I hope that everyone's Christmas was a good one. In this time during the the actual 12 Days of Christmas, I wanted to wish everyone a blessed new year. May you all have a blessed Epiphany on January 6th. Try to picture yourself there along with the Magi welcoming the true King after such a long time of searching. Christmas doesn't end on the 26th or even the 6th of January. We should welcome Christ into our hearts and homes everyday.
+Blessings and Peace to all.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Trinitarian Formula
In the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti. Amen
This simple formula has so much depth in terms of understanding the nature of the Godhead. It is given to us by Jesus Himself. The mystery of the trinity lies within this simple statement. It is a look, through the glass darkly, of the picture of the Trinity, the Triune God. We cannot fully understand the trinity and that is where Faith comes in. Faith in the Church, Faith in God, and Faith in the weight of these words.
Find what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says here.
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti. Amen
This simple formula has so much depth in terms of understanding the nature of the Godhead. It is given to us by Jesus Himself. The mystery of the trinity lies within this simple statement. It is a look, through the glass darkly, of the picture of the Trinity, the Triune God. We cannot fully understand the trinity and that is where Faith comes in. Faith in the Church, Faith in God, and Faith in the weight of these words.
Find what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Advent
The time of Advent has many parallels with the season of Lent. Indeed the Incarnation is intrinsically tied to the Passion of our Lord. The reason God came to earth in the first place was to ultimately die on the cross for us and save us from eternal separation from Himself.
The time of Advent is one of joyful preparation. Lent is a time of dying to self in order to more fully associate ourselves with the Lord's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Advent is preparing for our Savior's coming. The joyous occasion of the Creator of the universe humbling himself and becoming one of us. Fully human; fully divine. Truly mysterious.
The colors of Advent even mimic the colors of the season of Lent. Again, the Church in her wisdom has done this on purpose so as to help us to see the corollary between the two liturgical seasons. Again it helps us to see that the Incarnation naturally and logically progresses toward the Crucifixion.
Christianity is unique in the fact that instead of man trying to ascend to God through various levels of transcendence and trying to reach up, we believe that God descends to man and reaches down to pull us out of this muck we are in. As far as I know, we are the only religion that has ever claimed this. It's something that is truly amazing. I for one am in awe of this fact and I think that Advent should be a time of awe. Everyday, every season, we should make ready for the coming of Christ. May our God be Blessed!
The time of Advent is one of joyful preparation. Lent is a time of dying to self in order to more fully associate ourselves with the Lord's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Advent is preparing for our Savior's coming. The joyous occasion of the Creator of the universe humbling himself and becoming one of us. Fully human; fully divine. Truly mysterious.
The colors of Advent even mimic the colors of the season of Lent. Again, the Church in her wisdom has done this on purpose so as to help us to see the corollary between the two liturgical seasons. Again it helps us to see that the Incarnation naturally and logically progresses toward the Crucifixion.
Christianity is unique in the fact that instead of man trying to ascend to God through various levels of transcendence and trying to reach up, we believe that God descends to man and reaches down to pull us out of this muck we are in. As far as I know, we are the only religion that has ever claimed this. It's something that is truly amazing. I for one am in awe of this fact and I think that Advent should be a time of awe. Everyday, every season, we should make ready for the coming of Christ. May our God be Blessed!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Science, the Church, and Monday Night Football
As I was watching Monday night football with some friends and family members at a local sports bar (the Packers won by the way!!!), the waiter who had our table overheard us talking about some things and decided to say a few words himself. Let me backtrack...
We were talking about science and my dad (a semi-lapsed Catholic who has "found" Jesus - I didn't know he was lost - at a megachurch) mentioned that he and a buddy of his called themselves evolutionary creationists. I was intrigued. That type of approach to the creation of the world is more appropriate of my views on the matter as well. Dad went on to explain that he and his friend believe in a good God who created the universe and also that he ordains things to evolve and move at a particular place in a particular way. He says, and I think I agree with him, that God would not just create something with a snap of his fingers and boom there it is (although he can if he wants to) and leave it alone. God planned out a specific way in order for His creatures to appreciate more the beauty and ways of His creation. Dad's friend is also an Apostolic Christian by the way. (If he were a true "apostolic Christian" he would be Catholic :] )
Back to the story: I could see where Dad was coming from. He had a point. And it was a lot better than some creationist stuff that I've heard. That's another post. He then segued into a slight against the Church saying that we had never approved or condoned science and that it was something that we were afraid of. I had to jump in with some words myself. This type of accusation that the church never condoned science is a misnomer. In fact, and I would recommend purchasing this book, the church was and always has been appreciative of science. You just have to do a little research.
At this time, our waiter guy over heard us and asked what we were talking about. So we filled him in. He started talking about how the church changed it position on the whole make-up of the solar system to fit the new information. We got into Galileo and he started into a whole new set of slights against the church. In fact, it was not the church that was in a hissy-fit over Galileo and Copernicus -both devout Catholics- it was the Protestants who were incensed over this new heliocentric model of the solar system. The church advised their scientists to treat these new theories as hypothesis until more information was obtained. That was the practice. Galileo thought that he had the truth already. He published it as such and the church, with the Reformation still fresh, gave Galileo a small slap on the hand. Protestants adhered to a rigid interpretation of the text and "clearly" this went agaisnt the word of God. The church did not want to have any further divisions happen. This whole ordeal is not what modern media and "scholarly" research make it out to be.
Ideas on the interpretation of particular passages of scripture were now "called into question". The church has always understood that the sum of human knowledge gained might shed more light on the particular interpretation of scripture. Reason is a gift of God and he intended that we use it. Nothing in nature can contradict what he has revealed in his word. Therefore, the interpretation of passages in the right context can and do make sense. St. Thomas Aquinas is worth quoting at length here:
We were talking about science and my dad (a semi-lapsed Catholic who has "found" Jesus - I didn't know he was lost - at a megachurch) mentioned that he and a buddy of his called themselves evolutionary creationists. I was intrigued. That type of approach to the creation of the world is more appropriate of my views on the matter as well. Dad went on to explain that he and his friend believe in a good God who created the universe and also that he ordains things to evolve and move at a particular place in a particular way. He says, and I think I agree with him, that God would not just create something with a snap of his fingers and boom there it is (although he can if he wants to) and leave it alone. God planned out a specific way in order for His creatures to appreciate more the beauty and ways of His creation. Dad's friend is also an Apostolic Christian by the way. (If he were a true "apostolic Christian" he would be Catholic :] )
Back to the story: I could see where Dad was coming from. He had a point. And it was a lot better than some creationist stuff that I've heard. That's another post. He then segued into a slight against the Church saying that we had never approved or condoned science and that it was something that we were afraid of. I had to jump in with some words myself. This type of accusation that the church never condoned science is a misnomer. In fact, and I would recommend purchasing this book, the church was and always has been appreciative of science. You just have to do a little research.
At this time, our waiter guy over heard us and asked what we were talking about. So we filled him in. He started talking about how the church changed it position on the whole make-up of the solar system to fit the new information. We got into Galileo and he started into a whole new set of slights against the church. In fact, it was not the church that was in a hissy-fit over Galileo and Copernicus -both devout Catholics- it was the Protestants who were incensed over this new heliocentric model of the solar system. The church advised their scientists to treat these new theories as hypothesis until more information was obtained. That was the practice. Galileo thought that he had the truth already. He published it as such and the church, with the Reformation still fresh, gave Galileo a small slap on the hand. Protestants adhered to a rigid interpretation of the text and "clearly" this went agaisnt the word of God. The church did not want to have any further divisions happen. This whole ordeal is not what modern media and "scholarly" research make it out to be.
Ideas on the interpretation of particular passages of scripture were now "called into question". The church has always understood that the sum of human knowledge gained might shed more light on the particular interpretation of scripture. Reason is a gift of God and he intended that we use it. Nothing in nature can contradict what he has revealed in his word. Therefore, the interpretation of passages in the right context can and do make sense. St. Thomas Aquinas is worth quoting at length here:
"First, the Truth of Scripture must be held inviolable. Secondly, when there are different ways of explaining a Scriptural text, no particular explanation should be held so rigidly that, if convincing arguments show it to be false, anyone dare to insist that it still is the definitive sense of the text. Otherwise unbelievers will scorn Sacred Scripture, and the way to faith will be closed to them."
As you can imagine, the discussion got a little heated. I thought the waiter guy was going to flip a gasket. He suggested that we watch movies entitled "Zeitgeist" and "Zeitgeist II". He said they go on to explain how all the religions are the same and that they are different expressions of the same thing. Sadly, I've heard that many times. If truth is objective, then there can only be one path. I tried explaining this to him and he couldn't wrap his mind about it. He called himself a pan-theist. I know. It's like ancient pagan times again. Regardless of his views it was quite the discussion and the evening.
I really enjoy Monday Night football.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Miracles
I recently finished the book Miracles by the great C.S. Lewis. The writing was his usual down to earth commentary that the "everyman" can understand and enjoy. My understanding of what exactly a miracle is was greatly helped by this book.
There are two categories that Lewis distinguishes between: Naturalists and super-naturalists. Naturalists, according to Lewis, have a specific emphasis that everything is just a process and progress of nature itself. But, Lewis argues, miracles then would not be miracles and therefore just something that nature does naturally. Which, as you can probably deduce, would not make it a miracle. It is an interesting distinction.
The super-naturalists are those that attribute that miracles can and do occur and that they are actions of the hand of God reaching into nature. The nature that he created. It is not a disruptive action or one the goes against the laws of nature. They are consistent with nature, but beyond nature so to speak. And this "beyond nature" is a benevolent being, the being that we have been privileged to call God our Father.
Now, I am just an amateur, but the way that I interpret that is this: God plays a role in our lives through various miracles and these miracles are tastes of the new creation that will be at the end of the world. The perfect world that God had intended for us in the first place. They are outward signs that God is still with us, kind of like sacraments. I think the question is then how does God interact with the world? Miracles don't go against the laws of nature, they show us a different dimension of nature. God's nature.
Just check out the book for yourself.
There are two categories that Lewis distinguishes between: Naturalists and super-naturalists. Naturalists, according to Lewis, have a specific emphasis that everything is just a process and progress of nature itself. But, Lewis argues, miracles then would not be miracles and therefore just something that nature does naturally. Which, as you can probably deduce, would not make it a miracle. It is an interesting distinction.
The super-naturalists are those that attribute that miracles can and do occur and that they are actions of the hand of God reaching into nature. The nature that he created. It is not a disruptive action or one the goes against the laws of nature. They are consistent with nature, but beyond nature so to speak. And this "beyond nature" is a benevolent being, the being that we have been privileged to call God our Father.
Now, I am just an amateur, but the way that I interpret that is this: God plays a role in our lives through various miracles and these miracles are tastes of the new creation that will be at the end of the world. The perfect world that God had intended for us in the first place. They are outward signs that God is still with us, kind of like sacraments. I think the question is then how does God interact with the world? Miracles don't go against the laws of nature, they show us a different dimension of nature. God's nature.
Just check out the book for yourself.
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