I wanted to just post a simple prayer, but while flipping through my books I found that I wanted to first share with you three paragraphs written by the late Pope John Paul II. This is from his book "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" where he responded to questions including the one "How Does the Pope Pray?" Here are three paragraphs from his longer answer.
The Pope's prayer, however, has an added dimension. In his concern for all the churches every day the Pontiff must open his prayer, his thought, his heart to the entire world. Thus a kind of geography of the Pope's prayer is sketched out. It is a geography of communities, churches, societies, and also of the problems that trouble the world today. In this sense the Pope is called to a universal prayer in which the sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum (concern for all the churches; 2 Cor 11:28) permits him to set forth before God all the joys and hopes as well as the griefs and anxieties that the Church shares with humanity today.
Prayer in our time, prayer in the twentieth century, should also be discussed. The year 2000 marks a kind of challenge. We must look at the immensity of good that has sprung from the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word [my note to my blog readers, for non-Christians the Incarnation of the Word means the birth of Jesus as the will and the word of God made into human flesh form] and, at the same time, not lose sight of the mystery of sin, which is continually expanding. Saint Paul writes that "where sin increased" ("ubi abundavit peccatum") "grace overflowed all the more" ("superabundavit gratia"; cf. Rom 5:20).
This profound truth presents a perennial challenge for prayer. It shows how necessary prayer is for the world and for the Church, because in the end it constitutes the easiest way of making God and His redeeming love present in the world. God entrusted to men their own salvation; He entrusted to them the Church, and, in the Church, the redeeming work of Christ. God entrusted this to all, both to individuals and to humanity as a whole. He entrusted all to one and one to all. The prayer of the Church, and especially the prayer of the Pope, must constantly reflect this awareness.
Here is another paragraph on this topic, so relevant to these times.
The Church prays for the dead and this prayer says much about the reality of the Church itself. It says that the Church continues to live in the hope of eternal life. Prayer for the dead is almost a battle with the reality of death and destruction that weighs down upon the earthly existence of man. This is and remains a particular revelation of the Resurrection. In this prayer Christ Himself bears witness to the life and immortality, to which God calls every human being.
One reason that I included this fourth paragraph is that I wanted you to understand that praying for the dead is not depressing and pointless, but the ultimate expression of faith and hope by the individuals and body of the Church in the immortal life to which God calls all. Implicit in this, though John Paul II does not address this here, is that even if someone who you know has deceased in a state where you might be quite certain that they had not accepted God, had not shunned lives of sin, and had might likely, therefore, "not been saved," it is an expression of your faith and hope that, if you so wish, pray nonetheless for your deceased loved one. The point is that no prayer is "wasted." Sometimes true faith is demonstrated only when you trust God in what seems to be impossible situations.
Mark 10:26-27
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."
Showing posts with label Pope John Paul II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pope John Paul II. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, November 22, 2008
The problem with assuming heaven for anyone
I was reading an interesting commentary by a well known Catholic priest on his blog, and many equally interesting comments. It was stimulated by the death of a priest who had suffered a long illness. Apparently what would normally have been a funeral Mass had become a quite secular sounding "celebration of life," with much jolly recollection of his giving and his larger than life personality. This prompted the blogging priest to do some soul searching and wonder if that is really the right thing to do as he explained, correctly, that the purpose of the Catholic funeral or requiem Mass is to pray for God's mercy for the soul of the departed. Making the funeral a "nice guy send off" with the usual statements that we all hear at many funerals these days "surely he or she is in heaven with God 'already'" presents several problems. By the way, before I discuss any further, two points. I'm not linking to the discussion because it's easy to get caught up in extraneous detail about how nice guy/traditional or whatever he was, and that's not the point or, at least it should not be. The second point is that any truly pious and honest faithful believer who hopes to understand God at all, whether you are Muslim, Christian or Jewish, has, throughout history, never presumed that the deceased has done a "cake walk" straight into heaven. In fact, it is the solemn duty of the faithful in all denominations to pray at the memorial or funeral gathering for God's mercy on the soul of the departed. It is a modern innovation, and one that is not helpful to either the deceased or his or her family, to presume that the person is in heaven, to say nothing of assuming he or she is already wearing their halo and has special orders from God.
Now, I am not being insensitive. We do know, for example, that infants who perish of course are not judged and have no barrier to immediate presence with God. We know this from the implications of what Jesus said, which is to not harm children or lead them into sin because their angels always face God directly. In other words, there is a straight sinless channel between children and God, and this is why Jesus warned in the strongest imagery to not introduce sin to a child who is naturally in a sin free relationship with God. Thus one can infer from Jesus' own words with great confidence that the only group one knows with certainty who immediately achieve heaven, since they are innocent of sin by virtue of their youth, are children. (By the way, traditional Catholic doctrine believes that at the age of seven children become able to identify sinful behavior, and thus become responsible if they sin, and it is for that reason that children are at that age taught the sacraments of Confession followed by Holy Eucharist). This is why Jesus warned to, rather, cut off an arm rather than to lead a child into sin, because children do not have a "carte blanche pass to heaven until they are like eighteen or twenty-one because they are soooooo young" by any means, and thus the adult sinner who depraves children by teaching them sin is fully accountable to God, and Jesus implies that hell will be their reward.
The only adult who ever lived who one knows in total confidence resides in heaven and immediately achieved heaven upon passing, and in his case, by ascending, was Jesus himself. This is because heaven is the natural home of Jesus, and being of part of the Holy Spirit by birth, he had purity that cannot be impugned. Further, Jesus was in existence in heaven before he was born, as I explained in more detail in a recent blog posting, and thus, with his ascension, Jesus truly of anyone "returned home" directly to heaven.
The only adults who had an absolute guarantee of heaven, and they wisely did not rest their laurels on that guarantee, but continued to live in "hope" were the Apostles themselves. Jesus virtually guaranteed them heaven when he spoke of their being reunited there, obviously. One can also infer this guarantee from the famous event where the mother of James and John sought a promise from Jesus that each of her sons would sit in what she assumed would be Jesus' earthly kingship at places of honor at his right and left hand. He replied that only God can bestow such honor, meaning, only God determines who has what portion of heaven granted to them. You can safely read into what Jesus was saying that he was essentially stating they would be with him in heaven, but he cannot speak on behalf of God, who judges entry to heaven and then the placement therein. My point is, though, if you read what the Gospel authors, especially Peter, Paul, James and John wrote, you clearly see they take even their status most certainly not for granted, and continually live in "hope" of being redeemed and saved to join Jesus in heaven. Thus we know that while scripture teaches that Jesus redeems all believers from original sin, all humans are still accountable to personal judgment by God. No one "bypasses" being judged by God.
So to get to the heart of the matter, why is it a disservice to the dead, particularly those who seem to be most worthy and virtuous, to omit or breeze over the "praying for God to give mercy to their soul" part and just get right to the "celebration of life" with much mirth and joy about how good that person was and how surely they must be rewarded now in heaven. Well, as I said, ask anyone, particularly a Muslim, and they can explain to you that it is a solemn duty to not presume on behalf of God, and that it is the sole purpose of the last religious rites to expressly pray for God's mercy for the departed. The reason I say to ask any Muslim is because they retain the most of the three faiths contact with what was expected at funerals, which is exactly that, not a memorial party (which if held, no problem, but not as a substitute for the humility of the funeral prayers on behalf of the departed). This is precisely why Orthodox and Catholics retain a solemn funeral or requiem Mass.
All faiths recognize, even if they have difficulty remembering this in these modern narcissistic times of minimizing sin, that only the pure can enter heaven. Who is pure? No one but, as I've said, the youngest children who have not been exposed to sin. Muslims assume that God's mercy and acceptance of the worthy deceased into heaven renders them pure and worthy to obtain heaven. That is true, but based on scripture Christians (all of them, until the "Reformation") identified the process of rendering worthy deceased to be pure enough for heaven as the state of "purgatory." I explain the Biblical basis for purgatory in previous posts which can be found by following that label. Thus Catholics retain an understanding that praying for the dead is of benefit to them and Biblically justified, as it assists the deceased in their preparation for entry to heaven. Basically it all comes back to praying to God to have mercy on the soul of the loved one, overlooking and forgiving any shortcomings or sin that they retained at death. And that is the rub.
No matter how worthy and wonderful a person seems on the outside, living a virtuous and outstanding life, I can absolutely assure you that there are flaw and sins of both omission and commission that no one knows about but God. Rather than being less true of a priest, that is even more true of a priest. A priest, like a physician, has a special burden and responsibility. Physicians, in theory, are giving and do great things. But to assume that a priest pops sin-free right into heaven is like assuming that a physician never abuses a patient or takes drugs because he or she is "so good" and "knows better." Um, not exactly. Studies show that physicians are particularly vulnerable to both drug and alcohol abuse, and the list of abuses by many is becoming quite long and shocking. I mention this comparison so that you better understand what I am about to explain about priests.
No matter how many specific duties of a priest you list, their responsibilities are basically only two, in the eyes of God. One is to conduct the worship of God. The other is to ensure the proper faith formation of their flock. All specific duties fall under those two responsibilities. Now, where does "being the most fun loving and generous priest, a real hoot to be around, who anyone can talk to about their problems, and who kids get a kick being around" fall under of those two? Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock... still waiting for your answer. I know far too many priests who fall for the "cool priest" popularity trap, and the more the flock celebrates at his funeral his cute personality and fun at athletic outings, the more God is simultaneously asking him to account for the missed opportunities where the priest was more concerned with being "Mr Cool," "Mr Popularity" or "Mr Administrative Whiz" rather than 1) conducting worship of God and 2) ensuring the proper faith formation of their flock. TRUST ME. Priests, like everyone else, do a lot of purgatory time and can use your prayers. Also trust me, you'd be surprised how many priests, pastors, preachers, imams, "bishops" (the Protestant and non-denominational variety), rabbis and etc end up in hell, sad to say. Not for the omissions that I mention above, of not being diligent in worship and faith formation of their flock, but for modern day idolatry.
I will confine my comments and severe cautions to Christian religious, both Catholic priests, nuns and other religious and non-Catholic "men and women of the cloth." I have blogged before and will repeat that God is fully aware of how many Christians proclaim God and Jesus Christ out of one sides of their mouth, while retaining pagan beliefs in ideas such as "reincarnation" and occult fortune telling on the other side of their mouth. Some of these beliefs are totally secret from others but their family and fellow believers, while others are shockingly open about it (still thinking, though, that people "don't know their 'secret learning'" and, incredibly, they think God does not know.) Some actually believe that their family members are "reincarnated saints" or members of the Holy Family (I cannot describe how high up the blasphemy scale those thoughts and worse deeds in fulfillment of that belief are in God's eyes). I've been insulted to my face by Catholic priests who engage in what they think are secret occult beliefs, and if I know, trust me, God who knows every subatomic particle that ever existed, or will, etc etc knows every thought and impulse by these men, and by the nuns who likewise are cultists. Those are not problems of purgatory (forget "going immediately to heaven") but are rather most dire perils of hell.
I have to be painfully blunt. It is such a prevalent problem that when I read of the death of a priest, a nun, or friar, or of Christian pastors of any denomination, I now always think, "I hope that they are not one of the ones who think that their aunt is reincarnated Mary Magdalen" or that Jesus is "channeling" them because they have a prominant Leo or Sagittarius horoscope chart. That's not purgatory material, that's hell material. When I was studying cultists undercover I was shocked to see that some of the worse blaspheming cultists constantly declare their love of Jesus Christ at the same time. I learned that this is because they think they *shudder* have actual reincarnationed connection "within" the Holy Family itself. Many of them have contaminated men and women religious of their family with that belief. They are modern Eves and even more shocking than that, lacking any shame or regret.
This is why one cannot assume that even the most beloved priest, for example, is absolutely assured of heaven because, in fact, only God knows what is truly in their heart. You cannot assume the best of priest goes to heaven any more than you can assume that the best physician never conducts malpractice, or has a secret addiction that impairs the welfare of their patients. I mean, you can't be paranoid, but that is why you don't judge, God does. This is why solemn prayers for mercy of God on each deceased one, including priests, is essential, because you do not know all that God knows, for which they may need a great forgiveness.
But back to the discussion of what we hope are the vast majority of friends, family and priests who are worthy and who will, with God's mercy, gain heaven. There is no human who does not need purification of the sin that they conducted, both through commission and omission, in their lives, period. If you read my posts on the subject you will see that Isaiah, the great prophet of God who foretold Jesus Christ, insisted on purification (from which the Church understands purgatory) before he would speak to God when God first called him. Angels brought hot coals with tongs from God's altar because this holy man knew he had "unclean lips" and lived among those of unclean lips. One cannot be human and free from sin, and one cannot enter heaven with any stain of sin.
So, in that discussion that I read, that initiated this long commentary, the usual case was cited of the Great Pope John Paul II. Surely he must be in heaven right now, having been so good, faithful and beloved? The answer is that surely we can have confidence that he will gain heaven, but yes, even for him, only after purification from sin, what we call Purgatory. Here is why. The Popes who so dearly love God, as did Pope John Paul II, are beloved in return, and can have confidence in God and Jesus Christ. But what do they mean by "confidence?" Confidence means these holy men understand that they are flawed, no matter how often they confess, and they trust that God and Jesus Christ will lead them to heaven. In other words, their confidence is not an instant passport to heaven, but knowing that God will take them through what they must go through to achieve heaven in purity. So, you might ask, what could JPII possibly be stained from regarding sin? Well, I can say with total love that he was one of the greatest servants of God, but as a result, he had a little bit of a vanity problem. Not about his faith, but because he allowed himself to be manipulated in his "media hound" weakness. He was snookered into some diversion from his image as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, not in his heart, which remained pure, but in his vanity he did not recognize when the media and some around him steered him into some very non-Vicar of Jesus Christ actions. I don't want to make more of it than I already have, but this is an example of what was unrealized by him, but became very clear to him when God revealed all. Pope John Paul II would insist on being the first in line to purify away from him the unrealized erring of vanity that he had unconsciously allowed to divert even an iota from the fullness of his work and image as the Vicar of Jesus Christ.
I guess the best way to summarize it is that assuredly JPII would have been the first to identify times when he was a bit lured away from being in a proper role and mindset as the Vicar of Jesus Christ if it had not been for his personal small, but real, weakness of vanity. The vanity I mean is not lack of humility, to the contrary, but the vanity that comes from thinking that being liked and being amenable to any and all proposed actions in order to be popular, to be loved, and to spread the genuine love of Jesus Christ is the same as being totally true to his role as Vicar to Jesus Christ. Sometimes Vicars of Jesus Christ have to say "no." JPII, to the frustration of those who sought to undermine Church doctrine, never deviated one iota from his purity of doctrine, thank God. But JPII allowed himself to be used in some less than pure agendas, which he did not recognize because of that dash of vanity. So yes, even the greatest and the most loyal to God, and the most loved by God (and Mary) as JPII most assuredly was still needs purification, because of the web of sin that all humans reside within, often so blindly.
I hope this helps. It's not one of my favorite topics, but its inescapable, as there is a terrible crisis of idolatry and hubris among all the faiths, western and eastern. Assuming the gravy train to heaven is one of the largest signs of this problem, and I continue to be astonished at how more have not realized it and the danger and disservice such presumption causes as consequences.
Now, I am not being insensitive. We do know, for example, that infants who perish of course are not judged and have no barrier to immediate presence with God. We know this from the implications of what Jesus said, which is to not harm children or lead them into sin because their angels always face God directly. In other words, there is a straight sinless channel between children and God, and this is why Jesus warned in the strongest imagery to not introduce sin to a child who is naturally in a sin free relationship with God. Thus one can infer from Jesus' own words with great confidence that the only group one knows with certainty who immediately achieve heaven, since they are innocent of sin by virtue of their youth, are children. (By the way, traditional Catholic doctrine believes that at the age of seven children become able to identify sinful behavior, and thus become responsible if they sin, and it is for that reason that children are at that age taught the sacraments of Confession followed by Holy Eucharist). This is why Jesus warned to, rather, cut off an arm rather than to lead a child into sin, because children do not have a "carte blanche pass to heaven until they are like eighteen or twenty-one because they are soooooo young" by any means, and thus the adult sinner who depraves children by teaching them sin is fully accountable to God, and Jesus implies that hell will be their reward.
The only adult who ever lived who one knows in total confidence resides in heaven and immediately achieved heaven upon passing, and in his case, by ascending, was Jesus himself. This is because heaven is the natural home of Jesus, and being of part of the Holy Spirit by birth, he had purity that cannot be impugned. Further, Jesus was in existence in heaven before he was born, as I explained in more detail in a recent blog posting, and thus, with his ascension, Jesus truly of anyone "returned home" directly to heaven.
The only adults who had an absolute guarantee of heaven, and they wisely did not rest their laurels on that guarantee, but continued to live in "hope" were the Apostles themselves. Jesus virtually guaranteed them heaven when he spoke of their being reunited there, obviously. One can also infer this guarantee from the famous event where the mother of James and John sought a promise from Jesus that each of her sons would sit in what she assumed would be Jesus' earthly kingship at places of honor at his right and left hand. He replied that only God can bestow such honor, meaning, only God determines who has what portion of heaven granted to them. You can safely read into what Jesus was saying that he was essentially stating they would be with him in heaven, but he cannot speak on behalf of God, who judges entry to heaven and then the placement therein. My point is, though, if you read what the Gospel authors, especially Peter, Paul, James and John wrote, you clearly see they take even their status most certainly not for granted, and continually live in "hope" of being redeemed and saved to join Jesus in heaven. Thus we know that while scripture teaches that Jesus redeems all believers from original sin, all humans are still accountable to personal judgment by God. No one "bypasses" being judged by God.
So to get to the heart of the matter, why is it a disservice to the dead, particularly those who seem to be most worthy and virtuous, to omit or breeze over the "praying for God to give mercy to their soul" part and just get right to the "celebration of life" with much mirth and joy about how good that person was and how surely they must be rewarded now in heaven. Well, as I said, ask anyone, particularly a Muslim, and they can explain to you that it is a solemn duty to not presume on behalf of God, and that it is the sole purpose of the last religious rites to expressly pray for God's mercy for the departed. The reason I say to ask any Muslim is because they retain the most of the three faiths contact with what was expected at funerals, which is exactly that, not a memorial party (which if held, no problem, but not as a substitute for the humility of the funeral prayers on behalf of the departed). This is precisely why Orthodox and Catholics retain a solemn funeral or requiem Mass.
All faiths recognize, even if they have difficulty remembering this in these modern narcissistic times of minimizing sin, that only the pure can enter heaven. Who is pure? No one but, as I've said, the youngest children who have not been exposed to sin. Muslims assume that God's mercy and acceptance of the worthy deceased into heaven renders them pure and worthy to obtain heaven. That is true, but based on scripture Christians (all of them, until the "Reformation") identified the process of rendering worthy deceased to be pure enough for heaven as the state of "purgatory." I explain the Biblical basis for purgatory in previous posts which can be found by following that label. Thus Catholics retain an understanding that praying for the dead is of benefit to them and Biblically justified, as it assists the deceased in their preparation for entry to heaven. Basically it all comes back to praying to God to have mercy on the soul of the loved one, overlooking and forgiving any shortcomings or sin that they retained at death. And that is the rub.
No matter how worthy and wonderful a person seems on the outside, living a virtuous and outstanding life, I can absolutely assure you that there are flaw and sins of both omission and commission that no one knows about but God. Rather than being less true of a priest, that is even more true of a priest. A priest, like a physician, has a special burden and responsibility. Physicians, in theory, are giving and do great things. But to assume that a priest pops sin-free right into heaven is like assuming that a physician never abuses a patient or takes drugs because he or she is "so good" and "knows better." Um, not exactly. Studies show that physicians are particularly vulnerable to both drug and alcohol abuse, and the list of abuses by many is becoming quite long and shocking. I mention this comparison so that you better understand what I am about to explain about priests.
No matter how many specific duties of a priest you list, their responsibilities are basically only two, in the eyes of God. One is to conduct the worship of God. The other is to ensure the proper faith formation of their flock. All specific duties fall under those two responsibilities. Now, where does "being the most fun loving and generous priest, a real hoot to be around, who anyone can talk to about their problems, and who kids get a kick being around" fall under of those two? Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock... still waiting for your answer. I know far too many priests who fall for the "cool priest" popularity trap, and the more the flock celebrates at his funeral his cute personality and fun at athletic outings, the more God is simultaneously asking him to account for the missed opportunities where the priest was more concerned with being "Mr Cool," "Mr Popularity" or "Mr Administrative Whiz" rather than 1) conducting worship of God and 2) ensuring the proper faith formation of their flock. TRUST ME. Priests, like everyone else, do a lot of purgatory time and can use your prayers. Also trust me, you'd be surprised how many priests, pastors, preachers, imams, "bishops" (the Protestant and non-denominational variety), rabbis and etc end up in hell, sad to say. Not for the omissions that I mention above, of not being diligent in worship and faith formation of their flock, but for modern day idolatry.
I will confine my comments and severe cautions to Christian religious, both Catholic priests, nuns and other religious and non-Catholic "men and women of the cloth." I have blogged before and will repeat that God is fully aware of how many Christians proclaim God and Jesus Christ out of one sides of their mouth, while retaining pagan beliefs in ideas such as "reincarnation" and occult fortune telling on the other side of their mouth. Some of these beliefs are totally secret from others but their family and fellow believers, while others are shockingly open about it (still thinking, though, that people "don't know their 'secret learning'" and, incredibly, they think God does not know.) Some actually believe that their family members are "reincarnated saints" or members of the Holy Family (I cannot describe how high up the blasphemy scale those thoughts and worse deeds in fulfillment of that belief are in God's eyes). I've been insulted to my face by Catholic priests who engage in what they think are secret occult beliefs, and if I know, trust me, God who knows every subatomic particle that ever existed, or will, etc etc knows every thought and impulse by these men, and by the nuns who likewise are cultists. Those are not problems of purgatory (forget "going immediately to heaven") but are rather most dire perils of hell.
I have to be painfully blunt. It is such a prevalent problem that when I read of the death of a priest, a nun, or friar, or of Christian pastors of any denomination, I now always think, "I hope that they are not one of the ones who think that their aunt is reincarnated Mary Magdalen" or that Jesus is "channeling" them because they have a prominant Leo or Sagittarius horoscope chart. That's not purgatory material, that's hell material. When I was studying cultists undercover I was shocked to see that some of the worse blaspheming cultists constantly declare their love of Jesus Christ at the same time. I learned that this is because they think they *shudder* have actual reincarnationed connection "within" the Holy Family itself. Many of them have contaminated men and women religious of their family with that belief. They are modern Eves and even more shocking than that, lacking any shame or regret.
This is why one cannot assume that even the most beloved priest, for example, is absolutely assured of heaven because, in fact, only God knows what is truly in their heart. You cannot assume the best of priest goes to heaven any more than you can assume that the best physician never conducts malpractice, or has a secret addiction that impairs the welfare of their patients. I mean, you can't be paranoid, but that is why you don't judge, God does. This is why solemn prayers for mercy of God on each deceased one, including priests, is essential, because you do not know all that God knows, for which they may need a great forgiveness.
But back to the discussion of what we hope are the vast majority of friends, family and priests who are worthy and who will, with God's mercy, gain heaven. There is no human who does not need purification of the sin that they conducted, both through commission and omission, in their lives, period. If you read my posts on the subject you will see that Isaiah, the great prophet of God who foretold Jesus Christ, insisted on purification (from which the Church understands purgatory) before he would speak to God when God first called him. Angels brought hot coals with tongs from God's altar because this holy man knew he had "unclean lips" and lived among those of unclean lips. One cannot be human and free from sin, and one cannot enter heaven with any stain of sin.
So, in that discussion that I read, that initiated this long commentary, the usual case was cited of the Great Pope John Paul II. Surely he must be in heaven right now, having been so good, faithful and beloved? The answer is that surely we can have confidence that he will gain heaven, but yes, even for him, only after purification from sin, what we call Purgatory. Here is why. The Popes who so dearly love God, as did Pope John Paul II, are beloved in return, and can have confidence in God and Jesus Christ. But what do they mean by "confidence?" Confidence means these holy men understand that they are flawed, no matter how often they confess, and they trust that God and Jesus Christ will lead them to heaven. In other words, their confidence is not an instant passport to heaven, but knowing that God will take them through what they must go through to achieve heaven in purity. So, you might ask, what could JPII possibly be stained from regarding sin? Well, I can say with total love that he was one of the greatest servants of God, but as a result, he had a little bit of a vanity problem. Not about his faith, but because he allowed himself to be manipulated in his "media hound" weakness. He was snookered into some diversion from his image as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, not in his heart, which remained pure, but in his vanity he did not recognize when the media and some around him steered him into some very non-Vicar of Jesus Christ actions. I don't want to make more of it than I already have, but this is an example of what was unrealized by him, but became very clear to him when God revealed all. Pope John Paul II would insist on being the first in line to purify away from him the unrealized erring of vanity that he had unconsciously allowed to divert even an iota from the fullness of his work and image as the Vicar of Jesus Christ.
I guess the best way to summarize it is that assuredly JPII would have been the first to identify times when he was a bit lured away from being in a proper role and mindset as the Vicar of Jesus Christ if it had not been for his personal small, but real, weakness of vanity. The vanity I mean is not lack of humility, to the contrary, but the vanity that comes from thinking that being liked and being amenable to any and all proposed actions in order to be popular, to be loved, and to spread the genuine love of Jesus Christ is the same as being totally true to his role as Vicar to Jesus Christ. Sometimes Vicars of Jesus Christ have to say "no." JPII, to the frustration of those who sought to undermine Church doctrine, never deviated one iota from his purity of doctrine, thank God. But JPII allowed himself to be used in some less than pure agendas, which he did not recognize because of that dash of vanity. So yes, even the greatest and the most loyal to God, and the most loved by God (and Mary) as JPII most assuredly was still needs purification, because of the web of sin that all humans reside within, often so blindly.
I hope this helps. It's not one of my favorite topics, but its inescapable, as there is a terrible crisis of idolatry and hubris among all the faiths, western and eastern. Assuming the gravy train to heaven is one of the largest signs of this problem, and I continue to be astonished at how more have not realized it and the danger and disservice such presumption causes as consequences.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Pope JPII, the rosary and Biblical tradition
I’m reading some discussion about people who favor the addition of the Luminous Mysteries to the Church’s rosary prayer cycle, and those who oppose it. I think the discussion is healthy. However, I want to provide a little history bridge for those who cite one part of faith history. Some have discussed how medieval era pious would memorize the entire set of 150 Psalms from the Old Testament, and that the three cycles of saying 50 Hail Marys is consistent with the practice that those who no longer memorized the Psalms did when they substituted 150 Our Fathers. So it is felt by some that the addition of a fourth set of mysteries, bringing the total to 200 Hail Marys, is disconcerting to this aspect of the prayer tradition. It need not be and this is why.
People who memorized the Psalms were obviously memorizing them in total with the fullness of each one’s message and topics. For example, some psalms are of great praise and joy, while others are of despair in desperate situations. I’m going to laboriously type through using my bible each number and “topic” of each psalm. I do this for my international readers who do not have ready access to a bible that displays it in that form. Thus even the original tradition of citing 150 Our Fathers deviated from full appreciation of the topics of the psalms, as it homogenized the prayer as a form of repletion of the Our Fathers. The Our Father is THE prayer of faith, taught by Jesus Christ himself, and thus it has great virtue. However an Our Father does not express the full range of worship as does its corresponding psalm. Thus the repetition of either the Our Father or the Hail Mary does not “summarize” what each psalm individually would have said. This is one reason that the rosary with its set of three mysteries linking the life of Jesus stories to the desire to say the psalms made sense and re-introduces more “content” for prayerful meditation, as would have been if one had memorized and recited the psalms. Therefore our Pope John Paul II was not deviating from tradition by adding the Luminous Mysteries but actually adding more content for prayerful meditation that would be consistent with a step back toward actually memorizing the psalms themselves. It is the not the numbers; it is the content.
So here is the list of psalm numbers and topics, and remember this is what an individual Hail Mary (or the traditional Our Father) “substitutes for,” according to the psalter tradition.
1. True Happiness
2. The Universal Reign of the Messiah
3. Trust in God in Time of Danger
4. Joyful Confidence in God
5. Prayer for Divine Help
6. Prayer in Time of Distress
7. An Appeal to the Divine Judge
8. The Majesty of God and the Dignity of Man
9. Thanksgiving for the Overthrow of Hostile Nations
10. Prayer for Help against Oppressors
11. Unshakable Confidence in God
12. Prayer against Evil Tongues
13. Prayer of One in Sorrow
14. A Lament over Widespread Corruption
15. The Guest of God
16. God the Supreme Good
17. Prayer against Persecutors
18. Thanksgiving for Help and Victory
19. God’s Glory in the Heavens and in the Law
20. Prayer for the King in Time of War
21. Thanksgiving and Prayers for the King
22. Passion and Triumph of the Messiah
23. The Lord, Shepherd and Host
24. The Lord’s Solemn Entry into Sion
25. Prayer for Guidance and Help
26. Prayer of an Innocent Man
27. Trust in God
28. Petition and Thanksgiving
29. God’s Majesty in the Storm
30. Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
31. Prayer in Distress and Thanksgiving for Escape
32. Remission of Sin
33. Praise of the Lord’s Power and Providence
34. Praise of God, the Protector of the Just
35. Prayer for Help against Unjust Enemies
36. Human Wickedness and Divine Providence
37. The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just
38. Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner
39. The Brevity and Vanity of Life
40. Gratitude and Prayer for Help
41. Thanksgiving after Sickness
42. Desire for God and His Temple
43. Do me justice, O God
44. Israel’s Past Glory and Present Need
45. Nuptial Ode for the Messianic King
46. God the Refuge of Israel
47. The Lord the King of All Nations
48. Thanksgiving for Jerusalem’s Deliverance
49. The Vanity of Worldly Riches
50. The Acceptable Sacrifice
51. The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance
52. The Deceitful Tongue
53. Lament over Widespread Corruption
54. Confident Prayer in Great Peril
55. Complaint against Enemies and a Disloyal Companion
56. Trust in God, the Helper in Need
57. Confident Prayer for Deliverance
58. Against Unjust Judges
59. Against Bloodthirsty Enemies
60. Prayer after Defeat in Battle
61. Prayer of the King in Exile
62. Trust in God Alone
63. Ardent Longing for God
64. Treacherous Conspirators Punished by God
65. Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings
66. Praise of God, Israel’s Deliverer
67. Harvest Prayer That All Men May Worship God
68. God’s Triumphal Procession
69. A Cry of Anguish in Great Distress
70. Prayer for Divine Help
71. Humble Prayer in Time of Old Age
72. The Kingdom of the Messiah
73. The False Happiness of the Wicked
74. Prayer in Time of National Calamity
75. God the Just Judge of the Wicked
76. Thanksgiving for the Overthrow of Israel’s Foes
77. Lament and Comfort in Time of Distress
78. God’s Goodness despite Israel’s Ingratitude
79. The Destruction of Jerusalem and Its Temple
80. Prayer for the Restoration of the Lord’s Vineyard
81. Festive Song with an Admonition to Fidelity
82. Judgment against Wicked Judges
83. Prayer against a Hostile Alliance
84. Desire for the Sanctuary
85. Prayer for Complete Restoration
86. Prayer in Time of Distress
87. Sion the Home of All Nations
88. Lament and Prayer in Affliction
89. Prayer for the Fulfillment of God’s Promises to David
90. God’s Eternity and Man’s Frailty
91. Security under God’s Protection
92. Raise of God’s Just Government of Mankind
93. The Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom
94. A Warning to Israel’s Oppressors
95. A Call to Praise and Obedience
96. The Glories of the Lord the King of the Universe
97. The Divine King, the Just Judge of All
98. The Lord, the Victorious King and Just Judge
99. The Lord the Holy King
100. Processional Hymn
101. Norm of Life for Rulers
102. Prayer in Time of Distress
103. Praise of Divine Goodness
104. Praise of God the Creator
105. God’s Fidelity to His Promise
106. Israel’s Confession of Sin
107. God the Savior of Men in Distress
108. Prayer for Victory
109. Prayer against a Slanderous Enemy
110. The Messiah: King, Priest and Conqueror
111. Praise of God for His Goodness
112. The Blessings of the Just Man
113. Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly
114. The Lord’s Wonders of the Exodus
115. The Greatness and Goodness of the True God
116. Thanksgiving to God for Help in Need
117. Doxology of All the Nations
118. Hymn of Thanksgiving to the Savior of Israel
119. Praise of God’s Law
120. A Complaint Against Treacherous Tongues
121. The Lord Our Guardian
122. The Pilgrim’s Greetings to Jerusalem
123. Israel’s Prayer in Persecution
124. The Lord the Rescuer of His People
125. The Lord the Protector of Israel
126. The People’s Prayer for Full Restoration
127. The Need of God’s Blessing: His Gift of Sons
128. The Happy Home of the Just Man
129. Prayer for the Overthrow of Israel’s Foes
130. Prayer for Pardon and Mercy
131. Humble Trust in God
132. The Pact between David and the Lord
133. The Benefits of Brotherly Concord
134. Exhortation to the Night Watch to Bless the Lord
135. Praise of God, the Lord and Benefactor of Israel
136. Hymn of Thanksgiving for the Everlasting Kindness of the Lord
137. The Exile’s Remembrance of Sion
138. Hymns of a Grateful Heart
139. The All-knowing and Every-present God
140. Prayer for Deliverance from the Snares of the Wicked
141. Prayer of a Just Man To Be Saved from Wickedness
142. Prayer of a Prisoner in Dire Straits
143. Prayer of a Penitent in Distress
144. Prayer for Victory and Prosperity
145. The Greatness and Goodness of God
146. Trust in God Alone
147. Sion’s Grateful Praise to her Bountiful Lord
148. Hymn of All Creation to the Almighty Creator
149. Invitation to Glorify the Lord with Song and Sword
150. Final Doxology with Full Orchestra
All right, take a deep breath and think about it. Pious people who used to memorize (or at least read daily) the 150 psalms engaged in prayerful contemplation of all of these topics. The original substitution of saying 150 recitations of a single prayer, the Our Father, is an acknowledgment of the devotion of the psalms, but it never was a substitute for the actual content of the full prayerful experience of the entire Book of Psalms. Therefore those who argue that the saying of the Rosary with the three sets of five mysteries are on very shaky ground in their judgment that the “adding” of additional “mysteries” actually takes the pious “farther from the tradition.” The tradition was never a comprehensive substitute for the saying of psalms; it was an acknowledgment of the holiness of the existence of 150 psalms. So compare the topics that comprise the entire set of 150 psalms to the topics that are prayerfully thought of by comtemplating the original three sets of five mysteries:
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation
5. The Finding in the Temple
6. Agony in the Garden
7. Scourging at the Pillar
8. Crowning with Thorns
9. Carrying of the Cross
10. The Crucifixion
11. The Resurrection
12. The Ascension
13. Descent of the Holy Spirit
14. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
15. Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
To argue that the three sets of original five mysteries has a tradition for “covering” the previous tradition of memorizing the 150 psalms is like saying that the fourteen Stations of the Cross “covers” everything that is in the Bible.
So the introduction by Pope John Paul II of the five Luminous Mysteries is actually a very reasonable and frankly inspired addition of meditative content that brings one closer-not farther-to the contents of the 150 psalms. If you study the list of topics of the psalms it becomes obvious that in theory one could be very fruitful to develop more, not less, sets of five Mysteries. I’m not saying to do that, obviously, but I am saying that one has to actually study the content of the psalms themselves and think about the glory of prayerful fruitfulness that the pious would have derived from their memorization and regular recitation in order to render a well informed opinion regarding whether “adding” Mysteries is a stepping away from “tradition.”
Thus the addition of the Luminous (Glorious) Mysteries adds these topics to the prayerful recitation and contemplation of the rosary:
16. The Resurrection
17. The Ascension
18. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
19. The Assumption
20. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Do you see what I mean? The rosary needs to be understood exactly as what it is, and not forced and distorted in its application to what some cite as tradition. There is no way that repetition of the Lord’s Prayer, for example, was a content based substitute for the psalms. It was a devotional substitute for the psalms, but obviously as in any part of the Bible based prayer, there is no substitute for reading the Bible except actually reading that section of the Bible. The linkage of the original three sets of mysteries to the prior tradition of the memorization of the psalms was a profound and authentic inspiration of linkage and purpose. Thus one must recognize that Pope John Paul II in the fullness of his grace of understanding was definitely “on the right track” when he introduced the Luminous Mysteries. And if you see what I mean when you scan the list of the topics of the psalms, you could easily think of, as I do now, further sets of Mysteries that our current Pope or a future Pope could fairly suggest. These Mysteries would involve miracles, teachings and defeat of demonic forces as performed by Jesus and witnessed by Mary and the Apostles. Again, I am not saying that this is a “must do,” since obviously it is not. But I am counseling that those who criticize the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries based on them taking it “farther away” from the “tradition” of referencing the psalms based purely on a number count is obviously missing the entire content of the Book of Psalms! If you argue for closer linkage to the tradition of the “substituting” for the memorization of the Psalms, you are actually arguing for more, not fewer, topics for prayerful and fruitful meditation in the Mysteries of the Rosary.
I hope that you find this helpful. Kindly remember that our Popes do know what they are doing when it comes to being inspired in the right directions by the Holy Spirit. The Popes are tremendous Bible scholars and they do not as a rule miss any Biblical or traditional implication when they make decisions such as this one. Just because they do not explicitly mention every aspect of their thinking this does not mean that they are acting contrary to the Bible or tradition in any way and have not thought through and also prayed regarding changes and new elements that they introduce!
People who memorized the Psalms were obviously memorizing them in total with the fullness of each one’s message and topics. For example, some psalms are of great praise and joy, while others are of despair in desperate situations. I’m going to laboriously type through using my bible each number and “topic” of each psalm. I do this for my international readers who do not have ready access to a bible that displays it in that form. Thus even the original tradition of citing 150 Our Fathers deviated from full appreciation of the topics of the psalms, as it homogenized the prayer as a form of repletion of the Our Fathers. The Our Father is THE prayer of faith, taught by Jesus Christ himself, and thus it has great virtue. However an Our Father does not express the full range of worship as does its corresponding psalm. Thus the repetition of either the Our Father or the Hail Mary does not “summarize” what each psalm individually would have said. This is one reason that the rosary with its set of three mysteries linking the life of Jesus stories to the desire to say the psalms made sense and re-introduces more “content” for prayerful meditation, as would have been if one had memorized and recited the psalms. Therefore our Pope John Paul II was not deviating from tradition by adding the Luminous Mysteries but actually adding more content for prayerful meditation that would be consistent with a step back toward actually memorizing the psalms themselves. It is the not the numbers; it is the content.
So here is the list of psalm numbers and topics, and remember this is what an individual Hail Mary (or the traditional Our Father) “substitutes for,” according to the psalter tradition.
List of Psalms by number and topic in the Old Testament Book of Pslams:
1. True Happiness
2. The Universal Reign of the Messiah
3. Trust in God in Time of Danger
4. Joyful Confidence in God
5. Prayer for Divine Help
6. Prayer in Time of Distress
7. An Appeal to the Divine Judge
8. The Majesty of God and the Dignity of Man
9. Thanksgiving for the Overthrow of Hostile Nations
10. Prayer for Help against Oppressors
11. Unshakable Confidence in God
12. Prayer against Evil Tongues
13. Prayer of One in Sorrow
14. A Lament over Widespread Corruption
15. The Guest of God
16. God the Supreme Good
17. Prayer against Persecutors
18. Thanksgiving for Help and Victory
19. God’s Glory in the Heavens and in the Law
20. Prayer for the King in Time of War
21. Thanksgiving and Prayers for the King
22. Passion and Triumph of the Messiah
23. The Lord, Shepherd and Host
24. The Lord’s Solemn Entry into Sion
25. Prayer for Guidance and Help
26. Prayer of an Innocent Man
27. Trust in God
28. Petition and Thanksgiving
29. God’s Majesty in the Storm
30. Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
31. Prayer in Distress and Thanksgiving for Escape
32. Remission of Sin
33. Praise of the Lord’s Power and Providence
34. Praise of God, the Protector of the Just
35. Prayer for Help against Unjust Enemies
36. Human Wickedness and Divine Providence
37. The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just
38. Prayer of an Afflicted Sinner
39. The Brevity and Vanity of Life
40. Gratitude and Prayer for Help
41. Thanksgiving after Sickness
42. Desire for God and His Temple
43. Do me justice, O God
44. Israel’s Past Glory and Present Need
45. Nuptial Ode for the Messianic King
46. God the Refuge of Israel
47. The Lord the King of All Nations
48. Thanksgiving for Jerusalem’s Deliverance
49. The Vanity of Worldly Riches
50. The Acceptable Sacrifice
51. The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance
52. The Deceitful Tongue
53. Lament over Widespread Corruption
54. Confident Prayer in Great Peril
55. Complaint against Enemies and a Disloyal Companion
56. Trust in God, the Helper in Need
57. Confident Prayer for Deliverance
58. Against Unjust Judges
59. Against Bloodthirsty Enemies
60. Prayer after Defeat in Battle
61. Prayer of the King in Exile
62. Trust in God Alone
63. Ardent Longing for God
64. Treacherous Conspirators Punished by God
65. Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings
66. Praise of God, Israel’s Deliverer
67. Harvest Prayer That All Men May Worship God
68. God’s Triumphal Procession
69. A Cry of Anguish in Great Distress
70. Prayer for Divine Help
71. Humble Prayer in Time of Old Age
72. The Kingdom of the Messiah
73. The False Happiness of the Wicked
74. Prayer in Time of National Calamity
75. God the Just Judge of the Wicked
76. Thanksgiving for the Overthrow of Israel’s Foes
77. Lament and Comfort in Time of Distress
78. God’s Goodness despite Israel’s Ingratitude
79. The Destruction of Jerusalem and Its Temple
80. Prayer for the Restoration of the Lord’s Vineyard
81. Festive Song with an Admonition to Fidelity
82. Judgment against Wicked Judges
83. Prayer against a Hostile Alliance
84. Desire for the Sanctuary
85. Prayer for Complete Restoration
86. Prayer in Time of Distress
87. Sion the Home of All Nations
88. Lament and Prayer in Affliction
89. Prayer for the Fulfillment of God’s Promises to David
90. God’s Eternity and Man’s Frailty
91. Security under God’s Protection
92. Raise of God’s Just Government of Mankind
93. The Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom
94. A Warning to Israel’s Oppressors
95. A Call to Praise and Obedience
96. The Glories of the Lord the King of the Universe
97. The Divine King, the Just Judge of All
98. The Lord, the Victorious King and Just Judge
99. The Lord the Holy King
100. Processional Hymn
101. Norm of Life for Rulers
102. Prayer in Time of Distress
103. Praise of Divine Goodness
104. Praise of God the Creator
105. God’s Fidelity to His Promise
106. Israel’s Confession of Sin
107. God the Savior of Men in Distress
108. Prayer for Victory
109. Prayer against a Slanderous Enemy
110. The Messiah: King, Priest and Conqueror
111. Praise of God for His Goodness
112. The Blessings of the Just Man
113. Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly
114. The Lord’s Wonders of the Exodus
115. The Greatness and Goodness of the True God
116. Thanksgiving to God for Help in Need
117. Doxology of All the Nations
118. Hymn of Thanksgiving to the Savior of Israel
119. Praise of God’s Law
120. A Complaint Against Treacherous Tongues
121. The Lord Our Guardian
122. The Pilgrim’s Greetings to Jerusalem
123. Israel’s Prayer in Persecution
124. The Lord the Rescuer of His People
125. The Lord the Protector of Israel
126. The People’s Prayer for Full Restoration
127. The Need of God’s Blessing: His Gift of Sons
128. The Happy Home of the Just Man
129. Prayer for the Overthrow of Israel’s Foes
130. Prayer for Pardon and Mercy
131. Humble Trust in God
132. The Pact between David and the Lord
133. The Benefits of Brotherly Concord
134. Exhortation to the Night Watch to Bless the Lord
135. Praise of God, the Lord and Benefactor of Israel
136. Hymn of Thanksgiving for the Everlasting Kindness of the Lord
137. The Exile’s Remembrance of Sion
138. Hymns of a Grateful Heart
139. The All-knowing and Every-present God
140. Prayer for Deliverance from the Snares of the Wicked
141. Prayer of a Just Man To Be Saved from Wickedness
142. Prayer of a Prisoner in Dire Straits
143. Prayer of a Penitent in Distress
144. Prayer for Victory and Prosperity
145. The Greatness and Goodness of God
146. Trust in God Alone
147. Sion’s Grateful Praise to her Bountiful Lord
148. Hymn of All Creation to the Almighty Creator
149. Invitation to Glorify the Lord with Song and Sword
150. Final Doxology with Full Orchestra
All right, take a deep breath and think about it. Pious people who used to memorize (or at least read daily) the 150 psalms engaged in prayerful contemplation of all of these topics. The original substitution of saying 150 recitations of a single prayer, the Our Father, is an acknowledgment of the devotion of the psalms, but it never was a substitute for the actual content of the full prayerful experience of the entire Book of Psalms. Therefore those who argue that the saying of the Rosary with the three sets of five mysteries are on very shaky ground in their judgment that the “adding” of additional “mysteries” actually takes the pious “farther from the tradition.” The tradition was never a comprehensive substitute for the saying of psalms; it was an acknowledgment of the holiness of the existence of 150 psalms. So compare the topics that comprise the entire set of 150 psalms to the topics that are prayerfully thought of by comtemplating the original three sets of five mysteries:
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation
5. The Finding in the Temple
6. Agony in the Garden
7. Scourging at the Pillar
8. Crowning with Thorns
9. Carrying of the Cross
10. The Crucifixion
11. The Resurrection
12. The Ascension
13. Descent of the Holy Spirit
14. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
15. Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary
To argue that the three sets of original five mysteries has a tradition for “covering” the previous tradition of memorizing the 150 psalms is like saying that the fourteen Stations of the Cross “covers” everything that is in the Bible.
So the introduction by Pope John Paul II of the five Luminous Mysteries is actually a very reasonable and frankly inspired addition of meditative content that brings one closer-not farther-to the contents of the 150 psalms. If you study the list of topics of the psalms it becomes obvious that in theory one could be very fruitful to develop more, not less, sets of five Mysteries. I’m not saying to do that, obviously, but I am saying that one has to actually study the content of the psalms themselves and think about the glory of prayerful fruitfulness that the pious would have derived from their memorization and regular recitation in order to render a well informed opinion regarding whether “adding” Mysteries is a stepping away from “tradition.”
Thus the addition of the Luminous (Glorious) Mysteries adds these topics to the prayerful recitation and contemplation of the rosary:
16. The Resurrection
17. The Ascension
18. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
19. The Assumption
20. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Do you see what I mean? The rosary needs to be understood exactly as what it is, and not forced and distorted in its application to what some cite as tradition. There is no way that repetition of the Lord’s Prayer, for example, was a content based substitute for the psalms. It was a devotional substitute for the psalms, but obviously as in any part of the Bible based prayer, there is no substitute for reading the Bible except actually reading that section of the Bible. The linkage of the original three sets of mysteries to the prior tradition of the memorization of the psalms was a profound and authentic inspiration of linkage and purpose. Thus one must recognize that Pope John Paul II in the fullness of his grace of understanding was definitely “on the right track” when he introduced the Luminous Mysteries. And if you see what I mean when you scan the list of the topics of the psalms, you could easily think of, as I do now, further sets of Mysteries that our current Pope or a future Pope could fairly suggest. These Mysteries would involve miracles, teachings and defeat of demonic forces as performed by Jesus and witnessed by Mary and the Apostles. Again, I am not saying that this is a “must do,” since obviously it is not. But I am counseling that those who criticize the introduction of the Luminous Mysteries based on them taking it “farther away” from the “tradition” of referencing the psalms based purely on a number count is obviously missing the entire content of the Book of Psalms! If you argue for closer linkage to the tradition of the “substituting” for the memorization of the Psalms, you are actually arguing for more, not fewer, topics for prayerful and fruitful meditation in the Mysteries of the Rosary.
I hope that you find this helpful. Kindly remember that our Popes do know what they are doing when it comes to being inspired in the right directions by the Holy Spirit. The Popes are tremendous Bible scholars and they do not as a rule miss any Biblical or traditional implication when they make decisions such as this one. Just because they do not explicitly mention every aspect of their thinking this does not mean that they are acting contrary to the Bible or tradition in any way and have not thought through and also prayed regarding changes and new elements that they introduce!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Syrian Grand Mufti invites Pope, has wise words
http://www.zenit.org/article-23389?l=english
snip
Syrian Mufti Hopes Pope Visits for Pauline Year
Notes Wish That Vatican Can Help Bring Peace to Mideast
By Mirko TestaDAMASCUS, Syria, JULY 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The grand mufti of Syria is hoping for a visit from Benedict XVI during the Pauline Jubilee Year.
Ahmad Badr El Din El Hassoun invited the Pope to visit his country in the context of a meeting in Damascus with a group of journalists, on a trip following in the footsteps of the Apostle to the Gentiles.
"What I would like to say to the Holy Father is that at present, Damascus is the capital of Arab culture and, at the same time, the capital of the Year of St. Paul," Hassoun said. "I will be exceedingly happy if the Holy Father decides to accept our invitation to visit Syria in this year."
and
The grand mufti also expressed the hope that "the Vatican might play a role in planting the flower of peace in the Middle East."
"Deep down, among religious intellectuals, there is no quarrel but dialogue and discussion," the Muslim leader contended. "And I hope that the Holy Father will play a fundamental part in the peace of the world."
The great mufti recalled Pope John Paul II's urgent appeal not to erect walls but build bridges of dialogue, in reference to the wall of separation built between Israel and Palestinian territories.
"The Vatican had a fundamental role in the fall of the Berlin Wall," he said, "and I hope it will be able to play a similar role to demolish the wall being built in the land of peace."
***
These are very generous words and a very worthy and gracious example by a man of God toward another man of God. I would love to see such a dialogue and visit to take place!
snip
Syrian Mufti Hopes Pope Visits for Pauline Year
Notes Wish That Vatican Can Help Bring Peace to Mideast
By Mirko TestaDAMASCUS, Syria, JULY 31, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The grand mufti of Syria is hoping for a visit from Benedict XVI during the Pauline Jubilee Year.
Ahmad Badr El Din El Hassoun invited the Pope to visit his country in the context of a meeting in Damascus with a group of journalists, on a trip following in the footsteps of the Apostle to the Gentiles.
"What I would like to say to the Holy Father is that at present, Damascus is the capital of Arab culture and, at the same time, the capital of the Year of St. Paul," Hassoun said. "I will be exceedingly happy if the Holy Father decides to accept our invitation to visit Syria in this year."
and
The grand mufti also expressed the hope that "the Vatican might play a role in planting the flower of peace in the Middle East."
"Deep down, among religious intellectuals, there is no quarrel but dialogue and discussion," the Muslim leader contended. "And I hope that the Holy Father will play a fundamental part in the peace of the world."
The great mufti recalled Pope John Paul II's urgent appeal not to erect walls but build bridges of dialogue, in reference to the wall of separation built between Israel and Palestinian territories.
"The Vatican had a fundamental role in the fall of the Berlin Wall," he said, "and I hope it will be able to play a similar role to demolish the wall being built in the land of peace."
***
These are very generous words and a very worthy and gracious example by a man of God toward another man of God. I would love to see such a dialogue and visit to take place!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sample of Indulgence logic
Most Catholics recognize the Litany of the Saints. It was said quite movingly during the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
I went to my old Missal that still has the "amount of time of indulgence" indications in order to give you an example of why there was a numeric number of days or years, and what the logic was, using the Litany of the Saints.
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints at Mass on certain specified holy days as part of the Church community of sacred function the indulgence was "ten years."
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints in the community on those days but there is no sacred special function, the indulgence was "seven years."
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints in the community on any of the other days of the year than those mentioned above the indulgence was "five years."
See, whether purgatory is actually measured in years was never the issue, because who knows but God what purgatory is likely to be for an individual soul? But the Litany of the Saints is a very spiritual and very long prayer that draws upon graceful contemplation of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and all the saints, and thus has a very purifying and remedial potency. So it is not a magic charm that one calculates and recites like a formula. It is participating in a community prayer whose intention is this purification. This is why there is a gradation of number of years, but always it is in the context of a community at Mass praying for purification of themselves and those departed (including one's own eventual requirements of purification in purgatory). As the Bible repeatedly demonstrates, when a community gathers to worship God and to pray, and have intentions, prayer is efficacious. But rather than praying for someone who is sick, or for world peace, in these specific prayers the community is praying for purification of their soul both in life and when they die and desire to be in the presence of God. So it is the community, the context of the holy day or ordinary day of Mass or holy function, and the intention of the prayer that creates a dialogue with God that is focused during that prayer on the remediation of sin and the purification of the soul.
I hope this helps in understanding an actual example. So when we all watched the funeral service for Pope John Paul II, people who participated in the Litany of the Saints were dedicating merit of remediation of the stain of sin both for their own behalf and on behalf of the dearly loved departed John Paul II during that specific segment of the holy services. While it is no longer measured in terms of years or days, the Church has an understanding of the intensity and focus of direction of these types of prayers within the context of their intentions.
This is a lot for you all to think about, and it's all good.
And now I'm REALLY sleepy! zzzzzz
I went to my old Missal that still has the "amount of time of indulgence" indications in order to give you an example of why there was a numeric number of days or years, and what the logic was, using the Litany of the Saints.
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints at Mass on certain specified holy days as part of the Church community of sacred function the indulgence was "ten years."
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints in the community on those days but there is no sacred special function, the indulgence was "seven years."
If you prayed the Litany of the Saints in the community on any of the other days of the year than those mentioned above the indulgence was "five years."
See, whether purgatory is actually measured in years was never the issue, because who knows but God what purgatory is likely to be for an individual soul? But the Litany of the Saints is a very spiritual and very long prayer that draws upon graceful contemplation of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and all the saints, and thus has a very purifying and remedial potency. So it is not a magic charm that one calculates and recites like a formula. It is participating in a community prayer whose intention is this purification. This is why there is a gradation of number of years, but always it is in the context of a community at Mass praying for purification of themselves and those departed (including one's own eventual requirements of purification in purgatory). As the Bible repeatedly demonstrates, when a community gathers to worship God and to pray, and have intentions, prayer is efficacious. But rather than praying for someone who is sick, or for world peace, in these specific prayers the community is praying for purification of their soul both in life and when they die and desire to be in the presence of God. So it is the community, the context of the holy day or ordinary day of Mass or holy function, and the intention of the prayer that creates a dialogue with God that is focused during that prayer on the remediation of sin and the purification of the soul.
I hope this helps in understanding an actual example. So when we all watched the funeral service for Pope John Paul II, people who participated in the Litany of the Saints were dedicating merit of remediation of the stain of sin both for their own behalf and on behalf of the dearly loved departed John Paul II during that specific segment of the holy services. While it is no longer measured in terms of years or days, the Church has an understanding of the intensity and focus of direction of these types of prayers within the context of their intentions.
This is a lot for you all to think about, and it's all good.
And now I'm REALLY sleepy! zzzzzz
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Quote from John Paul II
God alone is absolute truth, but he made the human heart open to the desire for truth, which he then fully revealed in his Incarnate Son. Hence, we are all called to live the truth. Forgiveness, far from precluding the search for truth, actually requires it. Evil that has been done must be acknowledged and, as far as possible, corrected.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Quote from JPII: God is Father and Mother
God is Father and Mother: A Reflection for the Family
(from the book previously cited, June 5 reflection)
I would like to draw your attention to a basic aspect of conjugal love: its intrinsic openness to life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses this when it points out that the spouses’ love “naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment.” Grasping the mysterious greatness of this event is of fundamental importance. As I wrote in the Letter to Families, “God himself is present in human fatherhood and motherhood… Indeed, God alone is the source of that ‘image and likeness’ which is proper to the human being, as it was received at creation. Begetting is the continuation of the creation.”
Discourse at Castel Gandolfo, July 17, 1994
***
My comments:
While the point that Pope John Paul II was making in this passage is to justify why openness to life (conception) is key to conjugal love, he has an equally important insight that I would like to emphasize. When people try to characterize God as being “male” or “female,” they are wrong and worse, attempting to shrink God down to a human component, rather than understand that the whole templates and conceptualization of male and female are contained within the infinite expanse of God. John Paul explains this in a way that is very easy to understand here, when he says that God is the source of Male and Female (fatherhood and motherhood) in their image (how they appear) and likeness (what they are like, their qualities, in other words). Pope Benedict has also answered questions on this topic and has too explained that God cannot be thought of as either "male" or "female" in the sense of gender assignment.
God is infinitely much more than being “male” or “female.” He is the source of both of their patterns, their archetypes, and their reality. This is why those who suffer and who lack one or both parents can turn in confidence to God for paternal or maternal comfort and understanding. God encompasses both realities and so much more. Jesus refers to God as God the Father because Jesus had a mother, the human born Mary, and the father of Jesus was the Holy Spirit sent by God to overshadow Mary. Therefore Christians are correct to emulate Jesus Christ and think of God as God the Father, but this in no way limits the all encompassing reality of God in total. This is one of the many reasons why fallen away, heretical, or, to be charitable, "confused" Christians who try to make God to be female or a mother goddess are totally wrong and are fallen away from the faith of Christianity. A Christian follows Christ's example and as Mary his mother exhorts them, "Do whatever he tells you."
(from the book previously cited, June 5 reflection)
I would like to draw your attention to a basic aspect of conjugal love: its intrinsic openness to life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses this when it points out that the spouses’ love “naturally tends to be fruitful. A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment.” Grasping the mysterious greatness of this event is of fundamental importance. As I wrote in the Letter to Families, “God himself is present in human fatherhood and motherhood… Indeed, God alone is the source of that ‘image and likeness’ which is proper to the human being, as it was received at creation. Begetting is the continuation of the creation.”
Discourse at Castel Gandolfo, July 17, 1994
***
My comments:
While the point that Pope John Paul II was making in this passage is to justify why openness to life (conception) is key to conjugal love, he has an equally important insight that I would like to emphasize. When people try to characterize God as being “male” or “female,” they are wrong and worse, attempting to shrink God down to a human component, rather than understand that the whole templates and conceptualization of male and female are contained within the infinite expanse of God. John Paul explains this in a way that is very easy to understand here, when he says that God is the source of Male and Female (fatherhood and motherhood) in their image (how they appear) and likeness (what they are like, their qualities, in other words). Pope Benedict has also answered questions on this topic and has too explained that God cannot be thought of as either "male" or "female" in the sense of gender assignment.
God is infinitely much more than being “male” or “female.” He is the source of both of their patterns, their archetypes, and their reality. This is why those who suffer and who lack one or both parents can turn in confidence to God for paternal or maternal comfort and understanding. God encompasses both realities and so much more. Jesus refers to God as God the Father because Jesus had a mother, the human born Mary, and the father of Jesus was the Holy Spirit sent by God to overshadow Mary. Therefore Christians are correct to emulate Jesus Christ and think of God as God the Father, but this in no way limits the all encompassing reality of God in total. This is one of the many reasons why fallen away, heretical, or, to be charitable, "confused" Christians who try to make God to be female or a mother goddess are totally wrong and are fallen away from the faith of Christianity. A Christian follows Christ's example and as Mary his mother exhorts them, "Do whatever he tells you."
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Quote from "A Year with John Paul II" = Sept 18
September 18
The Work of Justice and Love
Recent events, including the terrible killings [of September 11, 2001], move me to return to a theme that often stirs in the depths of my heart when I remember the events of history that have marked my life, especially my youth. The enormous suffering of peoples and individuals, even among my own friends and acquaintances, caused by Nazi and Communist totalitarianism has never been far from my thoughts and prayers. I have often paused to reflect on the persistent question: How do we restore the moral and social order subjected to such horrific violence? My reasoned conviction, confirmed in turn by biblical revelation, is that the shattered order cannot be fully restored except by a response that combines justice with forgiveness. The pillars of true peace are justice and the form of love that is forgiveness. But in the present circumstances, how can we speak of justice and forgiveness as the source and condition of peace? We can and we must, no matter how difficult this may be, a difficulty that often comes from thinking that justice and forgiveness are irreconcilable. But forgiveness is the opposite of resentment and revenge, not of justice. In fact, true peace is “the work of justice” (Isa. 32:17). As the Second Vatican Council put it, peace is “the fruit of that right ordering of things with which the divine founder has invested human society and which must be actualized by man thirsting for an ever more perfect reign of Justice” (Gaudium et Spes).
Message for the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2002
The Work of Justice and Love
Recent events, including the terrible killings [of September 11, 2001], move me to return to a theme that often stirs in the depths of my heart when I remember the events of history that have marked my life, especially my youth. The enormous suffering of peoples and individuals, even among my own friends and acquaintances, caused by Nazi and Communist totalitarianism has never been far from my thoughts and prayers. I have often paused to reflect on the persistent question: How do we restore the moral and social order subjected to such horrific violence? My reasoned conviction, confirmed in turn by biblical revelation, is that the shattered order cannot be fully restored except by a response that combines justice with forgiveness. The pillars of true peace are justice and the form of love that is forgiveness. But in the present circumstances, how can we speak of justice and forgiveness as the source and condition of peace? We can and we must, no matter how difficult this may be, a difficulty that often comes from thinking that justice and forgiveness are irreconcilable. But forgiveness is the opposite of resentment and revenge, not of justice. In fact, true peace is “the work of justice” (Isa. 32:17). As the Second Vatican Council put it, peace is “the fruit of that right ordering of things with which the divine founder has invested human society and which must be actualized by man thirsting for an ever more perfect reign of Justice” (Gaudium et Spes).
Message for the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2002
Quote from "A Year with John Paul II"
September 20
Listen to Your Inner Voice
All of you are bidden to give hope to humanity by transforming it from within by the force of the gospel. Some of you will fulfill this call by founding a Christian home, which will become a missionary cell. Others will feel drawn to live in chastity, poor and available to others in the religious life, to radiate the Beatitudes. Others again will be ready to consecrate their life as deacons or as priests to lead the people of God on its journey. Today, to each one of you, the Virgin addresses an important piece of advice, as she did at Cana when the wine ran low at the wedding: “Whatever he tells you, do it” (John 2:5). So that your life may retain a taste of the feast, be dynamic and joyful in the service of others. Seek to carry out what Christ asks of you; answer with Mary’s “fiat”’ “I am the servant of the Lord” (Luke 1:38).
Radio Address to a Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, August 15, 1988
Listen to Your Inner Voice
All of you are bidden to give hope to humanity by transforming it from within by the force of the gospel. Some of you will fulfill this call by founding a Christian home, which will become a missionary cell. Others will feel drawn to live in chastity, poor and available to others in the religious life, to radiate the Beatitudes. Others again will be ready to consecrate their life as deacons or as priests to lead the people of God on its journey. Today, to each one of you, the Virgin addresses an important piece of advice, as she did at Cana when the wine ran low at the wedding: “Whatever he tells you, do it” (John 2:5). So that your life may retain a taste of the feast, be dynamic and joyful in the service of others. Seek to carry out what Christ asks of you; answer with Mary’s “fiat”’ “I am the servant of the Lord” (Luke 1:38).
Radio Address to a Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, August 15, 1988
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