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I am compiling a “Back-to-Basics Catechesis” by focusing on Biblical Stories. Here is a reflection on the Fall of Man. A PDF of this reflection is here: HERE 

Earlier in Genesis, we saw how the beauty of creation was marred by the Sin of Adam and Eve. Not only was creation harmed, but Adam and Eve were also wounded in their very nature. They had been immortal, and their superior intellects had authority over their passions and emotions. But now, suffering, and ultimately death, have come to them. Passions and emotions like anger, love, sexual drives, hunger, fear and so forth now tend to dominate them and their descendants. It is hard for them to resist these drives with their minds and wills weakened. The strong inclination to sin we inherit is called by the Church, “concupiscence” and all of us know it well. For example, we know many things that are harmful for us, and we still want them, in abundance. We also know of things that are good for us and we don’t want them all that much. Something is desperately wrong with us and the Church teaches that this “concupiscence” is a lingering effect of Original Sin. It is only with effort and time that we gradually overcome these tendencies.

This weakened condition is illustrated very well in the sad story of Cain and Abel. It focuses on two deep drives of sin in us: envy and anger. Let’s read the story in full and learn some of its lessons.

The Story of Cain and Abel

And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said. Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So, Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.(Gen 4:1-16)

At this very early stage we are told of the birth of Cain and Abel. While other children are not mentioned, the text mentions the existence of other siblings later.

Greed

Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer. In their offerings to God, Abel’s sacrifice was favored by God since Abel offered the “firstfruits” of his labor while Cain brought some indefinite offering from among his harvest. This likely indicates some greed in Cain who prefers to keep the best for himself whereas Abel gave the best and first of his fruits to God.

Envy and Anger

God favored Abel’s offering over Cain, and this elicited in Cain a deep and sinful drive we call “envy.” Envy is sorrow and anger at the goodness or excellence of another person because I take it to lessen my own standing or excellence. In effect, Cain thinks that Abel’s excellence makes him look bad by comparison. The proper response to seeing excellence in another person is to seek to imitate it if possible. And we should be happy when others are recognized for their excellence or performance. But too often, like Cain, we seethe with indignation that someone was favored over me or that they are better at something. Envy is far worse than jealousy since, if I am jealous, at least I want the good thing that you have. But when I am envious, I seek to destroy the goodness in you, so I don’t look bad by comparison. That is why St. Augustine calls envy, “the diabolical sin.” Cain’s envy causes an anger in him that is so deep he plots to kill Abel and so eliminate this threat to Cain’s own standing. It is very ugly, and far too common in the human family. The envious do not always murder, but they often do discredit goodness and excellence and are more than willing to question or “murder” the reputations of those they perceive as competitors to their standing in the community.

A Warning and Teaching from God

Cain’s passions of envy and anger are rising. And God warns him:

“Why are you angry… If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

Here then is God’s first instruction to us after Original Sin: “Sin is crouching at your door, but you can master it.” As we considered above, Adam and Eve had been weakened by their sin and handed on to us a human nature that was weak and prone to sin. Yes, sin and temptation are always crouching at the door, but God teaches us that he provides sufficient grace for us to take authority over our sinful drives and do what is right. Cain’s proper response is to accept correction, follow Abel’s example, and do what is right. Our passions like envy are simmering, and our anger is often loud, but we can and must master them. If not, things get only worse. In our life we must grow virtue (good habits) and starve vices (bad habits). If not, sin multiplies, and consequences grow such as addictions, compulsions, and many bad habits that further weaken us. Listen to what God is saying. We can and must master our passions and the strong inclinations that “crouch at our door!” God will help us if we call to him. But, like most “skills” in life, it is a long journey and involves much training. That is why we must make use of all the help and medicines available to us such as Scripture to instruct us, Sacraments to heal and nourish us, prayer to steady us, and holy fellowship to encourage and admonish us (See Acts 2:42). Stay close to God and follow his paths and instructions. Otherwise, all bets are off and further misery awaits us, crouching at the door.

Sadly, as the story recounts, Cain did not master his sinful drives, vented his anger and yielded to envy’s lie that his brother was a rival to his glory. But of course, none of this makes anything better for Cain. Sin is never a solution; it only complicates and worsens things.

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

Sin almost never affects us alone. It boils over into the lives of others and spreads misery. Cain’s envious anger claims Abel’s life. The loss of Abel grieves his family and, as we shall see, spreads the infection of anger and vengeance. The loss of Abel also deprives the early human community of his gifts and good example.

Note also that God hears Abel’s blood crying out from the ground where it was shed. Human life is sacred to God, and we are not to take life, except in rare and regrettable moments of self-defense. We will answer to God one day for what we have done (see 2 Cor 5:10). And thus, God asks Cain of his brother: “Where is your brother?”  Cain’s cynical response shows how disordered his heart has become: “Am I my brother’s keeper.” The answer is yes. The well-being of our brothers and sisters should be very important to us and we should guard and keep them from harm and ruin. We are called to love our neighbor, and even our enemy. Yes, we are our brother’s keeper.

Consequences of Cain’s Sin

Cain’s sin also affects him. He laments that his sin has separated him from the human family: “I will be a fugitive and hidden from the land.” He also laments how his sin has further distanced him from God: “From Your face I will be hidden.”  His violence has begotten fear in him of more violence in the vengeance of other members of the human family: “Whoever finds me will kill me!” Sin sets evil loose. The punishment for sin is more sin.  But God does not utterly forsake Cain and says that despite his sin, Cain remains sacred to the Lord and that no one is to take his life. They will answer to God if they try and be punished severely. Sinners are still God’s children and are to be respected as such.

Cain is exiled to the east of Eden in a place called “Nod.” In Hebrew, “Nod” means to wander. Hence Cain becomes a vagabond, a fugitive, expelled from the Land. He is also exiled from the fruits of civilization: agriculture, and animal produce. Since he poisoned the land with Abel’s shed blood, the land will yield nothing to his farming. Now he must forage from whatever the wild uncultivated land gives.

Sin is a terrible reality and its consequences are real. But in the greatest story ever told, God does not forget Cain and places a mark of love upon him.

I am compiling a “Back-to-Basics Catechesis” by focusing on Biblical Stories. Here is a reflection on the Fall of Man. A PDF of this reflection is here: THE FALL OF MAN

God had made all things, and He pronounced it “very good.” And yet, something very tragic took place that would shake and alter the very foundations of what God had set forth. That event is call by various titles: Original Sin, the Sin of Adam, The Fall of Man, and so forth. The story begins in the third chapter of Genesis:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Gen 3:1-7)

Two things surprise us right away. Why was there a serpent in the garden of paradise and, why was there a tree from which they should not eat? Both questions have a similar answer: They are there because of human freedom. When God made Adam and Eve He made them, and later us, to be His children, not His slaves. We were not like the animals who live by instinct, nor the plants which simply vegetate. No, we have rational souls, and the glory of our person is that we unite two orders of creation, the spiritual and the physical. We are called to love God as His sons and daughters. But love requires freedom and thus, real alternatives must be available to us.

Why This Tree?

The” Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” stood near the middle of the Garden of Eden and God had said that Adam and Eve should not partake of its fruit (see Gen 2:17). This tree stands as a kind of image of our freedom. Its name also speaks to a deeper meaning. God did not want them to “know” evil. To “know” in the Bible is usually deeper than mere intellectual knowing. It refers to deep, intimate, personal experience of the thing or person known. Hence God was saying He did not want Adam and Eve to experience evil for themselves, it would surely bring them sorrow, suffering and ultimate death. Rather, God invited them to let Him tell them what was good or evil and live in faith, trusting that what He told them was true and for their good.

As such, they were free to trust Him and live in paradise, or to mistrust Him, refuse any limits and decide for themselves what is good or evil, even at the cost of suffering and eventual death. Alas they chose to reject God’s offer and gave way to colossal pride, mistrust and ingratitude. Satan exploited this and drew them away from the true paradise with lies of a greater glory that would come to them outside the protection of faith and trust in God. We have been miserable ever since. Though God must give us freedom so we can love, Adam and Eve abused this freedom and sought their own glory and happiness apart from God. They trusted Satan more than God. The catechism gives this cogent summary of their sin:

Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in His goodness. (# 397)

What the Devil?

But what of the serpent? Why was he in this garden of paradise? It is no less than Satan himself. Satan was a fallen angel, now referred to as a demon. He is the prince of all the demons who fell with him from the heavenly ranks of angels when they too abused their freedom and defied God. The text says that he takes up the form of a serpent since it was the most cunning of all the animals God had made. Today we think of serpents as snakes, but it is not clear that this is what the serpent looked like to Adam and Eve. Only later does God cause the serpent to slither on the ground and have the form of a snake. This may explain why Eve does not seem startled that a “serpent” is talking to her.

The Devil’s Deceit

Note however the nature of the devil’s appeal. First, he tries to cast doubt on what God had taught by saying, “Did God really say…?” Then he makes God seem unreasonable by exaggerating and misrepresenting God’s command. He misquotes God as saying, “You shall not eat of ANY tree…” Many tempters today do the same things. But Eve, to her credit did not fall for that and corrected Satan.  Next. Satan simply lies and says, “Surely you will not die…” Now he appeals to her pride and casts a doubt:

“God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God! This struck a note and Eve began to think that even forbidden knowledge was a good thing and gosh, that fruit sure did look good and tasty…what could go wrong?

Whither Adam?

And where was Adam during all this? The text says he was right there with her. Notice he said nothing while the devil carried on with his wife. He had been told by God to guard the garden, (see Gen 2:15-17) and, by extension to guard his wife. But he’s down on the job. This is why the Scriptures call Original Sin the “Sin of Adam.” He was the head of that household and told to guard the garden, his wife and their hearts. He failed, as do many of us.

After this, things fall apart rapidly. Adam and Eve lose their innocence and their righteousness, experiencing it as a nakedness they think they can cover with mere leaves.  The story continues:

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called. “Adam, where are you!?”

Surely God knows all that has happened and where Adam is. But He has not given up His love. Hear the almost plaintive cry, “Adam, where are you?” As if to say, “Adam where is your heart, where is Eve?” He calls to them, He does not merely apprehend them. God’s concern and love are not exhausted. Then Adam steps forth, saying: I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked?”

Here too the question is rich in meaning. It is as if to say, “Who told you to be afraid of me? Who told you, you were no good or inadequate, or ugly, or an embarrassment? I did not tell you these things. “Ah,” said the Lord, “You have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Yes, this is where your suffering and deadly self-reproach comes from. I tried to prevent this by warning you. Now suffering and death have found you.

Pointed Fingers

But Adam in classic form cannot face his guilt and says, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Yes, here is the classic finger-pointing in all directions but self. Adam, who moments ago delighted in Eve as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, now distances himself from her, blaming her for his own failure to guard the garden and assist her in the moment of temptation. Eve blames the serpent as if she did not have an intellect and free will along with the clear instruction of God to stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Consequences

It falls now to God to explain the consequences of what they have chosen. But first He punishes the devil:

Because you have done this, cursed are you…on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat… I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, while you strike at his heel.”

Here is the first good news! God will limit Satan’s power and points to forward Mary and Jesus saying that “the Woman” shall one day bring forth a savior who will crush Satan’s power.

Adam, for his part is told that his sin has also harmed all creation, God says, “Cursed be the ground because of you.” Paradise is no more and this world, though still beautiful, will exhibit hostility in its extremes. Welcome to “Paradise Lost.”

Eve for her part will see many tensions introduced into family life: A Husband who at times is authoritarian, but whom she needs and loves. And bringing forth her children will cause her pain and grief.

Alas, so much has been lost! A beautiful creation set forth by God is now disfigured by man. But the greatest story ever told is a story of the enduring Love, God’s love which does not end. This is tenderly depicted at the end.  And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Gen 3:21).

For now, paradise is gone. But that’s not how the story ends. We are in for a rocky ride. But God goes with us!

In my parish I am beginning a “back to basics” catechesis, reading the fundamental biblical stories of our faith and teaching from them. This is episode # 1 on the Story of creation.

The greatest story ever told is the great drama of God with His people. It begins with the simple but awesome words, “In the beginning God…” (Gen 1:1). That is to say, in the beginning, before anything ever was, God IS. He has always been, He always will be, and He is the very act of being itself! Everything else that “is” or has being, takes its existence and is sustained by Him. We are not living in a machine. Creation is a loving work and revelation of God. St. Paul says of this creation, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship” (Rom 1:20). Yes, even before the Bible we have the “book of creation” that teaches us of God’s wisdom, His order, His design, His purposes and His eternal law. All things work together in a wondrous harmony and synchrony. Above us the stars and planets, the sun and moon set forth a clock-like precision and a glorious song:

Though they in solemn silence, all
Move round our dark terrestrial ball. 
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice.
Forever singing, as they shine,
The Hand that made us is Divine!

Yes, the hand that made all is Divine! And God did not make us because He was lonely. Creation is an act of pure love. It is the nature of love to be effusive, that is, to pour itself out in generous sharing. God bestows His power, His existence, His life and order on all things in many and different ways. There are flowers with delicate beauty, Mountains with craggy grandeur. There is the vast cosmos beyond telling, and tiny, hidden worlds in a mere drop of water. There are fabulous things that we see, and even more glorious things that are unseen.

An old hymn says,

This earth, with its store
of wonders untold,
Thy power O God
hath founded of old;
Established it fast
by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast,
like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care,
What tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air,
it shines in the light.
It streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills
in the dew and the rain.

Yes, God has done all things well. In the beginning, God!

The Story of Creation

The story of creation is wonderfully described in the opening chapters of Genesis (a word which means “beginnings”). Many debate today if Genesis is a literal account which describes with scientific precision what happened, or if it is a more poetic account using allegory and symbol. The Catholic answer to this is generally a moderate approach. What we are surely taught is that God, by a sovereign and loving act made everything out of nothing. He did so in an orderly way and oversaw every detail. He continues to maintain and sustain every aspect of creation from its grandest glory to its most hidden minutia. Every mighty galaxy rolls through space by His power, every hair of our head is numbered. Further, we are instructed by the Church to safely hold that Adam and Eve are historical figures, actual persons directly created by God. They are not symbolic figures merely representing “mankind.” They are indeed our actual parents from whom all human beings descend.  (see: Humani Generis, 37, Catechism #s 359, 371, 375, 388, 402, 404, 417).

In the Book of Genesis God creates all things by “speaking” them into existence. When God says, “Let there be light,” there is light! The New Testament clarifies and elaborates this when it teaches us that the Word through whom God the Father creates all things is His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ who is also the Word made Flesh (see John 1:1,3, 14). The Letter to the Colossians says, “All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16-17) The Gospel of John echoes: “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (Jn 1:3) So, the Father created all things, but always with and through His Son, Jesus, both of them working in the unity of their Love who is the Holy Spirit.

The “days” of creation may not be literal days of 24 hours. Though one is free to hold this, Catholics are also free to hold that these days represent epochs or periods of time longer than an earth-day. It will be noted that the sun and moon, which clock our days here on earth, were not created until the fourth day. Whatever the case we have a beautiful description of what God does in the Biblical accounts of Genesis 1 and 2.

In a poetic sort of way God goes about creating certain “canvases” first and then paints in the details, by creating them.

On the first day God begins by creating a canvas of light and darkness and separating them.

On the second day, God creates the canvas of the “sky” and separates the heavens from the earth.

On the third day, God creates the canvas of the sea, separating it from the dry land.

On these canvases of the earth, the sea and the sky, God now “paints in the details.” He begins with the earth, creating vegetation of all kinds (also day three).

On the fourth day God turns to the canvas of the Sky creating the Sun, the moon and the stars.

On the fifth day God turns to the canvas of the sea creating all the sea creatures of every kind. He turns back to the sky and creates the birds.

On the sixth day God turns to the canvas of the earth and creates every beast of the earth, wild and tame, each according to its kind. And then, as the pinnacle of His earthly creation, he made Adam and Eve and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it.

On the seventh day God rested and looking upon all He had made and pronounced it all to be very good.

A Doxology for God’s Creation from Scripture:

How beautiful are all God’s works, delightful to gaze upon and a joy to behold! All of them differ, one from another, yet none of them has He made in vain; For each in turn, as it comes, is good; can one ever see enough of their splendor?

 The beauty of the celestial height and the pure firmament, heaven itself manifests its glory. The sun at its rising shines at its fullest, a wonderful instrument, the work of the Most High! Great indeed is the LORD who made it, at whose orders it urges on its steeds. It is the moon that marks the changing seasons, governing the times, their lasting sign The beauty of the heavens and the glory of the stars, a shining ornament in the heights of God. Now, behold the rainbow! Then bless its Maker,

 The thunders of His voice make the earth writhe; by His power He shakes the mountains. A word from Him drives on the winds, whirlwind, hurricane, and storm winds. He makes the snow fly like birds; Its shining whiteness blinds the eyes; the mind is baffled at its steady fall.

 Those who go down to the sea recount its extent, and when we hear them, we are awestruck; In it are His creatures, stupendous, amazing, all kinds of life, and the monsters of the deep.

 Lift up your voices to glorify the LORD as much as you can, for there is still more. Beyond these, many things lie hidden; only a few of His works have we seen. (Sirach 42-43 selected verses).

A Summons to Wonder and Awe

And so, as we see, God did a wonderful thing and set forth all creation well. For us there remains a summons to wonder and awe. Too often today, many fail to revere the mystery of all things and the glory of all things great and small. We reduce and simplify the glory and intricacy of creation and think that, because we know some things, we know all things. We do not. Indeed, the more we learn, the more we discover what we do not know. As St. Paul observed, knowledge puffs us, but love builds up. Ask the Lord for an increase in love for Him and what He has done. Ask also for humility and awe as well as the mystical vision that faith supplies. Creation is no mere machine or physical reality. It is a revelation of God himself who made it. Be amazed and humbled at the love He shows in His extravagant creation. He did not create because He was lonely or bored. He created all things purely out of the extravagance of His love and  wanted to share His glory and His gifts with all creation, especially us. Yes, be amazed and deeply grateful.

In the beginning God…

The greatest story ever told begins with creation, a creation God called “very good.” (Gen 1:31) Sadly, things go awry due to human sinfulness. A drama of good and evil is introduced into the beautiful stage of creation. Future flyers will detail this. But through it all, do not forget that what makes this the greatest story ever told is that God never gives up on us. He is faithful, even when we are unfaithful, He loves even when we hate. The greatest story ever told is a love story, a love that never fails. Prepare your hearts for a story of unrelenting love even in the face of human sinfulness. And always re-member, God can make a way out of no way.

Saints sometimes say daring things. Today, on the feast of St. Bonaventure I’d like to reflect on a saying by him. First, though, let’s consider a certain idiom he used, drawn from biblical times.

In Scripture there is an “absolute” way of speaking that many of us moderns misconstrue. For example, Jesus says (quoting Hosea 6:6), For I desire mercy not sacrifice (Matt 9:13). To those untrained in Jewish and biblical idioms, the meaning would seem to be, “Skip all the sacrifice; God just wants you to be nice.” However, that misses the point of the idiom, which more accurately means this: “Practice mercy without neglecting sacrifice, for sacrifice is in service of mercy.” All of our rituals have the goal of drawing us to greater charity for God and neighbor. Caritas suprema lex (Charity is the highest law). Although charity is the highest law, that does not mean it is the only one. The basic Jewish and biblical idiom goes like this:

“I desire A, not B.”

This means that A is the goal, not B.
However, B is not to be neglected because it is a means or a way to A (the goal).

With all this in mind, let’s consider a teaching from St. Bonaventure, who wrote something very daring—even dangerous. Because he is a saint, we must grant him the liberty that we would not give to lesser men. As a saint he ponders truth and is thoroughly reputable. In his sanctity, his thoughts go where words no longer “work.” In a sense, he must explode our categories lest we become locked in them and forget that God is greater than words or human thoughts can express.

St. Bonaventure wrote of a kind of “passover” we must make wherein we must pass from the world of words, categories, images, pictures, and preconceived notions; to God, who is mystically beyond all that. It is a moment when the “ology” (words) of our theology must step aside for the Theos (God) of our Theology. As you read this quote, remember the cautions and context we have just reviewed, especially regarding the “I desire A, not B” idiom.

For [our] Passover to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Spirit … inflame his innermost soul ….

If you ask how such things can occur, seek the answer in God’s grace, not in doctrine; in the longing of the will, not in the understanding; in the sighs of prayer, not in research; seek the bridegroom not the teacher; God and not man; darkness not daylight; and look not to the light but rather to the raging fire that carries the soul to God with intense fervor and glowing love. The fire is God 

[From The Journey of the Mind to God, by Saint Bonaventure, bishop (Cap. 7, 1.2.4.6: Opera omnia 5, 312-313)].

Unschooled readers will cringe at the apparent dichotomies: grace not doctrine, longing not understanding, sighs not research, bridegroom not teacher, darkness not daylight.

But this is why we studied the idiom beforehand. “I desire A, not B” means that B serves A, not that B is of no value. Thus, doctrine leads to and serves grace. Our teachings point to heights where words no longer suffice. Our understanding and intellect inspire the will to desire Him whom our minds could never fully contain or comprehend.

Thus our goal is not doctrine (precious and necessary though that this). Our goal is Him to whom the doctrine rightly points. Doctrine is the roadmap, the path, not the destination. Follow the map! It is foolish to try to invent your own religion. Yes, follow the map! But remember, the map is not the goal; it is not the destination. God is the goal and desired destination, and He cannot be reduced to our words or categories.

The great theologian Bonaventure knew the limits of theology. Theology makes the introductions sets the foundation, set limits beyond which we may not go. But there comes a moment for silence and a dark night of the senses and even the intellect. Now the heart and the fiery light of God’s Holy Spirit must do His work. He will not overrule doctrine but build upon and transcend it.

St. Peter speaks to this same process:

We also have the message of the prophets, which has been confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to this message, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:18-19).

Yes, the prophets and the teachings must be attended to; they are like a lamp shining in a dark place. But there comes a moment when those teachings are confirmed and a greater light dawns, the Morning Star rises in our hearts. The truth of doctrine gives way to the Truth Himself, who is also the Way and the Light.

Listen to Bonaventure; listen to Peter. The Creed is essential. Memorize it and don’t you dare go off and invent your own religion! But there comes a moment when the creed steps aside and, pointing to God, says, “He is the one of whom I speak. Go to Him and sit silently at His feet.”

 

Monsignor Charles Pope looks at headlines affecting the Church and the world. A Vatican Budget Black Hole, USCCB cuts to CCHD, new policy on Tattoos and Piercings, Cardinal O’Malley on Rupnik’s Art, and the controversy surrounding an Austrian statue of Our Lady.

Show Links:
Lifesitenews.com/news/usccb-announces-cuts-to-controversial-cchd-program-that-gives-money-to-left-wing-groups

Catholicherald.co.uk/vatican-issues-strict-new-rules-for-employees-from-tattoos-and-piercings-to-cohabitation

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The conclusion of the Book of Tobit  features the Archangel Raphael revealing himself to Tobit and others and explaining his ministry to them. This post I write is not a full angelology, it is just a grateful reflection for God, his angels and his creation. Book-length treatments are necessary for a good angelology. If you are looking for a readable, and brief account of angelology I might recommend The Angels and Their Mission According to the Fathers of the Church, by Cardinal Jean Danielou.

Let’s look at a brief excerpt of Archangel Raphael and ponder gratefully the ministry of the angels. Raphael says,

I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead. When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead….

God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.” (Tobit 12:14-16)

This passage presents a description of how God interacts with his creation through the ministry of the angels. Notice how Raphael presented the prayers of Tobit and Sarah before God. More than this, the text implies that Raphael presented a record of the prayerfulness of the two and described Tobit’s good deeds. Thus, he stood before God more as a witness of their love and prayerfulness than as a mere conveyor of requests.

Why is this? Is God not omniscient? He is of course and therefore does not need the mediation of the angels, but He does seem to will it. It is common in both Scripture and doctrinal traditions to ascribe to the angels the work of mediation.

Angels in Scripture often speak for God and mediate His presence. At times, such as when Jacob wrestles with God, it is not clear whether it is an angel or God (Genesis 32:22-32); Abram greats three angels but calls them “Lord” (Genesis 18). At other times, it is clearly an angel that people such as Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15), Tobit (Tobit 12), and Mary (Luke 1) encounter. These angles speak for God and mediate His presence but are not God. Throughout the Book of Revelation, angels are sent forth to mediate God’s justice. In many places in Scripture, we are told by the Lord heed the voice of the angels who are sent to guard and guide us.

In the sacred Liturgy the ministry of the angels in connecting our sacrifice to the true altar in heaven is spoken of (Roman canon) and the Book of Revelation describes how the heavenly and earthly liturgy is the work of angels and men. Angels bring the prayers of the saints before God, minister at the altar of incense, and so forth.

There are numerous other passages and teachings that I could present, let it suffice to say that God, though almighty, all-powerful, and omniscient, most often chooses to mediate His presence to creation through the work of the angels.

Perhaps an example may illustrate a likely reason. The laptop computer on which I am typing is not plugged directly into the wall outlet; its delicate circuitry cannot endure the 110-120 V. alternating current; it would blow out. Instead, an adaptor between the laptop and the wall outlet mediates, reducing the voltage to 19 V. direct current. Similarly, direct encounters with God may well be impossible for us on this side of the veil unless God hides His face or mediates His presence through the angels and/or the sacraments.

For us and for all of His creation, the ministry of the angels is a great mercy of God. Doctrinal traditions emphasize the ministry of the angels in mediating all of God’s providence. The highest angels minister in God’s Heaven, other ranks of angels minster the cosmos, and still other ranks minister here on earth. Nations, cities, local churches, and individuals have presiding angels. The Book of Revelation describes angels controlling winds and earthquakes as well as executing God’s justice and authority over history and events. Angels mediate God’s providence and sustenance throughout the whole of creation.

We seldom talk or even think this way today. Let’s look at another modern example. In explaining how a large passenger airplane rises off the runway, a scientist would speak of “lift” and “thrust.” The angle of the wing creates an area of lower air pressure above the wing and higher pressure beneath. Combine this with enough thrust to overcome gravity and you have the lift required for the plane to take off. However, a theologian from the Middle Ages might simply say that “the angels lift the plane.” In a certain sense both explanations are correct. If God sustains all of creation, and if He mediates His actions through the angels, it is not incorrect to say that “the angels lift the plane,” just as they serve God in all His creation. The theologian speaks to the metaphysical while the physicist speaks to the physical/material. The physicist speaks to efficient causality while the theologian speaks to final causality.

Yet there are many today, even among believers, who scoff at ascribing so much (or anything at all) to angels. To them one must point out that physics and mechanics alone cannot fully answer the legitimate questions that arise as we watch the plane take off into the sky. Science is good at answering mechanical questions and quantifying things such as force and lift, but it is not able to answer deeper questions such as why, from what, or for what ultimate reason things exist. Why are things the way they are and not some other way? Where does the order and intelligibility of the material world come from? How is the world sustained in a steady-enough state that we can interact with it reliably and depend upon its laws and order? In fact, why is there anything at all?

There are deeper realities to things than the mere mechanics. And many of the mechanics are not even fully explained or understood. Science, despite the use of numbers and formulas, still has not pierced all the physical mysteries of the plane’s vertical rise.

Perhaps the deepest mystery at the physical level is gravity. We can quantify this force, but its presence in the physical order is mysterious and even counterintuitive. Why do objects attract one another? And how does this attractive force work? Are there invisible strings that pull us toward the earth or other large bodies? What is it about gravity that affects time, as it seems that it does? There are not definitive answers. That gravity exists and can be measured is clear, but precisely what it is and how it works exactly is not clear.

Perhaps one day we will uncover gravity’s secrets, but this still does not satisfy our legitimate metaphysical questions. Simply scoffing at or being dismissive of the ministry and existence of angels (or demons, for that matter) does not do away with our questions. The existence of order, intelligibility, and predictability presents questions that cannot be sidestepped. Who or what ordered creation so that we can discover its order and its laws? If creation can speak to our intelligence by its intelligibility, what intelligence introduced it there to be discovered? If creation moves from simplicity to complexity (in seeming violation of the usual entropy of physical things), how do we explain this?

It will be granted that simply saying “the angels do this” amounts to a kind of “God of the gaps” argument (wherein every unknown thing is simply ascribed to God), but utterly dismissing the role of the angels (and ultimately the role of God) is to fall into the opposite error of scientism, which says that everything can and must be explained as merely the result of physical and mechanical causes. This cannot explain why things exist at all, nor can it speak to metaphysical concepts that are real but nonphysical such as justice, beauty, infinite longing, or our sense of good and evil.

God interacts with his creation. It is revealed to us that He does this most often, if not exclusively, through His angels. This is not to deny that the material order has observed laws and that chains of material causalities that can be measured and observed. The theological world would remind us to reverence all the orders of creation: physical and metaphysical, material and spiritual.

Blessed be God, who created all things through His Word, his Son Jesus, who holds all creation together in Himself (Col 1:17). Blessed, too, be the angels, who mediate God’s interaction with His creation and are His ministers. Blessed also is the created world, all that is in it from the tiniest parts of atoms to the greatest galaxies. Yes, blessed be God, all His angels and saints, and all that He has ordered and sustained. Blessed are we, who by God’s gift of our intellect, can observe and understand the beauty, order, and laws of God’s creation.

May you, O Lord keep us humble, and fill us with wonder and awe. Help us remember that Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Cor 8:1). Thank you for your angels. Keep us mindful that although they are hidden from our eyes, myriad angels mediate your presence to this world and are at work all about us in your creation and unto your highest heavens. May Raphael and all the angels witness to our prayers and actions before you and may they bring your graces to us swiftly. May the angels one day lead us to paradise.