Sometimes I hear people say that it is awfully arrogant for Catholics to believe they are part of the One True Church and that they are the only ones who have the Fullness of Truth.
Something I want to say to that is this:
It's not arrogant when you have been shown the truth and want to share it with others so that they can have what you have. It's not arrogant when you know that it is only by the Grace of God and not by your own merits that you have faith in the first place. It is not arrogant when you believe in something so strongly that all you want is to bring others to it so that they can feel the same joy and peace in your own heart.
It is only arrogant when you hoard it and keep it secret, saying "This is mine; I am better than you; you can't have what I have."
Don't be arrogant--share the faith!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
How (not) to Convert a Protestant
So I said I was going to write about this, and I finally found my notes, so here goes:
1. Pray.
2. Don't try to "win". Sometimes we can get so caught up in an argument that we just want to prove we are right. It becomes a selfish battle against the other person rather than an honest search for truth. Remember we are not fighting Protestants, we are trying to come together as Christians, as ONE church. As Bishop Fulton Sheen would say, "Win the argument, lose the soul."
3. Don't "trash other people's faith." Remember that because someone is Protestant doesn't mean they are on the wrong path. Don't look down on them or act like they know nothing. They are still part of the one Church, though in a less complete way. I remember listening to the Catholic apologist Tim Staples on Catholic Answers not long ago. A young Protestant woman was upset, thinking that the Catholic Church looked down on her as a Protestant and Catholics were arrogant in believing that only they were right. Mr. Staples, a convert, explained to her that he in no way looks back on his days in the Assembly of God as dismal days in which he was on the wrong path. On the contrary, he looks on them with fondness, seeing his time as a Protestant Christian as part of his early path towards the Fullness of Truth. She, also, was on the right track; she just needed to keep searching and she would find the Full Truth. Alex Jones, a Protestant preacher who recently came into the Catholic Church and brought his entire congregation with him said in an interview on Catholic Answers: "No, we don't trash people's faith, we don't try to proselytize them for their faith." Protestants do know the truth--they are Christians, and if they honestly continue searching they will find their way to fullness.
4. Preach by example. Alex Jones: "They don't need to hear preaching. They need someone who can share the love." Later in the interview: "Your life opens the door, your testimony, your walk before Christ opens the door for conversation and through conversation you can share Christ..." This applies not only to Protestants but also to those who do not know Christ at all. If we stay strong in our Catholic faith, don't hide it, and certainly don't compromise on any issues, then people will be curious. We must show others our passion for the faith. They will ask questions.
5. Answer questions honestly and without compromise. "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15-16) Don't avoid conversations about faith so as "not to offend anyone". Proclaim the Truth!
6. Don't force it. God's ways are not our ways. Sometimes, especially in relationships, the fact that someone does not share the same Catholic faith can cause a lot of tension. But don't force anyone to convert or even look into the faith if she isn't ready. You may end up with someone who is just looking for flaws, for things to make her angry, and it becomes a stubborn battle. God will work in her heart when He and she are ready. When things get heated, it is best to leave it alone and cool it for a while. Sometimes there is only one thing you can do. Which brings me to the last:
7. Pray! God works on His own time, and He is the only one who can change hearts.
1. Pray.
2. Don't try to "win". Sometimes we can get so caught up in an argument that we just want to prove we are right. It becomes a selfish battle against the other person rather than an honest search for truth. Remember we are not fighting Protestants, we are trying to come together as Christians, as ONE church. As Bishop Fulton Sheen would say, "Win the argument, lose the soul."
3. Don't "trash other people's faith." Remember that because someone is Protestant doesn't mean they are on the wrong path. Don't look down on them or act like they know nothing. They are still part of the one Church, though in a less complete way. I remember listening to the Catholic apologist Tim Staples on Catholic Answers not long ago. A young Protestant woman was upset, thinking that the Catholic Church looked down on her as a Protestant and Catholics were arrogant in believing that only they were right. Mr. Staples, a convert, explained to her that he in no way looks back on his days in the Assembly of God as dismal days in which he was on the wrong path. On the contrary, he looks on them with fondness, seeing his time as a Protestant Christian as part of his early path towards the Fullness of Truth. She, also, was on the right track; she just needed to keep searching and she would find the Full Truth. Alex Jones, a Protestant preacher who recently came into the Catholic Church and brought his entire congregation with him said in an interview on Catholic Answers: "No, we don't trash people's faith, we don't try to proselytize them for their faith." Protestants do know the truth--they are Christians, and if they honestly continue searching they will find their way to fullness.
4. Preach by example. Alex Jones: "They don't need to hear preaching. They need someone who can share the love." Later in the interview: "Your life opens the door, your testimony, your walk before Christ opens the door for conversation and through conversation you can share Christ..." This applies not only to Protestants but also to those who do not know Christ at all. If we stay strong in our Catholic faith, don't hide it, and certainly don't compromise on any issues, then people will be curious. We must show others our passion for the faith. They will ask questions.
5. Answer questions honestly and without compromise. "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15-16) Don't avoid conversations about faith so as "not to offend anyone". Proclaim the Truth!
6. Don't force it. God's ways are not our ways. Sometimes, especially in relationships, the fact that someone does not share the same Catholic faith can cause a lot of tension. But don't force anyone to convert or even look into the faith if she isn't ready. You may end up with someone who is just looking for flaws, for things to make her angry, and it becomes a stubborn battle. God will work in her heart when He and she are ready. When things get heated, it is best to leave it alone and cool it for a while. Sometimes there is only one thing you can do. Which brings me to the last:
7. Pray! God works on His own time, and He is the only one who can change hearts.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Offended?
Wow, it's been way to long since I posted. I guess the hype of the holidays got to me. I feel like I have just gotten back into the swing of things.
I meant to write my next post on "How to Convert a Protestant" (although the content is not exactly what you may think), but I managed to leave my notes at work so I don't have the quotes I was going to share with you. Instead I think I will share an experience I had last weekend when I went to the wedding of a friend.
My friend got married on January 2nd. It was a full-fledged Catholic wedding and I was one of the readers. I was at the rehearsal and I sat next to one of my non-Catholic friends from college and her fiance. They had a keen eye on all that way happening at this wedding since they will be getting married in the near future. The man, let's call him Joe, started joking about how formal this wedding seemed to be and how his wedding would be a lot more fun with jokes being cracked, laughter, etc. It would be in a church he said, but without all the rules and formality. He went on to say that Catholic weddings were always so long so we were certainly in for the long haul. I laughed politely and said that I had had a Catholic wedding and it had been about an hour long. It was just a little different than Protestant weddings.
At one point the priest who was conducting the rehearsal made a point to mention that the confessional was open in the Cathedral if anyone wanted to make use of it during the rehearsal. Joe heard this and later made the comment that he would be afraid to be a part of this wedding because he would likely do something wrong and the priest would yell at him and send him to the box (confessional) to tell someone about it and sit in time-out. I began to get a little annoyed at this but tried to remain calm. I said something like "I don't think it would be that big of a deal if you were Catholic. It wouldn't seem so formal. The ceremony would be what you wanted." He shrugged at this and said, "I could never be Catholic. There are too many rules." I tried to be lighthearted about it saying, "Don't feel uncomfortable. No one will judge you." Then I caught myself with a laugh, "Well I can't promise no one will judge you but--" He cut me off saying, "Yeah, they're going to judge me. The priest will probably yell at me."
As annoyed as I was, I didn't say anything more. I was just frustrated that he was being so vocal about his disagreement while we sat in the Cathedral rehearsing this wedding he seemed to have so many issues about. But this was the first time I met him and I otherwise liked the guy. I thought perhaps he was just a jokester and didn't mean anything by it.
But what made me the most angry was one harsh comment. As the priest was explaining communion he mentioned that we would be having the Precious Blood at this wedding. From my left came the remark, "Ah, so it's the Vampire Religion."
I was angry, but yet again I kept my mouth shut. It was loud enough that the priest probably heard. How disrespectful, I thought. How can you sit in the Cathedral of a long-standing, well-respected faith tradition and so crassly mock it like that? At the time I thought it fortunate I had gone to the other side of the aisle to do my duties as the reader and could not rebuke him from so far away.
The next day, after the wedding and at the reception I found Joe again. I was pleasant after having a good meal and a glass of wine, and I joked with him saying, "It wasn't that bad, was it? The long wedding? Did you make it?" He joked back and the exchange was friendly. I had not wanted to offend him or make him feel unwelcome by challenging his rude comments. I wanted to remain a friend.
Looking back, however, I am not sure I acted appropriately. Acting as if his remarks were acceptable and not expressing my offense may have actually watered down his impression of my faith. Because I did not ask him to refrain from insulting comments, it made it seem that I did not really care very much about my faith traditions, and that I thought it was just another way to be Christian, equal to that of any other tradition. I failed to demonstrate my true passion about my faith, to show him that there was something in being Catholic that really did it for me, that went beyond the other Christian traditions. I failed to intrigue him with the powerful faith that burned inside me because of God's grace through the Catholic Church.
My Church, the Catholic Church, has the fullness of Truth and I am very passionate about it. That does not mean I should ever put down the Christian faith of others--there is certainly truth in their faith as well--but it does mean that I hope for Christ's Church to be One again someday. It is essential that I evangelize to others by showing a burning passion for Christ and His Church. While at the time I thought it best to be friendly to Joe and to not cause any conflict or discomfort, in reality I may have missed a very important opportunity.
I meant to write my next post on "How to Convert a Protestant" (although the content is not exactly what you may think), but I managed to leave my notes at work so I don't have the quotes I was going to share with you. Instead I think I will share an experience I had last weekend when I went to the wedding of a friend.
My friend got married on January 2nd. It was a full-fledged Catholic wedding and I was one of the readers. I was at the rehearsal and I sat next to one of my non-Catholic friends from college and her fiance. They had a keen eye on all that way happening at this wedding since they will be getting married in the near future. The man, let's call him Joe, started joking about how formal this wedding seemed to be and how his wedding would be a lot more fun with jokes being cracked, laughter, etc. It would be in a church he said, but without all the rules and formality. He went on to say that Catholic weddings were always so long so we were certainly in for the long haul. I laughed politely and said that I had had a Catholic wedding and it had been about an hour long. It was just a little different than Protestant weddings.
At one point the priest who was conducting the rehearsal made a point to mention that the confessional was open in the Cathedral if anyone wanted to make use of it during the rehearsal. Joe heard this and later made the comment that he would be afraid to be a part of this wedding because he would likely do something wrong and the priest would yell at him and send him to the box (confessional) to tell someone about it and sit in time-out. I began to get a little annoyed at this but tried to remain calm. I said something like "I don't think it would be that big of a deal if you were Catholic. It wouldn't seem so formal. The ceremony would be what you wanted." He shrugged at this and said, "I could never be Catholic. There are too many rules." I tried to be lighthearted about it saying, "Don't feel uncomfortable. No one will judge you." Then I caught myself with a laugh, "Well I can't promise no one will judge you but--" He cut me off saying, "Yeah, they're going to judge me. The priest will probably yell at me."
As annoyed as I was, I didn't say anything more. I was just frustrated that he was being so vocal about his disagreement while we sat in the Cathedral rehearsing this wedding he seemed to have so many issues about. But this was the first time I met him and I otherwise liked the guy. I thought perhaps he was just a jokester and didn't mean anything by it.
But what made me the most angry was one harsh comment. As the priest was explaining communion he mentioned that we would be having the Precious Blood at this wedding. From my left came the remark, "Ah, so it's the Vampire Religion."
I was angry, but yet again I kept my mouth shut. It was loud enough that the priest probably heard. How disrespectful, I thought. How can you sit in the Cathedral of a long-standing, well-respected faith tradition and so crassly mock it like that? At the time I thought it fortunate I had gone to the other side of the aisle to do my duties as the reader and could not rebuke him from so far away.
The next day, after the wedding and at the reception I found Joe again. I was pleasant after having a good meal and a glass of wine, and I joked with him saying, "It wasn't that bad, was it? The long wedding? Did you make it?" He joked back and the exchange was friendly. I had not wanted to offend him or make him feel unwelcome by challenging his rude comments. I wanted to remain a friend.
Looking back, however, I am not sure I acted appropriately. Acting as if his remarks were acceptable and not expressing my offense may have actually watered down his impression of my faith. Because I did not ask him to refrain from insulting comments, it made it seem that I did not really care very much about my faith traditions, and that I thought it was just another way to be Christian, equal to that of any other tradition. I failed to demonstrate my true passion about my faith, to show him that there was something in being Catholic that really did it for me, that went beyond the other Christian traditions. I failed to intrigue him with the powerful faith that burned inside me because of God's grace through the Catholic Church.
My Church, the Catholic Church, has the fullness of Truth and I am very passionate about it. That does not mean I should ever put down the Christian faith of others--there is certainly truth in their faith as well--but it does mean that I hope for Christ's Church to be One again someday. It is essential that I evangelize to others by showing a burning passion for Christ and His Church. While at the time I thought it best to be friendly to Joe and to not cause any conflict or discomfort, in reality I may have missed a very important opportunity.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
God Exists for Purpose
I heard an interesting argument about the existence of God on Catholic Radio the other day. (Catholic Answers Live--the same people who do catholic.com; really great site) They were talking about faith and reason and how they work together--one cannot exist without the other.
An atheist called in and said he was trying to understand their point about faith being necessary to understand science. He thought they were trying to say that science could not explain everything and faith was necessary to sort of fill in the gaps. On the contrary, the radio guest responded, faith does not serve to simply "fill in the gaps", it is necessary to answer the question "Why?" In other words, it gives a purpose for why things are the way they are, why we are different from animals, why life must continue on, etc. Without faith, science is merely a collection of facts that mean nothing.
The caller responded by saying that he didn't necessarily believe that there had to be a great Purpose for everything. We just are. He said that humans are really just animals with bigger brains, and they don't necessarily need religion. He himself was a perfectly moral, kind human being without being religious at all. We are kind and loving towards one another because we care about the continuation of our species. We don't want to harm those of our kind. Religion itself is a concoction of our more developed brains that merely gives us a set of rules to help us to be greater than the other animals. To sum it up: the reason we are capable of morality, loving and caring for one another, is because we understand that it makes us more powerful than the animals and therefore better able to keep our species thriving.
It was the response of the host of Catholic Answers Live that struck me. He said, "Sir, let me ask you this. Why is the survival of our species important?"
Ah, now that is the question. Why is it important that our existence, as a human race, continue? If we so dare believe that there is no God, and therefore, this life is all we have, then why wouldn't we believe that all that matters is my own individual life and having the most pleasures possible? After all, life is short--shouldn't I make the best of it? Why would it matter what I pass on to those who would come after me? Besides, there is so much suffering and sadness in this world, why would I want others to experience it? So what if the human race became extinct? Life has no purpose anyway, so why wish anyone else the chance to live? They would never know the difference.
I'm sure no one actually feels that way. No one in their right mind thinks that selfishly. We all want to pass on a beautiful world and happy life to our children. But why? It's because we know, deep down, no matter if we believe in God yet or not, that there is a purpose to this life. It is always better to have lived then to not live at all. Even through all the suffering and pain, we live for the relationships and company of one another, the joy of being together, of being loved. Why do we feel that way? Because we are created in the image and likeness of God. We care about the continuation of our race because we believe in the value and beauty of each human life, and we couldn't stand to see that end. We love each other because we know we are incredibly valuable. We are valuable because we are created by someone who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. Science doesn't understand love. But God does.
Even the animals have a purpose. They are created. They carry on their existence because God has breathed life in them for us. For us. (Gen 2:18-19) Though they do not know their purpose, they have a beautiful place in creation. They too, are valuable.
Without faith, without God, we have no value because we have no purpose. Money is valuable because of its purpose as currency. Heirlooms are valuable because they have meaning. Gold is valuable because it is beautiful and pure. We are beautiful because we are created in the image of our Creator, who is God.
So any time someone tries to tell you there is no God and science has all the answers, ask him or her if science can tell you why we should continue to live. If there is no God, then what are we living for?
I live for Love. God is Love.
An atheist called in and said he was trying to understand their point about faith being necessary to understand science. He thought they were trying to say that science could not explain everything and faith was necessary to sort of fill in the gaps. On the contrary, the radio guest responded, faith does not serve to simply "fill in the gaps", it is necessary to answer the question "Why?" In other words, it gives a purpose for why things are the way they are, why we are different from animals, why life must continue on, etc. Without faith, science is merely a collection of facts that mean nothing.
The caller responded by saying that he didn't necessarily believe that there had to be a great Purpose for everything. We just are. He said that humans are really just animals with bigger brains, and they don't necessarily need religion. He himself was a perfectly moral, kind human being without being religious at all. We are kind and loving towards one another because we care about the continuation of our species. We don't want to harm those of our kind. Religion itself is a concoction of our more developed brains that merely gives us a set of rules to help us to be greater than the other animals. To sum it up: the reason we are capable of morality, loving and caring for one another, is because we understand that it makes us more powerful than the animals and therefore better able to keep our species thriving.
It was the response of the host of Catholic Answers Live that struck me. He said, "Sir, let me ask you this. Why is the survival of our species important?"
Ah, now that is the question. Why is it important that our existence, as a human race, continue? If we so dare believe that there is no God, and therefore, this life is all we have, then why wouldn't we believe that all that matters is my own individual life and having the most pleasures possible? After all, life is short--shouldn't I make the best of it? Why would it matter what I pass on to those who would come after me? Besides, there is so much suffering and sadness in this world, why would I want others to experience it? So what if the human race became extinct? Life has no purpose anyway, so why wish anyone else the chance to live? They would never know the difference.
I'm sure no one actually feels that way. No one in their right mind thinks that selfishly. We all want to pass on a beautiful world and happy life to our children. But why? It's because we know, deep down, no matter if we believe in God yet or not, that there is a purpose to this life. It is always better to have lived then to not live at all. Even through all the suffering and pain, we live for the relationships and company of one another, the joy of being together, of being loved. Why do we feel that way? Because we are created in the image and likeness of God. We care about the continuation of our race because we believe in the value and beauty of each human life, and we couldn't stand to see that end. We love each other because we know we are incredibly valuable. We are valuable because we are created by someone who loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. Science doesn't understand love. But God does.
Even the animals have a purpose. They are created. They carry on their existence because God has breathed life in them for us. For us. (Gen 2:18-19) Though they do not know their purpose, they have a beautiful place in creation. They too, are valuable.
Without faith, without God, we have no value because we have no purpose. Money is valuable because of its purpose as currency. Heirlooms are valuable because they have meaning. Gold is valuable because it is beautiful and pure. We are beautiful because we are created in the image of our Creator, who is God.
So any time someone tries to tell you there is no God and science has all the answers, ask him or her if science can tell you why we should continue to live. If there is no God, then what are we living for?
I live for Love. God is Love.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Immaculate Conception
Okay, so I know I said I would write about this subject last Thursday, but time got away from me and I got really busy, so I apologize. Well, I guess I’ll dive right in.
There are a lot of people who probably don’t really know what the Immaculate Conception is all about. Many of them think it is about Jesus’ conception and not Mary’s. Perhaps that is because the Gospel reading on this feast day tells the story of the Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will become pregnant with the Son of God. Or perhaps it is because many of us don’t like to talk about the fact that Mary was without sin. She was, by the power of God, saved from sin at her conception. But we don’t want to talk about that with out Protestant brothers and sisters—they disagree with us. That’s understandable. Or is it?
Well, I say we take a look at the first reading.
One might wonder why we have the first reading from Genesis, chapter 3, on this feast day. It’s the one where God confronts Adam about eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Adam explains that Eve gave it to him and Eve, in turn, says the serpent tricked her. God, angry with the serpent, declares, “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” (Gen 3:14,15)
So what does this have to do with Mary?
Well, I think there is a hidden message here. First let’s ask some questions. Who is “the woman” in verse 15? Who is the offspring? First off, what does enmity mean? Dictionary.com says enmity is “a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” So if there is enmity between two persons, it would be safe to say that they are enemies. The serpent we know is the devil, and therefore the enemy of the serpent and his offspring is Christ. So the offspring of the woman is Jesus Christ. If Jesus is her offspring, then the woman must, of course, be Mary. Okay, so we get that.
So if “the woman” is Mary, and there is enmity between the serpent (the devil) and Mary, then they are divided, enemies of one another. Mary’s offspring is Jesus Christ, so what is the offspring of the devil? Sin and death. All sin comes from the devil, the serpent, the tempter. (Sin is not from God.) Since Mary is “the woman” there is enmity between her and the devil. She is separate from the devil; she is not of the offspring of the devil, therefore she is not of sin. The devil is the father of all sin and death and she is the Mother of our Redemption—Jesus Christ. She cannot logically be of the offspring of the devil and yet still be the mother of that which fights the offspring of the devil. So she must have no sin (since all sin comes from the devil).
Another way to look at it is this: we are sinners because we are born with Original Sin which gives us a fondness for sin. Or fallen nature causes us to want to sin because it gives us immediate pleasure. We have a tendency to sin. If we grow closer to God then we learn to dislike sin, even to hate it. We get rid of our fondness for sin. In Genesis, God said that there would be enmity, or utter hatred, between the devil and “the woman”—Mary. This hatred of Mary toward the devil and sin demonstrates her complete lack of a fondness for sin. There is enmity between her and sin. She has no desire to sin. Absolutely no desire to sin = no Original Sin.
I’m not saying that Mary has any power of her own. God chose her for a special purpose and therefore saved her “ahead of the game”. It is only through the virtue and merits of Jesus Christ that Mary was conceived immaculately. But all the same, she was conceived without sin. She wasn’t the first woman God created without sin—weren’t we just talking about Eve?
One last thing. Some might argue that saying that Mary had no sin removes her free will. This is most certainly not true. Eve was created without sin and yet she allowed herself to give in to temptation from the serpent. I’m sure Mary was tempted many times in her life, but she remained full of grace and followed God’s will wholeheartedly. She was not without suffering either. She watched them crucify her only Son whom she loved more dearly than we ever could, and her Immaculate Heart was pierced a thousand times. Thank God we have such a strong woman to be our Mother.
There are a lot of people who probably don’t really know what the Immaculate Conception is all about. Many of them think it is about Jesus’ conception and not Mary’s. Perhaps that is because the Gospel reading on this feast day tells the story of the Angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she will become pregnant with the Son of God. Or perhaps it is because many of us don’t like to talk about the fact that Mary was without sin. She was, by the power of God, saved from sin at her conception. But we don’t want to talk about that with out Protestant brothers and sisters—they disagree with us. That’s understandable. Or is it?
Well, I say we take a look at the first reading.
One might wonder why we have the first reading from Genesis, chapter 3, on this feast day. It’s the one where God confronts Adam about eating fruit from the forbidden tree. Adam explains that Eve gave it to him and Eve, in turn, says the serpent tricked her. God, angry with the serpent, declares, “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” (Gen 3:14,15)
So what does this have to do with Mary?
Well, I think there is a hidden message here. First let’s ask some questions. Who is “the woman” in verse 15? Who is the offspring? First off, what does enmity mean? Dictionary.com says enmity is “a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” So if there is enmity between two persons, it would be safe to say that they are enemies. The serpent we know is the devil, and therefore the enemy of the serpent and his offspring is Christ. So the offspring of the woman is Jesus Christ. If Jesus is her offspring, then the woman must, of course, be Mary. Okay, so we get that.
So if “the woman” is Mary, and there is enmity between the serpent (the devil) and Mary, then they are divided, enemies of one another. Mary’s offspring is Jesus Christ, so what is the offspring of the devil? Sin and death. All sin comes from the devil, the serpent, the tempter. (Sin is not from God.) Since Mary is “the woman” there is enmity between her and the devil. She is separate from the devil; she is not of the offspring of the devil, therefore she is not of sin. The devil is the father of all sin and death and she is the Mother of our Redemption—Jesus Christ. She cannot logically be of the offspring of the devil and yet still be the mother of that which fights the offspring of the devil. So she must have no sin (since all sin comes from the devil).
Another way to look at it is this: we are sinners because we are born with Original Sin which gives us a fondness for sin. Or fallen nature causes us to want to sin because it gives us immediate pleasure. We have a tendency to sin. If we grow closer to God then we learn to dislike sin, even to hate it. We get rid of our fondness for sin. In Genesis, God said that there would be enmity, or utter hatred, between the devil and “the woman”—Mary. This hatred of Mary toward the devil and sin demonstrates her complete lack of a fondness for sin. There is enmity between her and sin. She has no desire to sin. Absolutely no desire to sin = no Original Sin.
I’m not saying that Mary has any power of her own. God chose her for a special purpose and therefore saved her “ahead of the game”. It is only through the virtue and merits of Jesus Christ that Mary was conceived immaculately. But all the same, she was conceived without sin. She wasn’t the first woman God created without sin—weren’t we just talking about Eve?
One last thing. Some might argue that saying that Mary had no sin removes her free will. This is most certainly not true. Eve was created without sin and yet she allowed herself to give in to temptation from the serpent. I’m sure Mary was tempted many times in her life, but she remained full of grace and followed God’s will wholeheartedly. She was not without suffering either. She watched them crucify her only Son whom she loved more dearly than we ever could, and her Immaculate Heart was pierced a thousand times. Thank God we have such a strong woman to be our Mother.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Novel Introduction
Today is the feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Beautiful feast day. I just got out of Mass about an hour ago. I have a lot to say about it, but it is late and I am tired and I am afraid I will ramble on making little sense, so I think I will save that for tomorrow.
Instead, I am going to give you an excerpt from the novel I am currently writing. I haven't thought of a name for it yet, but it is a fantasy novel with Christian influences. It is about a fallen world in which three women hold the powers of the body, soul, and mind of all creation. In the world's brokenness, the women are cast to all the ends of the earth and their powers are forgotten, until one evil one sees their vulnerability and tries to capture the women to channel their powers and become an all-destructive god. A man named Marion sees the danger and makes it his personal duty to save the world.
So, here is a blurb from the first draft:
The arrow split the air in two, ripping it apart like a blade cutting paper, separating the winds like Moses parting the sea. It scattered the atoms, soaring through the gases dead on its path—a zip line whipping through the sky. Leaves shivered with its passing, branches waggled as it missed them by millimeters. Dead on it soared, never slowing, never wavering, until finally its journey halted as its tip eased itself into flesh—just behind the shoulder of a buck. Fellow arrows followed, and together their slender straight bodies and fine pointed tips took the massive buck to the ground.
Marion grinned at his marksmanship. His hunt had not failed after all. He would be eating richly tonight. He stood from his crouched position on the ground and started forward, brushing the branches aside as he headed toward the fallen buck. It had been a long time since he had tasted venison. The past week had left him with little more than a couple of rabbits, a bird, and some wild fruit. He needed to head back to his path by the river. That was where the larger animals would roam. But he hated the river. It was too fertile, too full of life. There he crossed the paths of too many other humans. Marion preferred to be alone. He hated the questioning looks of those who found his long, dark, tangled hair unappealing, or his wild fur attire that covered little more than necessary disturbing. His angular jaw was too hairy, his brown eyes too dark, his broad chest too tan. Worse, his social skills were far beneath the rest of those in the nearby town. But that was how he chose to live his life. This life of wandering the wilderness was the life for him. The deep woods was his home—the tree tops his ceiling, the trunks his walls, the ground his bed. And tonight, here, at home, he would feast.
Instead, I am going to give you an excerpt from the novel I am currently writing. I haven't thought of a name for it yet, but it is a fantasy novel with Christian influences. It is about a fallen world in which three women hold the powers of the body, soul, and mind of all creation. In the world's brokenness, the women are cast to all the ends of the earth and their powers are forgotten, until one evil one sees their vulnerability and tries to capture the women to channel their powers and become an all-destructive god. A man named Marion sees the danger and makes it his personal duty to save the world.
So, here is a blurb from the first draft:
The arrow split the air in two, ripping it apart like a blade cutting paper, separating the winds like Moses parting the sea. It scattered the atoms, soaring through the gases dead on its path—a zip line whipping through the sky. Leaves shivered with its passing, branches waggled as it missed them by millimeters. Dead on it soared, never slowing, never wavering, until finally its journey halted as its tip eased itself into flesh—just behind the shoulder of a buck. Fellow arrows followed, and together their slender straight bodies and fine pointed tips took the massive buck to the ground.
Marion grinned at his marksmanship. His hunt had not failed after all. He would be eating richly tonight. He stood from his crouched position on the ground and started forward, brushing the branches aside as he headed toward the fallen buck. It had been a long time since he had tasted venison. The past week had left him with little more than a couple of rabbits, a bird, and some wild fruit. He needed to head back to his path by the river. That was where the larger animals would roam. But he hated the river. It was too fertile, too full of life. There he crossed the paths of too many other humans. Marion preferred to be alone. He hated the questioning looks of those who found his long, dark, tangled hair unappealing, or his wild fur attire that covered little more than necessary disturbing. His angular jaw was too hairy, his brown eyes too dark, his broad chest too tan. Worse, his social skills were far beneath the rest of those in the nearby town. But that was how he chose to live his life. This life of wandering the wilderness was the life for him. The deep woods was his home—the tree tops his ceiling, the trunks his walls, the ground his bed. And tonight, here, at home, he would feast.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Restless Heart
Life is hard. Joyful, but hard. Even some of the things you enjoy the most, like holidays, can often be difficult. Traditions are broken, people change, expectations are left unmet. Everyone grows up, including all your siblings, and the magical holidays of your childhood are suddenly only a memory.
Why does it have to be like that? Why do we get frustrated and hurt and saddened when things don't go exactly the way we had planned? Someone in the family decides they want to spend more time with another cousin instead of you. A married sister intends to go with her husband's family rather than your own. Your husband has a tiff with his father. Your own mother forgets to call.
We're not perfect. We're human. We're fallen. Often we look to our family as the greatest source of happiness in our lives, the people who are supposed to make us feel good about ourselves, the people who love us the most. We have expectations of them. They're family, we say, of course they will do all they can to love us and take care of us.
But they are not God. God alone can fill the void in our hearts. God alone is what we were created for. Family certainly brings us closer to God, but it is not the end all. God is our Father; God is our Family. We were created to live in Him. He alone will never disappoint. As Saint Augustine would say, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts is restless until it rests in you."
Why does it have to be like that? Why do we get frustrated and hurt and saddened when things don't go exactly the way we had planned? Someone in the family decides they want to spend more time with another cousin instead of you. A married sister intends to go with her husband's family rather than your own. Your husband has a tiff with his father. Your own mother forgets to call.
We're not perfect. We're human. We're fallen. Often we look to our family as the greatest source of happiness in our lives, the people who are supposed to make us feel good about ourselves, the people who love us the most. We have expectations of them. They're family, we say, of course they will do all they can to love us and take care of us.
But they are not God. God alone can fill the void in our hearts. God alone is what we were created for. Family certainly brings us closer to God, but it is not the end all. God is our Father; God is our Family. We were created to live in Him. He alone will never disappoint. As Saint Augustine would say, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts is restless until it rests in you."
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