Posted on 08/27/2010 11:45:13 AM PDT by Hank Kerchief
This Scripture is so widely misunderstood. God knows the hearts of those who grandstand in their works and those who do not. This Scripture does not pertain to those who are humble and do many works of unconditional love that is seen by others.
Works of charity are almost always going to be seen by fellow man .It’s what is in the heart of those doing for others that matters.These can be SELFLESS OR SELFISH
What’s even worse is the people who misunderstand this and do nothing when they see a poor beggar on the street and say to themselves ....”Works mean nothing” and teach the same things to their children. This is true coldness of hearts toward fellow man
“As a person who said she was raised Catholic, you must have heard the explanation for the ashes. If you choose, in spite of that, and in spite of reading the truth here, to condemn some for receiving and wearing ashes, that’s no one’s problem except yours.”
Amen.
Fasting and mourning, as in getting ashes, are not works of charity.
Completely agree! It is ALL about motive. Do you do works of rightousness out of love for God and your fellow man or to gain recognition and praise? Like Scripture says, if your goal is the praise of man, you have your reward already just don't expect it from the Lord, too.
In much the same way, what is our intent of good works in our salvation? Do we do them to somehow earn or merit what Christ has already paid the price for or do we do them out of gratitude and love for the unspeakable gift he has provided? It is still the motive.
It is indeed interesting that you would introduce homosexuality to this discussion. The demands that the Catholic Church accept homosexual marriage is not unlike the clamor for acceptance by ex and anti-Catholics. Rather than go about your business and simply ignore the Church there is an in your face insistence that the Church not only acknowledge your existence but a rude demand that we accept and even bless your abhorrence. It is apparent that in this regard it isn't the Church that is the cry baby.
Thanks for your reply.
How do you conceptualize something “infinite and invisible”?
Also, if God is without passions, what do you make of God “hating” or experiencing “wrath”?
I. There is but one only,[1] living, and true God,[2] who is infinite in being and perfection,[3] a most pure spirit,[4] invisible,[5] without body, parts,[6] or passions;[7]...
It is an orthodox definition of God, no doubt, except that God does have a body, the body of Jesus Christ assumed to heaven.
I was thanking Dr. E for the refreence; not agreeing with her conclusion.
I have never actually met a faithful practicing Catholic who expressed in any way the idea that he or she was trying to "be good enough" to earn heaven. I've heard a lot of former Catholics say in hindsight that's what they thought was going on and I hear it on the local radio all the time from (generally) Baptist preachers... and I wonder what these people are smoking... and if they're willing to share.
In every Mass I have ever attended this is said:
"To us sinners also, Your servants, trusting in the greatness of Your mercy, deign to grant some part and fellowship with Your Holy Apostles and Martyrs with John Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and all Your Saints. Into their company we implore You to admit us, not weighing our merits, but freely granting us pardon. Through Christ our Lord."
From the online Catholic Encyclopedia:
Christian faith teaches us that the Incarnate Son of God by His death on the cross has in our stead fully satisfied God's anger at our sins, and thereby effected a reconciliation between the world and its Creator. Not, however, as though nothing were now left to be done by man, or as though he were now restored to the state of original innocence, whether he wills it or not; on the contrary, God and Christ demand of him that he make the fruits of the Sacrifice of the Cross his own by personal exertion and co-operation with grace, by justifying faith and the reception of baptism. It is a defined article of the Catholic Faith that man before, in, and after justification derives his whole capability of meriting and satisfying, as well as his actual merits and satisfactions, solely from the infinite treasure of merits which Christ gained for us on the Cross (cf. Council of Trent, Sess. VI, cap. xvi; Sess. XIV, cap. viii).
Before you freak out (from the same article):
the Church proclaims to all her children that pure love of God is the first and supreme commandment (cf. Mark 12:30). It is our highest ideal to act out of love. For he who truly loves God would keep His commandments, even though there were no eternal reward in the next life. Nevertheless, the desire for heaven is a necessary and natural consequence of the perfect love of God; for heaven is only the perfect possession of God by love. As a true friend desires to see his friend without thereby sinking into egotism so does the loving soul ardently desire the Beatific Vision, not from a craving for reward, but out of pure love.
I don't want to quote the entire article... but:
Hence the Church urges her children to forming each morning the "good intention", that they may thereby sanctify the whole day and make even the indifferent actions of their exterior life serve for the glory of God; "all for the greater glory of God", is the constant prayer of the faithful Catholic. Not only does the moral teaching of the Catholic Church attribute no moral value whatever to the mere external performance of good works without a corresponding good intention, but it detests such performance as hypocrisy and pretence. On the other hand, our good Intention, provided it be genuine and deep-rooted, naturally spurs us on to external works, and without these works it would be reduced to a mere semblance of life.
There's a lot more to it, after or before reading the entire (and it's very long) article on merit you'd need to read the entry for redemption.
Thank you so much for this post.
This is a totally rediculous statement. Are you serious? Have you any person(s) in mind?
It is neither interesting nor unexpected that you chose to "misinterpret" the gratuitous use of the word "hater" in context.
This total misdirection is to be expected as a standard practice of the "anything goes" demagogue and his followers.
“”I was thanking Dr. E for the refreence; not agreeing with her conclusion. “”
My apologies for how it may have come across,my intent was to show a deeper perspective from Rev. Kolodiejchuk than Dr E’s snippets .
It is my opinion that those who love so deeply like Mother Teresa going beyond herself to reach out to the worst of human suffering think so little of their SELVES they don’t even feel worthy of God’s presence.Thus,showing humility to the deepest form selfless love.
We should also remember that Mother Teresa was obedient to her faith in attending Mass,Confession and daily Adoration etc..
Very good posts from both of you
Perhaps later. I'm slave to wife and paint brush today.LOL!
That's fine with me. My duty this afternoon is to watch the Patriots at 1PM. (3 minutes from now.)
I should have anticipated the hissy fit from you on that comparison.
I don't know anyone who teaches that *Works mean nothing* and bypasses someone in need.
Works mean a great deal, but only in the proper context. They are not and never were, the means for earning salvation. That's not what they're for and it's an inappropriate use for them. They are meant to show the love of God to others to reach them for Him.
The warning in those verses is that we not do our works of righteousness to be seen by men as that is our reward. Showing off signs of repentance and mourning to be seen by men invalidates them, as well, but those are not works of chartiy, like feeding the hungry and clothing the poor.
Even those works can be done with as little fanfare as possible. It's impossible to keep all that secret, but most of it can be done stealthily.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.