Monday morning came after a long weekend. On Sunday night I couldn’t fall asleep, and now I’m paying the price. I’m running behind and most people are already in their seats when I arrive in the classroom. I only see one empty spot; it belongs to a thin girl named Marissa. Marissa didn’t really have many people she could call friends. She seemed like she could be nice, but nobody ever gave an effort to get to know her. She often times got picked on for being so small. There were a few times when I would try to talk to her, but she would become tense and aggressive.
Other than Marissa missing school, the day started in the usual way. First hour was a breeze, second hour wasn’t too hard, but third hour something happened. We were in the middle of reviewing a chapter for a religion test that we would be taking tomorrow, when two angelic figures step into the classroom doorway. The first is a male, and the figure behind Him is a female. Both seem very familiar.
Everyone pauses as the figures come into the room. We are all in awe. Questions race through our minds. Who are they? What are they doing here? Why do they look different than us? Are they aliens? We are in utter shock and confusion. Our questions are answered when the male figure speaks saying, “I am the Son of God. Thou have not acted towards the Will of God.” Now everyone is even more confused, why would Jesus be visiting a Catholic school saying that we are not doing the Will of God?
The next few moments are spent in silence. No one knows what to say in reply. Then as the female figure stepped from behind Jesus, we understood. It was Marissa. For the first time ever, we saw her at peace. The reason why she wasn’t at school was because she had an abusive father. He had come home drunk on Sunday night. He had been drinking and experimenting with methamphetamine. When he saw Marissa watching TV, something upset him and he went into a rage of violence. Marissa’s small body couldn’t handle the beating.
Now I understand why she would become aggressive those few times I tried to reach out to her. Why didn’t I pay more attention? Why didn’t I see the pain in her face? Why? Now because I was too selfish to care, Marissa was gone. If I would have just gotten through to her and found out what was happening in her life, this all could have been avoided. She needed a friend, but I didn’t give enough of an effort.
Marissa is now with Jesus. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t have to be afraid of her father. She is with God. She is in a place where she has all the friends she needs, all the family she deserves, and the love that she lacked on Earth.
When Jesus came to our school, he opened our eyes to what it actually means to be a Catholic. He showed us that being a Catholic isn’t just going to church, it’s showing love to everyone. It’s caring for others when you really don’t want to. Being a Catholic is letting Jesus into your heart, and when Jesus is in your heart, you are unstoppable, and Marissa now knows that.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, November 2, 2009
Purgatory
One of the first objections with which Catholics are hit when we bring up Purgatory is this line:"Well, I looked all through my Bible, from front to back, and I didn't see 'Purgatory' anywhere in there."
Ironically, the word 'Trinity', in which all Christians believe, is also not in the Bible. Should this bother us? Of course not. We understand that Scripture doesn't have to explicitly name a doctrine for it to be true. Some concepts are presented implicitly, which means that Scripture presents clues to which there can be no other conclusion. "Purgatory", after all, is just a word, but the concept is real enough and undeniably present in Scripture, as well as in the belief system of the early Christians. And not only is compatible with Christian doctrine, it is necessary for Christian doctrine, as we will see through this essay.
To begin, consider a wedding analogy. A new bride and her groom are standing before the priest, and as he is asking the bride for her vows, she seems distracted and distant. After the wedding, the groom asks her what the deal was. "Hank," she tells him, "You asked me to be your wife and I accepted. I will love you until death do us part ... but I just can't get my old boyfriend Hank off my mind."
Ouch.
Christ is our bridegroom, and when we become Christians, we accept his proposal of marriage. However, all of us are sinners and know that no matter how much we give ourselves to Christ, we still selfishly cling to earthly things, loving them more than him on occasion. Perhaps we love sleeping in more than we love Mass on some Sunday. Perhaps we love TV more than prayer. Yet, for a marriage to be truly perfect, we must be "purged" of these distractions to the love we have for our spouse.
Purgatory is not some second chance, as many mistakenly believe Catholics understand it to be. When we die, we are on our way to Heaven or to Hell. However, some of us will die still attached to those things of the flesh. While Christ made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and while we have forgiveness for even the worst transgression, our sins damage our souls and body. If we sin once, say by indulging in pornographic material, it becomes easier to sin in that way again, even after God has forgiven us. If you doubt this (and I don't think anyone honestly could), talk with someone who has battled with an addiction, and he will tell you how giving in to the temptation once made it easier to do it a second time, and then a third, and then ...
Purgatory is the place where God, because he loves us so tremendously, allows us to break from our earthly desires and sinful attachments before entering into his glory. There are many who believe Purgatory to be a place of punishment and torture, which are misunderstandings of the strong Biblical imagery. Will there be suffering in Purgatory? Of course, just as there is suffering any time we break ourselves of something unhealthy. My body aches when I start an exercise routine, but it is a good pain because I know I am toning those muscles and reducing that fat. A drug addict sweats and shakes in a rehabilitation center, but this is a good suffering because it is a sign of the body purging itself of the poison and healing. Any suffering we feel in Purgatory will be the consequence of stripping from ourselves all that is unhealthy to our relationship with Christ.
We see the imagery in Scripture which points to suffering in these verses: Heb 12:5-6 "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Peter 4:1 "[W]hoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin" Prov. 20:30 "Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being."
Some object that Christ made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so why should there be anything left to do? Purgatory, they insist, is an insult to his work upon the cross. Yet, the mistake here is in assuming that Purgatory is supplemental to Christ's work - something in addition. Rather, Purgatory is a manifestation of Christ's work - it owes its very existence to his redemptive act.
It should be pointed out here that Purgatory does not necessarily have to be a place. While it is a necessary dogma for Catholics (we must believe in it), the Church has never specifically defined its nature. It could be a state of being or an instantaneous process, something through which we pass on the way to Heaven. Remember, time will not mean the same thing in the hereafter as it does in this existence. Another important point is that not all of us will need to experience Purgatory. Surely some of us are working out our suffering here on Earth, such as might have been the case for the good thief who confessed belief in Christ before his crucifixion. Some of us might have completely stripped ourselves of earthly attachments and will have no need for this purging, such as is surely the case for many of our recognized saints.
One point that many non-Catholics make is that we are "clothed in Christ", and that there is no need for further cleansing after death. While it is true that we are clothed in Christ, Rev. 21:27 tells us that nothing unclean will enter Heaven. Christ doesn't simply intend to throw a tarp over our dirty bodies; he intends to make us holy and without blemish (Eph. 5).
And, as he is our bridegroom, I truly believe that, for those of us who go to Purgatory, it will be something we desire. Just as a bride wants to be pure and beautiful on her wedding day, we would want nothing less than to present ourselves in such a way to Christ. Just as the groom would be offended if his bride were still clinging to memories of “Hank”, Christ would be offended if our souls still clung to those things of the flesh that we should have left behind – our old “lovers”, so to speak. The word for this process of purification is sanctification, a belief that all Christians share. Even though we are forgiven for our sins, we are made Holy through the course of our lives, and if it is not complete at death, the process is finished in Purgatory.
But don't take my word for it. C.S. Lewis, a famous Christian writer who was not a Catholic, also believed in Purgatory. In his book, Letters to Malcolm, he writes, "Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they? Would in not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'? Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first.' 'It may hurt, you know' - 'Even so, sir.'
While all this is fine, we are ultimately left with the question of what, exactly does Scripture have to say about Purgatory? One of the classic texts can be found in 2 Maccabees 12:43-46, which states, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they might be loosed from their sins” “Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” Non-Catholics will often object that they do not consider 2 Maccabees to be inspired (though it is), they will surely admit that it is a historical document, which we can trust just as we would trust a non-inspired historical document to give us information about Lincoln’s presidency. Examining this ancient text, we see that it was a practice among Jews to pray for the dead. If the only possibilities after death were Heaven and Hell, this would make no sense. We have no need of prayer in Heaven and cannot be helped by them in Hell, so the prayers must be efficacious in some other place, which only leaves the possibility of Purgatory. For argument’s sake, should our prayers be beneficial for the dead (as instruments of God’s grace) the true tragedy of rejecting Purgatory, as many non-Catholics have done, is that they have missed the opportunity to offer prayers for so many friends and relatives who have already passed.
That said, the stronger verses can be found in any Bible you may pick up. Take Luke 12:42-48 for example. Here, in the parable of the three types of servants, when master returns on that "unexpected day" and "unknown hour", servant who obeys is rewarded; servant who disobeys is punished; servant who disobeys out of ignorance is punished, but only lightly. We see three fates here, one that is clearly symbolic of damnation, one of Heaven, and a third (light punishment) signifies a third place, which cannot be Hell because that is surely not a light punishment, nor Heaven where no punishment occurs.
A more powerful verse is 1 Cor 3:15 which is where Paul discusses how we must build on the foundation of Christ. Those who don't will go to Hell, of course. Of those who do, some will build with valuable materials and precious metals, while others will chose more common materials. Paul writes that each man's work will be tested with fire, and "If it [each man's work] is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames". Now, consider this - we are not saved in Hell, yet we suffer no loss in Heaven, so where is this place (or what is this "process") in which we suffer loss but are saved? Some non-Catholics argue that this verse simply refers to a glorification through which we pass in judgment. As Catholics, we agree. In fact, based in part on the Biblical evidence, we've recognized this all along. So much so that we've assigned it a name: Purgatory.
Despite the fact that a careful look at Scripture makes the concept of Purgatory necessary, some still like to claim that it is a later "invention" of the church. This simply isn't true. In fact, even if we identify a certain council at which Purgatory was defined, we have to remember that church councils usually define doctrines only when they are being challenged. This doesn't mean that the doctrines are new, but rather that some group tried to challenge that teaching and the church, as a good parent, had to clearly reaffirm the truth of such a teaching. The truth is, Purgatory has been with the church throughout the centuries, from its earliest days. When we look at the writings of the early Christians, when the religion was at its purest, we see that the practice of praying for the dead was an important part of the early Christian church, which indicates that Purgatory has always been a part of Christian tradition. Prayers for the dead, after all, wouldn't benefit anyone in Heaven or Hell.
The word isn't in Scripture, but the concept definitely is.
Ironically, the word 'Trinity', in which all Christians believe, is also not in the Bible. Should this bother us? Of course not. We understand that Scripture doesn't have to explicitly name a doctrine for it to be true. Some concepts are presented implicitly, which means that Scripture presents clues to which there can be no other conclusion. "Purgatory", after all, is just a word, but the concept is real enough and undeniably present in Scripture, as well as in the belief system of the early Christians. And not only is compatible with Christian doctrine, it is necessary for Christian doctrine, as we will see through this essay.
To begin, consider a wedding analogy. A new bride and her groom are standing before the priest, and as he is asking the bride for her vows, she seems distracted and distant. After the wedding, the groom asks her what the deal was. "Hank," she tells him, "You asked me to be your wife and I accepted. I will love you until death do us part ... but I just can't get my old boyfriend Hank off my mind."
Ouch.
Christ is our bridegroom, and when we become Christians, we accept his proposal of marriage. However, all of us are sinners and know that no matter how much we give ourselves to Christ, we still selfishly cling to earthly things, loving them more than him on occasion. Perhaps we love sleeping in more than we love Mass on some Sunday. Perhaps we love TV more than prayer. Yet, for a marriage to be truly perfect, we must be "purged" of these distractions to the love we have for our spouse.
Purgatory is not some second chance, as many mistakenly believe Catholics understand it to be. When we die, we are on our way to Heaven or to Hell. However, some of us will die still attached to those things of the flesh. While Christ made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and while we have forgiveness for even the worst transgression, our sins damage our souls and body. If we sin once, say by indulging in pornographic material, it becomes easier to sin in that way again, even after God has forgiven us. If you doubt this (and I don't think anyone honestly could), talk with someone who has battled with an addiction, and he will tell you how giving in to the temptation once made it easier to do it a second time, and then a third, and then ...
Purgatory is the place where God, because he loves us so tremendously, allows us to break from our earthly desires and sinful attachments before entering into his glory. There are many who believe Purgatory to be a place of punishment and torture, which are misunderstandings of the strong Biblical imagery. Will there be suffering in Purgatory? Of course, just as there is suffering any time we break ourselves of something unhealthy. My body aches when I start an exercise routine, but it is a good pain because I know I am toning those muscles and reducing that fat. A drug addict sweats and shakes in a rehabilitation center, but this is a good suffering because it is a sign of the body purging itself of the poison and healing. Any suffering we feel in Purgatory will be the consequence of stripping from ourselves all that is unhealthy to our relationship with Christ.
We see the imagery in Scripture which points to suffering in these verses: Heb 12:5-6 "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Peter 4:1 "[W]hoever suffers in the flesh has broken with sin" Prov. 20:30 "Blows and wounds cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being."
Some object that Christ made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so why should there be anything left to do? Purgatory, they insist, is an insult to his work upon the cross. Yet, the mistake here is in assuming that Purgatory is supplemental to Christ's work - something in addition. Rather, Purgatory is a manifestation of Christ's work - it owes its very existence to his redemptive act.
It should be pointed out here that Purgatory does not necessarily have to be a place. While it is a necessary dogma for Catholics (we must believe in it), the Church has never specifically defined its nature. It could be a state of being or an instantaneous process, something through which we pass on the way to Heaven. Remember, time will not mean the same thing in the hereafter as it does in this existence. Another important point is that not all of us will need to experience Purgatory. Surely some of us are working out our suffering here on Earth, such as might have been the case for the good thief who confessed belief in Christ before his crucifixion. Some of us might have completely stripped ourselves of earthly attachments and will have no need for this purging, such as is surely the case for many of our recognized saints.
One point that many non-Catholics make is that we are "clothed in Christ", and that there is no need for further cleansing after death. While it is true that we are clothed in Christ, Rev. 21:27 tells us that nothing unclean will enter Heaven. Christ doesn't simply intend to throw a tarp over our dirty bodies; he intends to make us holy and without blemish (Eph. 5).
And, as he is our bridegroom, I truly believe that, for those of us who go to Purgatory, it will be something we desire. Just as a bride wants to be pure and beautiful on her wedding day, we would want nothing less than to present ourselves in such a way to Christ. Just as the groom would be offended if his bride were still clinging to memories of “Hank”, Christ would be offended if our souls still clung to those things of the flesh that we should have left behind – our old “lovers”, so to speak. The word for this process of purification is sanctification, a belief that all Christians share. Even though we are forgiven for our sins, we are made Holy through the course of our lives, and if it is not complete at death, the process is finished in Purgatory.
But don't take my word for it. C.S. Lewis, a famous Christian writer who was not a Catholic, also believed in Purgatory. In his book, Letters to Malcolm, he writes, "Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they? Would in not break the heart if God said to us, 'It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy'? Should we not reply, 'With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I'd rather be cleaned first.' 'It may hurt, you know' - 'Even so, sir.'
While all this is fine, we are ultimately left with the question of what, exactly does Scripture have to say about Purgatory? One of the classic texts can be found in 2 Maccabees 12:43-46, which states, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they might be loosed from their sins” “Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.” Non-Catholics will often object that they do not consider 2 Maccabees to be inspired (though it is), they will surely admit that it is a historical document, which we can trust just as we would trust a non-inspired historical document to give us information about Lincoln’s presidency. Examining this ancient text, we see that it was a practice among Jews to pray for the dead. If the only possibilities after death were Heaven and Hell, this would make no sense. We have no need of prayer in Heaven and cannot be helped by them in Hell, so the prayers must be efficacious in some other place, which only leaves the possibility of Purgatory. For argument’s sake, should our prayers be beneficial for the dead (as instruments of God’s grace) the true tragedy of rejecting Purgatory, as many non-Catholics have done, is that they have missed the opportunity to offer prayers for so many friends and relatives who have already passed.
That said, the stronger verses can be found in any Bible you may pick up. Take Luke 12:42-48 for example. Here, in the parable of the three types of servants, when master returns on that "unexpected day" and "unknown hour", servant who obeys is rewarded; servant who disobeys is punished; servant who disobeys out of ignorance is punished, but only lightly. We see three fates here, one that is clearly symbolic of damnation, one of Heaven, and a third (light punishment) signifies a third place, which cannot be Hell because that is surely not a light punishment, nor Heaven where no punishment occurs.
A more powerful verse is 1 Cor 3:15 which is where Paul discusses how we must build on the foundation of Christ. Those who don't will go to Hell, of course. Of those who do, some will build with valuable materials and precious metals, while others will chose more common materials. Paul writes that each man's work will be tested with fire, and "If it [each man's work] is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames". Now, consider this - we are not saved in Hell, yet we suffer no loss in Heaven, so where is this place (or what is this "process") in which we suffer loss but are saved? Some non-Catholics argue that this verse simply refers to a glorification through which we pass in judgment. As Catholics, we agree. In fact, based in part on the Biblical evidence, we've recognized this all along. So much so that we've assigned it a name: Purgatory.
Despite the fact that a careful look at Scripture makes the concept of Purgatory necessary, some still like to claim that it is a later "invention" of the church. This simply isn't true. In fact, even if we identify a certain council at which Purgatory was defined, we have to remember that church councils usually define doctrines only when they are being challenged. This doesn't mean that the doctrines are new, but rather that some group tried to challenge that teaching and the church, as a good parent, had to clearly reaffirm the truth of such a teaching. The truth is, Purgatory has been with the church throughout the centuries, from its earliest days. When we look at the writings of the early Christians, when the religion was at its purest, we see that the practice of praying for the dead was an important part of the early Christian church, which indicates that Purgatory has always been a part of Christian tradition. Prayers for the dead, after all, wouldn't benefit anyone in Heaven or Hell.
The word isn't in Scripture, but the concept definitely is.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints?
Why do you Catholics pray to saints and Mary? Why can't you just pray to Christ, himself?"
These questions, ones which nearly all of us have been asked, have several foundational problems, not the least of which is the idea that prayer must be an either/or proposition. Either we pray to the saints or we pray to Christ. So, before exploring deeper, it is important to remember that our tradition is steeped in devotion to Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
One of the problems when talking to non-Catholics, however, is with the definition of what prayer is. Typically, there are four types of prayer: thanksgiving, repentance, worship, and request. For sure, the first three belong exclusively to God. But what of the fourth?
Those who criticize Catholics for praying to saints have no problem whatsoever, with asking a co-worker, a family member, or a neighbor to "keep me in your prayers." After all, Scripture is very clear that the "prayer of a righteous man availeth much". God is pleased when we turn to one another and join together in our prayers. We are members of the same body of Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:25-27) and of one another (Eph. 4:25), and the Church refers to this mystery as the "communion of saints".
Yet notice the contradiction. If I asked my non-Catholic friend to pray for me, he would never think of responding, "Why are you asking me to pray for you when you could spend that time praying straight to God?" However, when we pray to saints, this is all we are doing. We are saying, in essence, "St. Joseph, I have a problem. Would you keep me in your prayers." Switch St. Joseph's name with that of any living relative, and the request sounds pretty normal, doesn't it? Let's apply some math. If I ask for Mary to pray for me - even though this takes a few moments that I could have prayed straight to God, himself, I have two people praying for my situation. And if I take a moment to ask St. Francis to pray for me - even though this takes a few moments that I could have prayed straight to God - I now have three people praying for me. Suddenly, for every prayer I've offered to God, I know that Mary and St. Francis have offered their own on my behalf, just as if I had walked around the office and asked my co-workers to pray for me.
It isn't that I am praying to the saints INSTEAD of Christ. Rather, we are all praying to Christ together, and for each person I ask to join me (whether living or dead), I have multiplied the prayers to Christ for that intention, not reduced them. And think about it - the prayer of a righteous man availeth much ... and who is more "righteous" than those who have already entered Heaven?
Scripture is full of examples of people interceding for others, and of God acting on one person's behalf because of the requests of another. Christ helps the wedding party (despite his inclination to remain private in his ministry) because of Mary's request (Jn. 2:3-5). In the Old Testament, the Queen Mother of the Davidic Kingdom serves as a counselor to the king (Prov. 31:8-9; 2 Chr. 22:2-4). Children have guardian angels who protect them (Mt. 18:10). Onians and Jeremiah intercede for the Jews before the resurrection (2 Mac. 15:11-16). Paul tells us to pray and make supplications for the saints (Eph. 6:18). The angel Raphael said, "I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead" (Tobit 12:12).
But wait a second - it's fine and good to say that praying to the saints is like asking our friends to pray for us, but aren't they dead? How could they hear us?"As for the dead being raised," Christ says in Mk: 12:26-27, "have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, 'I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the LIVING."
After we die, while our physical bodies must await the end of time, our spirits are very much alive in Christ. We are still part of the body of Christ. Some will object that only God is omniscient, so only he can hear all these prayers, but Scripture tells us that the saints share in God's divine knowledge (1 Cor. 13:9-12) and his divine authority and power (2 Tim. 2:12, Rev. 22:5; Rev. 2:26-28), and in the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19; 1 John 3:2). Saints can hear our prayers because God invites them into his beautific vision, and through his power, they are become that "great cloud of witnesses" that oversee all that we do (Heb. 12). We can see this most clearly in Rev. 5:13-14, when John writes, "And I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, 'To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!'" Obviously the "elders", or saints, in Heaven also heard all of this praise from earth, because they fell down and answered, "Amen!" John, in his vision of Heaven, and the elders that resided there were made aware of the praise from all of existence through their closeness to God's omniscience.
In fact, despite objections to the contrary, there are actual examples in Scripture of the saints hearing and answering our prayers.In Jer. 31:15-16, Rachel intercedes for her children after her death (Jeremiah was written hundreds of years after Rachel died, yet her "voice was heard"). Rev. 5:8 tells us that "the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones."Now think about this verse from Revelation 5. The elders are offering up the "prayers of the holy ones". Some of Revelation is symbolic. I'm sure that the saints will not carry actual bowls of incense. However, the truth that shines here is that they are offering the prayers of others to God.As Catholics, we must never be ashamed of the fact that, even after they have passed on, we embrace our fellow Christians. And we must never shy away from asking our brothers and sisters, these "righteous" men and women, to offer their own prayers to be joined with ours. On earth or in Heaven, they are part of the mystical body of Christ, and their intercession is part of God's plan for the unity of his communion of Saints.
These questions, ones which nearly all of us have been asked, have several foundational problems, not the least of which is the idea that prayer must be an either/or proposition. Either we pray to the saints or we pray to Christ. So, before exploring deeper, it is important to remember that our tradition is steeped in devotion to Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
One of the problems when talking to non-Catholics, however, is with the definition of what prayer is. Typically, there are four types of prayer: thanksgiving, repentance, worship, and request. For sure, the first three belong exclusively to God. But what of the fourth?
Those who criticize Catholics for praying to saints have no problem whatsoever, with asking a co-worker, a family member, or a neighbor to "keep me in your prayers." After all, Scripture is very clear that the "prayer of a righteous man availeth much". God is pleased when we turn to one another and join together in our prayers. We are members of the same body of Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:25-27) and of one another (Eph. 4:25), and the Church refers to this mystery as the "communion of saints".
Yet notice the contradiction. If I asked my non-Catholic friend to pray for me, he would never think of responding, "Why are you asking me to pray for you when you could spend that time praying straight to God?" However, when we pray to saints, this is all we are doing. We are saying, in essence, "St. Joseph, I have a problem. Would you keep me in your prayers." Switch St. Joseph's name with that of any living relative, and the request sounds pretty normal, doesn't it? Let's apply some math. If I ask for Mary to pray for me - even though this takes a few moments that I could have prayed straight to God, himself, I have two people praying for my situation. And if I take a moment to ask St. Francis to pray for me - even though this takes a few moments that I could have prayed straight to God - I now have three people praying for me. Suddenly, for every prayer I've offered to God, I know that Mary and St. Francis have offered their own on my behalf, just as if I had walked around the office and asked my co-workers to pray for me.
It isn't that I am praying to the saints INSTEAD of Christ. Rather, we are all praying to Christ together, and for each person I ask to join me (whether living or dead), I have multiplied the prayers to Christ for that intention, not reduced them. And think about it - the prayer of a righteous man availeth much ... and who is more "righteous" than those who have already entered Heaven?
Scripture is full of examples of people interceding for others, and of God acting on one person's behalf because of the requests of another. Christ helps the wedding party (despite his inclination to remain private in his ministry) because of Mary's request (Jn. 2:3-5). In the Old Testament, the Queen Mother of the Davidic Kingdom serves as a counselor to the king (Prov. 31:8-9; 2 Chr. 22:2-4). Children have guardian angels who protect them (Mt. 18:10). Onians and Jeremiah intercede for the Jews before the resurrection (2 Mac. 15:11-16). Paul tells us to pray and make supplications for the saints (Eph. 6:18). The angel Raphael said, "I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead" (Tobit 12:12).
But wait a second - it's fine and good to say that praying to the saints is like asking our friends to pray for us, but aren't they dead? How could they hear us?"As for the dead being raised," Christ says in Mk: 12:26-27, "have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, 'I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the LIVING."
After we die, while our physical bodies must await the end of time, our spirits are very much alive in Christ. We are still part of the body of Christ. Some will object that only God is omniscient, so only he can hear all these prayers, but Scripture tells us that the saints share in God's divine knowledge (1 Cor. 13:9-12) and his divine authority and power (2 Tim. 2:12, Rev. 22:5; Rev. 2:26-28), and in the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19; 1 John 3:2). Saints can hear our prayers because God invites them into his beautific vision, and through his power, they are become that "great cloud of witnesses" that oversee all that we do (Heb. 12). We can see this most clearly in Rev. 5:13-14, when John writes, "And I heard every creature in Heaven and on earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, 'To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!'" Obviously the "elders", or saints, in Heaven also heard all of this praise from earth, because they fell down and answered, "Amen!" John, in his vision of Heaven, and the elders that resided there were made aware of the praise from all of existence through their closeness to God's omniscience.
In fact, despite objections to the contrary, there are actual examples in Scripture of the saints hearing and answering our prayers.In Jer. 31:15-16, Rachel intercedes for her children after her death (Jeremiah was written hundreds of years after Rachel died, yet her "voice was heard"). Rev. 5:8 tells us that "the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones."Now think about this verse from Revelation 5. The elders are offering up the "prayers of the holy ones". Some of Revelation is symbolic. I'm sure that the saints will not carry actual bowls of incense. However, the truth that shines here is that they are offering the prayers of others to God.As Catholics, we must never be ashamed of the fact that, even after they have passed on, we embrace our fellow Christians. And we must never shy away from asking our brothers and sisters, these "righteous" men and women, to offer their own prayers to be joined with ours. On earth or in Heaven, they are part of the mystical body of Christ, and their intercession is part of God's plan for the unity of his communion of Saints.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Cornerstone Blessing
Here is the text from the KRCG 13 March 13th coverage of the bishop's blessing of our cornerstone. The video of this coverage can be accessed here.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Construction on a major addition to a Jefferson City parochial school halted for a brief time yesterday for a special ceremony.Workers laid the cornerstone for a new wing of the St. Joseph Cathedral School.The expansion nearly doubles the size of the facility on W. Main St."We have a few kids in different buildings,” said Principal Spencer Allen. “We're going to bring everybody into the same building. We're adding 16 classrooms, a music and band room, a new library attached, a new cafeteria, kitchen, administrative offices.""We here St. Peter and his letter talking about living stones,” said Bishop John Gaydos of the Jefferson City Diocese. “That's what all of you are. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't need this building.”The expansion should be finished in time for the start of the next school year.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Optimism is ...
2nd place Optimist Club essay by Mackenzie Mertins, 8th grade:
For me, optimism is the tendency to believe, expect, or hope that good things can happen no matter how bad the situation. I believe good things don’t happen on their own unless you make them happen. If a student desires to make good grades, they will have to work for them. They will need to pay attention in class and make sure they comprehend what is being taught. It is their responsibility to ask questions if they don’t understand. When doing homework they should make sure they know what they are doing and check their answers they shouldn’t just hurry through the assignment to get it done. If a student has a test to study for, they need to concentrate on memorizing the material needed. Another example would be if someone wants to work at a job that’s good for them they need to know what duties are required. It will help them if they are organized and have their priorities in order.
An example of optimism in my life is when my great-grandmother suffered a stroke when I was 9 years old. The doctors said she would likely die and never live a normal full life. I was at a dance competition out of town when the doctor called my mother and explained that there was no hope and to expect her death. When we rushed to the hospital, my great-grandmother could not remember us. We visited her every day and talked to her and told her stories of her life to help her to remember. We prayed for her every day. After the first week she started to look at us when we talked to her. After the second week she could actually remember my mom’s name and talk to her about her childhood. The doctor couldn’t believe the progress she had made in such a short time. She was actually released from the hospital after the third week and is still living in a retirement home today. My family remained optimistic the whole time and tried everything they could to help her remember things and made sure the doctors were doing everything in their power to help her and not just give up on her because she was 89 years old.
A quote about optimism that speaks to me is “I can’t change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach the destination,” by Jimmy Dean. I think this quote means that some things in life cannot be changed no matter how hard you try but you can always adjust yourself to obtain your goals. For example, let’s say you are paired up with someone in class that you have never worked with before to work on a project together. You can’t change the fact that this person is your partner but how you respond to this situation is up to you. You can get to know this person and discuss their views as well as your own and come up with a good compromise. By doing this you will reach your goals much easier rather than trying to do the project yourself.
Another quote about optimism is “Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can’t be done,” by Bo Bennett. To me this means asking for help when you can’t do something rather than giving up on it. If you are in a math class and you’re having trouble understanding how to do a really hard section instead of giving up and failing that lesson you should ask your teacher to explain it so you can understand. If you have the attitude that failing is not an option you will have a much better chance at succeeding in life.
To summarize, optimism is the philosophy that things are continually getting better and that good will ultimately triumph over evil. To me this is what my whole Christian beliefs are based on, doing good things for others without the expectation of anything in return. If I practice what is being taught to me in Church, it will help me to make the world a better, happier place to live. If all the world leaders shared this belief in optimism for their people, imagine what a wonderful world this would be.
For me, optimism is the tendency to believe, expect, or hope that good things can happen no matter how bad the situation. I believe good things don’t happen on their own unless you make them happen. If a student desires to make good grades, they will have to work for them. They will need to pay attention in class and make sure they comprehend what is being taught. It is their responsibility to ask questions if they don’t understand. When doing homework they should make sure they know what they are doing and check their answers they shouldn’t just hurry through the assignment to get it done. If a student has a test to study for, they need to concentrate on memorizing the material needed. Another example would be if someone wants to work at a job that’s good for them they need to know what duties are required. It will help them if they are organized and have their priorities in order.
An example of optimism in my life is when my great-grandmother suffered a stroke when I was 9 years old. The doctors said she would likely die and never live a normal full life. I was at a dance competition out of town when the doctor called my mother and explained that there was no hope and to expect her death. When we rushed to the hospital, my great-grandmother could not remember us. We visited her every day and talked to her and told her stories of her life to help her to remember. We prayed for her every day. After the first week she started to look at us when we talked to her. After the second week she could actually remember my mom’s name and talk to her about her childhood. The doctor couldn’t believe the progress she had made in such a short time. She was actually released from the hospital after the third week and is still living in a retirement home today. My family remained optimistic the whole time and tried everything they could to help her remember things and made sure the doctors were doing everything in their power to help her and not just give up on her because she was 89 years old.
A quote about optimism that speaks to me is “I can’t change the direction of the wind but I can adjust my sails to reach the destination,” by Jimmy Dean. I think this quote means that some things in life cannot be changed no matter how hard you try but you can always adjust yourself to obtain your goals. For example, let’s say you are paired up with someone in class that you have never worked with before to work on a project together. You can’t change the fact that this person is your partner but how you respond to this situation is up to you. You can get to know this person and discuss their views as well as your own and come up with a good compromise. By doing this you will reach your goals much easier rather than trying to do the project yourself.
Another quote about optimism is “Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can’t be done,” by Bo Bennett. To me this means asking for help when you can’t do something rather than giving up on it. If you are in a math class and you’re having trouble understanding how to do a really hard section instead of giving up and failing that lesson you should ask your teacher to explain it so you can understand. If you have the attitude that failing is not an option you will have a much better chance at succeeding in life.
To summarize, optimism is the philosophy that things are continually getting better and that good will ultimately triumph over evil. To me this is what my whole Christian beliefs are based on, doing good things for others without the expectation of anything in return. If I practice what is being taught to me in Church, it will help me to make the world a better, happier place to live. If all the world leaders shared this belief in optimism for their people, imagine what a wonderful world this would be.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Optimism
Jessica Duncan - 8th grade (first place entry in the Optimist Club oratory club contest):
'Positive things happen to positive people.' Quoted from Sarah Beeny. Likewise, a teacher of mine said, "A positive mindset leads to a positive result."
A perfect example of these quotes is studying for a test. When I study for a test, the pressure to do well can be, and most often is, excruciating. So much is riding on my doing well on this one test. If I don't do well, my entire grade for that subject drops, often to the point where it is hard to raise it back up before the end of the quarter. I have often found that when I tell myself that I am running out of time, the material is too much for me to handle, and that I'll never be able to memorize it all in time for the test I most often find myself giving up before I've given myself the chance to even try. Then the day of the test comes, and I am stumped on most every question. I can't even remember the answers to questions that I already knew. I can't concentrate on my test. My mind wanders back to what I had been doing instead of studying. I feel once again the frustration of not remembering what I have already learned. Then I start to play the 'what if' and 'if I only had' games. What if I was super smart like some of my other classmates? If only I had a photographic memory, then I would have no problems at all. What if I had the power to read minds, then I could read the mind of the smartest person in my class, and get all the right answers. It's hard to be positive after being negative for such a long time.
However, when I study, and I tell myself that the material is simple and that I can do well on the test, I find that I more easily remember the harder material. I find that it takes me a matter of minutes to memorize most of my note cards. I feel elated. I feel empowered. I no longer need a photographic memory, I don't need the power to read minds, and I don't need to be the smartest person in my grade. I am already equipped with a more powerful tool: positivity.
The day of the test, I wake up well rested and feeling like I could soar. I sit down at my desk, calmly waiting as my teacher passes out the tests. Others are fretting, trying to fit in a couple last minutes of studying, and I feel empathy towards them, knowing exactly how they feel. The story is always the same. I get my test, I calmly write my name, I look at the first question, and I'm on my way. Nothing distracts me. I am completely engrossed in my test and nothing can tear away my focus. I feel as though, with every question I know and answer, my spirit is lifted from my seat. Time seems irrelevant. Nothing else but completing my test seems important. The feeling of euphoria closes upon me as I turn my test in, knowing that I did extremely well. It was all because I was positive that I would do well, that I did.
So optimism is having a positive mindset on life.
Being optimistic helps you be happier in life. If everyone were optimistic, we would all have hope. Where hope is, what you are hoping for eventually comes to pass.
If you want something enough to will it to happen, it will. Through thinking and hoping that something will happen, through working hard to get to that something, you will succeed.
So optimism is hope.
For me such a hopeful experience was when I started Taekwondo. I started when I was seven years old and was in second grade. I began as a white belt, working to achieve orange, then yellow, and so on. It was grueling work. I had class two or three times a week, in which I spent my time conditioning, sparring, and working to memorize my form. After a time, testing would be held at which everyone in the Taekwondo School would perform their form, spar, and occasionally break boards in front of judges and in front of a crowd composed of friends and family of all of the testers. If you passed, you would receive the next belt. If you failed, you would try again at the next testing. I worked very hard, wanting to be like my instructors, and become a black belt. I joined the Leadership Group which performed at schools and other assemblies. I practiced at home. I wished every star and eyelash on getting to that black belt. I thrived in the environment. I was excellent at Taekwondo. It was my forte. My family tried to get into Taekwondo as well, but they eventually dropped out while I kept going. I was so excited that out of all of my family, of which I was the youngest, only I had been able to make it through.
Eventually, I was testing for my black belt. I was so nervous. I executed the form and sparred expertly. At this testing, I needed to break boards to pass. I had to break the boards using various methods: a backwards elbow, a front kick, and a side kick. Out of these three methods, a side kick was my weakness. It happened that I was not able to break it. I nearly broke down in front of everyone as I watched others break their boards and pass.
So it was then, when I got another try during class to break that board with a side kick and pass, with my friends cheering me on from the sidelines that I succeeded and broke that silly board. I was so ecstatic! I had passed! I was now a black belt. It was the hope that I would achieve my black belt that made me so determined, so aggressive. It was because of that hope, that my victory was all the sweeter.
Deepak Chopra said, "Miracles happen every day. Not just in remote country villages or at holy sites halfway across the globe, but here, in our own lives." Achieving that black belt was my miracle. It was my hope, my reason for being who I was.
I believe that optimism is having the strength to have a positive outlook on all things, that hope is at the heart of optimism, and that optimism can be achieved by anyone.
'Positive things happen to positive people.' Quoted from Sarah Beeny. Likewise, a teacher of mine said, "A positive mindset leads to a positive result."
A perfect example of these quotes is studying for a test. When I study for a test, the pressure to do well can be, and most often is, excruciating. So much is riding on my doing well on this one test. If I don't do well, my entire grade for that subject drops, often to the point where it is hard to raise it back up before the end of the quarter. I have often found that when I tell myself that I am running out of time, the material is too much for me to handle, and that I'll never be able to memorize it all in time for the test I most often find myself giving up before I've given myself the chance to even try. Then the day of the test comes, and I am stumped on most every question. I can't even remember the answers to questions that I already knew. I can't concentrate on my test. My mind wanders back to what I had been doing instead of studying. I feel once again the frustration of not remembering what I have already learned. Then I start to play the 'what if' and 'if I only had' games. What if I was super smart like some of my other classmates? If only I had a photographic memory, then I would have no problems at all. What if I had the power to read minds, then I could read the mind of the smartest person in my class, and get all the right answers. It's hard to be positive after being negative for such a long time.
However, when I study, and I tell myself that the material is simple and that I can do well on the test, I find that I more easily remember the harder material. I find that it takes me a matter of minutes to memorize most of my note cards. I feel elated. I feel empowered. I no longer need a photographic memory, I don't need the power to read minds, and I don't need to be the smartest person in my grade. I am already equipped with a more powerful tool: positivity.
The day of the test, I wake up well rested and feeling like I could soar. I sit down at my desk, calmly waiting as my teacher passes out the tests. Others are fretting, trying to fit in a couple last minutes of studying, and I feel empathy towards them, knowing exactly how they feel. The story is always the same. I get my test, I calmly write my name, I look at the first question, and I'm on my way. Nothing distracts me. I am completely engrossed in my test and nothing can tear away my focus. I feel as though, with every question I know and answer, my spirit is lifted from my seat. Time seems irrelevant. Nothing else but completing my test seems important. The feeling of euphoria closes upon me as I turn my test in, knowing that I did extremely well. It was all because I was positive that I would do well, that I did.
So optimism is having a positive mindset on life.
Being optimistic helps you be happier in life. If everyone were optimistic, we would all have hope. Where hope is, what you are hoping for eventually comes to pass.
If you want something enough to will it to happen, it will. Through thinking and hoping that something will happen, through working hard to get to that something, you will succeed.
So optimism is hope.
For me such a hopeful experience was when I started Taekwondo. I started when I was seven years old and was in second grade. I began as a white belt, working to achieve orange, then yellow, and so on. It was grueling work. I had class two or three times a week, in which I spent my time conditioning, sparring, and working to memorize my form. After a time, testing would be held at which everyone in the Taekwondo School would perform their form, spar, and occasionally break boards in front of judges and in front of a crowd composed of friends and family of all of the testers. If you passed, you would receive the next belt. If you failed, you would try again at the next testing. I worked very hard, wanting to be like my instructors, and become a black belt. I joined the Leadership Group which performed at schools and other assemblies. I practiced at home. I wished every star and eyelash on getting to that black belt. I thrived in the environment. I was excellent at Taekwondo. It was my forte. My family tried to get into Taekwondo as well, but they eventually dropped out while I kept going. I was so excited that out of all of my family, of which I was the youngest, only I had been able to make it through.
Eventually, I was testing for my black belt. I was so nervous. I executed the form and sparred expertly. At this testing, I needed to break boards to pass. I had to break the boards using various methods: a backwards elbow, a front kick, and a side kick. Out of these three methods, a side kick was my weakness. It happened that I was not able to break it. I nearly broke down in front of everyone as I watched others break their boards and pass.
So it was then, when I got another try during class to break that board with a side kick and pass, with my friends cheering me on from the sidelines that I succeeded and broke that silly board. I was so ecstatic! I had passed! I was now a black belt. It was the hope that I would achieve my black belt that made me so determined, so aggressive. It was because of that hope, that my victory was all the sweeter.
Deepak Chopra said, "Miracles happen every day. Not just in remote country villages or at holy sites halfway across the globe, but here, in our own lives." Achieving that black belt was my miracle. It was my hope, my reason for being who I was.
I believe that optimism is having the strength to have a positive outlook on all things, that hope is at the heart of optimism, and that optimism can be achieved by anyone.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Catholic Schools Week Thoughts
Some of our 5th grade students recently submitted some thoughts on what a Catholic education means to them:Catholic schools are important because they teach us about God. There are so many good people at Catholic schools. You always get a good education. The teachers are very nice.
My parents sent me to a Catholic school because they wanted me to be a follower of Christ. At Catholic schools there are a lot of good role models, not to mention how much fun we have. People should send their kids to a Catholic school.
I wish everyone went to a Catholic school. We get to talk about God, and we can pray whenever we want. At a Catholic school there is very little bullying. My favorite thing we do is field day. You get to do a lot of fun games and activities. It is AWESOME!
-Jacob Brune
This week all Catholic schools are celebrating Catholic Schools Week. We celebrate this to show that we are Catholic. There are a lot of unique details about this week, like Spirit Day, Teacher Appreciation day, etc… I enjoy going to a Catholic School because you can always pray or spread the works of Jesus. My friends and I, for example, always say a Hail Mary when we see or hear an ambulance or fire truck go by.
-Jacob Brune
This week all Catholic schools are celebrating Catholic Schools Week. We celebrate this to show that we are Catholic. There are a lot of unique details about this week, like Spirit Day, Teacher Appreciation day, etc… I enjoy going to a Catholic School because you can always pray or spread the works of Jesus. My friends and I, for example, always say a Hail Mary when we see or hear an ambulance or fire truck go by.
I have been going to a Catholic school for seven years. Over the time I’ve learned a lot about a ton of things, but what astonishes me is what happened in Jesus’ time period. There were a lot of miracles being performed then. That’s what’s cool about Catholic school: you can learn so much if you go here.
I go to EER, and I know a lot of people who go to public schools. Sure, they get to dress down every day, but they don’t get to learn about God as much as we do. Catholic Schools Week isn’t just about dressing down or doughnuts, it’s about expressing your faith. Public schools don’t go to Church during school, but we do. We learn a lot about God but we have fun doing it. So go to a Catholic school today.
-Sarah Luebbert
-Sarah Luebbert
Catholic schools are important because they teach children the importance of having God in your life. Catholic schools let you talk about God. I have gone to Saint Joseph Cathedral School for seven years. I made my first communion and reconciliation here too.
You should go to a Catholic school because you get to learn about God. At our Catholic School there is hardly any bullying. You can always go to a teacher for moral help and support too.
It is a good idea to send your children to a Catholic school because it can have an effect on them for the rest of their lives. I have done a lot of growing up here. Most Catholic schools try to teach responsibilities and kindness. We get to go to church at least once a week, too.
-Lilli Buxton
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