(Leda)
Thank you for your exhaustive reply on the subject of the Trinity. I will read
it again to get a better grasp of this complicated issue, but I have a feeling
already that It may not be acceptable to many people.
(Cristoiglesia)
The teaching in this Creed (The Creed of
Athanasius) is a compilation of at least three Ecumenical Councils and spells
out the orthodoxy of Christianity in regards to the essential belief in the
nature of God for Christians. While one may not, for many reasons, be able to
grasp its profound teachings, it is a substantial effort to condense several
centuries of Christian thought into the reality of true Christian belief about
God and the person of Jesus in particular as the second person in the Trinity
of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit who are the only
uncreated of all eternity.
(Leda)
From a merely historic point of view, it is difficult to believe that an all
powerful God should use a Jewish adolescent to 'create', in very human terms, a
being identical to all others.
(Cristoiglesia)
Perhaps you could elaborate on what you mean by this statement in more detail
but I will respond to what you have already said….I cannot give a true response
as to why God chose this way to atone for the sins of man except to say that a
perfect sacrifice is needed as the Lamb of God and that perfection necessitated
a perfection that only God in the flesh could provide. Keep in mind this is not
the first time that God had created perfect humans as Adam and Eve were the
first to be created and were without any sin It is through their sin that sin
entered into the human race. She was called “woman” and this is the same name
that Jesus called His mother referring to her sinless state as she was previously
prepared at her conception for her role in our salvation to be the God bearer. Her
womb was, as a result, consecrated to God for all times and she became the ark
of the New Covenant which was Jesus Christ and God incarnate. Her perfection in
Christ bore His perfection by God’s will. Truly Jesus was indeed “very human”
as well as being very much God incarnate. We call Him Immanuel or God with us. Historically
I do not see the difficulty that anyone would have with the incarnation of the
God-man who was fully God as well as fully man.
(Leda)
This, in a strictly traditional Jewish society with very strict moral rules for
little girls in particular, though usually given in marriage at age 12 or
thereabout. The child and her family would be ostracized by the rest of
society. An arranged marriage to Joseph seems to have been arranged, but even
this implies that Mary could not remain a virgin.
(Cristoiglesia)
I am at a loss to understand why you say that the blessed mother could not
remain a virgin. Such arrangements were quite common and not unusual at all for
consecrated virgins to be betrothed to a much older caretaker as a protector
for the virgin. This was the arrangement with Joseph who was probably 70 years
of age when the marriage occurred.
We
see from Scriptures that it is likely that the blessed mother had made a vow of
virginity even before the angel of the Lord visited her which is evidenced by
her answer to the angel saying, “how can this be done because I know not man?”
St Augustine and subsequent fathers of the Church and theologians have reasoned
from this response that she indeed had made a vow of virginity and subsequently
it would be unreasonable for one so faithful and obedient to God to have at any
time abdicated her vow.
According
to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae there are three reasons why she was
forever virgin:
First,
it would follow that since Jesus was the only begotten Son of the Father that
He should also be the only begotten Son of His mother.
Secondly,
the virginal womb of the blessed mother is the shrine of the Holy Spirit where
Christ was formed and subsequently nurtured.
Thirdly,
such a premise would be derogatory to the dignity and holiness of God’s mother.
It would suggest that she was ungrateful and unsatisfied to God for the gift of
such a Son.
It
is further fitting and logical that the blessed mother of God is the tabernacle
of the Lord and her womb is the ark of the New Covenant. Just like the ark
carried by the Israelites that contained the law of God, Aaron’s rod and manna
from God it should be understood that no man could ever touch what God had
consecrated to himself and live. So, it would follow that if St. Joseph, as
some have claimed through eisegesis of Scripture, had consummated his marriage
to the blessed mother of God and lived then it would put into question even the
possibility that Jesus was the messiah prophesied which would mean that the
world still awaits the messiah or Savior of the world.
One
can find in the writings of Origen and St. Ambrose further explanation of the
impossibility that the blessed mother of God was not the perpetual virgin as
the Church has always claimed her to be for 2000 years.
(Leda)
Why should this powerful God choose this near barbarous way to 'beget' his Son?
(Cristoiglesia)
Perhaps before I answer you out of speculation, why do you believe that such a
divine plan was “barbarous”?
(Leda)
These are just a few points that people worry about, and to ask them to believe
in something so irrational, or be condemned, as stated, 'he shall perish
everlastingly', is what tempt many Catholics away from the church.
(Cristoiglesia)
To a Christian true belief in God is neither irrational nor condemning. As Christians we know that God requires our true
belief in Him as fully God and fully man and this makes perfect since in view
of the incarnation. What is condemning is a false belief in Christ and a denial
that He is not God. Surely to deny Him is to spend eternity separated from His
love. This is not what God chooses but each individual that makes the free choice
to follow Him or deny Him. God sends no one to eternal condemnation as each
person chooses to believe or reject the call of the Holy Spirit to true faith.
It is said that hell is locked from the inside.
(Leda)
I know Father that you will have a full answer covering these points, and some
people will just shut off (what? their mind?) and accept what we shall call,
this 'contract' in exchange for 'salvation'.
(Cristoiglesia)
All Jesus asks is that we believe in Him. Surely many will reject this simple and
humble request of our Lord and as a result reject His salvific grace that He
offers to all who believe in Him. You seem to think that the ”contract” that He
died for on the cross is unreasonable but regardless this is the obedience He
requires to have eternal life.
(Leda)I
am sorry Father if my reply disappoints you, but I hope you will understand.
Yours
sincerely.
Leda
(Cristoiglesia)
Do not worry about my disappointment of your apparent rejection of God’s simple
request but about the result of your rejection. May our Lord have mercy on you.
God bless!
In
Christ
Fr.
Joseph
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