Posted on 04/23/2011 1:27:26 PM PDT by NYer
Where is Christ after he dies on Friday afternoon and before he rises on Easter Sunday? Both Scripture and Tradition answer this question. Consider the following from a Second Century Sermon and also a mediation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
An Ancient Sermon:
Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him – He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . “I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.” [From an Ancient Holy Saturday Homily ca 2nd Century]
Nothing could be more beautiful than that line addressed to Adam and Eve: I am your God, who, for your sake, became your Son.”
Scripture also testifies to Christ’s descent to the dead and what he did: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison….For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. (1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:6).
Consider also this from the Catechism on Christ’s descent to the dead, which I summarize and excerpt from CCC # 631-635
[The] first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ’s descent into hell [is] that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.
But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there [1 Peter 3:18-19; 1 Peter 4:6; Heb. 13:20]. Scripture calls [this] abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” – Sheol in Hebrew, or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God [1 Peter 3:18-19].
Such [was] the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they awaited the Redeemer: It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior …whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.”[cf Psalms 89:49; 1 Sam. 28:19; Ezek 32:17ff; Luke 16:22-26]
Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
[So] the gospel was preached even to the dead. The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”[1 Peter 4:6] Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying, destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” [John 5:25; Mt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9].
Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”[Heb 2:14-15; Acts 3:15]
Yep.
You keep trying to pick A fight, stop it.
Delph
We know that the soldiers went around breaking the legs of those crucified because it was the evening of the "preparation day". See:
John 19:39-42 (New International Reader's Version)
Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought some mixed spices, about 75 pounds. The two men took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, along with the spices. That was the way the Jews buried people's bodies.
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. A new tomb was there. No one had ever been put in it before. That day was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was nearby. So they placed Jesus there.
There was always a day of preparation prior to a Sabbath. This was because travel was not allowed on the Sabbath. So if the next day (Thursday) was the extra Sabbath due to Passover it would have been necessary to not have to be burying someone on that day. That is why it was expedient for Jesus to hurriedly be buried on Wednesday evening so that preparation for the Sabbath could be done. That takes care of Thursday, then Friday was a normal Preparation Day for the Saturday sabbath. That is why the women could not return to the tomb until Sunday. Good discussion, thanks.
Now you are going to slander dead people to try to pick a fight, this is pathetic.
Let me make this clear, I will not have a debate on a Catholic thread about Mormonism.
I hate it when people post about one thing and the thread becomes about another, and I won't do it.
I was there, I was not mocking, criticizing or in any way being disruptive. I tried to the best of my ability to fit in, which apparently I did a bit to well.
JFTR, I had the option of partaking in the communion since they thought I was Catholic, but I did not because that would have been disrespectful!
I have the highest respect for anyone who actually lives their religion. I would rather be friends with a non Mormon who lived his religion, than with a Mormon who did not and they could be doing the exact same things.
Nana, Your continued attempts to start a brawl on what should be a thread you hold sacred on a day you should hold sacred reveal you; and it's not pretty.
I will not debate Mormonism on a Catholic thread. If you really are a Catholic, you should be grateful that I feel that way.
Delph
I hate it when people post about one thing and the thread becomes about another, and I won’t do it.
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ROFLMBO
Not picking a fight.
I do have a question however. How were you able to attend for a year?
When my son in law preached for the first time, I asked my lds aunt and uncle to come hear. My uncle told me he needed permission from his bishop to attend another church, it was not granted.
Really? Didn't the Jews at that time count sundown as the beginning of the next day? I'm sure if I'm mistaken about it, someone will correct me. Thanks for that.
I always forgot to have some change for when they passed the plate. The last time I went, I gave my uncle a $50 and told him it was for all the times he'd put a couple of bucks in for me... He put it in the plate, LOL!
Thanks for reminding me of that, he died of Lou Gehrig's Disease a few years back, I miss him.
Delph
Uh...,
Lightplanet makes SURE that IT has a big disclaimer on it’s website stating that it does NOT speak for the MORMON Religious Organization, Inc.
SVCW: My uncle told me he needed permission from his bishop to attend another church, it was not granted.
Deafi: I have never heard of such a thing,
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Well mormons get pretty angry if someone invites them to a Christian church
a mormon I worked with years ago was invited to church by a friend of mine...
The mormon was so mad at being asked that she destroyed my belongings, talked ugly behind my back to our coworkers and turned themn against me and demanded that our bosses fire me..
But isnt it amazing how when God will use the evil people intend for us for our good ???
The mormon was proslytizing heavily to our Methodist bosses...
giving them all kinds of books pamplets and info that even Hinckley didnt know was taught by the mormons...
It was all out there
When I wasnt fired and the bosses wouldnt recant their belief in the LORD Jesus Christ for Joey Smith and his mormon god,...
the morm on left in a huff...
My boss showed me all the books etc and told me about mormonism
and begged me never to join the cult...
I assured her I wouldnt...
and thats how I learned of Joey Smith and his adultery and mormonism the cult 43 years ago...
and the difference between Christianity and mormonism
and the lack of similiarities thereof...
Just because an angry nasty mormon was invited to attend a Christian Church...
Its a good thing for my friend that the mormon was not a Moslem...
With that amount of vengeful hatred and anger she and I would have been beheaded...
Did you folks know that the LDS religious Organization, based in Salt Lake City, has an 80 acre vineyard?
You'd think that the CHURCH's vineyard could supply GRAPES for the 'communion' services it has, but, alas, it is decreed that WATER must be used instead.
Check it out!
http://lds.org/church/news/raisins-part-of-the-lords-work?lang=eng
You should HEAR some of the things I'VE been told about MORMON 'beliefs'!!
And from MORMONs; too!
The 'official' MORMON writings tend to say things a LOT different than most MORMONs 'claim' to believe.
My problem, you ask?
It is this:
Believe what I am 'told',
or,
believe what I read?
JFTR this is from memory Hail Mary Full of grace pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death...
I don't have photo evidence, never thought I'd need any. I attended, other friends of mine from church attended different churches, I've been to Buddhist marriages, funerals, Mormon marriages and funerals, A baptist marriage, and a couple of Methodist funerals. I have never asked permission, nor had a bit of trouble when I talked about it in church. I have had other Mormons, now that I live in Utah, be amazed that I was OK after going, they thought I would get lynched or something.
Whether or not you believe I am a Christian, we are all God's children and should treat each other as such.
Delph
Oh?
Did this ONE priest speak for the RCC?
I'd would then like to know WHY these 'judged' folks have to slip back into their grave rotted bodies, to arise and meet Him in the air at the last trump?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
O... K...
1 Corinthians 4:1-4
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you?
What do you have that you did not receive?
If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Of COURSE not!
MORMONisn has made what IT thinks about Catholism QUITE plain!
(And you ARE a 'good' mormon; aren't you? Not one to be QUESTIONING what the POWERS have already decided; are you? Can't have that Spirit of APOSTACY lurking about; bedeviling you...)
Perhaps, while waiting, you could shed some light on something that Joseph Smith claimed to have 'learned':
"Mother; I have learned for myself that PRESBYTERIANism is UNTRUE."
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