Catholicism views Jesus as the eternal Son of the Father and teaches that this relationship between Father and Son is one of profound love. It's not some kind of "Victorian" love, but very real. This belief that their relationship is so close led St. Thomas Aquinas to state that the third person of the Holy Trinity (the Holy Spirit) is the living, personified fruit of that love.
Obedience is a sign of love and respect, and Catholics believe Jesus obeyed the Father's will. To Catholics, the phrase "Thy will be done," is more than just a line from the Our Father. It's the unofficial motto of Jesus Christ. Catholic belief also maintains that God the Father's will for Jesus was to:
-Reveal God as a community of Three Persons united in divine love.
-Show His love for all mankind.
-Be humankind's Redeemer and Savior.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Divine Nature of Jesus
Catholics believe that Jesus perfomed miracles while on Earth, such as walking on water, expelling demons, and raising the dead. Christians believe Jesus also performed the ultimate miracle in saving all humankind, becoming its Savior. He founded the Catholic Church and instituted (both explicitly and implicitly) all seven sacraments. He is also the second person in the Holy Trinity-as God the Son. God the Son is just as much God as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Although Christians, Jews, and Muslims all believe in one God (the same one, actually), Christians believe in a Triune God - one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), usually called the Holy Trinity. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is how there can be three persons, but not three Gods. Catholics don't view the Trinity as three seperate gods, but as three persons in a single God.
Although Christians, Jews, and Muslims all believe in one God (the same one, actually), Christians believe in a Triune God - one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), usually called the Holy Trinity. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is how there can be three persons, but not three Gods. Catholics don't view the Trinity as three seperate gods, but as three persons in a single God.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Did Jesus Have Siblings?
Some Christians believe that Mary had other children after she bore Jesus, but the Catholic Church teaches that Mary always remained a virgin - both before and after Christ's birth. She had only one son, and that son was Jesus. Another belief among Christians is that Joseph may have had children from a prior marriage (he was a widower) before he wedded Mary. These children became the stepbrothers and stepsisters of Jesus. Those who think Jesus had siblings will quote Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55: "Is this not the carpenter's son, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Simeon and Jude? Are not his sisters here with us?" Matthew 12:47 says, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside."
So who were these brothers and sisters if they weren't actual siblings of Jesus? The Catholic Church points out that the Gospels were written in Greek, not English. The Greek word used in all three cases is adelphoi, which can be translated as "brothers." But the word can also mean "cousins" or "relatives" (like an uncle, or nephew). An example of this can be found in the Old Testament. Genesis 11:27 says that Abram and Haran were brothers, sons of Terah. Lot was Haran's son, therefore a nephew of Abram (Abram's name was later changed to Abraham by God). However, in the King James version of the Bible (the first English translation), Lot is referred to as the brother of Abraham. The Greek word in the Septuagint (Greek translation) version of the Old Testament is again adelphos (singular form of adelphoi). Obviously, there was no word in Greek that translated directly from uncle to nephew, so the word brother can have a meaning besides sibling.
The Catholic Church reasons that if the Bible used brother to refer to a nephew in one instance, why not again? Who's to say the adelphoi of Jesus were literally brothers, and not relatives? Since the word was used to mean relative in the Old Testament, it might mean the same in the New. The Church uses other reasons, as well: if Jesus had brothers, why weren't they there for his crucifixion? Mary and some other women watched it, but the only man around was John (who was certainly not a relative of Jesus). As he was dying on the cross, Jesus told John, "Behold your mother" (John 19:27). John then brought Mary into his home to care for her. Why did Jesus tell John to look after his mother instead of allowing any surviving brothers to do so? This would only make sense if Mary had no surviving children.
The Church also poses another problem: If there were blood-brothers (or even step-brothers) of Jesus, why did none of them take on roles of leadership after his death? The family culture of the time would have never allowed Peter and the other apostles to assume a family member's mission (in this case, Jesus's ministry) if there were other brothers. However, if the closest surviving relatives were cousins, uncles, and nephews, such an assumption would make sense.
The debate will probably rage for several more centuries. The real factor is the Church's authority on such matters. Catholicism does not place the Church above the Bible, but sees the Church as the only true guardian and interpreter of the Scripture.
So who were these brothers and sisters if they weren't actual siblings of Jesus? The Catholic Church points out that the Gospels were written in Greek, not English. The Greek word used in all three cases is adelphoi, which can be translated as "brothers." But the word can also mean "cousins" or "relatives" (like an uncle, or nephew). An example of this can be found in the Old Testament. Genesis 11:27 says that Abram and Haran were brothers, sons of Terah. Lot was Haran's son, therefore a nephew of Abram (Abram's name was later changed to Abraham by God). However, in the King James version of the Bible (the first English translation), Lot is referred to as the brother of Abraham. The Greek word in the Septuagint (Greek translation) version of the Old Testament is again adelphos (singular form of adelphoi). Obviously, there was no word in Greek that translated directly from uncle to nephew, so the word brother can have a meaning besides sibling.
The Catholic Church reasons that if the Bible used brother to refer to a nephew in one instance, why not again? Who's to say the adelphoi of Jesus were literally brothers, and not relatives? Since the word was used to mean relative in the Old Testament, it might mean the same in the New. The Church uses other reasons, as well: if Jesus had brothers, why weren't they there for his crucifixion? Mary and some other women watched it, but the only man around was John (who was certainly not a relative of Jesus). As he was dying on the cross, Jesus told John, "Behold your mother" (John 19:27). John then brought Mary into his home to care for her. Why did Jesus tell John to look after his mother instead of allowing any surviving brothers to do so? This would only make sense if Mary had no surviving children.
The Church also poses another problem: If there were blood-brothers (or even step-brothers) of Jesus, why did none of them take on roles of leadership after his death? The family culture of the time would have never allowed Peter and the other apostles to assume a family member's mission (in this case, Jesus's ministry) if there were other brothers. However, if the closest surviving relatives were cousins, uncles, and nephews, such an assumption would make sense.
The debate will probably rage for several more centuries. The real factor is the Church's authority on such matters. Catholicism does not place the Church above the Bible, but sees the Church as the only true guardian and interpreter of the Scripture.
Was Jesus Married?
The last verse of the Gospel according to John (21:25) says, "There are also many other things Jesus did but if they were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." The Bible is silent in some areas, such as: Was Jesus married? Did he have kids? The Bible doesn't say anything either way. It could be assumed that he was never married, since the Bible doesn't specifically say so (but the Bible also never explicitly says Peter was married and we know that he was, since Jesus cured his mother-in-law).
No Christian denomination has ever believed that Jesus was married, even though the Bible never says he was single. The reason is Sacred Tradition. Christianity has maintained that Jesus remained celibate and unmarried, even though there is very little evidence to support this. Whenever the Bible is silent on an issue, Sacred Tradition fills in the gaps. So, for Catholics, the Sacred Scripture says Jesus was a man whose mother was Mary, but Sacred Tradition says he never married.
No Christian denomination has ever believed that Jesus was married, even though the Bible never says he was single. The reason is Sacred Tradition. Christianity has maintained that Jesus remained celibate and unmarried, even though there is very little evidence to support this. Whenever the Bible is silent on an issue, Sacred Tradition fills in the gaps. So, for Catholics, the Sacred Scripture says Jesus was a man whose mother was Mary, but Sacred Tradition says he never married.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Human Nature of Jesus
Jesus had a normal body with all of the normal parts: two eyes, ears, a nose, brain, stomach, etc. Since he had a body, he also had the five senses and was quite capable of feeling physical pain and pleasure. He possessed a human's intellect (a mind) and had a human will (a heart) and experienced human emotions, like joy and sorrow. For example, John wrote that Jesus wept when he heard his friend Lazarus had died.
Jesus was not born with the ability to speak. He had to learn how to walk and talk, which are human characteristics, and how to act and think.
One major difference for Jesus, however, was that he did not share sin with us. Being human doesn't mean that it's impossible not to sin, and that you must have sin. Being human means having a free will and rational intellect joined to a physical body. Humans have the choice to do evil or good.
Catholics believe that people don't decide what's good and evil, because true good and evil occur independent of our opinion. Murder is evil. Someone may personally think it's okay, but if it's intrisically evil, they are only deluding themselves and will eventually regret it. Jesus, while human, only chose to do good works, but this did not make him any less human. Even though he never swore, told a dirty joke, or got drunk, he was still human.
The Catholic Church reminds its members of the humanity of Jesus by placing a crucifix in a conspicuous place in every church. A crucifix is a cross with the crucified Jesus attached to it. It serves as a reminder that Jesus didn't just pretend to be human - he felt every nail, thorn, and lance that he experienced during the Passion (what the Church calls his suffering) in a way any other human would. He felt true pain, and actually died. If he were only a divine being pretending to be human, his pain and death would have been faked. A crucifix represents the pain that Jesus experienced when he died. (By the way, the letters "INRI" usually seen on crucifixes are an abbreviation of the actual Latin words placed on the cross by Pontius Pilate: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, or Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
It's important to note that Catholicism does not exclusively rely on the Bible for what's known about Jesus. Sacred Tradition fills in some of the gaps where the Bible is silent or ambiguous. Two issues are whether or not Jesus was married, and whether he had any siblings.
Jesus was not born with the ability to speak. He had to learn how to walk and talk, which are human characteristics, and how to act and think.
One major difference for Jesus, however, was that he did not share sin with us. Being human doesn't mean that it's impossible not to sin, and that you must have sin. Being human means having a free will and rational intellect joined to a physical body. Humans have the choice to do evil or good.
Catholics believe that people don't decide what's good and evil, because true good and evil occur independent of our opinion. Murder is evil. Someone may personally think it's okay, but if it's intrisically evil, they are only deluding themselves and will eventually regret it. Jesus, while human, only chose to do good works, but this did not make him any less human. Even though he never swore, told a dirty joke, or got drunk, he was still human.
The Catholic Church reminds its members of the humanity of Jesus by placing a crucifix in a conspicuous place in every church. A crucifix is a cross with the crucified Jesus attached to it. It serves as a reminder that Jesus didn't just pretend to be human - he felt every nail, thorn, and lance that he experienced during the Passion (what the Church calls his suffering) in a way any other human would. He felt true pain, and actually died. If he were only a divine being pretending to be human, his pain and death would have been faked. A crucifix represents the pain that Jesus experienced when he died. (By the way, the letters "INRI" usually seen on crucifixes are an abbreviation of the actual Latin words placed on the cross by Pontius Pilate: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, or Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
It's important to note that Catholicism does not exclusively rely on the Bible for what's known about Jesus. Sacred Tradition fills in some of the gaps where the Bible is silent or ambiguous. Two issues are whether or not Jesus was married, and whether he had any siblings.
Understanding Jesus
Like all Christians, Catholics believe that Jesus of Nazareth is their Lord and Savior. The term Lord is used because Christians believe that Jesus is divine as the Son of God. The term Savior is used because Christians believe that Jesus died to save all of humankind from their sins. The Old Testament actually uses the word Lord (Adonai in Hebrew) in connection with the word God (Elohim in Hebrew). For example, consider the phrase "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one" from Deuteronomy 6:4. However, the New Testament asserts through the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (2:11) "that Jesus Christ is Lord."
Catholics also believe that Jesus was human as well as divine. For this reason, "true God" and "became man" are key phrases in the Nicene Creed, highlighting the fundamental doctrine of Jesus as the God-Man. Consider:
-As God, Jesus possessed a fully divine nature, so he was able to perform miracles, such as changing water into wine. His greatest divine act, however, was his own resurrection from the dead.
- As man, Jesus had a human mother (Mary) who gave birth to him. He grew up in the same manner as any other man. He taught, preached, suffered, and died. All of these are examples of his human nature.
Jesus, the God-Man, with his fully divine nature and his fully human nature, is the center of Catholic belief.
Some people think that Catholics (and Christians in general) believe Jesus is some kind of half man/half deity hybrid. But this is not the case. Catholics don't see Jesus as possessing a split personality, but as both completely human and completely God. He is considered a single person with two distinct, equal natures. This is an example of Christian mystery (probably the core mystery, actually), which is something that cannot be explained, but can only be believed on faith alone.
Catholics also believe that Jesus was human as well as divine. For this reason, "true God" and "became man" are key phrases in the Nicene Creed, highlighting the fundamental doctrine of Jesus as the God-Man. Consider:
-As God, Jesus possessed a fully divine nature, so he was able to perform miracles, such as changing water into wine. His greatest divine act, however, was his own resurrection from the dead.
- As man, Jesus had a human mother (Mary) who gave birth to him. He grew up in the same manner as any other man. He taught, preached, suffered, and died. All of these are examples of his human nature.
Jesus, the God-Man, with his fully divine nature and his fully human nature, is the center of Catholic belief.
Some people think that Catholics (and Christians in general) believe Jesus is some kind of half man/half deity hybrid. But this is not the case. Catholics don't see Jesus as possessing a split personality, but as both completely human and completely God. He is considered a single person with two distinct, equal natures. This is an example of Christian mystery (probably the core mystery, actually), which is something that cannot be explained, but can only be believed on faith alone.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday Off-Topic: Going Public
Every Introduction course always has its off-topic tangents, and Catholicism 101 is no different. On Sundays, we'll delve into some aspects of Catholicism that we might not otherwise get to. These areas are kind of up to my whim, but they will usually focus on unusual parts of Catholicism.
At the Baptism of an infant, the parents are asked, "Do you renounce Satan, and all his works and empty promises?" If the answer is "yes," then the priest proceeds with "Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?" This continues for several more questions. If the person being baptized is older than seven, they answer the questions themselves.
After Baptism, Christians are expected to publicly profess their faith by reciting the Nicene Creed at Mass with the entire congregation. Once a year, the congregation will also renew their baptismal vows in full view of everyone else.
At the Baptism of an infant, the parents are asked, "Do you renounce Satan, and all his works and empty promises?" If the answer is "yes," then the priest proceeds with "Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?" This continues for several more questions. If the person being baptized is older than seven, they answer the questions themselves.
After Baptism, Christians are expected to publicly profess their faith by reciting the Nicene Creed at Mass with the entire congregation. Once a year, the congregation will also renew their baptismal vows in full view of everyone else.
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