To read about what they thought about the following issues, click on each one of the topics below.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Theological Marriage
15 March Anniversary + + + + + + +
What lies in the Bible may surprise some.
The Bible is not only about Jesus and His life, His teachings, and about Him. Although centered around these things, the Bible is also about His Apostles, His saints, and His Church.
What unites these, His Apostles, saints, and Church?
It is Christ who unites but it is by a divine sort of marriage He is united to them.
A divine implication of marriage is one of man and woman ( a divine meeting or union of the relationship of humanity which has the power as the Creator, to create Human Life).
This "divine implication of marriage" is why marriage is a sacramental (a symbol), and a Catholic marriage a sacramental marriage, not a regular marriage, but one with divine implications, thus unbreakable.
But this form of marriage is not solely within the human male-female relationship. Marriage also has an illustruous theological value beyond the sacrament of marriage.
It is the greatest illustration of the Christian life.
We are offered an invitation to the wedding banquet, which is HEAVEN!
Heaven is a marriage between the divine and its church, a unison of man and God, of the visible and the invisible. In fact, it is better said that it is an unveiling. An unveiling of the invisible to what was once the only physically visible revealing all and thus no longer invisible ( as that of a spouse should be on the wedding night).
Heaven is a celebratory banquet of a marriage between the divine and humanity. It is showcased or relived in the Catholic Mass. Jesus revealed Himself as bread of life. "I am the Bread of Life" says Jesus, so at communion we are offered a communion with the divine in a spectacular way which will also be the reality of the union in Heaven.
Communion is a manifestation of the Heavenly banquet which we celebrate and give thanks. It is a meeting, or marriage, of Heaven and Earth. God comes down from Heaven and meets us in the Eucharist which gives life ( John 6:51 ) as a husband and wife unite and also create life.
This reality of the Eucharist gives us the reason why little girls dress for their first communion as if they are to be given away as brides. They wear veils and white dresses because they are invited to partake in the Great banquet. Babies are also in their baptismal gowns as this marital relationship with God is also in reference to the relationship God has with all His church.
The Church is the Body of Christ, therefore when one is welcomed into the Church, one is to meet God there, and this unison also incorporates a relationship to the invitation to the Heavenly banquet. When one is baptized, one is not only given the invitation but are responding to it by sacramentally uniting one's life with Christ, uniting with the body of Christ (which is also His Church) ( Colossians 1 :18 , Galatians 3: 27 ).
The invitation to the banquet is actually realized in every sacrament, especially Holy Orders. In Holy Orders, the priest is celibate and not married as to express their desire to be married to God as Jesus is united with the Father. So as a husband and wife offer and reveal themselves to each other, the priest wants to live their vocation in unison with Jesus, who was celibate, and live out a special communion with the Father as Jesus who was High priest ( Hebrews 4: 14).
2 Corinthians 2 :10 illustrates to us both the role of St. Paul, who was ordained through Holy Orders to be in persona Christi, and another sacramental role in the unison of man and the Divine found in Reconciliation. In the sacrament of Confession, we are reconciled to our baptismal state where we are united to the Body of Christ, the Church, and the divine through the priest's service of Christ's Church as St. Paul in persona Christi, The laguage "In persona Christi" is expressed in 2nd Corinthians in the original Latin Vulgate, illustrating the profound historical relevance of such a biblical and priestly idea:
Confirmation ( Hebrews 6 : 2 ) and the Anointing of the Sick are also sacraments in which we reaffirm our baptismal relationship with the divine through the rejection of evil and the desire to be in our baptismal unison with Christ and His Body, the Church ( James 5 : 14 ).
What lies in the Bible may surprise some.
The Bible is not only about Jesus and His life, His teachings, and about Him. Although centered around these things, the Bible is also about His Apostles, His saints, and His Church.
What unites these, His Apostles, saints, and Church?
It is Christ who unites but it is by a divine sort of marriage He is united to them.
A divine implication of marriage is one of man and woman ( a divine meeting or union of the relationship of humanity which has the power as the Creator, to create Human Life).
This "divine implication of marriage" is why marriage is a sacramental (a symbol), and a Catholic marriage a sacramental marriage, not a regular marriage, but one with divine implications, thus unbreakable.
But this form of marriage is not solely within the human male-female relationship. Marriage also has an illustruous theological value beyond the sacrament of marriage.
It is the greatest illustration of the Christian life.
We are offered an invitation to the wedding banquet, which is HEAVEN!
Heaven is a marriage between the divine and its church, a unison of man and God, of the visible and the invisible. In fact, it is better said that it is an unveiling. An unveiling of the invisible to what was once the only physically visible revealing all and thus no longer invisible ( as that of a spouse should be on the wedding night).
Heaven is a celebratory banquet of a marriage between the divine and humanity. It is showcased or relived in the Catholic Mass. Jesus revealed Himself as bread of life. "I am the Bread of Life" says Jesus, so at communion we are offered a communion with the divine in a spectacular way which will also be the reality of the union in Heaven.
Communion is a manifestation of the Heavenly banquet which we celebrate and give thanks. It is a meeting, or marriage, of Heaven and Earth. God comes down from Heaven and meets us in the Eucharist which gives life ( John 6:51 ) as a husband and wife unite and also create life.
This reality of the Eucharist gives us the reason why little girls dress for their first communion as if they are to be given away as brides. They wear veils and white dresses because they are invited to partake in the Great banquet. Babies are also in their baptismal gowns as this marital relationship with God is also in reference to the relationship God has with all His church.
The Church is the Body of Christ, therefore when one is welcomed into the Church, one is to meet God there, and this unison also incorporates a relationship to the invitation to the Heavenly banquet. When one is baptized, one is not only given the invitation but are responding to it by sacramentally uniting one's life with Christ, uniting with the body of Christ (which is also His Church) ( Colossians 1 :18 , Galatians 3: 27 ).
The invitation to the banquet is actually realized in every sacrament, especially Holy Orders. In Holy Orders, the priest is celibate and not married as to express their desire to be married to God as Jesus is united with the Father. So as a husband and wife offer and reveal themselves to each other, the priest wants to live their vocation in unison with Jesus, who was celibate, and live out a special communion with the Father as Jesus who was High priest ( Hebrews 4: 14).
2 Corinthians 2 :10 illustrates to us both the role of St. Paul, who was ordained through Holy Orders to be in persona Christi, and another sacramental role in the unison of man and the Divine found in Reconciliation. In the sacrament of Confession, we are reconciled to our baptismal state where we are united to the Body of Christ, the Church, and the divine through the priest's service of Christ's Church as St. Paul in persona Christi, The laguage "In persona Christi" is expressed in 2nd Corinthians in the original Latin Vulgate, illustrating the profound historical relevance of such a biblical and priestly idea:
II Corinthios 2:10Biblia Sacra Vulgata (VULGATE)
10 cui autem aliquid donatis et ego nam et ego quod donavi si quid donavi propter vos in persona Christi
Confirmation ( Hebrews 6 : 2 ) and the Anointing of the Sick are also sacraments in which we reaffirm our baptismal relationship with the divine through the rejection of evil and the desire to be in our baptismal unison with Christ and His Body, the Church ( James 5 : 14 ).
So what is the message of the Bible? Use this link to discover these biblical realities presented, that we are all invited to the Holy Wedding Banquet in Heaven, that the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist, are all centered and focused upon becoming "holy," that is to say, complete in God, through a marital relationship with Him as members of the Church through the Body of Christ which is His Church by the ministry of those who act for us as the deliverers of the Bread of Life in persona Christi in completing the mission of the Christian which is to accept the wedding invitation and to be united with God in the infinite Father, the incarnate Son, and in the fullness with the Holy Spirit.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Just and Merciful?
Maybe you found a contradiction in the terms?
How can a God be both: Just and Merciful?
Just is one which is fair by giving what one deserves. A merciful God is one who judges not based on what is deserving but through mercy whips away the sentence against the guilty.
The Our Father prayer is so full of theology, it is an outstanding prayer!
" ...... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us .... "
He is merciful in the way we are merciful, so we are 'given what we deserve' through our own mercifulness. As the prayer states, He will forgive as we forgive.
The truth of the matter is as a Christian and as human beings, we are not deserving, we are all guilty! We all have flaws and failures. It is hard to live apart of our own egos, it is easier not to be merciful to those we despise and merciful to those we love. We are to love our enemies says the Lord which means we are to be merciful to even those we despise.
It is when the Christian realizes they are not worthy of God's love (this humility) when one is prepared to follow the Lord in all His mercifulness to be AS HIM. Only when we see ourselves as what we are, fallen and broken, can we be mended, and can we begin to love others despite themselves and ourselves.
In this culture of political polarization, it is often hard to remember the True matters, not our tax policies, immigration policies, or our state policies, but how merciful are we to allow for our fellow men to be as broken and weak as we are.
Today's Gospel reading, illustrates how the Old and New Testament God is not a different God, but the characteristics are compatible. Yet, we should be mindful, in the incarnation of Christ, we see God already reaching out to us calling us to His mercy (and is vengeant when we do not replicate His love and mercy). We see a Just God in both the New and Old testament, granting to us what we deserve, but in the New Testament, God literally feels us, touches our humanity as he becomes one of us, displaying already the mercy He wills to grant us.
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
How can a God be both: Just and Merciful?
Just is one which is fair by giving what one deserves. A merciful God is one who judges not based on what is deserving but through mercy whips away the sentence against the guilty.
The Our Father prayer is so full of theology, it is an outstanding prayer!
" ...... forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us .... "
He is merciful in the way we are merciful, so we are 'given what we deserve' through our own mercifulness. As the prayer states, He will forgive as we forgive.
The truth of the matter is as a Christian and as human beings, we are not deserving, we are all guilty! We all have flaws and failures. It is hard to live apart of our own egos, it is easier not to be merciful to those we despise and merciful to those we love. We are to love our enemies says the Lord which means we are to be merciful to even those we despise.
It is when the Christian realizes they are not worthy of God's love (this humility) when one is prepared to follow the Lord in all His mercifulness to be AS HIM. Only when we see ourselves as what we are, fallen and broken, can we be mended, and can we begin to love others despite themselves and ourselves.
In this culture of political polarization, it is often hard to remember the True matters, not our tax policies, immigration policies, or our state policies, but how merciful are we to allow for our fellow men to be as broken and weak as we are.
Today's Gospel reading, illustrates how the Old and New Testament God is not a different God, but the characteristics are compatible. Yet, we should be mindful, in the incarnation of Christ, we see God already reaching out to us calling us to His mercy (and is vengeant when we do not replicate His love and mercy). We see a Just God in both the New and Old testament, granting to us what we deserve, but in the New Testament, God literally feels us, touches our humanity as he becomes one of us, displaying already the mercy He wills to grant us.
Gospel Mt 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
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