I received this question via Twitter:

@CauseofourJoy @stumpthepriest A 7 yo is afraid he is ‘eating Jesus’ when he receives Holy Communion. What do we tell him?

I have heard this question before- not just from 7 year olds, but from adults who can’t understand the idea of eating the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ without the idea of cannabalism coming to their minds.  In some way, if someone doesn’t understand what is going on, I can understand how that might happen.

First, let’s just briefly talk about a couple of things.  First, let’s go to the Old Testament, and the night of the Passover.  The Egyptions had enslaved the Jews for some time, and after a series of plagues that only served to harden the heart of pharoah, God commanded the people through Moses and Aaron to have the people cook break without leaven (so it would be done quicker) and to prepare an unblemished lamb, putting its blood on the door posts and lintel of the house, and eating the flesh of the lamb.  This lamb’s blood on the door posts and lintel (an image of the cross which is also a vertical and horizontal arrangement of wood) would tell the angel of death to “pass over” the house, and spare the first born sons.  The Egyptians were not so lucky, of course.  The flesh of the lamb and the bread gave them strength for the journey ahead.  They literally ate the flesh of the lamb that saved them.

Fast forward to the Passover Supper the night before Jesus died- they are celebrating a re-presentation of that same night- there is lamb meat on the table, there is unleavened bread and wine (which would have also been at the first Passover).  The same thing happens this time- the blood of the lamb will be put on the new doorway of the cross, and all who believe will be passed over by death.  Jesus even takes the bread and says it is his body and the wine and says it is his blood- the first Mass.  He didn’t say he was speaking figuratively, and in John 6 he is emphatic about them eating his flesh and drinking his blood- he wasn’t being analogous, since he repeated himself about 6 times in that gospel passage.  Paul, in 1 Cor 11 also indicates that the belief of the early Christians is that this was his body and blood.  So, in the same way, we eat the flesh of the lamb that saves us.

It is nicer to say flesh of the lamb here, since we are not equating it with another human being.  The early church (and I would argue the modern church) has been persecuted for the idea that the bread and the wine become the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.  Nero used it as one of the excuses for persecuting Christians for the first time when he burned down Rome.

In effect, we are “eating Jesus,” since we believe that the Eucharist is what He said it is.  But in another sense, eating the Eucharist is a sign for us of radical unity.  What better way to unite something with ourselves than to eat it.  It literally becomes part of us.  I like to think about the Eucharist in these terms rather than the literal idea that we are eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  But in reality, that IS what we are doing.

Now, this is hard enough to comprehend for us adults who have some experience with life and have fully formed brains that can understand the nuances of thins kind of theology.  So how do you explain it to a 7 year old?

Again, you have to put it into terms that they understand, and won’t get confused with.  You can explain the nuances as they get older.  So what I usually do for the children is to say that receiving the Eucharist is like being hugged tightly by Jesus.  So tightly that you can’t tell where Jesus stops and I begin.  He loves us an embraces us in the Eucharist so that we feel His love for us, and we become a part of Him.  He is really there, embracing us inside and out, body, mind, and spirit.

I think when I explain it this way, it doesn’t detract from the fact that Jesus is really there, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity- but at the same time it can explain what the Eucharist does for us while not tripping the mind of a 7 year old who might not be able to grasp what is going on in the Eucharist when we talk about eating flesh and drinking blood.  I have to be frank, the idea of being wholly and “holy” (ha! get it?) by the Eucharist, that is by Jesus Christ Himself that he pulls us into His Heart is comforting for this 34 year old priest, too.

7 year olds are not alone- remember what happened to Jesus when he said it in John 6- the people who he fed, as well as some of his closest followers left him because the didn’t understand what he was saying.  He even asked Peter if he would leave Him- and for once Peter gets it right (I always say he has foot in mouth disease in the Gospels) and he replies: “Lord, where would we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”

This is a great question that I will take a moment to answer!

Jesus isn’t saying that John the Baptist is Elijah reincarnated, but in Malachi chapter 4, there is a reference to Elijah coming before the Lord to announce his way, and this is what Jesus was referring to.  While John the Baptist does this, he doesn’t do it as Elijah reincarnated, but rather as a prophet in the mold and style of the Old Testament Prophets- so basically he shares the same office as Elijah.  Remember when Elijah gives a double portion of his spirit to his successor Elisha? (2 Kings 2:9)  Elisha has the same office and the same spirit as Elijah.

So, in the same sense that President Reagan held the same office as George Washington as President, so we can say that John the Baptist holds the same office and the same Spirit as Elijah, which is the prophetic office.

Also, we have to note that John the Baptist represents the end to the Old Testament Prophetic tradition, as he is the last of the Prophets.  You don’t need Prophets anymore when the Word Himself is among you.

You know, you have to change the oil in your car.  It takes a few minutes, and costs about the same as a tank of gas does these days.  If we change the oil in our car, we can be assured that things will run smoothly, and is a simple way to preserve your car for many thousands of extra miles.  I am usually fairly studious about changing the oil, which is why I am shocked that I missed it this time.

What happens to the oil is that as it goes through the engine, it gets dirty.  Even though there is an oil filter which cleans things, you eventually get more dirt than the filter can filter, and if you don’t change the oil, you end up grinding gears, and smoking on the side of the road.

We are pretty much the same way.  There are natural filters in our life, like reception of communion and prayer, or holy water, which gets a lot of the small “dirt” in our lives, but sometimes it builds up over time- the little stuff- and we get a little “dirt” in our oil.  It gums up our “spiritual engine,” and we might not be as charitable as we would like, or be able to pray as well as we should because our “gears are grinding.”

That is why we have the sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as confession.  With just a few minutes of your time, you can get a spiritual oil change!! Clean out all the gunk and junk that is clouding your journey.  The last thing you want is to end up stranded on the side of the road smoking, completely stuck in your spiritual life. Confession helps you to get a nice infusion of grace for the journey of life!  I know my car always sounds better after an oil change, and I always work better after a good confession.

Lent is a time in which a lot of Catholics go to confession.  Then they don’t go again until Advent.  That always seems funny to me…. we are kind of like cars- we need confession every few months, or after every few thousand miles if we want to keep our souls in tip top shape.  So go to confession this Lent, certainly, but make sure you go sometime in the 9 months between Lent and Advent too!

Here is an easy way to remember- you know that little sticker on your windshield that tells you when to change oil at the Jiffy Change?  Well, now that is your reminder to go to confession.  Every time you see that little sticker, reminding you of the mileage of your car’s next oil change, it now reminds you of when to go to confession.  So basically, any time you change the oil in your car, it is time to go to confession.  Some of you need to take better care of both your car AND your soul!  (People always tell me they don’t change the oil in their car when they should) You will be out in a “jiffy,” and your spiritual life will keep you on the road running nice and smooth!

“Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.”

This morning when I got to daily Mass at St. Dominic’s, one of my parishioners asked me about this passage and how we Catholics get away with calling priests Father.  Of course, I know that the non-Catholic Christians (I stay away from the word Protestant, because most non-Catholic Christians aren’t expressly “Protestant” anymore, which in my mind is limited to things like Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians, whereas a lot of other non-Catholic Christians are really something different, like Evangelicals and non-denominational Christians) give us trouble about this verse- a lot of chaplains at Hospitals (and even Catholic Hospitals!) won’t address me as “Father” because of this verse.

(A funny sidenote, when I introduce myself as “Fr. Wagner,” often the non-Catholic chaplains will ask my first name, so they can address me by it- my reply is that my first name is “Father.”  It is fun to watch the reaction.)

So how do we get away with this calling priests “Father,” and the Pope “Holy Father” in the light of this verse?

Well, Jesus is right- he is always right, since he is Jesus- there is only one “Father.”  His point in this passage is to point out that the Pharisees are taking advantage of an authority that comes from God alone as if THEY were the source of that authority.  Their authority, as every authority comes from God, and is allowed by God.  So in every sense, anyone who is in authority on Earth “participates” in the authority of God.  Jesus even says this in John 19:11 to Pilate.

So priests and the Pope are not “Fathers” in their own right- their Fatherhood “participates” in the Fatherhood of God who is the supreme and only true Father.  So in other words, priests are Fathers because God is THE Father- their Fatherhood flows from, and is based on, the true Fatherhood of God the Father, the First Person of the Holy Trinity.  So no one can claim to be a “Father” without it relating directly to the Fatherhood of God.  That goes for biological Fatherhood as well- you are a Father because God the Father let’s you participate in His Divine Fatherhood.

Further, when we call a priest or the Pope “Father” it is a direct reminder to both the priest and the people of the Divine Fatherhood of God the Father.  Priests and biological Fathers are NOTHING without the Divine Fatherhood of God which underlies their Sacramental and biological Fatherhood.  It is a reminder to us of where our Fatherhood comes from and that we should never be like the Pharisees who were ruled by their pride.

I like how the non-Catholics get around this- they like titles too, and are often called “Doctor.”  Look at how many preachers are “Doctor” this, and “Doctor” that.  Well… “Doctor” means “teacher” in Latin.  Look it up!  The next line in that passage says to call no one “teacher.”  But of course, when you throw out the Sacred Tradition, (Big “T” Tradition, from which the New Testament Scripture comes from, and by which it is accurately interpreted), you can just say whatever you want about the Bible and it is true.  Right?

I will talk about the Sacred Tradition in another post, I guess, but that is what is really at the heart of our troubles in regards to passages like this, and any disputed passage of the Bible…

The screen dimmed, and the big Star Wars came onto the screen and the familar scrolling letters that gave you the segway into the story. There were lasers and fight scenes and Jedi stuff. It felt like I had returned to my youth. The first 5 minutes fulfilled every one of my expectations. Then came Jar-Jar. And Anakin. And weird looking pointless characters and a dull plot. And it was long. So long. I had to shave halfway through it was so long, and if you have ever seen me, you know that means it had to be a LONG time since I normally go weeks between shaving.

So yea, I was disappointed. I walked out of the theater, glad to have seen it, I guess, but I can’t say that it fulfilled my expectations, given by the original films, and of course, by the previews. I had all the hopes that the new movies would be as good as the ones I grew up with, but alas, I was left disappointed dressed like a muppet. A giant, 6 foot tall muppet. (For those of you uneducated in Star Wars, Yoda was originally played by a muppet, created by Jim Henson and voiced by the guy who played “Fozzi.”)

Great Expectations 

The word “expectation” is often confused with the idea of “hope.” The two could not be more different- one is often disappointing and the other is often misunderstood. I think in a lot of ways people mix the ideas of expectation and hope, and it is easy to see why. When you have expectations based in reality, they can, in fact, bring about hope. Oftentimes though, our expectations are no less than outrageous, and we find ourselves disappointed, dejected, and sad when they are unmet.

There is a saying that I encountered over the years that states: Failed Expectations lead to frustrations. Think about my dashed expectations for the above mentioned Star Wars Movie. My expectations of the movie were far more than that movie could offer- I wanted to feel a certain way, and I expected the move to do it, and was disappointed when it didn’t.

Expectations carry with them the possibility that they will not be fulfilled- there is an uncertainty when it comes to expectations. Certainly we want them to be fulfilled, but there is no guarantee that they will be. I can’t tell you how many women marry men (or men marry women) with the expectation that this or that will change about their spouse. Or how many people buy things, or get the job of their dreams, or make millions of dollars with the expectation that those things will make them happy, or feel good about themselves. There are lists of things like that. I have been there and done some of that too- If I only get this gadget, I will be happy!

Unrealistic expecations, which we all get from time to time, always lead us into negative states of mind when they are not fulfilled. Some can lead to depression, sadness, anger, or even loneliness. The best remedy to unrealistic expectations is acceptance of a person as they are, with their positives and negatives. When we are honest with ourselves about who we are, and who everyone else around us is, our habit of forming unrealistic expectations will be reduced. I know that I have learned through the years to accept people where they are, and for what they bring to the table. Remember two important things about people: Past behavior indicates future behavior, and people tend to resist being changed.

In my own personal life it is amazing what happens when I accept people for who they are (including myself), and stop forming unrealistic expectations of them or myself. What happens is that it is easier to love people despite their faults, and I get surprised more often than not when they go above and beyond!

The Certainty of Hope

Contrast this with the theological virtue of Hope. Hope and expectation can have similar meanings but I think there is a nuance of a difference between the two. Hope is based in certainty. As St Paul says, we “hope for things unseen.” Hope carries with it an entirely different concept from expectation and that concept is certainty. Hope is based on a promise from God- that things will “turn out OK” despite the difficulties we have in this life, or the trials that we have to put up with.

Hope flows directly from Faith- Faith illuminates our minds with the knowledge of God, tells us about him, and that certainty of his Love for us gives us Hope- the understanding that God will get us through this, and that we will be better on the other side of whatever it is we are going through. It also is tied to the virtue of courage, because when we have Hope, we have the courage to Love, because we know our sacrifice counts.

Ambiguity is difficult to live with- Expectation is based on ambiguity- it may or may not happen. Ambiguity brings fear and other negative emotions. Hope is the opposite. The “certainty” of Hope tells us that things will go according to God’s plan. It is a “theological virtue,” because this “certainty” can only come from God Himself.

Sacramental Signs of Hope

Here is how I know that Hope is certain: I have seen Hope work in the sacraments. Let me give you two brief examples: The Anointing of the Sick, and Confession. I could really write a while book on how this relates to the sacraments. In these two sacraments people come ailing, both physically and spiritually. When I give someone the sacrament of anointing of the sick, I have seen time and time again, that they feel better. I see Hope in their eyes. Not that they will get better, but that everything is going to be OK. The same is true for confession- sinners come in, shoulders drooped, sad, and sometimes embarrassed looks on their faces, and after they look freed- they look Hopeful. They know God loves them, and will continue to Love them because they have experienced it! The sacraments give certainty to God’s love because you experienced them on every level. You remember hearing the words of absolution, or feeling the oil on your head and hands.

The Eucharist, is, of course, the ultimate sign of Hope, as it constantly, and repeatedly, brings Jesus Christ into our present life. If he is here, everything is going to be OK. It isn’t an unrealistic expectation that will disappoint us, but it is a certainty that gives us Hope!

I thought I would put my two cents in.

Celibacy is tough.

It is.

So is marriage though!  Life is tough!  Sexuality is a tough thing to deal with no matter who you are.  If it is something that you don’t struggle with, check your back for wings because you aren’t human.  Take it from someone who has been hearing confessions for 5 years, a lot of people struggle with their sexuality, both interiorly and exteriorly.  Heck, take it from someone who IS human and struggles with integrating and living a healthy human sexuality.  Just because a man makes a commitment to celibacy doesn’t make him weird or superhuman, nor does it take away this struggle with human sexuality in a fallen world.

The truth is though, that while human sexuality, as well as a variety of other things in this world, were damaged by sin, we are given a lot of grace to cope, and to restore us to the freedom with which we are designed.

So how about this Father Cutie? I saw him last week on Good Morning America, sitting talking to the anchorwoman, dressed in a simple white shirt, and jacket, not in his collar.  He talked about three things- how he has struggled with celibacy, how he made some stupid mistakes in regards to his association (in public) with this woman, and how he loved her.  He talked about how he is considering leaving the priesthood and the church for her, and how despite this, he is not the “anti-celibacy” priest, nor does he want to become this.

A priest in love with a woman?! I am sure that has never happened before.  Probably never in the history of the Catholic church.  At this point I think it would be wise to make a distinction between LUV and LOVE.

LUV is the feeling- the butterflies- the attaction- the excitement.  LUV is the stuff that sonnets and “Love” songs are written about.  I would guess everyone has felt it for someone or something at some point in their life. LUV is a good thing- it is why people get married- it is why men become priests- it is why people have kids.

In our language, we only have one word for the various types of “Love.”  In Greek there are at least 3 words for love!  So English is a little deficient when it comes to understanding the concepts.  I recommend reading “The Four Loves” by CS Lewis for further distinction of the different types of love.

So it is a sin that Fr. Cutie fell in LUV?  Nope… not at all.  In fact I can say with all my heart, that I wouldn’t want a priest that was incapable of falling in LUV.  That priest would be inhuman.  I believe Jesus fell in LUV- we hear him saying that his heart “ached” for the people, as he saw them like sheep without a shepherd.  And how often in the Old Testament does God’s relationship with his people imitate what LUV seems to be.

I have fallen in LUV myself a few times.  I fell in LUV with the church, with Jesus and his people.  I have felt feelings of LUV, in my past before I was a priest, for women (which I am really glad about since I know what that is like).  LUV is fun and exciting, and it hurts sometimes, and it is hard to control at times, and can overwhelm us if we let it, as it had Fr. Cutie.  LUV is a great thing- probably none of us would be here if it wasn’t for a little LUV.

Married people fall in LUV, fall out of it, fall back into it with each other.  LUV, like other “feelings” comes and goes.  Sometimes married people fall in LUV with people who aren’t their spouses, and sometimes priests fall in LUV with women.  It happens.  LUV is part of the human condition.  The inability to control ourselves when we are in LUV comes from our damaged human nature.

We are not called to LUV though.  A lot of people think that this is the end all be all- that it is what will fulfill us.  Like anything that is pleasant, and like any good feeling, LUV can be fleeting.  LUV can cause pain sometimes as our hearts ache for the person we are in LUV with.  LUV, as I mentioned, comes and goes.

We are called to a more noble purpose though we are called to LOVE.  It is easy to LOVE when we are in LUV, and sometimes it is hard to LOVE when we are in LUV.  LOVE however is a choice of pursuing the good in every situation- the good for ourselves, the good for other people, and what is good pursuant to the glory of God.  ”GOOD” here does not mean what feels good necessarily, but what is best.  Sort of like the candy bar and the apple- the candy bar tastes “good,” but the apple is what is “good” for us.

LOVE is always a rational thing- it is how we are made in the image and likeness of God Himself, as we can love as he does in a self giving way that always pursues the good of any situation. LOVE is the cross.  Sometimes it is really hard and we want the “cup to pass from us,” but LOVE always says “Your will not mine be done.”

So Fr. Cutie fell in LUV.  It happens.  He did not, however, LOVE this woman, nor himself, nor the millions of people he ministered to.  He sinned.  Sin is the failure to LOVE.  Simple as that.  We all sin.  We all fail to LOVE.  God forgives us anyway.

So Fr. Cutie should be forgiven.  But he is, in that forgiveness, called to LOVE again.  He should LOVE this woman.  He should LOVE himself.  He should LOVE God and His people.  He should from this point on, attempt again to do what is in the “Highest GOOD” for all involved.

He could leave for this woman- and some would think it to be an act of nobility- a cute Disney type “LUV” story where the man pursues his princess and they live happily ever after.  AWWW… if he does that it probably won’t end in an “Happily Ever After” situation.  In fact just the opposite will probably happen.

I “left” the priesthood once- in July of 2007.  Now you can never really leave the priesthood, as a man is a priest forever, so I put “left” in quotation marks, because I left active ministry.  Hardest decision I ever made in my life.  I didn’t leave because of a woman (although there was probably plenty of opportunity) but out of anxiety and depression.  Still I left, not knowing if I was going to come back.

Here is what I discovered:  You can leave the priesthood, but it never leaves you.

There is a part of my heart, and the heart of every priest, that he will never get back.  It eternally belongs to God, to the priesthood of Jesus Christ in a special and particular way.  In my year out of active ministry I met a lot of priests who had left- at least 6 (funny huh?!) and none of them seemed too happy.  Some said that while they loved their wives and children, and had been laicized, attendance at Mass wasn’t the same, and there was something “missing” from their lives.  One man, who had been out for 35 years, married with children and grandchildren, came up to me and introduced himself as a priest.  It never leaves you.

In fact, one priest told me that the only way to successfully leave the priesthood is to become an atheist.  I think he is right.  Who wants that?  Talk about hopeless.

So Fr. Cutie can leave if he wants in the name of LUV, but I think it isn’t the LOVING thing to do, for the reasons I outlined in the above paragraphs.  As much as he LUVs this woman, she will never have his whole heart.  Never.  He will always be a priest, not only in being, but in his heart.  She will never have all of him.  He will never be able to give it to her, and I imagine that can lead to all sorts of resentments and difficulties.  As I read in one book, the man who leaves the priesthood trades in one set of problems for a whole new batch of them.  Tougher problems.  He trades in problems and struggles with celibacy for regret, on top of the natural struggles that come with marriage.

So here is what I say- if he truly LOVEs this woman, and himself for that matter- he will stay in active ministry.  He should do it for her.  He should stay to spare her the resentment he is almost sure to form in some way against her, or at least against himself for leaving.  How can you possibly LOVE someone if you resent yourself? (Read the First Letter of John for more information on how that doesn’t work)  He should say thank you to her, and let her go, and she should do the same for him.  Sometimes if we LOVE someone, we say goodbye to them.  Jesus himself would have liked to have stayed with the Apostles, but He knew that if He didn’t go, the Advocate would not come.  He did the LOVING thing.

That is embracing the cross- that is doing what is difficult for the greater good of a situation.  That is what the Bishop told him on his, and my, and all, of our ordination days- “Know what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”

It stinks for Fr. Cutie.  It probably hurts a lot. I imagine that married people who fall in LUV with other people feel the same pain and struggle.  But we are called to LOVE not LUV.  We are called to do what is best and right for others, ourselves, and to the glory of God despite how heavy that cross may seem.  I pray for Fr. Cutie to make the LOVING decision for his female friend, for himself, and his people.

God always offers us the grace to LOVE, and to take up our crosses and to follow him…

Fr. Joshua Wagner

Matthew 6:5-8

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

 And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him

I don’t understand how the Catholic church can ignore those verses, and have made the Our Father prayer into one of the most repeated prayers in history?

And,

Eph. 2:8,9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Why do the Catholic church believe that you have to work your way to God, when it is all over the New Testament that we are unable to get to God by our own power? 

I answer that:

Well, it is pretty obvious these questions weren’t asked by a Catholic, and the tone seems to be less than charitable, but I will answer them because they are interesting questions.

First, on the issue of “Meaningless repitition,” specifically of the Our Father I would have to say that the key word there is “meaningless.”  Jesus doesn’t want us to drone on and on in our prayers without meaning.  Prayer is not something to be done mechanically (although sometimes mechanically is a good place for someone new at prayer to start.)  Rather, Jesus wants to us to pray to God with our body mind and spirit.  Therefore it is possible to repeat prayers in a meaningful way.  Repeated prayer is a good way to focus and concentrate, to movie your mind and spirit to a greater focus on God.  Repetition should be a gateway into more profound prayer and meditation and communion with God.  Frankly repeated prayers can be very comforting because they are familiar.

I remember once in a nursing home, visiting a woman in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.  She was happy when we came into the room, but the only way she could pray was the prayer of reptition- the Our Father’s and the Hail Mary’s, and it became clear that this brought her great comfort.  I don’t think we can possibily say that this is meaningless prayer whatsoever.

Of course the danger with repeated prayers is that they can become rote and meaningless.  We have to be careful of that of course, so when people come into the confessional I will often have them write out the Our Father as a Penance, so that they can think about the words.  I think Jesus’ warning to us in scripture is two-fold, first to not make prayer a show (that is to show how holy I might be) and second that prayer must be more than mere repetition- that it must take root.

The Our Father is the most repeated prayer in History I would imagine, except for maybe the Hail Mary (which is also a quotation of scripture by the way.)  But it is a prayer full of depth and meaning which can only TRULY be understood by going over it again and again and again, which the church has for 2 centuries.

There is a related danger to this by the way. That is the MEANINGLESS quotation of scripture.  People do it all the time.  Why, just recently I had someone quote scripture to me without really knowing the meaning.  A lot of people do it, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  It is inappropriate to just pick a few verse out which support your particular position and then quote the heck out of them.  That is far worse than repeating the Our Father because it is a corruption of the meaning of scripture.

All scripture must be deeply reflected on, and considered in the context of the entire tradition and teaching of Jesus, which the church passes down to us today, and has faithfully for 2000 years.  Otherwise scripture can be used to support whatever you want!  I could take scripture out of context and support homosexuality, or abortion, or whatever you like if I take it out of context.  This is why the Sacred Tradition AND the Magisterium, the teaching office of the church (priests and Bishops) are necessary for the right ordered interpretation of scripture.

Nothing is more dangerous than the meaningless repetition of scripture.

As for the second question, no body is going to argue that we earn our way into heaven.  I certainly know we can’t do that.  The Church has always claimed that it is only by the grace of Jesus through his death on the cross that we are saved.  St. Paul says it, Jesus says it, the Magisterium have said it, the Doctor’s of the church and the saints have said it.

So we are saved by GRACE, of which Faith is a grace.  But if you read Matthew Chapter 25 or the Epistle of James, or heck even John’s gospel (John 13 and following) (Specifically the part about washing the feet) you will see that faith in not an end in itself but always moves us toward Love.  Love is a choice- it is an action- it is something we do not something we feel.  It is always DOING what is right for other people, for ourselves, and to the Glory of God.  Love is what Jesus does on the cross.  So if we have been saved in Jesus, it is going to make us ACT with love- to wash the feet of our neighbor, to do good “works.”

Therefore we can safely say that Love (and here we can include ”works” under the category of Love) is a result of salvation, not the cause of it.  If I am saved, I am going to act the way that Jesus did.

It is love that fulfills our nature being in the image and likeness of God.  Jesus said, “they will know you are my disciples by the way that you love,” and “a tree is known by its fruit.”

FJW

Off the top of my head I can’t think of any.  In fact the opposite is true… God offers grace and people refuse it.  The best example is Judas… Jesus calls him “friend” when Judas betrays him in the garden.  It is my opinion that both Judas and Peter betrayed Christ, but Peter accepted Jesus’ friendship again (Last chapter of John’s Gospel) and Judas didn’t.  In both cases Jesus uses the word “friend”

I don’t intend to actually “Stump the Priest,” but I unfortunately
feel pretty confident on this one. However, I’m definitely rooting for
the priest here, as always.

Forwarded Message:

This is why I don’t go to church.  Guess it really doesn’t matter.  I
am one charitable contribution away from eternal life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/nyregion/10indulgence.html?hp

My Response:

Thanks for the email!  There are a lot of misconceptions about indulgences due to there somewhat dark history from the middle ages, and they never really “went away,” but when you hear what indulgences really are, it actually makes a lot of sense.  The way that I define an indulgence is “the polar opposite of sin.”  As sin affects the whole body of Christ in a negative way, so indulgences- the merits of Christ and the Saints- and even the good that we do, affect the church in a positive way.  Below is a podcast and a video helping to explain what I mean.

Audio Response:

[display_podcast]

Video Response:

Actually, I think aside from the moral issue, living together before marriage tends to ruin everything.  Here is my audio response answer to that question:

[display_podcast]