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Finding hope in purgatory

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 14:02:48 -0500

So many people find purgatory to be a confusing concept. I have to admit that I find it completely comforting and logical. Here’s an explanation of purgatory from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism:

“Now, if you’re not quite up to heaven’s standards, there is the possibility of purgatory. This is not so much a place as it is a ‘final purification.’ It means when you died, you were not quite perfect but you certainly weren’t so bad off that you should be damned for all eternity. (1030)

“Going to purgatory means eventually you are going to achieve eternal salvation and perfect union with God and with everyone else in heaven -- you just might have to spend a few days or years or centuries working out the kinks.

“The Church teaches that those souls who are doing time in purgatory can be helped on their path by the rest of us still doing time down here. By praying for them, offering Masses for them, and offering alms or doing penance on their behalf, we can get them the equivalent of time served.”

Why Was the Crucifixion Necessary?

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:04:17 -0400

From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism:

“As we approach Jesus’ Passion, his final suffering, the one question that most likely comes to mind is why Jesus had to die at all. If he is God, couldn’t he have found another way to save humankind? The Church teaches that Jesus’ death was not an accident, a coincidence, or bad timing on his part, but that his death was God’s plan from the beginning of time.

“Of course, that makes it sound as if Jesus did not have free will or as if the people responsible were not acting of their own accord. But that’s not true. You have to remember God, who exists from before time began in his own sort of timeless universe, not only knows the plan but also knows how everyone will eventually react to the plan. So although he set the plan in motion, he does not choose the end results. People do that. (600)

“In other words, Jesus freely offered himself up to death to free us from sins, as it was written in Scripture and in his Father’s divine plan.” (601) (p. 71)

Church Speak
“Passion comes from the Latin word patior, meaning ‘to endure, to undergo, or to suffer.’ We get the noun “patient” as well as “passion” from this Latin root. In the Church, the Passion of Christ refers to the suffering and death Jesus endured. Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday. Twice during Lent -- on Palm Sunday and Good Friday -- Catholics hear the Passion, which is the Gospel account of Christ’s final hours, from the Last Supper to his Crucifixion.” (p. 64)

Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust

The Trinity According to Patrick

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:47:16 -0400

Being half Irish (the other half is Italian), I grew up hearing about St. Patrick and how the slave-turned-bishop drove the snakes out of his adopted country and taught converts about the mystery of the Trinity using a common plant. Those stories have now been relegated to the status of legend by many, but one thing is certain: St. Patrick single-handedly transformed Ireland and, with it, Christianity.

From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism here’s a snippet on Patrick and the Trinity:

Legend has it that back in fifth-century Ireland, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to pagans. He would hold up a shamrock, asking if it had one leaf or three. It has both one leaf and three, he would explain, stating that so, too, the Trinity is one God in three persons. (p. 36)

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Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust

Holy Trinity: The Sequel

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:44:50 -0400

I apologize for being a little behind schedule on our Trinity discussion. I had promised it two days ago, but things got a little hectic at home.

When last we left the Holy Trinity, we were discussing the Triune Godhead in broad, general terms. Now it’s time to put the Trinity under the microscope and talk about the finer points of this complicated doctrine. (In case you’re wondering, the image above is a depiction of the Trinity from over the main entrance of the Basilica of St. Denis in Paris.)

So here we go, a little more Trinity talk from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism:

“The dogma of the Trinity was present, although not fully developed, from the very beginning of Christianity. St. Paul, for example, concludes his Second Letter to the Corinthians with this blessing: ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.’ (2Cor 13:13) That same word-for-word line is one of the introductory rites that is sometimes used at Catholic Mass. In fact, any practicing Catholic who just read that line probably silently responded, “And also with you,” out of force of habit.

“That’s not to say that trinitarian belief wasn’t debated at length during the first centuries of Christianity. In those earlier years, the Church had to articulate the teachings on the Trinity that came from Jesus’ own words and the apostles’ early preaching.” (p. 39)

The Trinity is tricky. Remember, there are three persons, but that does not mean three separate gods. One God, but three within that God. Here’s where it gets even trickier: The three persons of the Trinity are each fully divine and distinct from one another but related to one another.

“So according to Catholic teaching, the Father is wholly present in the Son and Spirit, as are the Son and Spirit wholly present in the Father and in one another.” (p. 39)

Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust

A Brief Lesson on the Trinity

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 15:01:48 -0500

Believe it or not, someone emailed yesterday asking me to explain the Trinity. (I’m not making that up just to have a reason to excerpt material.) The Trinity is tough, and we will definitely revisit this subject a few times, but for now, here’s a brief look at a doctrine that even the greatest Church fathers had a tough time teaching to the masses.

“The doctrine of the Trinity is a distinctively Christian doctrine of God, something that separates Christians from other religious traditions. The Trinity is not just one teaching among many. It is the Christian teaching of God. Everything a Christian does flows from this teaching, is centered upon this teaching, and leads back to this teaching.

Trinity is the belief in three in one. God is one God, but in his oneness, he is comprised of three persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It is a mystery, and a good part of the time that is the explanation you will get if you ask someone to tell you how this can be.

...Although it is incredibly difficult to comprehend, the Trinity is absolutely the core belief of the faith that Catholics profess.” (p. 36)

There is lots and lots more to come on the Trinity, but this is a good start. Over the course of history, the Trinity has been the subject of debate, controversy and at least one legendary teaching method, which we will talk about on St. Patrick’s Day (hint, hint). Come back tomorrow for Part II of our Trinity discussion.

Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust

It's Evolution, My Dear Watson

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 10:27:14 -0500

Confused about what the Church teaches on evolution? Here is today’s excerpt from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism to set the record straight:

“Catholics believe that God created everything, and they mean everything. The universe was not created by some random explosion or bang. They’re not saying there couldn’t have been a bang, but not a random bang. Nothing can be entirely random when God’s fingerprints are on the whole universal mix...

“What does this mean for those who side with science and the theory of evolution? Do these not conflict with the belief that God created everything out of nothing? Nope. Catholics can believe that humans evolved over time into the beings we are today. However, Catholics cannot believe that human evolution occurred devoid of divine inspiration.
“When it comes to creation, there is no blind chance. You’ve seen it printed on tacky T-shirts, “God doesn’t make mistakes.” Well, that’s sort of the point here. God created everything that led to everything, and God makes humans unique by giving us souls.” (p. 42)
You’re Absolved If...
“You may think Catholics believe in the literal interpretation of the Genesis story of Adam and Eve. The Church does not teach the creation story as science, and it has no problem with the theory of evolution. Darwinism, however, presents a problem for the Catholic Church because it theorizes humankind’s evolution was caused by a random process and natural selection of the strongest and fittest, leaving the divine creator by the wayside.” (p. 43)
Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust

In the Beginning...

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 06:09:48 -0500

OK, well not that beginning, but the beginning of our journey through Church teaching via my new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism. Every day -- or whenever the Spirit moves me -- I will post excerpts from my new book to give you a glimpse inside.

Today, since we’re starting at the beginning, I thought we’d talk about the catechism in general. You know, just to get our feet wet.

If you were going to play a word-association game with people of a certain generation or older, you would say, “catechism,” and they would say, “Baltimore.” But so much has changed since that old-style, question-and-answer type of catechism. The teachings remain the same, but the delivery is oh so much better. In fact, the current Catechism of the Catholic Church verges on poetic at times.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the catechism in general, taken from Chapter 1 of my book:

The Catechism is so chock full of the do’s and don’ts of life, it’s easy to think of it as the official Catholic rule book, but it’s not. While there are some pretty specific do’s and don’ts set forth in the Catechism, it goes much deeper and is about so much more than rules. It is about the most basic and meaningful teachings of the Catholic faith.
It’s not about fire and brimstone. It’s not about judgment. It’s not about checking off where you hit or miss the mark in your life and thoughts. It’s about faith, hope, love, and the teachings that bring these things to life in the world around you. It’s about opening up the Christian faith in Catholicism in a way that invites all people to explore more deeply some of life’s most basic questions. (Copyright 2008, Mary DeTurris Poust)
There’s more where that came from. Stay tuned...