Posted on 08/14/2007 8:35:54 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Catholic ping!
Obviously I am baffled. I read his book on it many years ago, but I could not comprehend his concept.
Anyone who responds: please do in simple terms... :o)
I have an explanation in a book, but it’s at home, and I’m at work, so I’ll try to post that later tonight.
As part of a penance earlier this year, I had to read either the Book of Sirach or a book on the life of a saint. I picked St. Maximilian Kolbe. The book was primarily made up of other people’s recollections of him and his life. It made a huge impact on me and I made sure to attend Mass for his feast day today.
A great man and a great saint.
Yea!
We are members of Malitia Immaculata.
King Vanity and I attended two consecutive teen summer camps here in Oregon when he was a teen.
Greatest Catholic Nuns/Fathers and Families we have ever met.
Sister Ann is a very special person in our hearts.
They were so good at teaching the teens about Mass and respecting the traditions of the Mass.
Many wonderful memories of those two summers.
We yearly resubmit in Prayer our commitment.
Interesting. First I’ve heard of it. I’ve noticed when saints achieve a certain level of mystical development their terminology gets difficult to understand or even a little out there.
I’ll have to think about this. Maybe St. MK is referring to the nature of God’s uncreated purity?
"Additionally, he calls the Holy Spirit the Uncreated, Eternal Immaculate Conception, who is "conceived" from the love that flows eternally between the Father and the Son; a love so perfect that it is personified. Kolbe explains:
Everything that exists, outside of God himself, since it is from God and depends upon him in every way, bears within itself some semblance to its Creator . . . because every created thing is an effect of the Primal Cause.. . ."It is true that the words we use to speak of created realities express the divine perfections only in a halting, limited and analogical manner. They are only a more or less distant echo — as are created realities that they signify — of the properties of God himself.
Would not "conception" be an exception to this rule? No, there is never any exception . . .
And who is the Holy Spirit? The flowering of the love of the Father and the Son. If the fruit of created love is a created conception, then the fruit of divine Love, that prototype of all created love, is necessarily a divine "conception." The Holy Spirit is, therefore, the "uncreated, eternal conception," the prototype of all the conceptions that multiply life throughout the whole universe.
There's rather a long piece at the site!
Maybe I shouldn't say anything. Whenever there's a discussion on the Trinity, I feel I should be on my knees (or on my face).
Only thing I can kinda sorta make out, is that St. Maximilian is struggling to make a distinction between the way the Second Person (Word) and the Third Person (Spirit) flow from the Father. The Word is begotten of the Father. Period. The Spirit, "Who proceeds from the Father and the Son" proceeds from them both: therefore he calls it "Conception" (to distinguish it from "being Begotten"?)
There I leave the discussion, because it's inevitable I would fall into some error of human analogy. Enough. I'm so out of my depth.
It is true that the words we use to speak of created realities express the divine perfections only in a halting, limited and analogical manner.
This is so true. It's a problem all the mystics faced and why they were and are often misunderstood.
Mrs. D is right though. At this level the experience is so intense the concepts fly right over people's heads, including mine!
Oops. Meant to ping you to #13.
I agree. I kind of see the point, in a vaguely comprehended way, but I sure don’t GET it :-).
The name of St. Maximillian's dedicated group is called "Militia Immaculata."
Poland: Auschwitz martyr Kolbe remembered
The Man Who Stepped Out of Line (St. Maximilian Kolbe and Christian Masculinity)
St. Maximilian Kolbe VOLUNTEERED To Be Starved To Death; Terri Schiavo Did NOT
St Maximilian Kolbe-Priest, Martyr, Saint
August 14 - Memorial, St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
This is how it was taught to me:
God is love.
Love’s own way is to completely pour Himself out to total expense, and in so doing Love begets His own Image who in turn is also completely and totally Love.
As Love poured Himself out into His Son, His Son who is Love pours Himself out entirely until He is completely spent, and act of love that is entirely directed to the Father who is the Origin of Love.
This action/word in Hebrew ‘dabar’ or ‘davar’ of Love pouring Himself out and then the Perfect Image pouring Himself back out toward Love the Father spirates the ‘divine conception’ of the Holy Spirit who likewise is completely Love.
All of this takes place in the eternal Now of God’s time and is a spontaneous act of love by Love Himself that then continues calling into existence all that is and all that ever shall be.
Excellent explanation. I think we forget that God’s time is timeless because we only know past, present and future.
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