself, to others, and to my relationship with God. (Catechism, 1422-1470)

Acting against reason, truth, and a right conscience, has consequences. It's not that God 'gets even' with folks who sin. Ethical principles are woven into this creation. When we act against those principles, we get hurt. (Catechism, 1472, 1950-1960)

"...Our Written Obligations"

King Josiah lived about 2,650 years back. He "pleased the LORD and conducted himself unswervingly just as his ancestor David had done." (2 Kings 22:2)

Judah's two preceding kings, Manasseh and Amon, had other priorities. Manasseh "...immolated his son by fire. He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits...." (2 Kings 21:6)

Amon's reign was more of the same. By the time Josiah became king, Judah was a mess. Among other things, the temple in Jerusalem was in bad shape.

Josiah ordered a massive repair and restoration project, which uncovered a long-ignored document:

"When the king had heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments

"and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah:

" 'Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah, about the stipulations of this book that has been found, for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us, because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book, nor fulfill our written obligations.' "
(2 Kings 22:11-13)

I tend to remember Josiah's words in my own dialect – something along the lines of "we had a written contract!" or "we had a deal!" — with God the Almighty — and violated the terms.

No wonder that King Josiah was upset. He understood the consequences: which is why he paid attention to what the prophetess Huldah said.

Briefly, there was no avoiding penalties for offenses committed by the two preceding kings. That's just the way things work. But since Josiah reacted as he had, God delayed the consequences.

Love and Forgiveness

" 'But to the king of Judah who sent you to consult the LORD, give this response: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: As for the threats you have heard,

"because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard my threats that this place and its inhabitants would become a desolation and a curse; because you tore your garments and wept before me; I in turn have listened, says the LORD.

"I will therefore gather you to your ancestors; you shall go to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil I will bring upon this place." ' This they reported to the king."
(2 Kings 22:18-20)

King Josiah's efforts at restoring terms of the covenant seem harsh by today's standards. We've learned quite a bit in the last 26 centuries: and still have much left to learn. (October 26, 2014)

Josiah was buried "in his own grave" in Jerusalem, after falling in battle at Megiddo. (2 Kings 23:29-30)

That isn't going "in peace" by today's standards: but I'm quite willing to see Josiah's life and death as a fulfillment of God's promise. As I said earlier, forgiveness is real: but so are consequences.

Judah's next king returned to the low standards set by Manasseh and Amon.

Several centuries later my Lord came into this world: not to condemn the world, but to save it. (John 3:17)

God loves sinners: and wants us to stop sinning. The 'punishments' we experience as the result of our actions are a consequence of our ignoring ethical realities — and opportunities for us to learn charity and detachment. (Romans 5:8; Catechism, 226, 1424, 1472-1473, 2544)

Bottom line, God doesn't have anger management issues:

• " 'Those Who are Just Must be Kind' "
  (July 20, 2014)
• "Vengeance, Anger, and Looking Ahead"
  (July 13, 2014)
  Particularly
  • Anger, Sin, and Getting a Grip
• "God, Jesus, and Me: Personal?!"
  (January 5, 2014)
• "Looking Forward to Heaven"
  (August 25, 2013)
  Particularly
  • Revelation and Responsibility
  • Finding God's Kingdom
• "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
  (March 11, 2012)

"Those Who are Just Must be Kind"

(From John Martin, via WikiMedia Commons, used w/o permission.)
('Now that I have your attention ....')

God is occasionally presented as violence-prone, with serious anger management issues.

Some folks who describe the Almighty this way seem to think that we should worship God because the alternative is getting squashed like bugs. Others claim that God is a make-believe bogeyman, invented by charlatans to frighten people.

I think both claims are missing an important point.

God is just, God is merciful: and sometimes God has to get our attention.

"For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned;

"For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.

"² For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved; and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.

"But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.

"And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; And you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins."
(Wisdom 12:13, :16-19)

That's from this morning's readings. The Gospel reading, Matthew 13:24-43, is a long one, and includes a parable about wheat and weeds. I'll get back to that.

The Beginning of Wisdom

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Deuteronomy 6:13; Psalms 111:10; Sirach 1:12)

It's also a gift of the Holy Spirit, along with wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, and piety. This sort of piety encourages devotion to God. It's not a sanctimonious holier-than-thou attitude, and that's another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1831, 1850, 2084)

Pope Francis gave a pretty good explanation of the "fear of the Lord" last month:

"The gift of fear of the Lord, which we are speaking about today, concludes the series of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. It does not mean being afraid of God: we know well that God is Father, that he loves us and wants our salvation, and he always forgives, always; thus, there is no reason to be scared of him! Fear of the Lord, instead, is the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom we are reminded of how small we are before God and of his love and that our good lies in humble, respectful and trusting self-abandonment into his hands. This is fear of the Lord: abandonment in the goodness of our Father who loves us so much...."
(Francis I (June 11, 2014))

Fear of the Lord and Karaoke

Ever since the first humans preferred their own will to God's, we've had relationship issues with the Almighty. It's easy for us to be afraid of God, which isn't the same as having "fear of the Lord." (Catechism, 399)

The "fear of the Lord" we read about in Psalms 111:10 is reverence for God.

I'm supposed to recognize that God's God, and I'm not: that I owe my continued existence to God. (Catechism, 2096-2097)

Fear of the Lord is not living in terror that God will caste me into an infernal karaoke bar because I like the 'wrong' kind of music.

On the other hand, Hell, eternal separation from God, is real. So is Satan. At the end of all things, I'll either willingly accept God: or not. (Catechism, 391-395, 1033-1037, 1849)

"Not," in my considered opinion, is a daft option.

To Seek, Know, and Love God

My job is to seek, know, and love God.

I'm invited, along with everyone else, "to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life." (Catechism, Prologue, 1)

I should be learning to say four things to God: please; thank you; sorry; and I love you. That quartet isn't my idea, by the way: a new priest in our parishes talked about that learning curve last week.

We start out by asking God for help, should follow that up with thanks, and — if we're realistic about our decisions — tell God 'I'm sorry' when we mess up. Happily, repentance is an option. (Catechism, 1422-1449)

Telling God "I love you" is something I'm working on, probably will be for the rest of my life, and that's a topic for another post.

Wheat and Weeds

The "weeds" in Matthew 13:24-30 are a specific plant: darnel. It's poison, either because of the plant's alkaloids, or a fungus that lives in the seed head. Darnel is sometimes called false wheat, because it looks almost exactly like wheat until the weed's ear appears.

The parable of the wheat and weeds is one of the more comforting passages for me, since I've looked an awful lot like a weed at times.

Remembering that "those who are just must be kind," and applying the principles outlined in Matthew 7:1-5? It's not easy, but sure beats the alternatives.

More:

• "General Audience"
  Francis I (June 11, 2014)

Related posts:

• "Sin, Death, Tornadoes, and Getting a Grip"
  (May 21, 2013)
  Particularly
  • Life, Death, and Priorities
• "Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed"
  (November 14, 2011)
• "Benedict XVI in Germany, My Take: Harlots and Pharisees, Agnostics and Routine Believers"
  (September 29, 2011)
• " 'Vengeance is Mine, I will Repay, Says the Lord' — Works for Me"
  (September 11, 2010)
  Particularly
  • Judgment, being 'Judgmental,' and being Catholic
• "Wheat, Weeds, and a Tax Collector"
  (July 27, 2010)

Sin, Death, Tornadoes, and Getting a Grip

First, these outfits could probably use money.

• Catholic Charities
  Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
• Central and Western Oklahoma Region
  American Red Cross

They're helping folks in quite a few places, including the Oklahoma City area. No pressure, that's just a thought Prayer wouldn't hurt, either: but like I said, no pressure

Midwest Tornadoes

The American Midwest has had rough weather for the last several days. I stayed up late one night when a particularly energetic storm front was headed toward my home. The half-dollar-size hail didn't happen here, which wasn't exactly a disappointment. (Through One Dad's Eye (May 18, 2013))

Yesterday afternoon some folks in Oklahoma, south of here, got in the way of a massive tornado. They're still sorting out debris, survivors, and bodies: but the bottom line is that many people died, many more were hurt, and buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Like I've said before, this universe is a dangerous place. It's beautiful, fascinating, immense, filled with wonder: and will kill us if we're not careful. Sometimes even if we are, but we're learning more with each disaster. (February 10, 2013)


(from Google Maps, Wunderground.com, used w/o permission)
Several hours after the worst storms, the weather system that included them was still going strong. (10:07 p.m. Central Time, May 20, 2013)

Life, Death, and Priorities

It's small comfort to those who lost family and friends, but the reported death toll has gone down: for now.

"Crews search for survivors after massive twister strikes near Oklahoma City"
FoxNews.com (May 21, 2013)

"The Oklahoma City medical examiner's office says the death toll from a massive tornado that churned through Oklahoma City Monday has been downgraded from 51 to at least 24.

" 'To date, 24 deceased victims of the tornado have been transported to our Oklahoma City office, and positive identifications have been made in the vast majority of those, and these are ready for return to their loved ones,' spokeswoman Amy Elliott told FoxNews.com in an email.

"Nine of the bodies are children.

"Elliott said during early recovery efforts, 51 deaths were reported to the medical examiner's office, but some of them may have been double-counted...."

I'm not surprised that early reports weren't entirely accurate. Monday afternoon and evening was a bit hectic for folks in Oklahoma, and elsewhere. My guess is that they had their priorities straight: digging through wreckage to rescue survivors and recover bodies first; filling out forms and cross-checking records later.


(from FoxNews, used w/o permission)
Houses can be replaced. People: not so much.


(from FoxNews.com, used w/o permission)
"May 20, 2013: Emergency responders and residents begin sorting through debris following a tornado that decimated Moore, Okla., killing...." (Fox News (May 20, 2013))


(from FoxNews, used w/o permission)
"Large sections of Moore, Okla., were completely..." (Fox News (May 20, 2013))

Reassembling Families

Under normal conditions, American towns and cities have very good communications networks. Monday afternoon in Moore, Oklahoma, wasn't "normal conditions." The tornado took out parts of the infrastructure. Happily, low-tech communication methods like shouting still worked:

"...Search-and-rescue crews were looking for anyone who may be trapped in the rubble. Many land lines to stricken areas were down, and cellphone networks were congested. The storm was so massive that it will take time to establish communications between rescuers and state officials, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin said.

"Fallin deployed 80 National Guard members to assist with rescue operations and activated extra highway patrol officers. She also spoke Monday night with Obama, who declared a major disaster and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts.

"Families anxiously waited at nearby churches to hear if their loved ones had survived. A man with a megaphone stood Monday evening near St. Andrews United Methodist Church and called out the names of surviving children. Parents waited nearby, hoping to hear their sons' and daughters' names...."
(FoxNews.com)

I heard an eight-year-old boy on radio news, saying that he was okay, but didn't know whether his parents were alive or not. I trust that he knows by now, one way or the other.

My experience has been that realizing that someone in the family may be endangered, or dead, but not knowing is at least as trying as 'worst case' news.

Treating the injured and burying the dead are important. So is getting families back together, when that's possible. I realize that some families don't get along very well, and that's another topic.

International News

"Oklahoma tornado: Dozens killed in Moore"
BBC News (May 20, 2013 )

"At least 51 people have been killed after a huge tornado tore through Oklahoma City suburbs, with the death toll likely to rise.

"Worst hit was Moore, south of the city, where neighbourhoods were flattened and schools were destroyed by winds of up to 200mph (321km/h).

"About 120 people, including 70 children, are being treated in hospitals for their injuries.

"Search and rescue efforts are continuing throughout the night.

"Monday's twister hit Moore, a suburb of about 55,000 people, and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes.

"The Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office said children were among the 51 dead.

"At least two schools were devastated by the high winds, and there are reports that children are still unaccounted for...."

Again, the 'first count' was 51 fatalities. The good news is that when folks in Moore had a chance to compare notes, they learned that some of the deaths had been counted twice, so the current number is lower.

The bad news is that they're expecting to find more bodies in the rubble.

Unfit for Human Habitation?

I've occasionally run into the idea that folks shouldn't live in particular areas. Sometimes it makes sense.

For example, several homes had been built in a nice little patch of flat land right by the river in my home town. It was a cozy neighborhood, and flooded nearly every spring.

After a particularly bad flood, the town government decided that enough was enough. The houses were already damaged beyond repair, as I recall. The area was declared of-limits for more construction. The last I heard, it's a park. I hope the folks who owned homes there got something resembling a reasonable price for their land.

The American Midwest has very good farmland. I've lived most of my life here. It's also the place that's best for getting up close and personal with a tornado.

Tornadoes can, and have, happened almost anywhere on Earth: but they're most likely a bit south and west of where I live. I gather that it has to do with having no barriers to speak of between the north pole and the Gulf of Mexico.

The weather here is anything but boring. The northern Midwest goes through extremes of hot, cold, wet, and dry. I like it, but your experience might vary.

In a way, it's dangerous to live here. Tornadoes, thunderstorms, and seasonal extremes encourage a certain situational awareness.

Possible, Yes; Practical, No

We can build structures that will endure 200 mile an hour winds. We can even make buildings that will endure that sort of wind, and impacts from assorted 200-mile-an-hour flying trees, trucks, and debris. I don't think we'd enjoy living in them for the years - decades - when a tornado doesn't hit.

Perhaps more to the point, I'm not sure that we'd be able to spend the money needed to harden our homes that way.

"The School Started Coming Apart"

"...James Rushing said he had rushed to the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where his foster son Aiden was a pupil, to see it destroyed by the storm.

" 'About two minutes after I got there, the school started coming apart,' he told the Associated Press news agency.

"The National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday's tornado had generated winds of up to 200mph.

" 'It's certainly the most powerful tornado that I've ever dealt with in my 20 years with the weather service,' NWS meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman, Oklahoma, told the BBC.

"The town of Moore was hit by a severe tornado in May 1999, which had the highest winds ever recorded on Earth.

"But Betsy Randolph of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol told local news station Skynews 9 that the damage on Monday appeared to exceed that of the last devastating tornado.

"Tornadoes, hail and high winds also hit Iowa and Kansas, part of a storm system stretching from Texas to Minnesota...."
(BBC News)

From the looks of it, not all of Plaza Towers Elementary "came apart." There's a considerable portion of one area that's nearly intact. Even so, I'd rather have been in the school's basement, preferably a utility room, if I'd been in the school when the storm hit.


(from AP, via FoxNews, used w/o permission)
"This aerial photo shows damage to Plaza Towers Elementary School after it was hit by a massive tornado in Moore, Okla. (AP)..." (Fox News (May 20, 2013))

It's bad when a tornado hits any occupied building. There seems to be a particular emotional impact when it happens to a school or hospital.


(from AP, via FoxNews, used w/o permission)
"This aerial photo shows damage to Moore Medical Center after it was hit by a massive tornado in Moore, Okla. (AP)..." (Fox News (May 20, 2013))

Sin, Death, and Getting a Grip

"^{1 2}In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea

"(and) saying, 'Repent, ³ for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' "
(Matthew 3:1-2)

In my youth, some folks seemed to get their jollies by shouting "Sinner repent" and so on: sometimes with what seems a sincere desire to share what John the Baptist said; sometimes as the start of a diatribe about commies, Catholics, and why everyone should hate music they don't like. I've explained how they indirectly encouraged me to become a Catholic, and that's almost another topic.

Matthew 3:2 makes a good point, though. Each of us is no more than a few decades from a final exam that determines where we spend eternity. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1021-1022)

America's spiritual tone was set early: not entirely for the better, and I've been over that before:

• "Catholics aren't Calvinists"
  (May 7, 2012)
• "My Take on the News: Jingle Bells, Jangled Nerves, and Good Advice"
  (December 16, 2011)
  Particularly
  • Fear and Wisdom

There's a difference between rational awareness of personal responsibility and long-term consequences, and obsessing over sins: real or imagined, committed by oneself or 'those sinners over there.'

Another bit from the Bible:

"And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods

"and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"

"But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' "
(Luke 12:18-20)

The point, as I see it, is that being prepared is being prudent, not that it's wrong to be wealthy: or poor. (August 4, 2011)

Then there's the enduring - and wrong - notion that bad things happen to bad people. As long as someone's enjoying a boring part of his or her life, that's a sort of ersatz comfort. When it's time for a personal crisis, not so much.

Telling us that we're going to die isn't the sort of 'good time Gospel' that's been occasionally popular, but that's part of what Jesus told us:

"^{1 2} At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

"He said to them in reply, 'Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

"By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!

"Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them ³ --do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?

"By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!' "
(Luke 13:1-5)

Again, this isn't a reason to cringe in fear. It's more of an "invitation to change our lives and to do works worthy of penance." Benedict XVI talked about that a few years back:

• "Pastoral Visit to the Parish of St John of the Cross in Rome, 7 March 2010 - Homily of "
  Benedict XVI (March 7, 2010)

Somewhat-related posts:

• "Statues, Magic, and Juggling Plutonium"
  (May 17, 2013)
• "Sin, Outrage, and Making Sense"
  (May 5, 2013)
• "Boston Marathon Bombing: Tragedy and Uncertainty"
  (April 15, 2013)
• "Guilt and Group Discounts"
  (April 14, 2013)
• "Timothy, Amos, Money, and Getting a Grip"
  (August 4, 2011)

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
  • But wouldn't stay dead
    (Luke 24:5)
• 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.

Related posts:

• Angels
  • "My Lord and His Angels"
    (February 29, 2012)
  • "Angels, Theology, and Gilligan's Island"
    (February 22, 2012)
  • "Angels, Demons, Theological Hooey, and Redemption"
    (October 31, 2011)
  • "Demons: The Other Angels"
    (February 20, 2011)
  • "Firebase Earth"
    (April 5, 2009)
• Sin
  • "Sin, Freedom, and Toy Monkeys"
    (May 23, 2012)
  • "Honoring the Body, Within Reason"
    (April 25, 2012)
  • "First Sunday in Lent; God is Reclaiming His Broken Creation"
    (February 26, 2012)
  • "Original Sin, Free Will, ADD, and There Goes the Air Conditioner"
    (October 15, 2010)
  • "Wheat, Weeds, and a Tax Collector"
    (July 27, 2010)
• Hope
  • "The Man Who Wouldn't Stay Dead"
    (March 11, 2012)
  • "Hope, Joy, and Working for a Better World"
    (September 13, 2011)
  • "Christianity: A Religion of Hope"
    (May 5, 2011)
  • "We Won: Quite a While Ago"
    (January 13, 2011)
  • "Feast of All Saints 2009"
    (October 1, 2009)

---

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)

First Sunday in Lent; God is Reclaiming His Broken Creation

Readings for February 26, First Sunday in Lent 2012:

• Genesis 9:8-15
• 1 Peter 3:18-22
• Mark 1:12-15

---

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.

---

More reflections:

• "Reflections from Sauk Centre's Our Lady of Angels Church"

Related posts:

• " 'Dust in the Wind' and Getting a Grip"
  (February 26, 2012)
• "Charity in Truth: Freedom, Responsibility, and God"
  (January 30, 2012)
• "Being Saved, the Narrow Gate, and All That"
  (October 26, 2011)
• "Having Good Judgment isn't Being Judgmental"
  (October 12, 2011)
• "Why did God Do That to Me?"
  (February 12, 2011)

Faust, Fear, and - a Femme Fatale?

---

New post about Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

---

Faust Feels Bad

Here's where I left Marlowe's Doctor John Faustus, last week:

"...FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord

"To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Faustus had gone through another of his emotional 'repentances,' which last maybe a few seconds. Unless the actors say their lines very, very, slowly. Each time, Faustus noticed what direction he was going and got frightened. So far, so good: I think it's reasonable to be frightened of eternal torment.

Repentance? Sounds More Like Fright

Where Faustus fouls up, consistently, is in follow-through. Each time he gets scared, he 'repents,' then changes his mind as soon as Mephistopheles and company scare him again - or dangle bait in front of the doctor.

Last week, I said that I'd post about OLD MAN being 'to blame' for Faustus feeling bad. In its own way, Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" is a very up-to-date play. Or maybe the feel-good philosophies of a few decades back weren't quite as up-to-date as some folks thought.

Moving along.

"Vile and Loathsome Filthiness" - a Loving Remark?!

I'm pretty sure that the "base and crooked age" that Faustus tells Mephistopheles to torment is OLD MAN, the fellow who gave Faustus that reality check. Maybe you remember him. He's the fellow whose lines started with "Ah, Doctor Faustus...." Oh, wait a minute. I only used a few choice phrases, like "such flagitious crimes of heinous sin." Here's a longer excerpt:

"...OLD MAN. Ah, Doctor Faustus, that I might prevail
To guide thy steps unto the way of life,
By which sweet path thou mayst attain the goal
That shall conduct thee to celestial rest!
Break heart, drop blood, and mingle it with tears,
Tears falling from repentant heaviness
Of thy most vile155 and loathsome filthiness,
The stench whereof corrupts the inward soul
With such flagitious crimes of heinous sin156
As no commiseration may expel,
But mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

I can see how someone might not feel good about being told that their recent actions are "vile and loathsome filthiness, the stench of which corrupts the inward soul." On the other hand, Faustus has been engaging in self-destructive behavior. Maybe OLD MAN is being a loving neighbor for Faustus.

Sometimes Love Hurts

Maybe it sounds strange, claiming that someone could be "loving" while obviously not accepting another person's choices. The notion that "love" means going along with another person's self-destructive behavior seems to be wearing thin. Finally.

Take the "friends don't let friends drive drunk" public service announcements. Maybe I missed it, but they failed to spark a storm of protest. I'd guess that quite a few Americans don't think it's "loving" to:

• Let your friend drive drunk
• Let your kids eat anything they want
• Do nothing while someone you know commits suicide

Like I said last spring, " 'love' isn't 'approval.' "

Let's see how Faustus responds to OLD MAN's efforts to save his soul:

"...FAUSTUS. Torment, sweet friend, that base and crooked age,
That durst dissuade me from thy Lucifer,
With greatest torments that our hell affords.

"MEPHIST. His faith is great; I cannot touch his soul;
But what I may afflict his body with
I will attempt, which is but little worth...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Offhand, I don't think Marlowe's Faustus is particularly grateful. Or repentant. Temporarily scared at the flash of reality he ran into, yes. Repentant, no.

Helen, Hogwash, and Heavy Irony

In a way, I can see why Doctor John Faustus might have been peeved by OLD MAN. The elderly neighbor had intruded on a 'learned' discussion. A discussion among scholars, anyway:

"...FAUSTUS. Gentlemen,
For that I know your friendship is unfeign'd,
And Faustus' custom is not to deny
The just requests of those that wish him well,
You shall behold that peerless dame of Greece,
No otherways for pomp and majesty
Than when Sir Paris cross'd the seas with her,
And brought the spoils to rich Dardania.
Be silent, then, for danger is in words.
[Music sounds, and HELEN passeth over the stage.] 153

"SECOND SCHOLAR. Too simple is my wit to tell her praise,
Whom all the world admires for majesty.

"THIRD SCHOLAR. No marvel though the angry Greeks pursu'd
With ten years' war the rape of such a queen,
Whose heavenly beauty passeth all compare.

"FIRST SCHOLAR. Since we have seen the pride of Nature's works,
And only paragon of excellence,
Let us depart; and for this glorious deed
Happy and blest be Faustus evermore!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Remember, this was Elizabethan England. The Renaissance was all the rage in Europe. Stories from Greece and Rome were as big as the Kinsey Report was a few decades back. And that's another subject.

Faustus and the scholars were discussing Helen of Troy: 'the face that launched a thousand ships' and all that. Men acting daft about a woman is nothing new: and I am not going to wander off-topic.

Still, a woman who had been dead for thousands of years walks by, and still looks good: and nobody wonders why?! Oh, well. I mentioned emotions and the frontal cortex last week.

Getting back on-track:

• Faust and the boys were talking about women
• OLD MAN comes in
• Faust panics
• OLD MAN leaves
• Faust tells Mephistopheles to hurt OLD MAN

I suppose I should give Faust some credit, for holding on to at least one coherent idea for more than a few seconds. Still, I don't think this is what should be on the doctor's mind just now:

"...FAUSTUS. One thing, good servant,160 let me crave of thee,
To glut the longing of my heart's desire,-
That I might have unto my paramour
That heavenly Helen which I saw of late,
Whose sweet embracings may extinguish clean
Those161 thoughts that do dissuade me from my vow,
And keep mine oath I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Faustus, this,162 or what else thou shalt desire,
Shall be perform'd in twinkling of an eye.

Re-enter HELEN...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

There's nothing wrong with sex, or human sexuality. What we do with it isn't always such a good idea: but God created sex, and God doesn't make junk. I've been over this before. More to the point, the Church has something to say about sex. And it isn't 'yuck!' (Genesis 1:22, 28; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1935, 2275, 2331-2391)

Whatever Marlowe had in mind, I don't think it's reasonable to call this Helen of Troy a "femme fatale," or "a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive." (Princeton's WordNet) Not without a whole lot more explanation than I've got patience for just now.

Christopher Marlowe's Faustus has some downright odd ideas, though: and that will wait for another post.

Other posts in this series:

• Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
  • On the "Featured Topics" page

Related posts:

• Repentance
  • "Repentance, Faustus, and an Impatient Demon"
    (December 26, 2011)
  • "Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed"
    (November 14, 2011)
  • "Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
    (November 7, 2011)
  • "Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
    (February 21, 2011)
  • "The Catholic Church and Homosexuals: Harsh and Soft, Judgmental and Understanding"
    (March 13, 2009)
    Particularly
    • Catholics and the Catholic Church Must Really Hate Gays, Right?
      • Wrong
• Sex
  • "Mephistopheles and an - Ersatz Hot Babe?!"
    (October 24, 2011)
  • "Hippies, Prudes, Catholics, and Sex"
    (August 30, 2011)
  • "No Open Season on Transgendered People, Please!"
    (April 26, 2011)
  • "Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?"
    (September 26, 2009)
  • "Sex, Condoms, AIDS, an 'Immoral' Pope, and What Everybody Knows"
    (March 17, 2009)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

• "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
  From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev.
  Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R.
  Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

Background:

• Repentance
  • "Jesus calls to conversion..."
    (Catechism, 1427)
  • Two conversion:
    • Water of Baptism
    • Tears of repentance
    (Catechism, 1429)
  • Interior repentance
    (Catechism, 1430-1433 and following)
  • Repentance is possible before death, not after
    (Catechism, 393)
    • Also see Catechism, 2283
• Sex
  • Sex is good (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2331-2336)
  • Lust is a disorder (Catechism, 2351)
  • Sex is special (Catechism, 2348-2350)
  • Rape is bad (Catechism, 2356)
  (Not a complete index: not even close)

Repentance, Faustus, and an Impatient Demon

---

New post about Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

---

Comic Relief? Probably Not

I introduced Marlowe's OLD MAN last week. I might assume that, with lines like "such flagitious crimes of heinous sin," Marlowe had comic relief in mind: but all the characters talk like that, more or less, at some point.

English has changed since Elizabethan times, and so have what audiences expect. Back in Marlowe's day, it was flowery, over-the-top, long-winded speeches. More recently, it was helicopter chases, and I've been over that before.

Whatever Christopher Marlowe had in mind, OLD MAN has some pretty good advice. This comes right after Faustus said "despair and die!" - among other things - and Mephistopheles handed him a dagger:

"...OLD MAN. Ah, stay, good Faustus, stay thy desperate steps!
I see an angel hovers o'er thy head,
And, with a vial full of precious grace,
Offers to pour the same into thy soul:
Then call for mercy, and avoid despair.

"FAUSTUS. Ah, my sweet friend, I feel
Thy words to comfort my distressed soul!
Leave me a while to ponder on my sins.

"OLD MAN. I go, sweet Faustus; but with heavy cheer,
Fearing the ruin of thy hopeless soul.
[Exit.]...
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Suicide is a bad idea, and I've been over that before:

• "Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
  (December 19, 2011)
  Particularly
  • Despair, Suicide, Hope, and Prayer

Emotions, Stress, and Marlowe's Faustus

There's nothing wrong with emotions: they're part of being human. But emotion and reason don't play well together.¹ Marlowe's Faustus is under a lot of stress in this scene: OLD MAN pointed out that his "flagitious crimes of heinous sin" have consequences; and that Faustus has limited options.

"...mercy, Faustus, of thy Saviour sweet,
Whose blood alone must wash away thy guilt...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Applying conventional wisdom from a few decades back, it's OLD MAN's fault that Faustus feels bad. That's true, as far as it goes, but I think we need reality checks now and again.

Which isn't the same as approving of 'fire and brimstone' preaching, and that's another topic.

Repentance, Despair, and an Impatient Demon

Marlowe's John Faustus is still alive, he's got free will, and time to change his mind about the deal he made. He's also got a demon in the room, which makes things a trifle awkward. Let's see how he handles the situation:

"...FAUSTUS. Accursed Faustus, where is mercy now?
I do repent; and yet I do despair:
Hell strives with grace for conquest in my breast:
What shall I do to shun the snares of death?

"MEPHIST. Thou traitor, Faustus, I arrest thy soul
For disobedience to my sovereign lord:
Revolt, or I'll in piece-meal tear thy flesh.

"FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Faustus is, metaphorically speaking, dancing on the doorstep of Hell: just how much more danger could he be in? But, as I've said before, I don't think Mephistopheles has the best interests of John Faustus in mind.

What about repenting, though? Isn't it a little late for that? "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and all that. I've read the play before, and know how it comes out: but in principle John Faustus could still repent at this point.

Repentance, Despair, and the Catholic Church

Repentance is a good idea. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1427, 1429, 1430-1433 and following) It's a sort of 'limited time offer,' though. since repentance is possible before death, not after. (Catechism, 393, 2283)

Despair, on the other hand, is a bad idea:

"In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:

"Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair.³³³"

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 844)

---

"The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:

"By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's goodness, to his justice—for the Lord is faithful to his promises—and to his mercy."
(Catechism, 2091)

Repentance, Despair, and John Faustus

I'll grant that Marlowe's Faustus is in an awkward situation. OLD MAN has left, leaving Faustus alone with his none-too-well-formed conscience. And Mephistopheles.

Given his track record, it's no surprise that Faustus says, "...I do repent; and yet I do despair...." Then, when Mephistopheles rather abruptly reminds him of his contractual obligation, Faustus does another 180:

"...FAUSTUS. Sweet Mephistophilis, entreat thy lord
To pardon my unjust presumption,
And with my blood again I will confirm
My former vow I made to Lucifer.

"MEPHIST. Do it, then, quickly,159 with unfeigned heart,
Lest greater danger do attend thy drift...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Remember what I said, about OLD MAN being 'to blame' for making Faustus feel bad? I'll get back to that next week.

Other posts in this series:

• Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
  • On the "Featured Topics" page

Related posts:

• "Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
  (December 19, 2011)
  Particularly
  • Despair, Suicide, Hope, and Prayer
• "Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed"
  (November 14, 2011)
• "Doctor Faustus, Benefit/Cost Ratios, and Fulton Sheen"
  (September 23, 2011)
• "Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
  (November 7, 2011)
• "Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
  (February 21, 2011)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

• "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
  From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev.
  Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R.
  Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

---

¹ I've discussed emotions and reason before. Quite a bit, including:

• " 'Religious People aren't Reasonable?' "
  (December 18, 2011)
• "Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
  (September 6, 2011)
• "Hating People? Not an Option"
  (December 9, 2010)
• "It's Faith and Reason"
  (June 19, 2010)
• "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)

Doctor Faustus and Redemption: You Gotta Wanna be Redeemed

---

New post about Marlowe's
"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" each Monday

---

I left Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" at the point where John Faustus asks Mephistopheles, "who made the world." Why Faustus asked that is a fairly reasonable question, since he obviously knows the answer:

"..."MEPHIST. Ay, that is not against our kingdom; but this is. Think thou on hell, Faustus, for thou art damned.

"FAUSTUS. Think, Faustus, upon God that made the world...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Before getting back to Marlowe's play, what about Mephistopheles' parting line? Is John Faustus really, finally, irrevocably damned at that moment?

Elizabethan Drama, Theology, and Getting a Grip

First, Marlowe's "Faustus" is a drama. A play, written for audiences who paid to get entertained.

Second, Christopher Marlowe was a loyal Englishman. When a nasty rumor got started, that he'd converted to Catholicism, the Queen herself cleared him of that scurrilous reproach.¹

Third, considering the demon's home address, and the vested interest he has in making sure Faustus actually winds up in Hell, I think Mephistopheles' statements about the doctor's destiny need to be taken with a grain of salt. At least.

---

Questions, Sensible and Otherwise

Okay, back to work. Mephistopheles has just left. Faustus is scared, or angry, or both:

"...FAUSTUS. Ay, go, accursed spirit, to ugly hell! 'Tis thou hast damn'd distressed Faustus' soul. Is't not too late?..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Finally, John Faustus asks a sensible question. Is it too late to change his mind?

He's still alive, so the answer is "no," it's not too late. I'll get back to that.

Unsubtle, but Effective

This is an Elizabethan-era English drama, where points are made with the subtlety of a Captain Planet episode. Here come that dichotomous duo, EVIL ANGEL and GOOD ANGEL:

"...EVIL ANGEL. Too late.

"GOOD ANGEL. Never too late, if Faustus can repent.

"EVIL ANGEL. If thou repent, devils shall tear thee in pieces.

"GOOD ANGEL. Repent, and they shall never raze thy skin.
[Exeunt ANGELS.]

"FAUSTUS. Ah, Christ, my Saviour, Seek to save104 distressed Faustus' soul!..."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

GOOD ANGEL's line, "if Faustus can repent," may be what Drama textbooks call foreshadowing. Faustus could repent, since he's still alive. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 393) With his track record, though, I don't think a repentant Faustus is likely.

Then John Faustus asks for "Christ, my Saviour," and gets - LUCIFER, BELZEBUB, and MEPHISTOPHILIS. This is simply not his day.

Let's see what happens when the boys from below lean on Faustus.

"...LUCIFER. Christ cannot save thy soul, for he is just: There's none but I have interest in the same...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

Remember: These demons have a vested interest in getting Faustus into Hell, and almost certainly don't follow 'truth in advertising' regulations. Besides, this is a play written for commercial purposes, by someone who lived in post-Henry VIII England. I don't think it's reasonable to expect too much theological accuracy. Moving on.

Lucifer's Feelings are Hurt

The actor who plays Lucifer in this play has some wonderfully wicked lines:

"...LUCIFER. We come to tell thee thou dost injure us;
Thou talk'st of Christ, contrary to thy promise:
Thou shouldst not think of God: think of the devil,
And of his dam too.

"FAUSTUS. Nor will I henceforth: pardon me in this,
And Faustus vows never to look to heaven,
Never to name God, or to pray to him,
To burn his Scriptures, slay his ministers,
And make my spirits pull his churches down...."
("The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus")

"...The devil, and...his dam?" That's another topic.²

Fear, Feelings, and Faustus

Archaic and rather formal language aside, Lucifer's line, "We come to tell thee thou dost injure us..." reminds me of those heavies in the old "B" movies. The ones who explain to some storekeeper, or informant, 'Lenny, you hurt my feelins.' While their goons pour cement around Lenny.

Then there's the somewhat more recent quote: "...Bonasera, what have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?..." ("The Godfather" (1972))

Fear can be a powerful motivator. It's also an emotion. Like any other emotion, it doesn't help folks think clearly.

That little flash of clarity, or panic, that John Faustus experienced went out like a match in a downpour.

Emotions, Reason, and the Frontal Cortex

As I've said before, emotions and reason don't play well together. Part of it has to do with the way our brains are wired:

• "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
  Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)

Is it possible for folks to think clearly, when fear is prodding them along? In principle, yes: but I think it takes effort. And practice. Imagine an ethically-challenged insurance salesman frightening someone into buying a policy, and that's yet another topic.

Lucifer knows his sales psychology. Right after Faustus asks Lucifer to "pardon me in this," Lucifer gives him a look at the Seven Deadly Sins. Marlowe's version, that is.

'Good Boy, Faustus! Here's a Bone'

After Faustus acted in a suitably accommodating manner, Lucifer gives him a little reward: the "Seven Deadly Sins" floor show.

In Marlowe's play, these are

• Pride
• Covetousness
• Wrath
• Envy
• Gluttony
• Sloth
• Lechery

Marlowe's no theologian. The list of capital sins is okay. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1866) He got Sloth wrong, though: and that's for next week's post.

But - Faustus Said "Christ!?"

In another story, Faustus' problems would have been pretty much over after he said "Christ, my Saviour, seek to save distressed Faustus' soul!" In Marlowe's play, he gets visited by three demons. Like I said before, "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" is an Elizabethan drama: written for public entertainment, in a sincerely non-Catholic country. Theological accuracy is a bit much to expect.

Even so, it's not all that surprising that Faustus got the boys from below instead of a heavenly chorus. The sort of conversion and penance the Church teaches about happens inside a person. It's not so much about what we say and do. "Sackcloth and ashes" may come later: but that's not what starts the process. (Catechism, 1430-1433 and following)

The way John Faustus reacted to the Seven Deadly Sins floor show gives, I think, a more accurate picture of what's going on in his heart. And that's a topic for next week.

Other posts in this series:

• Christopher Marlowe's "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus"
  • On the "Featured Topics" page

Related posts:

• "Mephistopheles, Cosmology, and Doctor Faustus"
  (November 7, 2011)
• "Reason, Emotion, and 'Take These Son-of-a-Bitches Out' "
  (September 6, 2011)
• "'Come Back When You're Sure'"
  (June 15, 2011)
• "Catholicism: Ashes, Penance, and Priests on Skis"
  (February 21, 2011)
• "Being Counter-Cultural: I am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been, a Hippie"
  (January 12, 2010)

Background:

• Reason
  • "...faith is not opposed to reason."
    (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 35)
• Repentence
  • "Jesus calls to conversion..."
    (Catechism, 1427)
  • Two conversion:
    • Water of Baptism
    • Tears of repentance
    (Catechism, 1429)
  • Interior repentance
    (Catechism, 1430-1433 and following)
  • Repentance is possible before death, not after
    (Catechism, 393)
    • Also see Catechism, 2283
• Sin
  1846-1869
  • An offense against
    • Reason
    • Truth
    • Right conscience
      (Catechism, 1849)
    • God
      (Catechism, 1850)
  • May
    • Concern mostly
      • God
      • Neighbor
      • Oneself
    • Be
      • Spiritual
      • Carnal
    • Be committed by
      • Thought
      • Word
      • Deed
      • Omission
      (Catechism, 1853)
  • Some sins are more serious than others
    (Catechism, 1854)
  (Not an exhaustive index)
• Why thinking straight under stress is so hard
  • "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, the War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
    Another War-on-Terror Blog (December 23, 2008)

"...Faustus" excerpts in these posts taken from:

• "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus"
  From The Quarto of 1604, Christoper Marlowe, Edited by The Rev. Alexander Dyce (1604) Project Gutenberg™ EBook #779 Produced by Gary R. Young, and David Widger, (Release Date: November 3, 2009), via Project Gutenberg™ (www.gutenberg.org)

---

¹ After Henry VIII set up a little church for himself, being called a Catholic in England was a little like being called a commie in America's McCarthyism era. Like I said, the Queen Elizabeth I cleared Marlowe's name:

"...There are school buttery and audit records taken during his school years but little else to confirm his comings and goings, merely long absences that leave room for speculation as to his activities. Rumours suggested that he had travelled to Rheims, France as a Catholic convert but the Queen herself cleared his name in the Privy Council's letter of recommendation for his M.A. degree dated 29 June 1587;

" '..in all his actions he had behaved himself orderly and discreetly, whereby he had done Her Majesty good service, & deserved to be rewarded for his faithful dealing.." and the letter goes further "..because it was not Her Majesty's pleasure that anyone employed, as he had been, in matters touching the benefit of his country, should be defamed by those that are ignorant in th' affairs he went about.'..."

("Christopher Marlowe (bap. 1564, d. 1593)," The Literature Network)

² "Dam" means quite a few things, but I'm pretty sure Marlowe didn't have Lucifer talking about "a metric unit of length equal to ten meters." Anachronisms aside, that just doesn't makes sense. In Elizabethan English, and in this context, "dam" probably meant something along the lines of "female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock." (Princeton's WordNet) Which still doesn't make a lot of sense. At least it isn't quite as nonsensical. Another resource revealed that "the devil and his dam" "...is a common phrase in the Elizabethan drama, e.g. Shakespeare, Othello, iv. 1. 153; Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, vi. 97." Which is interesting, but not all that helpful.