Friday, January 21, 2005

Snicket

Having not read the books at length, I can't say whether the following is accurate, but I'm sure others will have an opinion:
"Furthermore, on a Christian note, the books tend to quip some good ethics
(like not staying up too late), and good morals (the children are law abiding
and obedient and courteous), in an attempt to be a sort of morality story out of
the Victorian era, however since the children's predeliction to follow the law
and obey their elders invariably brings on them greater misfortune and
maltreatment, the message is that the law and one's elders cannot be trusted.
"

http://www.christianfantasy.net/lemonysnicket.html

God's forebearance

I get worked up over big and small offenses of others. I'm especially hard on liturgical abuse, which, to me, is sacriligious. Then I read Gospel passages like this:

"Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." (Mk. 3:28-29)

It seems that Jesus is pretty tolerant of our lack of reverence. Note, he says such sins will be forgiven. There is nothing conditional about it. It seems that the only sin that can really condemn you is this sin against the Holy Spirit. According to the footnote that is to attribute to the Devil what is actually from God. Hm.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Thomistica.net

is a link to a webpage dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas hosted by Dr. Mark Johnson, the great moral theologian from Marquette University.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Scripture and Eucharistic Adoration

The more familiarity you have with the Word of God, Old and New Testament, the great your capacity to know the Word made Flesh present in the Blessed Sacrament. To practice adoration without meditation on the Scriptures is to practice an unbalanced piety. That is why the Liturgies of Word and Eucharist form one act of worship, not two, as some people seem to think (refering the Vatican II's "Two Tables").