tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127562962024-03-13T23:50:52.939+08:00Ask TMThis blog answers questions related to the Bible, and Catholic doctrines and teachings. Questions can be emailed to mannyblas@gmail.com.
The author is Manny Blas (or TM, Tito Manny to friends) and has an M.A. in Religious Studies from Maryhill School of Theology (New Manila, Philippines), a Catholic seminary of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of Mary - CICM. Sometimes, the author is assisted in preparing the responses, but I maintain the responsibility for such answers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1145172729924012762006-04-16T14:03:00.000+08:002006-04-16T16:33:04.973+08:00What is the gospel of Judas?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/gospel%20of%20judas1.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/gospel%20of%20judas1.1.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is taken from a Zenit article dated April 5, 2006. ZENIT asked Father Thomas D. Williams, dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Rome</st1:city></st1:place>, to comment on the relevance of the discovery.<br /><br /><br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Q: What is the "Gospel of Judas"?</span></strong><br /></i><br /><span lang="EN-PH">Father Williams: Though the manuscript still must be authenticated, it likely represents a fourth- or fifth-century text, and is a copy of an earlier document produced by a Gnostic sect called the Cainites.<br /></span><br />The document paints Judas Iscariot in a positive light, and describes him as obeying a divine ordinance in handing over Jesus to the authorities for the salvation of the world.<br /><br />It may well be a copy of the "Gospel of Judas" referred to by St. Irenaeus of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lyons</st1:place></st1:city> in his work "Against the Heresies," written around A.D. 180.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/gospel%20of%20judas.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/gospel%20of%20judas.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><i><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Q: If authentic, what challenge would this document pose to traditional Christian belief? Will it "shake Christianity to its foundations" as some press releases have suggested?</strong><br /></span></i><br />Certainly not. The Gnostic gospels, of which there are many besides this one, are not Christian documents per se, since they proceed from a syncretistic sect that incorporated elements from different religions, including Christianity.<br /><br />From the moment of their appearance, the Christian community rejected these documents because of their incompatibility with the Christian faith.<br /><br />The "Gospel of Judas" would be a document of this sort, which could have great historical value, since it contributes to our knowledge of the Gnostic movement, but it poses no direct challenge to Christianity.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Q: Is it true that the Church has tried to cover up this text and other apocryphal texts?</span></strong><br /></i><br />These are myths circulated by Dan Brown and other conspiracy theorists.<br /><br />You can go to any Catholic bookstore and pick up a copy of the Gnostic gospels. Christians may not believe them to be true, but there is no attempt to hide them.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Q: But doesn't an early document of this sort rival orthodox Christian sources, such as the four canonical Gospels?<br /></span></strong></i><br />Remember that Gnosticism arose in the middle of the second century, and the "Gospel of Judas," if authentic, probably dates back to the mid- to late second century.<br /><br />To put a historical perspective on things, that would be like you or me writing a text now on the American Civil War and having that text later used as a primary historical source on the war. The text could not have been written by eyewitnesses, the way at least two of the canonical Gospels were.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Q: Why would the leaders of the Gnostic movement have been interested in Judas?</span></strong><br /></i><br />One of the major differences between Gnostic belief and that of Christianity concerns the origins of evil in the universe.<br /><br />Christians believe that a good God created a good world, and that through the abuse of free will, sin and corruption entered the world and produced disorder and suffering.<br /><br />The Gnostics blamed God for the evil in the world and claimed that he created the world in a disordered and flawed way. Thus they champion the rehabilitation of Old Testament figures such as Cain, who killed his brother Abel, and Esau, the elder brother of Jacob, who sold his birthright for a plate of pottage.<br /><br />Judas fits perfectly into the Gnostic agenda of showing that God intends evil for the world.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Q: But wasn't Judas' betrayal a necessary part of God's plan, as this text suggests?<br /></span></strong></i><br />Being omniscient, God knows full well what choices we will make and weaves even our bad decisions into his providential plan for the world.<br /><br />In his last published book, Pope John Paul II eloquently reflected on how God continues to bring good out of even the worst evil that man can produce.<br /><br />That doesn't mean, however, that God intends for us to do evil, or that he intended for Judas to betray Jesus. If it wasn't Judas, it would have been someone else. The authorities had already decided to put Jesus to death, and it was just a matter of time.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Q: What is the Church's position regarding Judas? Is it possible to "rehabilitate" him?<br /></span></strong></i><br />Though the Catholic Church has a canonization process by which it declares certain persons to be in heaven, as saints, it has no such process for declaring people to be condemned.<br /><br />Historically, many have thought that Judas is probably in hell, because of Jesus' severe indictment of Judas: "It would be better for that man if he had never been born," as he says in Matthew 26:24. But even these words do not offer conclusive evidence regarding his fate.<br /><br />In his 1994 book, "Crossing the Threshold of Hope," Pope John Paul II wrote that Jesus' words "do not allude for certain to eternal damnation."<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Q: But if anyone deserves hell, wouldn't it be Judas?</span></strong><br /></i><br />Surely many people deserve hell, but we must remember that the mercy of God is infinitely greater than our wickedness.<br /><br />Peter and Judas committed very similar faults: Peter denied Jesus three times, and Judas handed him over. And yet now Peter is remembered as a saint and Judas simply as the traitor.<br /><br />The main difference between the two is not the nature or gravity of their sin, but rather their willingness to accept God's mercy. Peter wept for his sins, came back to Jesus, and was pardoned. The Gospel describes Judas as hanging himself in despair.<br /><br /><i><strong><span style="color:#990000;">Q: Why is the "Gospel of Judas" arousing so much interest?</span></strong><br /></i><br />Such theories regarding Judas are certainly not new.<br /><br />It's enough to remember the 1973 play "Jesus Christ Superstar," where Judas sings, "I have no thought at all about my own reward. I really didn't come here of my own accord," or Taylor Caldwell's 1977 novel "I, Judas."<br /><br />The enormous economic success of "The Da Vinci Code" has undoubtedly stirred up the pot, and provided financial incentive for theories of this sort.<br /><br />Michael Baigent, author of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," now has a book out called "The Jesus Papers," which recycles the old story that Jesus survived the crucifixion.<br /><br />And a newly released "scientific" study asserts that meteorological conditions could have been such that Jesus really walked on ice, when the Gospels say he walked on water.<br /><br />Basically, for those who reject outright the possibility of miracles, any theory, outlandish as it may be, trumps Christian claims.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1145156138374254222006-04-16T10:49:00.000+08:002006-04-16T10:55:38.393+08:00What happened to Jesus between the time he died and resurrected? Where did he go?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/jesus%27tomb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/jesus%27tomb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">The question is a good one.<span style=""> </span>We have almost reduced Holy Week to two days:<span style=""> </span>Good Friday and Easter Sunday.<span style=""> </span>Holy Saturday is treated like a “break” from all the church liturgy, at least until the Easter Vigil.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">In answering the question, let’s be careful that we do not treat the death and Resurrection of Jesus in terms of human time and space.<span style=""> </span>The Resurrection did not occur during a particular time, say, for example, on the midnight of Sunday.<span style=""> </span>I t is also difficult to talk about where exactly Jesus went when he died.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">We know that Jesus died and Resurrected.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">What happened in between is referred to, in our Creed, as Jesus having “descended to the dead.”</span><span style=""> </span>(Also referred to as “descended to hell” because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.<span style=""> </span>CCC, 633).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">“Descended to the dead” means:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">Jesus, like all human beings, experienced death.<span style=""> </span>He did not just pretend to die.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">Jesus’ act of salvation applies to all, even to those who died before him.<span style=""> </span>Salvation is “not limited by time and space.”<a style="" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-PH">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;">We are inspired that Jesus resurrected.<span style=""> </span>Equally, and perhaps even more inspiring, is that Jesus actually died.<span style=""> </span>At a moment in human history, there is an event when God died.<span style=""> </span>Isn’t that more astonishing?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">But Jesus, the God-human, died for a purpose:</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span>to be one with ALL humankind by “joining the others in the realm of the dead.”<a style="" href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-PH">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span style=""> </span>In doing so, Jesus includes all humankind of all time and of all places in proclaiming the good news: I have come to bring you ALL back to the Father.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-PH" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" >This is the wonderful significance of Holy Saturday.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" >God’s love indeed knows no bounds</span>.<br /><br /></span> <div style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--> <hr align="left" width="33%" style="font-size:78%;"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-PH">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-PH"> CFC, 592 and CCC, 634-635</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-PH">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-PH"><span style=""> </span>CCC, 632</span></p> </div> </div> CFC is Catechism for Filipino Catholics and CCC is Catechism of the Catholic Church.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1144228578437209632006-04-05T16:59:00.000+08:002006-04-05T17:16:19.126+08:00Why did Jesus have to die?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/bible.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/crucifixion.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/crucifixion.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">Let’s first answer that question with a question: what is the most important aspect of Christianity?</span></strong><br /><br />If you were asked what is the core essential and most important of aspect of Christianity, the ‘thing’ that really differentiates our faith from all other faiths, the one element that is beyond any human teaching and endeavor, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?<br /><br />St. Paul answered this question in 1 Corinthians 15:3: “For I handed on to you as of FIRST <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/jesus%20temptation.0.jpg"></a>IMPORTANCE what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.” (emphasis mine)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">The answer is: the Cross. The cross is of “first importance.”</span></strong><br /><br />But how can this be? Crucifixion is the Roman method of execution, somewhat equivalent to the contemporary electric chair, gas chamber or lethal injection. I say “somewhat” because it was far worse. The objective of crucifixion was not to kill, but to shame and torture. Victims were hanged on the cross naked, and sometimes for days. Out of pity, they were scourged before crucifixion to quicken their death, or their legs broken while crucified so they can die of asphyxiation.<br /><br />For the early Christians to say that they are the disciples of Jesus is equivalent today of being disciples of a criminal who was put to death in the electric chair.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">What then did the crucifixion accomplish?</span></strong><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/crucifixion.jpg"></a><br />Let’s start with some misperceptions. Some have gravely misunderstood the crucifixion as “picturing the Father punishing him cruelly for our sins, even though he is completely innocent. This is a monstrous view of God the Father, and badly misinterprets the New Testament. The Father hates sin, not Jesus.” (CFC, 569)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">God did not become human to simply die.</span></strong> We miss the point when we think of Jesus’ sacrifice only in terms of his death on the cross. Instead we should look at his entire life and his purpose or mission, which is to preach the Kingdom of God, and this he accomplished to the extent it RESULTED to his death on the cross.<br /><br />But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” – Luke 4:43<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">The core of Jesus’ teaching is the Kingdom of God,</span></strong> mentioned more than a hundred times in the Gospel. The Kingdom of God is not a place, but a condition where unconditional love prevails. God’s love is unconditional, which means that it is open to everyone, regardless of how sinful you are.<br /><br />Preaching this contradicted and embarrassed many of the Pharisees, Sadducees and other authorities during Jesus’ time. Eventually, people plotted against him, which resulted to his crucifixion and death.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">What was accomplished in the cross, therefore, is the full manifestation of God’s love. There Jesus hanged because he could not stop short of showing humanity what God’s love (read: God’s Kingdom) is all about.</span></strong><br /><br />It is not the very suffering and death of Christ that save us, for this would make his torturers and executioners our saviors. Rather, we are saved by Jesus’ perfect self-giving love for his Father and for us, a love lived out to the death. (CFC, 558)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">Can you imagine if Jesus veered away from his life purpose because he was afraid that he was going to be killed?</span></strong> Instead, “he saw his suffering and death as part of the coming of the Kingdom, the “test” he taught his followers to pray about: lead us not to the test. (CFC, 562)<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">What did Jesus say and do, then, which meant life for us and death for him?</span></strong><br /><br />Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God was destined not pri­marily to the pious and the faithful observers of the Law, but to the poor, the blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf, the sick and the un­educated "people of the land." All this was most shocking to his contemporaries.<br /><br />But Jesus provoked the anger of the Jewish leaders in many other ways. He consorted and took his meals with the "enemies of the people," the abhorred tax collectors, as well as with prostitutes and public sinners. He drastically reinterpreted the Law on such matters as legal purity, the sabbath, divorce, etc. He rejected the accepted norms of retaliation against non-Jews and publicly favored the "popular enemy," the Samaritan. He assured some individuals that their sins had been for­given. He denounced the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. He attacked the chief priests. And in many other ways, Jesus threatened the existing “law and order” so that a truly fraternal and just society might emerge one day – at whatever cost to himself.<br /><br />Jesus did not say: I want to die, and therefore I will provoke everyone into killing me. Instead, he said:<strong><span style="color:#993300;"> By my Father’s command, I will proclaim and show what God’s love is all about, and I will do so even if it costs my life.<br /></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">I was taught that Jesus made the supreme sacrifice on the cross. How then are we to interpret this sacrificial act?<br /></span></strong><br />Jesus’ sacrificial act on the cross is consistent with the biblical meaning of sacrifice. When a Jew offered an animal as sacrifice, the animal was the symbol of his or her life. By offering the animal, the Jew was also offering his or her life to God. But for the Jew, the focus is not the killing of the animal, but what it symbolizes: his or her life would now be based on obeying God’s will. The Jew was in effect saying, “I am offering this animal to tell my God that I would like to live a life that is God-centered.”<br /><br />It is the same with the sacrifice of Jesus. It is not just the crucifixion but the entire life of Jesus that we should consider. And his whole life was to fulfill the purpose that the Father has sent him: to preach the Kingdom. Even unto death.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">How does Jesus’ death forgive my sins?</span></strong><br /><br />To be forgiven is to be reconciled with God. Jesus has shown in his life, and death, that we are forgiven and loved unconditionally.<br /><br />When we really understand the meaning of Jesus’ life and death on the cross, then a profound healing can begin to take place within us. Our “being saved” or “being forgiven” happens.<br /><br />“When we begin to accept that God loves and accepts us unconditionally, then we can change our sense of who we are and our sense of what life is about. Our primary image of our self would then become one of ‘trusted, loved and already forgiven by God,’ rather than ‘sinner who must please God to be forgiven.’ We can begin to discover that the Christian life is about a life lived in a loving relationship with God. Realizing this, we may be able to allow the transforming power of our love relationship with God to work in our lives.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;">But couldn’t a martyr have done what Jesus did; that is, teach about God’s love and be able to die for it?</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><strong>That’s exactly the point!</strong></span> Out of love, God sent His only Son to do it (not anyone else), so that God’s love is not only preached, but lived, by God himself!<br /><br />Because it was God himself who did it, then that saving love is unique. How? In the following ways:<br /><br />- It is universal – it is for all of humanity<br /><br />- Secondly, it is empowering – we cooperate with Jesus in Kingdom building.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#993399;"><strong>What’s the implication of all these in my life?</strong></span><br /><br />When you look at Jesus on the cross, do not remember only his death. Remember his entire life, what he said and did, his unconditional love manifested in forgiveness and healing of both the physical, mental and emotional illnesses of those around him. Recall that Jesus was willing to do all these even if he knew that he would antagonize people and that he may eventually pay for it with his life. But he did so anyway out of love for all of us.<br /><br />Realizing this, you too can discover your life purpose and fulfill it to completion, just as Jesus did.<br />Secondly, in his life as in his death, Jesus had only one goal. Like the good shepherd who is ready to risk his life for his sheep, he thus laid his life for his sheep “so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) <span style="color:#993300;"><strong>You too can contribute to making others live more fully: physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually.</strong><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Lode Wostyn, CICM, I Believe: A Workbook for Theology I (Manila: Claretian Publications, 2004), 174.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1141717269167025162006-03-07T15:36:00.000+08:002006-03-07T15:43:14.296+08:00Why do we fast and abstain? (Asked by Tintin SJ, SE-1 and Kimie V., SE-10)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/lent.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/lent.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">What is fasting?</span><br /><br />Fasting is required only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and involves eating only one full meal on those days. One or two smaller meals may be taken on those days, but the two may not total one full meal. The required fast also does not allow eating anything between meals.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Why do we fast?</span><br /><br />First and foremost, the purpose of fasting is conversion, i.e. to change. Our Church categorizes fasting together with prayer and almsgiving, and consider these three as the highest forms of expressing the conversion in our relationship with God and others. The whole Sermon in the Mount (Matthew 6:1-18) also refers to this triad of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.<br /><br />Thus, fasting is NOT atonement (or making up) for our sins, but as our way of working on those things in our selves that need changing. When we deprive ourselves of certain basic necessities, such as food, then we are training ourselves to have better control of certain undesirable traits that may have already become a natural part of our selves. <br /><br />If we can fast from eating in one day, then we can certainly be able to, for examples, control our temper a little longer, be extra kind to someone who may irritate us, be a little less harsh to people who don’t meet our expectations, spend a little more time with someone who needs ministering, put more volunteer time in a worthwhile project, be more easily forgiving of another person’s faults, and so on.<br /><br />This daily and everyday changes in our life is the normal path pointed out by Jesus: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).<br /><br />This brings us back to the biblical meaning of “sacrifice.” When the Jews offered a lamb or pigeon as a sacrifice, it was NOT to feed a hungry God. The animal offered symbolized the life of the offeror, and his/her way of saying “I, too, am offering my life, and I will do this by making my life more God-centered.”<br /><br />Those offering a sacrifice are to allow God’s grace to transform their lives. If the sacrifice does not result in changed lives, then those who offered it have put an obstacle in God’s way, and so the sacrifice has been incomplete!<br /><br />This is why Hosea said in 6:6: For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts. If we fast simply for fasting’s sake, and we are not renewed in love and forgiveness, then God does not desire our fasting.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Why is fasting grouped together with almsgiving?</span><br /><br />The relationship between fasting and almsgiving is a prominent theme in early Christian writings. In a 2nd century text, we read: “In the day on which you fast you will taste nothing but bread and water; and having reckoned up the price of the dishes of that day which you intended to have eaten, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in want.”<br /><br />The preaching of the church fathers is clear that whatever saving is realized through one’s fasting belongs to the poor. Thus Gregory the Great preached, “The one who does not give to the poor what he has saved but keeps it for later to satisfy his own appetite, does not fast for God.”<br /><br />Thus, early on in our Church history, we were encouraged to always accompany our personal sacrifices with acts of service to others. Fasting was meant to also heighten our awareness of our obligation to help others.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">What about abstinence?</span><br /><br />To abstain is to not eat meat, and is required on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. (Eggs and dairy products are ok).<br /><br />It is an act of sacrifice, that helps us grow in freedom to make much bigger sacrifices. Of course, it would not make sense to make the sacrifice of not eating meat, and then eat a wonderful meal of Chilean sea bass and lobster, which you might enjoy even more. Many people eat a vegetarian diet, for a variety of reasons, and eating meat is not even an issue. It should be noted that many people in this world cannot afford to eat meat or do not have access to it. Part of our abstaining from meat can place us in solidarity with so many of our sisters and brothers around the world.<br /><br />If you don’t already eat meat, or abstaining from meat isn’t a big deal, then it is suggested that you abstain from some food that you really like.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Why Fridays?</span><br /><br />Friday has always remained a special day for Christians since it is the day that Jesus died. Friday should be in each week what Lent is in the entire year. Friday is that day when we become a little bit more conscious of our shortcomings so that we can adequately prepare for the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Can I substitute other forms of sacrifices instead of fasting and abstinence?</span><br /><br />It is preferred that you conform with our Church’s requirements on fasting and abstinence so that we can be in solidarity with our entire Catholic community during those days.<br /><br />However, I did come across this practice which may be helpful as an additional practice in helping us in our conversion process.<br /><br />- Mondays – Do a devotion, like the rosary or visit to the Blessed Sacrament.<br />- Tuesdays – Make it your “Textless Tuesday” Detach yourself from your life support (cellphone).<br />- Wednesdays – Go out of your comfort zone in helping others.<br />- Thursdays – Fast from gossip<br />- Fridays – Fast from making mental judgments of people<br />- Saturdays – Your day off.<br />- Sunday – Feast on Scripture (read the bible chapters at a time).<br /><br /><br /><br />Sources:<br /><br />- Father Thomas Ryan, CSP, coordinates ecumenical and interreligious relations for the Paulists and is the author of The Sacred Art of Fasting: Beginning to Practice (SkyLight Paths, 2005). See for the full article: http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=18854<br /><br />- See also: http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/fast-abstinence.htmlAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1139900747579107352006-02-14T14:59:00.000+08:002006-02-14T15:05:47.613+08:00Why do we make the sign of the cross? (Asked by Jippo C. - SE-10)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/sign%20of%20the%20cross.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/sign%20of%20the%20cross.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I found a very good answer to this question from a Zenit article. Zenit provides a series of weekly articles that originate directly from the Vatican. You can subscribe to their weekly email updates. Log on to <a href="http://www.zenit.org/">http://www.zenit.org/</a>.<br /><br />I have edited the answer below, for the sake of brevity. If you want to read the full article please <a href="http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=62381">click here.</a><br /><br /><br />The simple gesture that Catholics make thousands of times in their lives has a deeper meaning most of them don't realize.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Q: When did the sign of the cross originate? </span></strong><br /><br />Bert Ghezzi*: The sign of the cross is a very ancient practice and prayer. We don't have any indication of it in Scripture, but St. Basil in the fourth century said that we learned the sign from the time of the apostles and that it was administered in baptisms. Some scholars interpret St. Paul's saying that he bears the marks of Christ on his body, in Galatians 6:17, as his referring to the sign of the cross. In the book, I note that the sign originates close to Jesus' time and goes back to the ancient Church. Christians received it in baptism; the celebrant signed them and claimed them for Christ.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Q: How did it become such an important liturgical and devotional practice? </span></strong><br /><br />Ghezzi: I speculate that when adult Christians were baptized, they made the sign of the cross that claimed them for Christ on their forehead proudly. Tertullian said that Christians at all times should mark their foreheads with the sign of the cross. I can imagine that Christians would make a little sign of the cross with their thumb and forefinger on their foreheads, to remind themselves that they were living a life for Christ.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Q: Beyond the words themselves, what does the sign mean? Why is it a mark of discipleship?</span> </strong><br /><br />Ghezzi: The sign means a lot of things. In the book, I describe six meanings, with and without words. The sign of the cross is: a confession of faith; a renewal of baptism; a mark of discipleship; an acceptance of suffering; a defense against the devil; and a victory over self-indulgence. When you make the sign, you are professing a mini version of the creed — you are professing your belief in the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />When you say the words and pray in someone's name you are declaring their presence and coming into their presence — that's how a name is used in Scripture.<br /><br />The sign of the cross is a mark of discipleship. Jesus says in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The word that the Fathers of the Church used for the sign of the cross is a Greek word that is the same as what a slave owner put on a slave, a shepherd put on a sheep and a general put on a soldier — it's a declaration that I belong to Christ.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Q: Do non-Catholics use the sign of the cross? </span></strong><br /><br />Ghezzi: Yes, the sign of the cross is used by Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians, particularly in baptisms. In his small catechism, Martin Luther recommends making the sign of the cross at bedtime and first thing in the morning. It's a shame that many non-Catholics see it as something they shouldn't be doing; it comes from an ancient Church that we all share. One of my hopes in writing this book is that non-Catholics will read it and share in the sign of the cross.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Q: Why do Catholics use the sign of the cross with holy water upon entering and exiting a church? </span></strong><br /><br />Ghezzi: In order to participate in the great sacrifice of the Mass, you need to be baptized. Using holy water to sign yourself is saying "I am a baptized Christian and I am authorized to participate in this sacrifice." When you make the sign of the cross when you leave, you say that the Mass never ends — your whole life is participating in Christ's sacrifice.<br /><br />When I see professional athletes make the sign of the cross during games, I'm not critical of them. It says that everything I do, I do in the name of Christ — even games can be played in the presence of God. When people make the sign of the cross casually, I pray that they will recognize how serious it is — that they are declaring that they belong to Christ, they want to obey him and accept suffering. It's not a good-luck charm.<br /><br />* Bert Ghezzi, author of "Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer" (<a href="http://www.loyolapress.com/store/title.asp?isbn=0829416196">Loyola Press</a>).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1139896672759571222006-02-14T13:39:00.000+08:002006-02-14T14:03:25.073+08:00Was the story of Adam and Eve a myth? Follow up question: What is the Catholic Church's stand on the theory of evolution? (Asked by Sujee I., SE-4)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/evolution.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/evolution.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Regarding your first question on whether the story of Adam and Eve is a myth, I’d like to direct you to my answer to an earlier question on AskTM, namely: How should we interpret the message of Creation, Adam and Eve, and the forbidden fruit in Genesis? (Asked by Charlie R., SE-1). <a href="http://asktm.blogspot.com/2006/01/how-should-we-interpret-message-of.html.">Click here</a> to read the answer.<br /><br />Regarding your follow up question, I am presenting below the answer presented in <a href="http://www.catholic.com/">http://www.catholic.com/</a>, with some editing and additional comments done by me. The website article has a “Nihil Obstat” (meaning “free from error”) and “Imprimatur” (meaning, “approved for publication). If you want to read the complete answer, you can <a href="http://www.catholic.com/library/Adam_Eve_and_Evolution.asp">click here.</a><br /><br />(Start of quote)<br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">What is the Catholic position concerning belief or unbelief in evolution? The question may never be finally settled, but there are definite parameters to what is acceptable Catholic belief. Concerning cosmological evolution, the Church has infallibly defined that the universe was specially created out of nothing. Vatican I solemnly defined that everyone must "confess the world and all things which are contained in it, both spiritual and material, as regards their whole substance, have been produced by God from nothing" (Canons on God the Creator of All Things, canon 5). The Church does not have an official position on whether the stars, nebulae, and planets we see today were created at that time or whether they developed over time (for example, in the aftermath of the Big Bang that modern cosmologists discuss). However, the Church would maintain that, if the stars and planets did develop over time, this still ultimately must be attributed to God and his plan.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Concerning biological evolution, the Church does not have an official position on whether various life forms developed over the course of time. However, it says that, if they did develop, then they did so under the impetus and guidance of God, and their ultimate creation must be ascribed to him. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Concerning human evolution, the Church has a more definite teaching. It allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous biological forms, under God’s guidance, but it insists on the special creation of his soul. Pope Pius XII declared that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . . . take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God" (Pius XII, Humani Generis 36). So whether the human body was specially created or developed, we are required to hold as a matter of Catholic faith that the human soul is specially created; it did not evolve, and it is not inherited from our parents, as our bodies are. </span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;">(My comment: The Catechism for the Catholic Church defines “soul” not as a ghost trapped in a human body but as the “spiritual principle in a person.” CCC, 363-364).<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">(End of quote)<br /></span><br />Having cited that, I would like to also encourage you to think of the significant teachings of the Creation story that we can apply in our lives today, namely:<br /><br />- Your question reflects a longing within all of us to understand the origin of things and life and, more importantly, its purpose and destination. The bible tells us that God is the source of all creation, and that God is also our purpose and destination. It tells us that God is not a watchmaker who created a watch and simply let the world tick endlessly, while God watches from the heavens and observe. No, God continues the work of creation: things and life are getting better everyday. The Christian perspective is always that we COOPERATE with God to make things better. “May your kingdom come.”<br /><br />- Secondly, we are reminded that God is in control. The God who created does not leave the world and people alone. God continues the work of creation through the everyday encounter we face where we can contribute to this work: helping a person in need, forgiving the person who hurt you, taking the initiative to mend a broken relationship, going out of your comfort zone to reach out and touch someone, making our daily business decisions consistent with Gospel values.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1136288813233475772006-01-03T19:35:00.000+08:002006-01-05T13:56:08.303+08:00How should we interpret the message of Creation, Adam and Eve, and the forbidden fruit in Genesis? (Asked by Charlie R., SE-1)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/Eve.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/Eve.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span lang="EN-PH">Let us bear in mind that the bible is not meant to be a scientific explanation of the beginnings of time.<span style=""> </span>It is meant to give us the <span style=""> </span>“inspired” explanation and reflections of the biblical authors regarding God’s purpose and humanity’s response.<span style=""> </span>A scientific explanation is meant to explain HOW the universe came to be.<span style=""> </span>A biblical explanation is meant to explain WHY it came to be.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">The stories of Creation and the Fall are myths, but I should caution you against thinking that simply because these are myths, then therefore these are false.<span style=""> </span>A myth is a literary form, usually using figurative language, which is used in explaining the origins of natural phenomena and aspects of human behavior.<span style=""> </span>The story presented in a myth may not have truly happened but contains<span style=""> profound </span>truths nevertheless.<span style=""> </span>The Catechism of the Catholic Church also tells us that the account of the Fall uses figurative language (CCC, 390).<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Analysing the creation story as a “myth” actually provides us profound insights on God’s purposes and humanity’s response.<span style=""> </span>On the other hand, if you simply take the creation story literally, then you would probably deduce that God is a mighty and fast worker who created everything in six days, got tired and rested on the seventh day.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Here are some of the meanings we can learn from these two stories:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" lang="EN-PH"><span style="">1.<span style=""> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">God is the source of everything.</span><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> </span> </span>The first verse in the bible is “in the beginning, the earth was a formless wasteland, and the darkness covered the abyss.”<span style=""> </span>Then God created the heavens and the earth.<span style=""> </span>Before that, there was nothing.<span style=""> </span>The phrase “and God said” indicates the power of God: simply by God’s word, things came to be.<span style=""> </span>(In Tagalog, isang salita lang, naganap na.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" lang="EN-PH"><span style="">2.<span style=""> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">God’s creation is perfect</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">; </span>nothing more and nothing less are required.<span style=""> </span>The number “7” is a symbol (as all numbers in the bible are symbolic) which means “perfect” or “complete.”<span style=""> </span>There is a sequence to creation (from Day 1 to Day 6), which means there is a purpose in creation.<span style=""> </span>Its purpose is to share God’s love and goodness – “God saw it was good.”<span style=""> </span>The purpose of creation is also shown on the seventh day which is blessed and made holy; meaning, that the purpose is for humanity to be with God.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);" lang="EN-PH"><span style="">3.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Humanity is the most important of all creation</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">.</span><span style=""> </span>God reserved the best for last, and only man/woman were created “in the image of God.”<span style=""> </span>God’s original intent is for harmony between God, humanity, and creation.<span style=""> </span>It was paradise.<span style=""> </span>But Adam and Eve broke this harmony with their response to God’s purposes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="">4.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">The “tree of knowledge of good and evil” is a merism</span>, which is </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">a literary device by which totality is expressed by the first and last of a series or by opposites.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>For example: “you know when I sit and when I stand” means all my physical movement.<span style=""> </span>Or “I love you day and night” means we love the person all the time.</span><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“To know” means not just intellectual, but experiential and relational so to “eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil” actually refers to a mastery of life which is independent of God.<span style=""> </span>The original sin is more than just disobedience.<span style=""> </span>Sometime in the beginnings of human history, humanity took a position that did not recognize the superiority of God and therefore rejected God’s love.</span><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="">This rejection of God’s love has resulted to a state of “original sin.”<span style=""> </span>Try to look at original sin not just as “an act,” but as a state or condition which now characterizes humanity.<span style=""> </span>We now have this tendency to be selfish (to think myself first). Thus, we harm human relationships and promote certain sinful and unjust structures in society which oppress others.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">There is one other aspect in the story of the Fall which is often neglected. <span style=""> </span>In Genesis 3:21, it says: “For the man and his wife, the LORD God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.”<span style=""> </span>This was after they took of the fruit and before they were banished from the garden.<span style=""> </span>This is a symbol that God always gives sinful persons a second chance.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">And indeed, we see this message clearly in Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, who came for us sinners.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> For further questions, please email me at mannyblas@gmail.com.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1135397227611475422005-12-24T11:50:00.000+08:002005-12-24T12:08:45.733+08:00Why does God have to be Jesus? (Asked by Bel Lioanag, SE-6)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/manger.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/200/manger.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" lang="EN-PH">Why does God have to be Jesus? Why does he have to be a human? Can we not be forgiven without Jesus’ sacrifice?</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">It would help very much if you could read my answer to the question <a href="http://asktm.blogspot.com/2005/05/what-is-holy-trinity.html">“What is the Holy Trinity?”</a><span style=""> </span>It will answer 50% of your question.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">In summary, this article will explain that God <b style=""><u>DID NOT HAVE TO</u></b> become Jesus.<span style=""> </span>The God that we know <b style=""><u>IS</u></b> Jesus.<span style=""> </span>Jesus is who God is, and not someone that God has to be.<span style=""> </span>Our God is not a one-person God (unlike the God professed by other faiths).<span style=""> </span>Our God is a Trinitarian God.<span style=""> </span>The name of our God is “Father-Son-Holy Spirit.”<span style=""> </span>Just <a href="http://asktm.blogspot.com/2005/05/what-is-holy-trinity.html">click here</a> to read the full article.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Here’s the other 50%.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">Our God is a communicating God.<span style=""> </span>God WANTS to communicate with us.<span style=""> </span>In the Old Testament, God communicates indirectly through signs (for example, thunder and lightning, parting of the Red Sea, through the prophets, victories and losses of the Israelites against their enemies, and so on).<span style=""> </span>But in the New Testament, God communicated to us DIRECTLY.<span style=""> </span>God did this through Jesus Christ.<span style=""> </span>This is what <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">St. Paul</st1:place></st1:city> meant when he wrote:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="" lang="EN-US">In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe.<span style=""> </span>(Hebrews 1:1-2)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Let me explain it this way.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span>Tita Wena and I do not have children, as you know.<span style=""> </span>But we do have two wonderful dogs named Sunshine and Email.<span style=""> </span>You should come and visit, and see us talk to our dogs.<span style=""> </span>“Sunshine, don’t make wee-wee on the floor again; do it here on the newspaper,” TW would say.<span style=""> </span>I would then follow-up and say, “Mabuti pa si Email, she learned already where to make wee-wee.<span style=""> </span>Sunshine, you follow what your sister here does, ok?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">Now, do you think Sunshine and Email understands what we’re telling them?<span style=""> </span>I suppose somehow they do.<span style=""> </span>But if we wanted to communicate with them directly and clearly, we would have to learn and communicate to them in “dog language,” not in human language.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">This is what God did.<span style=""> </span>Instead of communicating to us in “divine language,” God wanted to communicate to us in human language.<span style=""> </span>Thus, God became human, just like one of us, through Jesus Christ.<span style=""> </span>Jesus Christ communicated to us through his words and actions.<span style=""> </span>People saw him, talked to him, ate with him and so on.<span style=""> </span>Now, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">St. Paul</st1:place></st1:city> also says in Colossians 1:15: “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">If you really want to know who God is, then get to know Jesus because he is the image of God.<span style=""> </span>If Jesus is loving, forgiving, and healing, then God is ALSO loving, forgiving and healing.<span style=""> </span>That is as plain as it get.<span style=""> </span>It’s like WYSIWIG – <span style=""> </span>what you see is what you get.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Can we not be forgiven without Jesus sacrifice?</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">We often associate Jesus sacrifice ONLY with his death on the cross.<span style=""> </span>Let’s note that God did not become man to simply die.<span style=""> </span>That would make God the Father such a cruel God who demands that the Son die for our sins.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">We should also focus on what Jesus was saying and doing during his life WHICH RESULTED to his death on the cross.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">This is consistent with the biblical meaning of sacrifice.<span style=""> </span>When a Jew would offer an animal as sacrifice, the animal was the symbol for his or her life: by offering the animal, the Jew was also offering his or her life to God.<span style=""> </span>But for the Jew, the focus is NOT the killing of the animal, but what it symbolizes: his or her life would now be based on obeying God’s will.<span style=""> </span>The Jew was in effect saying, “I am offering this animal to tell my God that I would like to live a life that is God-centered.”<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">It is the same with the sacrifice of Jesus.<span style=""> </span>It is not just the crucifixion but the entire life of Jesus that we should consider.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">The core of Jesus’ teaching is the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place>, mentioned more than a hundred times in the Gospel.<span style=""> </span>The <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">God</st1:placename></st1:place> is not a place, but a condition where unconditional love prevails (see the parable of the Prodigal Son). <span style=""> </span>God’s love is unconditional, which means that it is open to everyone, regardless of how sinful you are.<span style=""> </span>That is why for Jesus, salvation is not just something that happens in the “after life” but something that God does now because God cares passionately about what happens to us.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">Preaching this contradicted and embarrassed many of the Pharisees, Sadducees and other authorities during Jesus’ time.<span style=""> </span>Eventually, people plotted against him, which resulted to his crucifixion and death.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">So, please answer my question, can we not be forgiven without Jesus sacrifice?</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">This is the way you should also look at “being forgiven.”<span style=""> </span>Jesus has shown in his life that we are forgiven and loved unconditionally.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">“When we begin to accept that God loves and accepts us unconditionally, then we can change our sense of who we are and our sense of what life is about.<span style=""> </span>Our primary image of our self would then become one of ‘trusted, loved and already forgiven by God,’ rather than ‘sinner who must please God to be forgiven.’<span style=""> </span>We can begin to discover that the Christian life is about a life lived in a loving relationship with God.<span style=""> </span>Realizing this, we may be able to allow the transforming power of our love relationship with God to work in our lives.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:14;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">A profound healing can begin to take place within us.<span style=""> </span>Our “being saved” or “being forgiven” happens.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">What’s the implication of all these in my life?</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">When you look at Jesus on the cross, do not remember only his death.<span style=""> </span>Remember his entire life, what he said and did, his unconditional love manifested in forgiveness and healing of both the physical, mental and emotional illnesses of those around him.<span style=""> </span>Recall that Jesus was willing to do all these even if he knew that he would antagonize people and that he may eventually pay for it with his life.<span style=""> </span>But he did so anyway out of love for all of us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span lang="EN-PH">Realizing this, I think it would not be difficult for you to do also start to love others unconditionally.<span style=""> </span>Your “being saved” and “being forgiven” happens.</span></p> <div style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="" lang="EN-PH">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH"> Lode Wostyn, CICM, <i style="">I Believe: A Workbook for Theology I</i> (<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manila</st1:place></st1:city>: Claretian Publications, 2004), 174.</span></p> </div> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1135146745251569042005-12-21T14:22:00.000+08:002006-07-20T15:44:16.010+08:00What are indulgences? - Asked by Sonny Santiago, SE-9<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">There are two things I’d like you to appreciate before we discuss indulgences, namely:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">- <span lang="EN-PH"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">First, any sin is never just between a person and God. </span><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span></span>Sin damages our relationship with our family, friends and others. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>One cannot say that my sin is only between my God and myself.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Any sin has consequences and eventually affects our relationship with others. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>For example, stealing is a sin because you deprive someone of something and it hurts the relationship.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Lying hurts our relationship because you mislead me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- </span>Secondly, there are two consequences of sin.</span><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span></span>If your sin is mortal, and here I regard mortal sin as not only one act but as a position you have taken to completely reject God’s love in your life, then the consequence is complete and eternal separation from God.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This should come as no surprise to such a person since that person has already taken the position that he or she does not want God in his or life.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This is referred to as <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">“eternal punishment.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH">The other consequence of sin is the harm to our community and social relationship that I referred to earlier.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This is referred to as <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">“temporal punishment.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH">These two punishments should not be thought of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God, but as following from the very nature of sin <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(CCC 1472).<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH">When we convert, i.e. when we once again accept God’s love in our life (and we are forgiven in the Sacrament of Reconciliation), then “eternal punishment” is removed.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span> But “temporal punishment” remains, i.e. the harm brought to our community and social relationships is still there.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>This is obvious, isn’t it? <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>When I hurt you through unkind words, the hurt is still there even after I go to confession.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN-PH">We therefore need to repair these hurts in our relationships to ensure that I stop hurting other people, or at least hurt less people or hurt people less. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I need to change.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>But I cannot just will or intend these changes.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>I must practice patience, kindness, forgiveness and so on.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>In other words, I need to “pay for” these punishments.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We also believe this change process is actually facilitated by the problems, trials and sufferings that we encounter in our life because these make us turn to God as the source of all life and the One who is in control of our life. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>In a manner of speaking these “punishments” help us reform and change.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">When do we start talking about indulgences?</span><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Ok, let's now turn to your question. The church defines indulgence as the remission of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which persons who are duly disposed gains under certain conditions (CCC 1471). What that means is this.<br /><br />The burden to change our self is never an individual effort! <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We are members of Christ’s body, the Church. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The Church helps its members by granting <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">indulgences</span>, that is, by assigning to a penitent person a portion of the “treasury of merits Christ and the saints” to help the person “pay for” the temporal punishments. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>In the case of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">plenary indulgence</span>, ALL the temporal punishment is “paid for.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">I hope you do not look at “treasury of merits of Christ and the saints” as the sum total of material goods accumulated by the Church through the centuries. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Rather, look at it as our Church’s “assets of goodness in the world” (my phrase).<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Just as there is evil in the world, there is also so much goodness and, as <st1:place st="on">St.</st1:place> Paul says, “where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.”<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Our Church is therefore saying that we want to share with our members some of these goodness to help these members make up for their “temporal punishments” but still ensure that personal change happen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">This is why indulgences are not just doled out. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Certain conditions are required. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>For example, in the granting of a plenary indulgence, the following are the requirements: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the intention of the Pope, and that all attachment to sin be absent. <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The objective of these requirements are to promote and help facilitate the change in the person.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><span style="font-size:0;"></span>The last condition ("all attachment to sin is absent") is admittedly a tough one, but it is the Church’s way of saying that a profound and personal change must begin to happen in one’s self so that the person will now do less harm to relationships in the community.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-PH">Where does purgatory fit into all of this?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">We believe in a “purgatory,” that is, a transition between a person’s death and final judgment.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We certainly express this in our practice of praying for the dead.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Contemporary theology prefers to speak of purgatory as a <i>process</i> rather than as a place, and therefore theologians use the term <i>purification</i> rather than purgatory.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Indeed, that is the language commonly used by the early church and the Eastern Churches.[1]<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Our own Pope Benedict XVI views purgatory as “the inwardly necessary process of transformation in which a person becomes capable of Christ, capable of God and thus capable of unity with the whole communion of saints.” [2]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Pope John Paul II explained purgatory as part of the “process of purification” for the sinner when the repentant sinner is prepared to receive “the fullness of love.”<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(CWNews.com, Sept. 29, 1999)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">In this context, our Church also believes that we can share our indulgences with those in purgatory so that temporal punishments due for their sins may also be “paid for.” <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Again, don’t look at this as like a bank book wherein we withdraw from our account and deposit to your grandfather’s account in purgatory.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Rather, look at this as our way of saying that there is a “perennial link of love between those who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are being purified in purgatory, and those who are still pilgrims on earth; between them there is an abundant exchange of all good things.”<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(CCC 1475)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">As a final word on indulgence, John Paul II reminds us that the process of earning indulgences cannot be a matter of “external gestures, done superficially,” but must be “a process of interior growth toward actual detachment from sin.” <span style="font-size:0;"> </span>(CWNews.com, Sept. 29, 1999)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p>- Written by Manny Blas, with help from Chris Mallion (SE-9)<br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-PH">Sources (in addition to those cited in the footnotes):</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span lang="EN-PH">CCC or Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1471-1479</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span lang="EN-PH">CFC or Catechism of Filipino Catholics, 1820 – 1821</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">-<span lang="EN-PH">www.catholic.org/clife/prayers/indulgc.php</span></p><div id="ftn1"><p class="MsoFootnoteText">[1] <span lang="EN-PH">Peter C. Phan, <i>Responses to 101 Questions o Death and Eternal Life</i> (New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1997), 70.</span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span lang="EN-US">[2] </span><span lang="EN-PH">Joseph Ratzinger, <i>Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life</i> (Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1988), 230; as cited by Phan, 71.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1134643422892504912005-12-15T18:36:00.000+08:002005-12-15T19:03:46.503+08:00Why do we pray the rosary? Are we praying to Jesus or Mary? (Asked by Mark Lim, SE-2)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/Rosary.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/Rosary.jpg" border="0" /></a>Let’s learn something first about the history of the rosary, and then I will answer your questions.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">History</span></strong><br /><br />According to tradition, the devotion of the Rosary was spread by St. Dominic in the thirteenth century. In the Roman Catholic Church, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary is observed on October 7.<br /><br />Historians have traced the origin of the Rosary back to the 9th century, and to a form of prayer that evolved in the early monasteries of the church. One of the most important forms of monastic prayer was the daily chanting of the 150 psalms of David. Lay people around the monastery would hear the psalms every day as they were sung or recited, and the beauty of this prayer intrigued them. They yearned to join in, but the psalms were too long to memorize, copies could not be found since printing was rare, and few knew how to read Latin anyway. The lay people were however, determined to adapt this prayer form for their own use.<br /><br />Sometime around 800 AD, the people's desire to participate led to their reciting the “Our Father” in response to every psalm recited by the monks. As this form of devotion became popular, people began to carry leather pouches of 150 pebbles, in order that they might keep count of their daily prayers when they were not in hearing distance of the monastery. A thin rope with 150 knots became less of a burden and soon replaced the bag of stones.<br /><br />When the missionary monks began to travel and evangelize Europe, this form of devotion was brought with them. In some areas, priests and lay people began to recite the Angelic Salutation, or “Hail Mary, full of grace…” in response to the psalms, instead of the “Our Father.”<br /><br />During the 13th century, the recitation evolved into yet another form. Medieval theologians began to interpret the 150 psalms as hidden prophesies about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and they composed a series of psalters, or praises, based on each interpretation. These thoughts took the form of narratives. The fifteen narratives were divided into five Joyful, five Sorrowful, and five Glorious mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary, and the Rosary itself became a string of 50 beads to be prayed.<br />In order to fit the existing prayer string, the psalters were divided into three "rosariums" or bouquets of 50 each. This was the form that St. Dominic promoted.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Now, let’s answer your questions.</span></strong><br /><br />The rosary began as the layperson’s attempt to pray regularly to God. People wanted to pray and when they could not pray the “official prayers” of the monks, then this yearning eventually led to the rosary as a prayer. Eventually, the lives of Jesus and Mary were incorporated to the rosary.<br /><br />There are several approaches that you can use when praying the rosary:<br /><br />- One approach is to focus on the fact that you are praying, and prayer is essentially being aware of God’s presence in our midst. The Rosary helps you to focus your mind in God’s loving presence for you. In this approach, the constant repetition of the “Hail Mary and Holy Mary” helps prevent your mind from being diverted into thoughts other than God’s presence.<br /><br />- Another approach is focus on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary which corresponds to the Mystery of the Rosary that you are praying. So, if you are in decade of the mystery of the “birth of our Lord,” focus on the scene to keep your mind from being distracted, as well as help edify your thoughts on God’s love for us in becoming one of us.<br /><br />- The third approach, which I often use, is to have a special prayer intention for each decade which you can declare to those praying with you, and then focus on praying to God for that intention. For example, you may declare that the first Joyful Mystery is for the intention of your “movie premier fundraising activity,” and then pray for that as you recite the decade.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Finally, do we pray to Jesus or Mary?</span></strong><br /><br />Well, “technically,” all prayers are to God, but we keep in mind that Mary and the saints (as well as our apostolate brothers and sisters, family, and friends) are one with us in praying because we are all part of God’s family. This is referred to as the communion of saints and is discussed in another AskTM question. <a href="http://asktm.blogspot.com/2005/10/why-do-we-ask-for-intercession-of-mary.html">Click here</a> if you want to read more about that.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sources:<br />Catholic Encyclopedia, Our Sunday Visitor, 1994<br />http://www.aoh.com/history/archive/rosary.htmAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1133921710436539742005-12-07T10:08:00.000+08:002005-12-07T10:27:40.496+08:00Was Jesus actually born on December 25? (Asked by Edward Santillan, SE-7)<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/christmas%20tree.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/christmas%20tree.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Christmas</span> is based on the story of Jesus’ birth as described in the Gospel according to Matthew (1:18-2:12) and the Gospel according to Luke (1:26-56). Roman Catholics first celebrated Christmas, then known as the Feast of the Nativity, as early as 336 ad.<br /><br />The word Christmas entered the English language sometime around 1050 as the Old English phrase Christes maesse, meaning “festival of Christ.” Scholars believe the frequently used shortened form of Christmas—Xmas—may have come into use in the 13th century. The X stands for the Greek letter chi, an abbreviation of Khristos (Christ), and also represents the cross on which Jesus was crucified.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><em>ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS</em></strong></span><br /><br />Historians are unsure exactly when Christians first began celebrating the Nativity of Christ. However, most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.<br /><br />Before the introduction of Christmas, each year beginning on December 17 Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture, in a festival called Saturnalia. This festival lasted for seven days and included the winter solstice, which usually occurred around December 25 on the ancient Julian calendar. During Saturnalia the Romans feasted, postponed all business and warfare, exchanged gifts, and temporarily freed their slaves. Many Romans also celebrated the lengthening of daylight following the winter solstice by participating in rituals to glorify Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light. These and other winter festivities continued through January 1, the festival of Kalends, when Romans marked the day of the new moon and the first day of the month and year.<br /><br />Most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.<br /><br />Although the Gospels describe Jesus’ birth in detail, they never mention the date, so historians do not know on what date he was born. The Roman Catholic Church chose December 25 as the day for the Feast of the Nativity in order to give Christian meaning to existing pagan rituals.<br /><br /><span style="color:#333333;">Edited from: Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.</span> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1133921304214173292005-12-07T09:46:00.000+08:002005-12-07T11:07:53.480+08:00Since it's Christmas time, can you provide some historical details on the circumstances of the birth of Jesus? (Asked by Rose Meim, SE-2)Let’s use the account of the birth of Jesus according to Luke 2:1-20. This is commonly the gospel passage read during Christmas eve mass. <strong>(See where Bethlehem is located, map below).</strong><br /><br />Luke is quite specific about the circumstances surrounding Jesus birth:<br /><br />1. <strong><span style="color:#006600;">When was Jesus born?</span></strong> Luke 1:5 states that Herod the Great was the king a<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/nazareth-bethlehem%20map.1.jpg"></a>t around the birth of Jesus. Since history dates the death of Herod at around March or April 4 BC, then Jesus must have been born before that date. December 25 was not his exact birth date, but was assigned by the Church later on (more on this on a separate AskTM question).<br /><br /><br />2. Luke mentioned that the <span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Roman emperor Caesar Augustus ordered a census</strong></span> of the whole world, i.e. the Roman empire. We now know that this is inaccurate since there was no such universal census taken at around this time. The closest is that held in Palestine when Quirinius was governor of Syria (also mentioned by Luke), but which was around 6 AD.<br /><br />Biblical scholars believe that the census is a literary device used by Luke to associate Mary and Joseph, residents of Nazareth, with Bethlehem, the town of David. Also, every time there is a Roman census, there is usually opposition by the people since this is a recognition of Roman authority over them, and caused a lot of inconvenience. Luke wanted to tie Jesus birth to a time of political disturbance associated with a census.<br /><br />Such political disturbances were one of the triggers for the revolt of Judas the Galilean, and Luke wanted to show that Joseph and Mary (who were both Galileans) were obedient to Rome. Jesus and the Christians have no political ambitions.<br /><br />Augustus is also known at that time as the peaceful Savior, so this serves as a contrast to Jesus who brings the real peace (see the message of the angels) and is the real Savior.<br /><br /><br />3. Luke establishes that the procedure is for everyone to go to the city of his ancestry and Joseph went to <strong><span style="color:#006600;">Bethlehem, the city of David</span></strong>; even though Jerusalem is traditionally regarded in the Old Testament as the city of David.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/1600/nazareth-bethlehem%20map.2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8112/576/320/nazareth-bethlehem%20map.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Luke wanted to connect the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem with what is written in Micah 5:2: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel."<br /><br />Joseph and Mary were living in Nazareth at that time and had to travel southward to Bethlehem which was about 100 kilometers away. Using an animal to travel (at about 3 to 4 kph), and considering Mary is pregnant which would have added to travel time, this distance would have taken about<strong><span style="color:#006600;"> 7 to 9 days</span></strong>. By the way, the bible does not mention that Joseph and Mary used a donkey, although they certainly used an animal to travel. It could have been an ass, horse, mule or donkey.<br /><br /><br />4. Luke’s narrative of Jesus birth is very brief. Luke seems more interested in telling his readers where Mary lay the newborn child - in a manger. The symbolism behind this is not clear. Perhaps it lies in the contrast between the extraordinary titles given to the child and his poverty. God is thus revealed in a paradox.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#006600;">A manger is a feeding-trough, crib, or open box in a stable designed to hold food for livestock</span></strong>. In Bible times, mangers were made of clay mixed with straw or from stones cemented with mud. Some mangers were cut from a limestone block or carved in natural outcroppings of rock, because livestock was sometimes stabled in a cave. (Thus, there is some tradition that Jesus was born in a cave).<br /><br /><br />5. There were shepherds out in the field. <strong><span style="color:#006600;">Shepherds were despised people at the time of Jesus.</span></strong> They were suspected of not being very scru­pulous in matters of ownership; and so, their testimony was not admissible in court. They had the same legal status as the tax collectors. In view of what Luke says later on in his gospel regarding the preference of Jesus for tax collectors and sinners, the choice of the shepherds as the first beneficiaries of God's revelation in Jesus becomes quite significant.<br /><br />Sources: Nil Guillemette, SJ, Kingdom for All (St. Paul’s Publications, 1988) and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1133866952563404722005-12-06T18:58:00.000+08:002005-12-06T19:02:34.390+08:00What is the difference between the Ascension and Assumption (Asked by Charlie Rancudo, SE-1)<span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Ascension</strong></span><br /><br />The biblical verses referring to the Ascension are:<br /><br />- “Then he led them as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.” – Luke 24:50-53<br /><br />- “So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” - Mark 16:19-20<br /><br />- Also Acts 1:9-12<br /><br />The Ascension (or being lifted up to heaven) is described as Jesus Christ's return to the Father. It marks the end of the visible ministry of Jesus on earth.<br /><br />The Ascension is best understood in connection with the Resurrection which you can read in the footnote below.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> In the Resurrection, Jesus went through a transformation in body and spirit. Jesus was not just resuscitated (like Lazarus, who eventually died), but transformed.<br /><br />This transformation of Jesus did not stop at the Resurrection, but continued with the Ascension. We think of the Ascension not so much as the transition of Jesus from one place to another (i.e. from earth to heaven) but from one condition to another. When we say that Jesus ascended, we mean:<br /><br />- Jesus withdrew from a world of limitation (that is our human condition) to that higher existence where God is.<br /><br />- It is the end of the visible activities of Jesus on earth, but not the end of Jesus presence. Jesus is now physically far, but spiritually near. Jesus ascension precedes the sending of the Holy Spirit which is His presence in our everyday life today. “It is much better for you that I go… If I go, I will send the Paraclete to you.” – John 16:7. Being now free from earthly limitations, Jesus can now more “freely” interact and intercede for us.<br /><br />- It is the return of Jesus to the Father in the beginning of time before He came into the world. Ascension or being "lifted up into Heaven" is Jesus Christ's coming back home. It is also at this event that marks the sending of the Holy Spirit to work within us.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Assumption</span><br /></strong></span><br />The Assumption refers to Mother Mary’s “body and soul” (that is, her entire being) as taken up into heaven without having tasted death. The bible also refers to both Elijah and Enoch being taken to heaven in the same manner (2 Kings 2:11 and Hebrews 11:5).<br /><br />Again, just in the explanation of the Ascension, “taken up to heaven” should be read as Mary having gone through a transformation from one condition to another (rather than physically floating from earth to the skies).<br /><br />The Assumption was declared as a dogma on November 1, 1950 by Pius XII.<br /><br />That early Christian believed in Mary's Assumption is proven in the lack of her relics, empty tombs, and quotes from early Christians. The early Christians were very careful to keep the relics of saints and martyrs, even if it involved great risk (like trying to retrieve the remains of those who were eaten by lions). Because Christians took care of the remains of the saints, we know where the bones of Saint Peter, Mary Magdalene and many other New Testament believers are buried. But where are the remains of the Virgin Mary? There is no record of anyone ever claiming to possess the body of the Mother of Jesus.<br /><br />This would have been the most prized relic of all; the mortal remains of the Savior's closest blood relative, the very same body which had carried God Incarnate for nine months and nursed and cared for Him afterward! Yet in all of Church history, both biblical and extra-biblical, there is no record of its whereabouts.<br /><br />The early Church Fathers were very zealous for the faith. They strenuously fought all new heresies which threatened the Faith delivered to the Apostles. If the Assumption of Mary were a novel belief at the time, we would expect to find Christian writers of the third to fifth centuries condemning it as a newfangled heresy. Yet none do! Nowhere in the writings of the early Church Fathers do we find the slightest condemnation of this doctrine.<br /><br />(Sources: CFC, 524 – 525, article found in <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2bvm54.htm">http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2bvm54.htm</a>, and article found in <a href="http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/marian8.html">http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/marian8.html</a>)<br /><br />Footnotes:<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> An understanding of the Resurrection will help us understand what happens during consecration.<br /><br />We regard the Resurrection of Jesus as not just resuscitation (as in the case of Lazarus, who eventually died), but that of transformation (Jesus lives forever). Resurrection refers not just to a physically risen Jesus, but to a spiritually Risen Jesus.<br /><br />Our Risen Lord was no longer bound by time and space. He could walk through walls. In the account of the “doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-29, the evangelist emphasizes by saying twice that “the doors were locked,” and yet Jesus suddenly appeared to them.<br /><br />In the story of the two men on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:1-53, we learn other aspects about our Risen Lord. We know that the tomb was empty and so his body rose and changed (24:12). His body changed because when Jesus appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus, he was not readily recognizable (24:32), and yet he could be seen and touched, and he ate brad and fish. We also know that he was recognized when he started to talk about the Scriptures and when they broke bread (24:35), and that this encounter with him brought about much excitement and joy (24:33 and 41).<br /><br />I’m afraid that is as much as we can know about Jesus Resurrected presence. (The disciples did not have a video camera then, so they could not be any more helpful). But one thing we do know, Jesus was not just resuscitated; he was transformed to a glorious presence.<br /><br />The close analogy I can think of is that of a caterpillar that is transformed to a butterfly. It changes to something totally new.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1131517477890532882005-11-09T14:15:00.000+08:002005-11-09T14:25:03.870+08:00What is the New Age Movement? (Asked by Raffy Ortega, SE-4)<strong><u><span style="color:#663366;">What is the New Age Movement?<br /></span></u></strong><br /><br />The New Age Movement (NAM) is not one movement. It is like a river with many tributaries and it is very difficult to know which tributary you are in, or even whether you are in the main river itself. The NAM has no founder, no headquarters, no holy books, no leaders, and no dogmas. It is associated with the development of consciousness, importance of spiritual experiences, mysticism and anti-consumerism, as well as gurus, holistic health spas, psychics, crystals, charms, and tarot cards; not to mention UFO’s and ET’s.<br /><br />The term “New Age” seems to have been coined by one of the successors of Madame H. P. Blavatsky (1831-1891) who is considered the “godmother of the New Age Movement.” Supposedly inspired by telepathic messages coming from a Tibetan master, this successor proclaimed the return of Christ, who will inaugurate a new age.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="color:#663366;">Can you at least give me a definition?</span></u></strong><br /><br />While NAM is eclectic (that is, it combine individual elements from many sources), Lode Wostyn came up with the following definition which is helpful in categorizing the various thoughts that could be considered “new age”:<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a><br /><br />The NAM is new spirituality of people convinced that they have arrived at a turning point in history, triggered off by a new holistic understanding of the world and the universe. This is because of the awakening of a new consciousness among individuals who then link up into all kinds of groups, organization, and communities, and gradually developing into networks.<br /><br /><strong><u>What does the Catholic Church say about NAM?</u></strong><br /><br />One way that the Vatican document on “A Christian Reflection on the ‘New Age’” describes NAM is as the return of Gnosticism, a philosophy that St. Paul had to counter during his preaching. Gnosticism refers to a religious creed in which salvation is ascribed to the possession of a superior, spiritual knowledge (the Greek word gnosis) which bring human beings into immediate contact with the divine.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a> It believes that human beings have a divine spark in themselves, but it is caught within the evil material world; through gnosis, however, people can re-establish contact with their divine origin, free themselves from the material world, and become one with the divine.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a><br /><br />The key problems of NAM and its conflicts with our Catholic religion are in the following areas:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">1. Theology</span></strong> – Rejects the otherness of God. If everything is God and God is everything, it also means that God comes in many forms. Grants relative value to all religions, denying Jesus as the fullness of revelation.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">2. Spirituality</span></strong> – One of the most common elements in New Age “spirituality” is a fascination with extraordinary manifestations, and in particular with paranormal entities. People recognised as “mediums” claim that their personality is taken over by another entity during trances in a New Age phenomenon known as “channeling”, during which the medium may lose control over his or her body and faculties.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a> accepts many cultic and occultic practices rejected by Scriptures and the Church like sorcery and fortune-telling.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">3. Ethics</span></strong> – Human actions are the fruit of either illumination or ignorance. Hence we cannot condemn anyone, and nobody needs forgiveness. Believing in the existence of evil can create only negativity and fear. The answer to negativity is love.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6">[6]</a><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="color:#663366;">Is NAM all bad?</span></u></strong><br /><br />It is also important to understand that the NAM was a reaction to the modern Western culture of science, technology and rationalism which offered much in terms of consumption, yet so little in terms of meaning. The NAM can be described as a contemporary movement which attempts to answer the old questions of meaning in our personal and social life. This search for answers influences the spiritual aspects of our humanity such as yearning for ultimate meaning, our interconnectedness with the universe and with each other, mystical experiences, millenarianism (or the dawning of the “age of Aquarius”), and transcendence. Indeed, the Church admits that the “New Age is attractive mainly because so much of what it offers meets hungers often left unsatisfied by the established institutions.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7">[7]</a><br /><br />Importantly, our Church considers the popularity of NAM as conveying a message, which challenges all Christians: People feel the Christian religion no longer offers them – or perhaps never gave them – something they really need. The search which often leads people to the New Age is a genuine yearning: for a deeper spirituality, for something which will touch their hearts, and for a way of making sense of a confusing and often alienating world.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8">[8]</a><br /><br /><strong><u><span style="color:#663366;">What can I do when I meet someone who believes in NAM?</span></u></strong><br /><br />The problems that the Church finds in NAM are NOT in the questions that it raises regarding how life should be lived, but in the answers that it provides, as enumerated above.<br /><br />The challenge then, is for you and our Church to be able to provide the “better” answers that NAM believers find in NAM. To those who adhere to NAM, the appeal of Christianity will be felt first of all in the witness of the members of the Church, in their trust, calm, patience and cheerfulness, and in their concrete love of neighbour, all the fruit of their faith nourished in authentic personal prayer.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9">[9]</a><br /><a name="top"></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#663366;">Practical tip for the Single:</span></strong> New Age groups refer to their meetings as “prayer groups”. Those people who are invited to such groups need to look for the marks of genuine Christian spirituality, and to be wary if there is any sort of initiation ceremony. Such groups take advantage of a person's lack of theological or spiritual formation to lure them gradually into what may in fact be a form of false worship. Christians must be taught about the true object and content of prayer – in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, to the Father – in order to judge rightly the intention of a “prayer group”.<br /><br /><br />Sources:<br /><br />1. The article “A Christian Reflection on the ‘New Age’” by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious dialogue, as published by the Vatican<br /><br />2. A New Church for a New Age by Lode Wostyn (Manila: Claretian Publications, 1997), and<br /><br />3. My personal notes during a Shepherds’ Deepening Course conducted in our Renewal Movement in September 2000.<br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Wostyn, p. 14.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Wostyn, p. 35.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Wostyn, p. 15.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> Wostyn, p. 15.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> A Christian Reflection, 2.2.1.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> A Christian Reflection, 2.2.2.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7">[7]</a> A Christian Reflection, 1.1.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8">[8]</a> A Christian Reflection, 1.5.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9">[9]</a> A Christian Reflection, 6.2.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1130908865054380682005-11-02T13:16:00.000+08:002005-11-02T13:21:05.066+08:00How do we interpret events that happen to us? Is it God's will or our free will? (Asked by Sonny Santiago, SE-9)<span style="color:#660000;"><em>Since we believe that events in our lives happen because it is God's will, how does this jive with our "free will?" Are we truly making "free will" decisions or is it all "God's will?" To simplify: "God's will" versus "free will" - which one is it really?</em><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#663366;">One of the greatest birthday gifts that God gave us is our free will, or our freedom. Freedom does not mean the freedom to do whatever we want, but the power to choose what is good. Because of our freedom, we are not just subject to our human instincts which are often based on "me first." As Catholics, we believe that we receive this power in a very special way during baptism and we are able to counter "original sin," the tendency of humanity to be selfish.<br /><br />At the same time, God who is love, also gave us the freedom to choose NOT to love God back. This is true love, isn't it? If God simply programmed us to love God back, then what kind of love would that be?<br /><br />Therefore, God’s gift to us is not just God’s love, but the freedom to accept or reject that love.<br /><br />Regarding God's will, don't look at it in terms of the predictability of the specific events that happens in one's life. We are not living life which has been predetermined in God’s heavenly videotape. For example, you applied for a job and were not accepted. We often attribute that to God's will, but it could simply be because you really do not qualify for that job.<br /><br />Rather, look at God's will as God's ultimate intent to bring YOU and all of humanity back to God. God does not often work in a straight sequence, that is from A to B to C and so on until you reach Z. Life is not like that. Instead, we often go from A to B to C and then back to B and even to A. But God's intent is always for you to reach Z. It is not beyond God to take you from A straight to K then to W, only for you to take yourself back to C. God does not give up; it is God's will to eventually take you to Z.<br /><br />Look at the A, B, C and so on as the different people and events in our lives. God communicates to us through the people and events that happen in our life. (Come to think of it, how else can God communicate to us?) Our sensitivity to God's presence, and the strength of our personal relationship with him, help us reflect and interpret God's will in these people and events. When we conform our free will with God's will, then we make progress. If we don't, then we backtrack. Hopefully, by being in the Singles Apostolate, you can continue to grow in this relationship with God.<br /><br />While God's will is for you to be with God, you can always say NO. You can always say "No, thanks, but I don't want God's love." The irony is that God loves us so much that God allows you to reject that love.<br /><br />Finally, we believe that we find true happiness when we conform our free will (or freedom) with God's will. That is why we discern God's purpose for our lives. While we know that it is God's ultimate intent for all of us to be with God, we discern daily how to be with God. Discerning God's will presupposes that you have a relationship with God, since it is quite difficult to know someone's will for you if you don't know that person.<br /><br />So, back to your question: "when things happen to us, is it free will or God's will?" The answer is: both. God is communicating to us all the time through people and events, and is leading us closer to God. If you take God’s cue, then you can conform your free will to God's will. </span><br /><br />- Written by Manny BlasAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1130853862642366832005-11-01T21:58:00.000+08:002005-11-01T22:04:22.656+08:00Can non-Catholics go to heaven? (Asked by Paul Meim, SE-1 and Lourdes Mapa, SE-1)<em>Could my non-Catholic friends (Born again/Protestant/Muslim) still go to heaven even if they have not accepted our Catholic faith? (Asked by Paul Meim, SE-1)<br /><br />It says in the bible the 10 commandments can be summed up into two. Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, and soul. Second love your neighbor as yourself. If this is so, is it then possible for non-Catholics who live their lives practicing these two commandments to also go to heaven also? (Asked by Lourdes Mapa, SE-1)</em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"><br /> Our Catholic Church used to say that “outside our church there is no salvation.” There is no longer any mention of this position in any document during and after Second Vatican Council (or Vatican II, held in 1963-65). The Catechism for Filipino Catholics (or CFC), the Catechism of the Catholic Church (or CCC), the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (or PCP II), and other Church documents all state a more accepting and respectful position of other religions. (All underscoring are mine)<br /><br />- While our Catholic Church is the ordinary means of salvation (meaning, the Church has the means in how we can reach God), “this salvation through Jesus Christ is offered to <strong><u>all peoples</u></strong>, and this makes possible our openness in understanding the religious convictions of others.” (CFC, 75) Underscore mine.<br /><br />- "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, <strong><u>in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims;</u></strong> these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." (CCC, No. 841, quoting Lumen Gentium).<br /><br />- "Even for those who do not explicitly profess faith in him as the Savior, salvation comes as a grace from Jesus Christ through the communication of the Holy Spirit." (Ecclesia in Asia by JPII, No. 14).<br /><br />- "The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions [referring to Hinduism, Buddhism in the earlier paragraph]. <strong><u>She has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrines which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nevertheless often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men</u></strong>." (Vatican II document Nostra Aetate, No. 2, or the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non Christian Religions.).<br /><br />- "The Synod Fathers drew attention to the multiple and diversified action of the Holy Sprit who continually sows the seeds of truth among all peoples, their religions, their cultures and philosophies. <strong><u>This means that these religions, cultures and philosophies are capable of helping people, individually and collectively, to work against evil and to serve life and everything that is good."</u></strong> (Ecclesia in Asia by JPII, No. 15)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;"> <span style="color:#663300;"> In over simplistic terms, it is difficult to condemn the people of other faiths, considering that there are 6 billion people in the world, with only 1 billion Catholics. Can you imagine our God, who is Father of all and is a God of love, would condemn the 5 billion? </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"> Nevertheless, it should also be emphasized that the above does not mean that we should stop our evangelizing efforts, for indeed it is also stated that "the Church's faith in Jesus is a gift received and a gift to be shared; it is the greatest gift which the Church can offer to Asia" (Ecclesia in Asia by JPII, No. 10). </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;">It also states that our acceptance of other religions does not exempt us from our "duty to proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth and the life." (Nostra Aetate, No. 2) </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663300;"> However, we cannot convert other religions if we adopt a "holier than thou" attitude. Instead, we should adopt a position of mutual respect and charity: "We cannot truly pray to God the Father of all if we treat any people in other than brotherly fashion, for all men are created in God's image." (Nostra Aetate, No. 5)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1130063186110420732005-10-23T18:24:00.000+08:002005-10-23T18:36:01.690+08:00Why do we ask for the intercession of Mary and the saints? Isn't praying to God directly enough? (Asked by Gels Velasco, SE-7)<span style="color:#000099;">The Gospel says to go to God through Jesus. Why then do we ask for the intercession of Mother Mary and the saints? Does this not detract our faith in God and end up attributing miracles to the saints instead of God? If God hears all prayers – and is all merciful and all powerful – then why do we have to go through the Saints?<br /><br />Let me begin to answer your questions by explaining why we include the phrase “we believe in the communion of saints” in our Creed.<br /><br />As Christians, we regard our relationship with God as both a personal AND communal. We are all connected to one another. As St. Paul says, “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself” (Romans 14:7). Also, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27).<br /><br />We believe that this “connection” exists not only among our family, relatives, friends and all other Christians who are now alive, but also with those who have passed away and have moved on to the next life. You and I have felt the lost of a loved one, and we know that we just do not dis-connect with him or her when he or she passes away. We continue to remember, pray for, and ask for prayers from those who have died.<br /><br />It is in this context that we understand the phrase “communion of saints.” The Church has identified certain people who she believes are with God – the saints. “Communion of saints” mean that we continue to be connected with them spiritually. Those who have gone ahead do not simply forget about those who live in this life, but we believe that precisely because they are closer to God, then “they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they offer the merits which they acquired on earth through Jesus.” (LG, 49 and 1 Timothy 2:5).<br /><br />I hope you don’t look at this as a “heavenly bureaucracy” whereby our prayers first go to a saint who then passes it on to Jesus, and who then passes it on to the Father. Instead look at it as an expression that all of us – both living and those in the next life – continue to be united and related to one another because we have one God as our Father. We continue to care and pray for one another: we pray for those in purgatory, we pray to those in heaven to intercede for us, and those in heaven pray and intercede for us. We are one family, now and forever, with Jesus as our head.<br /><br />In this communion of saints, Mother Mary holds a special place for being the mother of Jesus. She leads the faithful to a deeper faith in Christ and greater love for the Father through the Holy Spirit by her unique personal relationship with the Son exemplified in her life of faithfulness and perfect obedience.<br /><br />Two Gospel stories can enlighten us on Mary’s faithfulness, her perfect obedience to God, and her unique relationship with Jesus.<br /><br />Remember the Annunciation? No teenager dreams of becoming pregnant without a husband. But imagine the greatness and certainty of Mary’s faith in God when she bowed in humble respect to God’s will for her to bear a child while barely in her teens.<br /><br />Also, in the miracle at Cana, the uniqueness of Mary’s special relationship with Jesus is shown in how he performed his very first miracle even if it was not yet time for him to start his public ministry. This, because of the request of his beloved mother.<br /><br />Regarding the intercession of the saints in miracles, we should note that they do not bring us the miracles. Miracles are God’s work and not the saints’ doing. Seeking for intercession of the saints means that we ask the saints to pray for us and with us, as we seek for God’s favorable answer to our request. Again, please take this in the context of the “communion of saints” discussed earlier. </span><br /><p><span style="color:#000099;">- Written by Chris Mallion, MA (Religious Education, Loyola School of Theology) and Manny Blas II, MA (Religious Studies, Maryhill School of Theology).</p><br />Source: CFC, 155-159; CFC, 1540; CFC, 1429 in addition to sources cited within the article.</span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1129024147227266602005-10-11T17:44:00.000+08:002005-10-11T17:49:07.230+08:00Why do some people put their hand on their chest during certain parts of the Mass? (Asked by Cicis, SE-10)<strong><span style="color:#663300;">Why do some people put their hand on their chest during the part of the Mass when we say of "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world..." and also during "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the Word and I shall be healed..."? What does it mean and are we supposed to do it?</span></strong><br /><br /> This practice has its roots in tradition at a time when the Mass was still celebrated in Latin. At the beginning of the Mass, during the confession of our sins, and when we pray…<br /> <br /><em>“I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have sinned through my own faults in my thoughts and in my action, in what I have done and what I have failed to do…”</em><br /><br />… the priest and the whole community would strike their breast three times while saying “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” In English, it means “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” It is a gesture of their deep sorrow and sincere penitence for their sinfulness.<br /><br /> Although we no longer have this tradition, its significance endured over time. Today however, instead of striking their breast, people just put their hands on their chests.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#663300;">Should we do this gesture?</span></strong><br /><br /> The Church does not bind all Catholics to a strict compliance to this tradition. Now that you know its significance, it may be gesture that you may personally wish to continue to express repentance and sorrow.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">- Written by Chris Mallion, M. A. and edited by Manny Blas II, M. A.</span></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1129023823406810482005-10-11T17:35:00.000+08:002005-10-11T17:43:43.416+08:00Why are there chain mails on Jesus and Mama Mary? Are their promises and warnings to be taken seriously? (Asked by Cicis, SE-10)<strong><span style="color:#003300;">Why are there chain mails on Jesus and Mama Mary? Are the promises and warnings in these emails to be taken seriously?</span></strong><br /><br /> Close to the hearts of Filipino Catholics are the devotions to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mama Mary because of our Filipino value of family- centeredness. Most feel the need to continue this devotion not only in traditional ways as done in churches but also through an adaptation of the culture of the times, as in texts or emails.<br /><br /> Sending of prayers and novenas through text or email can be authentic expressions of devotion. But what is NOT authentic is the superstition at the end that either warns people that something terrible will happen to them if they do not forward it, or that their wishes and prayers will come true within a day of doing so.<br /><br /> Those are no longer acts of devotion to Jesus and Mary. There is no guaranteed technique of praying that ensures that God would grant exactly what we pray for. Doing so is to limit God to act in certain ways, and in the ways that we have determined that God should act. We do not have a God-in-a bottle. We have a loving and creative God that answers all prayers in any of the following ways:<br /><br />- “Yes, you can have what you prayed for.”<br />- “Yes, you can, but later.”<br />- “No, I have something better for you.”<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">- Written by Chris Mallion, M. A. and edited by Manny Blas II, M. A.</span></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1128998861556052342005-10-11T10:39:00.000+08:002005-10-11T10:47:41.566+08:00When the Gospel say that some people thought that Jesus is Elijah, does that mean the Jews believe in reincarnation? (Asked by Charlie, SE-1)<strong><span style="color:#000099;">In the gospels, our LORD ask the disciples who people think HE is. Their answer was, “some say you're Elijah.” Many people regard this as proof of reincarnation and that our LORD believed in reincarnation. Is this true? How come other religions believe in reincarnation? And what is our basis for not believing in it?</span></strong><br /><br /> The passage referred to is Mark 8:27-29:<br /><div align="left"><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> Now Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said to him in reply, “You are the Messiah.”<br /></span></em> <br /> Some scholars consider this as the MOST IMPORTANT passage in the Gospel of Mark. It is the passage the introduces Jesus as the Son of God. After Jesus started healing and preaching to the people, everyone wanted to know more about his identity, and where he got his power and authority. This passage is the FIRST public revelation of who Jesus is.<br /> <br /> Most people mistakenly think that Jesus was asking for opinions on who people thought he is. Jesus did not ask Peter “Who do you think I am?” or “Who am I for you?” but he asked, “Who do you SAY that <strong>I AM</strong>?” <br /> <br /> Note that “I am” is the phrase used by God in identifying himself to Moses during the “burning bush” event. Moses asked God his name so that he can tell the Israelites who he is , and God answered “<strong>I AM</strong> who am” (Exodus 3:14).<br /><br /> So when Peter declared “you are the Messiah!” it was a confirmation that Jesus and the “I AM” (or Yahweh) are one and the same.<br /> <br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">What about Elijah? Why was he mentioned as one of the possible identities of Jesus? Doesn't that imply that the Jews believed in reincarnation?<br /></span></strong><br /> In the book of Kings, Elijah is the first of the great prophets. It was believed that he did not die but was taken up into heaven by a chariot. It was also believed that Elijah would come back at the end of days. His coming back would be a definitive sign that God is about to complete his work and that the end of the world was near. So during Jesus’ time people believed Elijah would come back, but that he would return as who he was and not as a reincarnated person. So to answer your question, no, Jesus and the Jews did not believe in reincarnation.</div><div align="left"><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Why don’t Christians believe in reincarnation?<br /></span></strong><br /> Reincarnation denies the value of our present life. Belief of reincarnation could only serve to justify a person’s errant behavior because he can always, “well, I’ll be a better person in my next life.” <br /><br /> More importantly, reincarnation denies that God’s Kingdom is offered as a gift by Jesus Christ. It implies that we can work to earn our place in God’s Kingdom, rather than receiving it as God’s gift. In short, we Christians do not believe in reincarnation because we believe that we do not work for our salvation but rely on God’s love. God’s love is sufficient, and all we need is to accept and say “yes” to this love. (Of course, once we say “yes,” then it implies that we live God-centered lives).<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Now that I know this, what does it imply?<br /></span></strong><br /> Christ asks us the same question now, “Who do you say that I am?” Asked another way, “are our lives living testimonies that Jesus is the Messiah?”<br /> </div><div align="left"><br /><em>- Written by Chris Mallion, M.A. and edited by Manny Blas II, M. A.<br /></em><br /><br />Sources: From One Jesus to Four Gospels by Herman Hendrickx, and relevant pages of Catechism for Filipino Catholics, and New American Bible.</div><div align="left"> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1128591926378339872005-10-06T17:31:00.000+08:002005-10-06T17:45:26.406+08:00What's the difference between the Apostle's Creed and Nicene Creed (Asked by Anna M., SE-7)The Nicene Creed is essentially the Apostles Creed further articulated. See below:<br /><br /><em><strong>Apostle's Creed:</strong><br /></em><br /> <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>I believe in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and wasburied. Hee descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen<br /></em></span><br /><strong><em>Nicene Creed</em><br /></strong><br /> <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>We believe in one God,the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.<br /><br /> On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.</em></span><br /><br /> Legend has it that the Apostles wrote the "Apostles Creed." Well, this is simply a legend. There is some research that indicates that St. Ambrose of 4th century coined the term "Apostle's Creed" to refer to the 12 articles of the Christian faith upon which the Apostles (who originally numbered 12) preached and baptized.<br /><br /> However, we do not know who exactly wrote the Apostle's Creed. We also do not know when exactly it was written, but we know that chunks of the Creed were being quoted as early as the 2nd century.<br /><br /> We also know that the early Christians required some form of declaration of faith prior to baptism. Some of these declarations, or creeds, consisted of one sentence, e.g. "I acknowledge Jesus" or "I choose to follow Jesus." Later on, the creeds developed to contain more and more doctrines as these became clearer to the early Church theologians.<br /><br /> During the early Christians, we could not avoid controversies regarding many aspects of our faith. You and I are clear now about many of our Catholic doctrines, e.g. that "Jesus is both human and divine." But early theologians struggled with this concept and developed different theories about the nature of Jesus.<br /><br /> One such person is Arius, who postulated that God is Father and at a certain moment, He begot the Son, and therefore the Son was created and is subordinate to the Father. Jesus is not divine or "less divine" than the Father. This heresy was known as Arianism.<br /><br /> To combat this heresy, the Council of Nicea was convened in 325 and the Nicene Creed was developed. You will understand therefore why the Nicene Creed contains the words: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.<br /><br /><strong><u><span style="color:#660000;">Why do some churches say one or the other or both?</span><br /></u></strong><br /> We can only attribute the profession of either the Apostle's Creed or Nicene Creed by the different churches according to tradition. Apostle's Creed still remains as the most common profession of the Christian faith in the world, especially in the Roman Catholic Churches. On the other hand, the Nicene Creed is used by the Eastern Orthodox Churches, as well as some Catholic churches in the United States. (Eastern Orthodox Churches follow many of the basic doctrines of a Roman Catholic, e.g. seven sacraments, but have their own authorities which do not recognize the Roman Pope).<br /><br /><strong><u><span style="color:#990000;">How important is the creed in my life today?</span><br /></u></strong><br /> Whether we profess the Apostle's Creed or Nicene Creed, we are essentially professing the Catholic Christian Creed. However, the Creed must eventually be engraved in our hearts. The Creed becomes the expression of our relationship with God and others. What we believe, we should live. If you believe in God, then we should live God-centered lives. If we believe in love and forgiveness as preached by Jesus, then we should receive, give and live love and forgiveness.<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><em>- Written by Chris Mallion, edited by Manny Blas II</em></span><br /><br /><br />Sources:<br />The Bible (NAB) 1969.<br />Hardon, S.J., John A. Pocket Catholic Catechism: a concise contemporary guide to the essentials of the faith. New York: Image Books. 1989, pp. 11-12.<br />Neuner, S.J. J. and J. Dupuis, S.J. The Christian Faith. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India. pp.3-9Barclay, William. The Apostles Creed. Great Britain: Guernsey Press Ltd., pp. 2, 6-7,14.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1127476141311028992005-09-23T19:44:00.000+08:002005-09-23T19:49:01.323+08:00If God is perfect, why didn't He create everything/everyone perfect? (by Adu)<span ><strong><span style="color:#003300;">1. If God is a perfect being, why didn't He create everything/ everyone perfect? Why is He the only one who's perfect? Did He do that on purpose?</span></strong><br /><br /> <span style="color:#993300;">These are profound theological questions. These are the very same questions that ancient people have asked every time they would see men and women get sick and die, things around them decay, as well as when they see the grandeur of nature and the miracle of the birth of a baby. Why couldn’t things be perfect?<br /><br /> The biblical authors have an answer to the same questions, based on their own reflections, insight and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. The author (or more accurately, the authors) of Genesis answered this with the Creation story.<br /><br /> The Creation story is not a historical account of HOW things and people came to be (for indeed, no one was around that time to report it). Rather, it is the authors’ reflection of WHY things came to be. <br /><br /> The creation story says that God’s original creation is perfect – nothing more, nothing less was needed. It took God “7 days,” which is a biblical symbol meaning “complete” and “perfect.” The creation story says that humanity is the highest of all creation, because only man/woman was created “in the image of God.” Lastly, it says that creation has a purpose; there is order in creation. Things were not created at random, but in sequence, and that it has a purpose. The purpose of creation is shown on the last day, when God “rested.” God did not get tired, but God stopped working and “blessed the seventh day and made it holy” (Genesis 2:3). This means that the purpose, or the end, of all creation is to be holy, to be with God.<br /><br /> That was the way things were: there was perfect harmony between God and humanity, described as “walking in the garden.” But God who created man/woman out of love, did so with freedom as part of the human package. As such, man/woman can choose to accept or reject God’s love.<br /><br /> The temptation story is the biblical authors’ reflection on how this perfect creation, with the perfect relationship of God and humanity, was broken. The “tree of knowledge of good and evil” is a “merism,” or a literary device by which totality is described by the first and last of the series or by opposites. Another example of merism is when someone says “I love you from morning till night”; what he actually means is that he loves her all the time. The “tree” therefore symbolizes mastery over everything or all of creation.<br /><br /> The “eating of the fruit” is not simply an just act of disobedience, but it is a stance taking by humanity that he/she too can have mastery over everything, just like God. It is a position which says “I can be like you, and therefore do not need you; nor do I need your love.” It is this act of defiance and rejection that severed the relationship between God and humanity. And since humanity is the greatest of all creation, then all of creation also was “separated” from God.<br /><br /> Thus, sin (or the rejection of God’s love) became part of the world. Hence, we have sickness, decay, severed relationships, human hurts, death. In short, imperfection.<br /><br /> Did God create imperfection? No. God’s creation is perfect. But, out of freedom, humanity chose to sever this perfection.<br /><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#003300;"><br />2. When Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, does this refer to our original sin which is disobedience? Or to all the sins of the human race? If this refers to all our sins, does this include the sins we committed, we are committing, or about to commit?<br /></span></strong><br /> <span style="color:#993300;"> To answer this question, it is best to continue the story from where we left off in your first question. <br /><br /> Even though God’s love was rejected by humanity, God continued to pursue man/woman back. The whole bible is the story of how God – through Abraham, Moses, the Judges, the Kings of Israel, the Prophets, and finally through Jesus – worked to bring humanity back to God.<br /><br /> By God becoming man in Jesus, God could communicate to man/woman what his intentions are in the best and clearest possible manner. (I often compare this with Tita Wena and I talking to our two dogs. It will always be limited unless we learn “dog language.” In the case of Jesus, God became man so that he can speak “human language” and communicate with us directly and clearly).<br /><br /> If sin came into the world because of what humanity did, then Jesus’ mission is to show how we can overcome sin and return to that perfect relationship with God. How did Jesus do this? In two ways:<br /><br />- First, through his life, words and deeds, Jesus showed that “perfection” can be attained when one totally conforms one’s life with the will of the Father. The will of the Father is summarized in the law of love (and forgiveness).<br /><br />- Secondly, through Jesus death and resurrection.<br /><br /> We often think of Jesus’ death as having a redemptive (or saving) effect because somebody had to pay the price for the first sin. We imagine a stern Father who was offended by the sin of a child, and now the life of another child is being demanded to appease the anger of the Father. That is not the God that Jesus asks us to call “Abba, Father.”<br /><br /> I’d rather that you think of Jesus’ death as the consequence of his desire to conform to the will of the Father. Jesus mission is to preach the Kingdom of love and forgiveness – “for this purpose, I was sent” (Luke 4:43). This mission entailed much risks since Jesus had to fight the thinking at that time of going to God by following the strict laws of Moses. As a consequence, he incensed the Pharisees, priests and authorities at that time. Jesus was against this conventional thinking because it presented God’s love as something one can earn, rather than one freely given. Jesus message was simply to accept God’s love and forgiveness by loving and forgiving others “as I” loved and forgave you.<br /><br /> Though death was a real possibility for Jesus, he went on to Jerusalem to proclaim the Kingdom of God the way he knew it to be: not one based on compliance with the law, but one based on love and forgiveness. As a consequence, he was crucified.<br /><br /> But Jesus showed that he had power over death. He resurrected, not just resuscitated, and transformed to a new reality.<br /><br /> Therefore, through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus accomplished the following:<br /><br />- When God became part of humanity through Jesus, then all of humanity was also transformed. (The theological phrase is “creation is now Christologically-charged” or, as St. Paul would say, “Christ is in all”). It is now new creation.<br /><br />- He showed us that perfect dependence on God’s will and love would entail sacrifice and even death, but the reward is life after death.<br /><br />- He showed us what will happen eventually happen to us. Death is not our end. But we too will resurrect and be with the Father, just as Jesus did. He gave us a preview of what will happen.<br /> Now, to answer your questions. Yes, Jesus saved us from sin and sins. Sin (singular) is the power of evil to resist and reject God’s love, and to turn towards our self instead of others. Sins (plural) are the individual sins you and I commit.<br /><br /> We are saved from sin (singular) because we now have the power to overcome selfishness and self-righteousness before God, and to turn towards others and be totally open to God’s love. We are saved from our sins (plural) because we know that no amount of sins can overcome God’s love, PROVIDED we turn to God and accept His love. There is nothing you can do to prevent God from loving you unless you yourself totally reject God’s love.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1127235659378118022005-09-21T00:54:00.000+08:002005-09-21T01:00:59.390+08:00Did Jesus' miracles really happen?To answer this, let’s listen to this conversation.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong><u>Q: TM, let’s get straight to the point. Did the miracles of Jesus really happen?</u></strong><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> Before answering that, we have to understand what you refer to as miracles.<br /><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u><strong>Q: I mean the blind seeing, the lame walking, Lazarus rising back to life, and all the other things that go against the laws of nature.<br /></strong></u></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> I think we need to do some clarification. We usually define miracles as something that cannot be explained by science or medicine. We are wary of miracles, and we associate them with primitive mentality, hallucinations or self-suggestion. Your very question which refers to violating the “laws of nature” assumes that there is a natural order, which is separate from the supernatural order.<br /><br /> You see, the people in biblical times lived in a different world view and different image of God. People at that time did not think in terms of natural laws (like gravity) and supernatural or divine laws. For them, what we consider “natural” and “supernatural” were all intertwined; not separated worlds as we tend to think.<br /><br /> In the worldview of the Old and New Testament, God often intervened in the earthly events, and at times interrupted things for the events to take another course. This is not extraordinary to them, as we would think. This was simply the way things are.<br /><br /> For biblical people, there was no such thing as “law of nature.” To them, the only “law of nature” was the faithful love of God for God’s people. They saw God’s love at work in a good rainfall, as well as in a victory in battle, or in healing. They did not see the world as being divided between natural and supernatural. They did not look at the universe as a closed system following inflexible laws of physics, but as completely open and responsive to God. To distinguish between natural and supernatural events would have been foreign to their outlook.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br /><br /> But then, our worldview changed with the advent of Galileo, Newton, and atomic and quantum physics. We began to interpret and look at miracles from the point of view of natural science, and regarded them as violating the laws of nature.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u>Q: And the point of all this is?</u></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> The point is this: what you refer to as miracles is different from how the people who were with Jesus see miracles. At that time, an event or incident is a miracle not so much because it is extraordinary, but because the event revealed something clear about who and what God is. <br /><br /> To say it another way, a miracle is a miracle because in it, God is revealed as someone who intervenes in the history of a nation, as well as in the history of a person. That is why the Exodus is considered as the prototype of all miracles: Yahweh saved the Israelites who were slaves, and turned them to a powerful nation.<br /><br /> Let’s agree therefore on a definition of miracles using the ancient worldview: <strong><u>miracles are remarkable events which believers understand to be signs of God’s saving activity in the life of a nation and a person.<br /></u></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u>Q: Ok, I now understand the difference in the worldview and what are considered as miracles. So let me rephrase my question: did Jesus really make the blind see, the lame walk, and Lazarus rise from the dead?</u></span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>TM:</strong></span> Well, most certainly Jesus did perform acts that were considered extraordinary by people during his time. Most biblical scholars agree that miracle stories of the gospels are sufficiently solid not to be classified as mere inventions by the biblical writers.<br /><br /> Also, if Jesus had not performed any of these signs, he would not have been recognized as a religious man of his time, nor been able to attract a sufficient following. That would be very unusual because charismatic religious leaders, both in and outside Judaism, were associated with performing miracles.<br /><br /> The gospels report 30 miracles performed by Jesus. It should be pointed out that, given the worldview described above, miracle stories were found also in other ancient literature, and not just in the bible. The Greek god Aesculapius, for example, is credited as having performed about 80 miracles, most of which are healing.<br />(By the way, we cannot say that only biblical miracles are authentic, and all else are hoaxes. I do not think we can limit God’s activity only to biblical miracles).<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u>Q: Let me be more pointed. Did those miracles of Jesus involve violating the laws of nature as we understand it nowadays?<br /></u></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> Well, I’m afraid that question must remain largely unanswered. If you recall in our Basic Bible Course, the gospels were written well after Jesus life and resurrection. There was no reporter who was taking notes when Jesus performed his miracles. <br /><br /> There are no purely objective and factual accounts of Jesus’ actions, but only accounts interpreted in the light of Jesus who has resurrected, and this experience reflected upon, shared with others, and written down in the gospels. <br /><br /> It is difficult to know what actually happened. What we can establish is the impression produced by the miracle on the eyewitnesses was remarkable enough for it to affect their faith.<br /><br /> We accept that Jesus did perform miracles, but do not know how exactly each miracle happened. However, we are certain of this: “there remains an impressive body of material which attributes to Jesus a number of miracles which have no close parallel in the ancient world and which testifies to the amazement and wonder which Jesus provoked on many occasions.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> <br /><br /> Ultimately, our faith is not based on every miracle narrated in the gospel actually having happened or on a miracle’s happening exactly the way it is presented in the gospel. The real basis of our faith is that Christ has been raised from the dead.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u>Q: So why did Jesus perform miracles? Is it, as you said earlier, to establish his credibility because charismatic religious leaders were doing them?</u></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> We know from the bible that Jesus himself did not intend to use miracles as proof. When asked by the Pharisees to perform a miracle to confirm his claim that God is with him, Jesus refuses categorically (Mark 8:11-13).<br /><br /> Jesus performed miracles to communicate what the Kingdom of God would be like. The preaching of the Kingdom is the primary purpose for which he has been sent. So he commanded his disciples, “cure the sick and tell them, ‘the kingdom of God is near you.” The miracles have a purpose: it is to give people a glimpse of the Kingdom. <br /><br /> Jesus wanted to say that I came here so that you may once again know and experience how it was prior to the fall, and before sin came into the world. It is sin that enslaves you, and I want to liberate you from demonic powers, from disease, from death, hunger, and natural catastrophes. So when I heal the sick, make the blind see, the lame walk, the dead rise, and the storm calmed, you will see what it is like when the Kingdom is fulfilled. No more wheelchairs, cancer, chemo, and ICU’s.<br /><br /> For Jesus, miracles were not mere proof of credentials or pasiklab, but a sign of the Kingdom.<br /> <br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"><u>Q: Do miracles still happen today?</u></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">TM:</span></strong> Of course. Isn’t the worldview of renewed people like you and me very similar to the worldview of people during biblical times? Do we not say that “there is no accident in God’s plan” because we recognize that God, though Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit is continually intervening in our lives?<br /><br /> Our faith in our prayers shows that our God does not merely observe, but intervenes. Our prayer to the Spirit for discernment shows that our insights and emotions are being directed by our God. Our praise and worship shows we want to relate with our God who is a person who loves. Our thanksgiving for ALL things (good and bad) shows that God’s will cannot ever be subverted.<br /><br /> Yes, of course, miracles happen everyday.<br /><br /><br /><br />September 21, 2005<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Herman Hendrickx, The Miracle Stories (Manila: St. Paul’s Publications, 1987), 11.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Ibid, 21.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1122802065444970442005-07-31T17:23:00.000+08:002005-07-31T17:27:45.450+08:00How Should We Interpret Jesus' Cry on the Cross: "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"<strong><span style="color:#000099;"> This verse is found in Mark 15:34, and also in Matthew 27:46.</span></strong> In both gospels, these are the last words uttered by Jesus immediately before his death. (In the traditional 7 Last Words during Good Friday, the seventh and last Word is “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.” This is found in Luke, and is the last words of Jesus, according to Luke. The 7 Last Words are a compilation of the various statements of Jesus as compiled from all the four gospels).<br /><br /> The verse uttered by Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is the first verse of Psalm 22, which is often referred to as a psalm of mourning. It was a popular psalm at the time, which would have been readily recognized by the crowd around Jesus. However, reading beyond the first verse reveals that it is also a psalm of hope and trust in God. It assures us that God is acquainted with our suffering, no matter how horrible. He is with us even when we feel most forsaken. Why? Because He is the God who has known us from the womb (Ps. 22:9–10). <strong><span style="color:#000099;">Thus, it is more appropriately referred to as the “psalm of a righteous sufferer.<br /></span></strong><br /><em>1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?<br /> Why are You so far from helping Me,<br /> And from the words of My groaning?<br />2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;<br /> And in the night season, and am not silent.<br />3 But You are holy,<br /> Enthroned in the praises of Israel.<br />4 Our fathers trusted in You;<br /> They trusted, and You delivered them.<br />5 They cried to You, and were delivered;<br /> They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.</em><br /><br /> <strong><span style="color:#000099;">Mark, in his gospel, has always emphasized the humanity and suffering of Jesus.</span></strong> The gospel writer made extra effort to ensure that his readers did not associate Jesus only with his miracles and glorious actions, but also with his suffering.<br /><br /> Again, in this verse, we hear Jesus cry out in despair. Prior to this, during the scene in Gethsemane, Jesus is afraid of the fate that awaits him. The gospel writer could have chosen to end Jesus’ life on a triumphal note, but instead suggests that even though Jesus chooses to die in obedience to God, he experiences abandonment in death.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> Jesus also does not die as a martyr, but as someone in anguish, just as anyone who goes through a crucifixion which is the most shameful and tortuous way to die. The only triumph Mark depicts in Jesus’ death is his human faithfulness to God – with his own fear and torment and sadness, and despite the pain and humiliation and abandonment brought on by others.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a><br /><br /><strong> <span style="color:#000099;"> What about Matthew’s version?</span></strong> One of Matthew’s main objectives in his gospel is to establish the connection between Jesus and the Messiah that everyone was waiting for, and as predicted in the Hebrew bible (what we now know as the Old Testament). Thus, here he finds another opportunity to establish this connection. Matthew presents the scriptural fulfilment of the divine plan of salvation and the obedient submission of the Son to the Father’s will.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a><br /><br /> Thus, the meaning of the verse varies whether one uses the context of the Marcan or Matthean gospel. I personally like the Marcan version. It highlights the humanity of Jesus. You see, God became human so that God can communicate to us face to face. That is Mark’s main point. Sometimes, though, we keep on pushing Jesus back to heaven that we forget his humanity. <strong><span style="color:#000099;"> Because Jesus is man, all of humanity is transformed.</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Footnotes:<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> David Rhoads, Joanna Dewey, Donald Michie, Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999), 112.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Ibid, 112.<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12756296#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Augustine Stock, OSB, The Method and Message of Matthew. (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1994), 428.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12756296.post-1118378565858151702005-06-10T12:40:00.000+08:002006-06-18T21:19:23.013+08:00What happens during consecration?<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Our Lord Jesus Christ is really present in the Eucharistic celebration in many ways: in the assembly, in the person of the priest celebrant, in the reading of the Word, and most especially under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine.</span><br /><br />But what does it mean when we say that the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ? We know that the bread and wine still looks, tastes, and smells like bread and wine. Do the bread and wine merely symbolize the body and blood of Christ (as non Catholic Christians believe), and that we should imagine that these are now Christ’s body and blood? The answer is no; the bread and wine do become the body and blood of Christ. If so, then does it mean that we are like cannibals that eat flesh and blood?<br /><br />I hope this article will help you understand what happens during consecration, and be able to explain it to others.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><em>The different ways that things change<br /></em></span></strong><br />First, let’s open our minds to the different ways that things change. We know that water can change from solid (ice) to liquid to gas. But it is still H2O. In other words, the outside form changes, but the invisible components of hydrogen and oxygen remain the same.<br /><br />Another kind of change is when the outside form remains the same, but the inside (or invisible) changes. In philosophical terms, this is referred to as trans-substantiation, which is the term that our Church uses to explain the change that happens in consecration. In philosophical terms, the outside form is referred to as the “accidents” and the internal elements as “essence” or “substance.” In this way of explaining, the accidents (externals) of bread and wine do not change but the essence of its reality is no longer just bread and wine, but the body and blood of Christ.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><em><strong>What do we mean by the “body and blood of Christ”?</strong></em></span><br /><br />The “body and blood” of Christ is our way of saying the total person of Christ. Thus, we do not refer to the bread being “just the body” and the wine as “just the blood” of Christ. Both species, that is the bread and wine, contain the whole personal presence of our Lord.<br /><br />However, the “body and blood” of Christ present in the bread and wine is NOT the physical body of Christ, but his glorified and Resurrected body. This points us to yet another kind of change.<br /><br />The third kind is that of total transformation, where everything (both the inside and outside) changes. This is how we look at what happened to Jesus in his Resurrection.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">What happened in the Resurrection?</span></em></strong><br /><br />An understanding of the Resurrection will help us understand what happens during consecration.<br /><br />We regard the Resurrection of Jesus as not just resuscitation (as in the case of Lazarus, who eventually died), but that of transformation (Jesus lives forever). Resurrection refers not just to a physically risen Jesus, but to a spiritually Risen Jesus.<br /><br />Our Risen Lord was no longer bound by time and space. He could walk through walls. In the account of the “doubting Thomas” in John 20:19-29, the evangelist emphasizes by saying twice that “the doors were locked,” and yet Jesus suddenly appeared to them.<br /><br />In the story of the two men on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24:1-53, we learn other aspects about our Risen Lord. We know that the tomb was empty and so his body rose and changed (24:12). His body changed because when Jesus appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus, he was not readily recognizable (24:32), and yet he could be seen and touched, and he ate bread and fish. We also know that he was recognized when he started to talk about the Scriptures and when they broke bread (24:35), and that this encounter with him brought about much excitement and joy (24:33 and 41).<br /><br />I’m afraid that is as much as we can know about Jesus Resurrected presence. (The disciples did not have a video camera then, so they could not be any more helpful). But one thing we do know, Jesus was not just resuscitated; he was transformed to a glorious presence.<br /><br />The close analogy I can think of is that of a caterpillar that is transformed to a butterfly. It changes to something totally new.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">The Resurrection and Consecration</span></em></strong><br /><br />During the consecration, we believe that the bread and wine changes into the “body and blood” of Christ, but NOT his physical body/blood but to his glorified, resurrected, and spiritually risen body/blood. (Again, think of body/blood as “total person”)<br /><br />This is the same glorified, resurrection, and spiritually risen Jesus that is present “whenever we pray and there are two or three gathered in his name.” But we regard his presence in a very special way in the blessed Sacrament.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">The different ways one or something can be present</span></em></strong><br /><br />Finally, I’d like you to be aware of how one or something can be present. There is the physical kind of presence, just as a computer is proximately near me as I type this article. Someone can also be next to me and be just physically present but his or her mind is somewhere else.<br /><br />There is also the personal kind of presence where a person is present to another through sharing of knowledge, affection and love. It is this kind of presence that we refer to when we say that Jesus is present in the bread and wine.<br /><br />The Church wants us to avoid two extremes in explaining the presence of Jesus in the eucharist:<br /><br />- a crude, materialistic understanding of the change of bread and wine into Christ’s earthly “flesh and blood” which would make communicants equivalent to cannibals, and<br /><br />- the opposite extreme of a merely symbolic interpretation of the change, which would reject the real eating and drinking of the Lord.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Implications in our daily life</span></em></strong><br /><br />We believe that Jesus (in his glorified, Resurrected and spiritual presence) is everywhere. Jesus is present when “two or three are gathered in his name,” when we perform works of mercy, when we preach the Word of God, and most effectively, when we celebrate the Eucharist.<br /><br />We become intimately united with him when we receive him in communion. Christ is in us. We know we will share in this glorified, Resurrected and spiritual presence one day.<br /><br />But we need not wait until that day. We live the way we live because Jesus himself is already in us.<br /><br /> In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (John 14:19-21)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Sources:<br />- Catechism for Filipino Catholics (CFC)<br />- Catechism of the Catholic Church<br />- Patambang, Myra A., Salibay, Esteban T., Jr., and Valera, Felinore Angelica H. Sacraments, Marriage And Family Life. Manila: Navotas Press, 2001.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00601966052637251372noreply@blogger.com