Are you in Communion with All the Saints today?

There is a part in the Credo, Apostle’s Creed, where Christians profess their belief in the “Communion of the Saints”.  However, this dogma has always been misunderstood if not misinterpreted as a physical act of receiving a host by the saints.  Quite funny.

First of all, please be reminded of a nature of a Church Dogma – it is an object of Faith and certainly not a product of rationality.  Thus, we shall never know or reason for or against one.  As Dr. Alfredo Co says, “When we know, we don’t believe; when we believe, we don’t know.” Thus, the Apostle’s Creed rightly starts with “I believe” and not “I know”.

The real meaning of the Communion of Saints is spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of prayers and sacrifices.

Does this make sense?  Translated into a picture, it is -

 

Let us go back to the basics.  Like God, the Church has three forms. They are:

• THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT, which speaks of the Saints in Heaven
• THE CHURCH MILITANT, which speaks of the Faithful on Earth
• THE CHURCH SUFFERING, which speaks of the Souls in Purgatory

These three forms are vivified by PRAYER and SACRIFICES and they become ONE CHURCH.  The Church Triumphant prays for the Faithful on Earth and the Souls in Purgatory.  The Church Militant prays to the Saints in Heaven, for one another and for the Souls in Purgatory.  The Church Suffering is prayed for by the Saints in Heaven and Faithful on Earth.

Thus, the definition above can already be 60% understood.

The real meaning of the Communion of Saints is spiritual solidarity which binds together the Faithful on Earth, the Souls in Purgatory, and the Saints in Heaven in the organic unity of the same mystical body under Christ its head, and in a constant interchange of Prayers and Sacrifices.

The only part left unexplained is the concept which tells us about Christ as Head.  We can all agree that the head of the ONE Church is Christ himself and the Pope is only a Vicar of Christ on Earth.  The most that we can know is that the Pope leads THE CHURCH MILITANT. 

In the concept of the Triune God, God, the Father, is the Judge while God, the Son, a.k.a. Jesus Christ, is the Savior.  The saving act of Christ did not end in his death on the cross.  It is continued through His ONE Church.  He leads this salvation-oriented Church towards the Father.  Salvation is achieved through Prayers and Sacrifices.  Basically, Christ wants us all to go to Heaven and be with Him.  This goal creates spiritually solidarity.

Yes, you got it right!  The moment we pray and sacrifice for others, living or dead, we become Saints and in communion with other Saints, we partake in this wonderfully mystical body of Christ called Church.

Do you belong?  It’s a good feeling to have that we can be Saints on Earth. 

Happy All Saints Day!

P.S. Membership out of fear that in the future you might need prayer and sacrifices is not advisable.  It debases the essence of selflessness for others.

Seven Passes To Hell

The Catholic Church divided sin into two principal categories: “venial sins”, which are relatively minor and could be forgiven through any sacramentals or sacraments of the church, and the more severe “capital” or mortal sins. Mortal sins are believed to destroy the life of grace and create the threat of eternal damnation unless either absolved through the sacrament of Penance or forgiven through perfect contrition on the part of the penitent.

The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Capital Vices or Cardinal Sins, is a classification of the most objectionable vices that has been used since early Christian times to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen humanity’s tendency to sin.

GLUTTONY

Vice’s Meaning: To the point of assuming a self-indulgent character; craving for sexual intimacy and yearning of the soul; desire for the flesh, drugs and of the lower appetite contrary to reason.

Explanation: In the Christian religions, it is considered a sin because of the excessive desire for food, or its withholding from the needy.  St. Thomas Aquinas went so far as to prepare a list of six ways to commit gluttony, including:

• Praepropere – eating too soon.
• Laute – eating too expensively.
• Nimis – eating too much.
• Ardenter – eating too eagerly (burningly).
• Studiose – eating too daintily (keenly).
• Forente – eating wildly (boringly).

Specific Forms: Addiction, Dishonor, Exaggeration, Hoarding, Injustice, Masochism, Over-consumption

Vice’s Virtue: Temperance

Virtue’s Meaning: Restraint. Temperance. Justice. Constant mindfulness of others and one’s surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, moderation, Zero-sum and Deferred gratification. Prudence to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time. Proper moderation between self-interest, versus public-interest, and against the rights and needs of others.

LUST

Vice’s Meaning: To the point of assuming a self-indulgent character; craving for sexual intimacy and yearning of the soul; desire for the flesh, drugs and of the lower appetite contrary to reason.

Explanation:  Aristotle’s criterion was excessive love of others, which therefore rendered love and devotion to God as secondary.

Specific Forms: Adultery, Concupiscence, Debauchery, Extravagance, Hedonism, Nymphomania, Seduction

Vice’s Virtue: Chastity

Virtue’s Meaning: Abstaining from sexual conduct according to one’s state in life; the practice of Courtly love and Romantic friendship. Cleanliness through cultivated good health and hygiene, and maintained by refraining from intoxicants. To be honest with oneself, one’s family, one’s friends, and to all of humanity. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. The ability to refrain from being distracted and influenced by hostility, temptation or corruption.

GREED

Vice’s Meaning: An inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves, especially with respect to the pursuit and accumulation of material, wealth, status, fame, power, or gain; ignoring the realm of the spiritual.

Explanation: Greed (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess. However, greed (as seen by the church) is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that greed was “a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.”

Specific Forms:  Betrayal, Corruption, Discrimination, Exploitation, Materialism, Selfishness, Theft

Vice’s Virtue: Charity

Virtue’s Meaning: The willingness to give away wealth and material good. The energy to devote attention and personal service. The knowledge to promote wisdom and mutual prosperity. The Social Responsibility to create a strong, rich and diverse community, especially in the interests of the impoverished. A nobility of thought or actions.

SLOTH

Vice’s Meaning: To allow the prosperity of evil by not intervening.

Explanation: The modern view goes further, regarding laziness and indifference as the sin at the heart of the matter. Since this contrasts with a more willful failure to, for example, love God and his works, sloth is often seen as being considerably less serious than the other sins, more a sin of omission than of commission.  St. Francis of Assisi: “If the man be bereft, give him solace. If he be in physical torment, give him medicine. If he be to the desire of death, give him hope. Reason, encouragement, and faith bring hope, therefore, use them liberally.”

Specific Forms: Apathy, Boredom, Complacency, Despair, Indifference, Laziness, Opportunism

Vice’s Virtue: Diligence

Virtue’s Meaning: A zealous and careful nature in one’s actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Steadfastness in belief. Fortitude and the capability of not giving up. Budgeting one’s time; monitoring one’s own activities to guard against laziness. Upholding one’s convictions at all times, especially when no one else is watching.

WRATH

Vice’s Meaning: To maim, destroy and even kill.

Explanation: Wrath is the only sin not necessarily associated with selfishness or self-interest (although one can of course be wrathful for selfish reasons, such as jealousy, closely related to the sin of envy). Dante described vengeance as “love of justice perverted to revenge and spite“.  Mahatma Gandhi: “It takes ten generations for healing to become real. Given time, we will end the demand of, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ fearing that the whole world may wind up blind and toothless…“ In its original form, the sin of wrath also encompassed anger pointed internally rather than externally. Thus suicide was deemed as the ultimate, albeit tragic, expression of wrath directed inwardly, a final rejection of God’s gifts.

Specific Forms: War, Fear, Anger, Hatred, Suffering, Revenge, Murder

Vice’s Virtue: Patience

Virtue’s Meaning: Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts and injustice peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners. Not killing or being violent in any way to any life form or sentient being; to practice vegetarianism and consistent life ethic. Creating a sense of peaceful stability and community, rather than engendering suffering,hostility and antagonism.

ENVY

Vice’s Meaning: To secure a sense of superiority in the face of another person’s ability by using contempt to minimize the other person.

Explanation: Like greed, Envy (Latin, invidia) may be characterized by an insatiable desire; they differ, however, for two main reasons. First, greed is largely associated with material goods, where as envy may apply more generally. Second, those who commit the sin of envy resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, and wish the other person to be deprived of it. Dante defined this as “a desire to deprive other men of theirs.” Envy can be directly related to the Ten Commandments, specifically “Neither shall you desire… anything that belongs to your neighbor“. In Dante’s Purgatory, the punishment for the envious is to have their eyes sewn shut with wire because they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others brought low. Aquinas described envy as “sorrow for another’s good“.

Specific Forms: Anxiety, Deception, Cruelty, Possessiveness, Manipulative, Prejudice, Resentment

Vice’s Virtue: Kindness

Virtue’s Meaning: Charity, compassion and friendship for its own sake. Empathy and trust without prejudice or resentment. Unconditional love and voluntary kindness without bias or spite. Having positive outlook and cheerful demeanor; to inspire kindness in others.

PRIDE

Vice’s Meaning: Arrogance.

Explanation: In almost every list Pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris, is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and indeed the ultimate source from which the others arise. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self (especially holding self out of proper position toward God). Dante’s definition was “love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one’s neighbour.”

Specific Forms: Egotism, Grandiosity, Hubris, Idolatry, Narcissism, Shamelessness, Vanity

Vice’s Virtue: Humility

Virtue’s Meaning: Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. The courage of the heart necessary to undertake tasks which are difficult, tedious or unglamorous, and to graciously accept the sacrifices involved. Reverence for those who have wisdom and those who selflessly teach in love. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one’s own self. Being faithful to promises, no matter how big or small they may be. Refraining from despair and the ability to confront fear and uncertainty, or intimidation.

God is Dead

Friedrich Nietzsche:

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

RELIGIOUS EXPLANATION OF A DEAD GOD

Humanity was once perfect; but being selfish and wanting to go our own way, man rebelled against God – breaking our relationship between us and our Creator. Biblically,this is known as ‘The Fall’. In order that a relationship can be made between a perfect God, and sinful man, a sacrifice, according to Jewish law, was necessary. By sacrificing an unblemished animal the person was reconciled to God. This is not as gory as it sounds, as the animal was humanely slaughtered and used – parts used as food by the temple staff and others burned – a bit like a slaughterhouse today. However, the purest, best animal was required; so that a real cost was made by the person confessing their sins. God required the right attitude from his people – that of contrition and repentance and a real will to lead better lives.

Unfortunately the jewish nation found loopholes in these rules. They would sin all week, then buy a cheap, imperfect animal to slaughter, so they were ‘OK’ with God, and go off and do exactly the same things again. This was not part of God’s plan to bring us once more close to him.

In order that a sacrifice would be made for all time, for all people, God sent his Son Jesus to be the sacrifice. He was without sin (unblemished) and was sacrificed for our sins, taking them on himself like a sacrificed lamb so that we would have that relationship between us and God restored. He was referred to by later writers as ‘The Lamb of God’ for that is just what he was. At his death, the sins of everyone were taken on him – past people and present – and future, do that the relationship between God and Man. It is of importance too that the gospels record that at the moment of his death the temple curtain tore in two, exposing the ‘Holy of Holies’. This was the innermost room in the Temple, separated from the rest by a large curtain. In the room was the Ark of the Covenant, a chest containing the 10 commandments given to Moses by God. The Jews believed that in this room God himself dwelt. Therefore by the curtain tearing this symbolised the division between God and man being removed because of Jesus’ death.

But that was not the end. At The Fall, another thing happened. Death entered the world. Humans were to die – both physically and spiritually. “The wages of sin is Death” said one biblical writer. But Jesus didn’t sin. He was perfect. He had no price to pay like we do. Therefore, on the third day after his crucifixion he rose again – as the resurrected Christ, leading the way for us to follow.

By his death on the cross he was able to take all our sins (and those of all humanity) and pay the price that we should have paid – death. Though we may die physically – just as Jesus did, we will all rise too like Jesus – for sins have been removed once and for all.

PHILOSOPHICAL EXPLANATION OF A DEAD GOD

“God is dead” never meant that Nietzsche believed in an actual God who first existed and then died in a literal sense. It may be more appropriate to consider the statement as Nietzsche’s way of saying that the “God” of the times (religion and other such spirituality) is no longer a viable source of any received wisdom. Nietzsche recognizes the crisis which the death of God represents for existing moral considerations, because “When one gives up the Christian faith, one pulls the right to Christian morality out from under one’s feet. This morality is by no means self-evident… By breaking one main concept out of Christianity, the faith in God, one breaks the whole: nothing necessary remains in one’s hands.“ This is why in “The Madman”, a work which primarily addresses atheists, the problem is to retain any system of values in the absence of a divine order.

The death of God is a way of saying that humans are no longer able to believe in any such cosmic order since they themselves no longer recognize it. The death of God will lead, Nietzsche says, not only to the rejection of a belief of cosmic or physical order but also to a rejection of absolute values themselves — to the rejection of belief in an objective and universal moral law, binding upon all individuals. In this manner, the loss of an absolute basis for morality leads to nihilism. This nihilism is what Nietzsche worked to find a solution for by re-evaluating the foundations of human values. This meant, to Nietzsche, looking for foundations that went deeper than Christian values. He would find a basis in the “will to power” that he described as “the essence of reality.”

Nietzsche believed that the majority of people did not recognize this death out of the deepest-seated fear or angst. Therefore, when the death did begin to become widely acknowledged, people would despair and nihilism would become rampant. This is partly why Nietzsche saw Christianity as nihilistic. He may have seen himself as a historical figure like Zarathustra, Socrates or Jesus, giving a new philosophical orientation to future generations to overcome the impending nihilism.

What is more,  Nietzsche later refers not only to the death of God, but states: ‘Dead are all the Gods’. It is not just one morality that has died, but all of them, to be replaced by the life of the übermensch, the new man:

‘DEAD ARE ALL THE GODS: NOW DO WE DESIRE THE OVERMAN TO LIVE.’