Why did God dress Adam and Eve?

Teachings of Our Lady of Fatima

Would that the clothes people wear in our own day had even a touch of the modesty, the respect for human dignity, displayed by those worn by the village women of those days! It will be good for us to recall here what Sacred Scripture has to say on this subject: “Yahweh God made clothes out of the skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on.” (Gen. 3, 21). Read it here

The Doctrine of the Triune God

As taught by the words of the angelic Trisagion:
Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty, Heaven
and earth are full of thy Glory. 

This is a much closer image that would explain the Holy Trinity (Triune God) of course these images are for clarity. In the middle is Almighty God the Father, the symbol of strength, honour and authority and the source of all existence in Heaven and on earth.

To His right side is His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, notice the scars on His hands and feet and the image of the lamb on His garb on the chest. He is eternally begotten from the Eternal Father alone (Acts 13:33; Psalm 2:7; Hebrews 1:5; Hebrews 5:5) “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee”. The Son looks up to His Father from whom He learns all things as He sees Him do and as He hears Him speak. The Son is the Word of Almighty God who descended to earth to be a man (Son of Man) so He could redeem humanity from the fall of Eden. The Son is not the Father and the Father is not the Son but they are co-eternal and the Son begotten from the Eternal Father and thus the Son is eternal. The Father and The Son are Love (not that they have love but that they are Love Himself), of one substance and one in being.

The Father and the Son are bonded by Love that binds Love to Love and thus have a divine indwelling of substance, that they become a third person, The Holy Spirit. This is the mystery of the Divine circumincession as mirrored in God’s creation of marital love where a man marries a wife, the two brought together in love become one flesh manifested nine months later as a complete copy of themselves, a person like them.

The Holy Spirit (on the left of the Eternal Father in the picture) looks to the Father through the Son. Notice the utmost humility and obedience of the Holy Spirit as He looks to the Son to the Father. It is He who brings life to all created beings for in Him is the Life imparted by the Father and the Son. He proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is why Jesus Christ says the sins against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven in this world or the next, such as rejecting the divine revelation that guides Holy Mother Church in her teaching. Jesus Christ entrusted the Church under St Peter (the first pope) to the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who guides Tradition unaltered through the ages because He is in all places (omnipresent) at all times (co-eternal with the Eternal Father). This is why we celebrate the Church’s birthday on Pentecost Sunday, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and on the Blessed Virgin Mary seating in their midst.

In St Athanasius’ creed he says,

The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord

Spiritual direction

St Teresa of Avila though saintly in herself chose St John
of the Cross as her spiritual director

Almighty God orders our lives with the sole goal of reaching Him who is our ultimate end. He has a unique name for each one of us from the foundation of the world, in that name is bound up our role in life. No one of us is reproducible and each one is so richly endowed with supernatural uniqueness that only an eternal God can fathom.

In this journey to Him, we travel along unique roads and no one can fit into another shoes. Our very nature and strengths speak to these roles and what is required of us is to accept what we are here for. These roles define our individuality which when put together work together to build up the body of Christ, the Church. Even to those who turn away from Him He still honours their individuality with the opportunity to shine a message even in their twisted view of life and its purpose. For God so loved the world that He gave us His one and only son to be the bridge from a sinful world to where we ought to be.

In the Lord of the rings, only Frodo could carry the ring to Mordo, however, he could only do so after making a free choice at the council of Elrond. It this free choice that shaped up his character and brought out who he really was. However, not only Frodo had a unique role; Sam had to be the brave and stalwart that ensured that the ring reached its destruction, also Sam could only assume his proper role after he was tasked to do so by Gandalf and he accepted. Sometimes our roles are appear to be decided and shaped in response to a need to which only we can satisfy, and the push seems to come from those around us.

The journey to Almighty God is not a lonely one and cannot be shaped by one person. It takes friends to help us accomplish these roles and in so doing we build lasting fellowships that strengthen us on the way to become who we were designed to be. In this journey when the time of adversity comes and our time of testing dawns one never sees the bigger picture. All we see around us is darkness, not that Almighty God casts in darkness but just as our eyes are blinded by a brilliant light when it is suddenly shined upon us, so also the eyes of the soul is blinded by the brilliance of God who carries us in such times. It is during these times of trial and difficulty that we are granted the opportunity to truly shine, if we hold on with filial trust. In May 2011 Pope Benedict XVI said that anyone who wants to live his or her baptism responsibly should have a spiritual director. This is the tradition of the Church and can be see in the teachings of the saints throughout the ages. St Teresa of Avila is on record as having said “The person who has himself as a spiritual director has a fool for a director” and this is echoed by St Bernard who said whoever constitutes himself his own guide, becomes a disciple of a fool. This is because not even opening the Bible will help us in the dark night of the soul.

It takes a person outside of ourselves with knowledge of the mystical ways of the Lord (St John of the Cross) to see the hand of Almighty God in our lives at those times. Just as a spectator in a game of chess would see our way clear so also others can see what is happening to us with a better sense of clarity than ourselves. St Claire and St Augustine once taught that ‘find for yourselves models of spirituality that are holy and worthy to direct you’ [paraphrasing]; not every priest can be a spiritual director, in fact not only clerics or nuns can fit this profile but those whose who enter the house of the Lord with reverence (St Augustine). A spiritual director does not need to tell you how to live but rather discern from your experiences and state of being the best advise to give you.

Just as in the Lord of the rings Frodo needed Sam, and Gandalf needed Aragorn as much as Aragorn needed Gandalf and Aragorn needed Lord Elrond to discern the way forward under the circumstances so too are we called to walk in unison with others more schooled in the ways of the Lord. Every Christian needs a spiritual director, not their confessor but a guide in times of trial as well as in times of spiritual prosperity.

One preacher once said that the difference priestly ordination and baptism is the anointing of the hands all receive the same anointing of the head. Baptism thus puts a mark on our heads that marks us as enemies of the devil and his camp. We are at war even if we believe this or not, the attacks of the devil do not cease just because we are Christian and we pray to God. In fact they intensify, the fight is against God and anyone that dares to go to God’s side becomes the devil’s sworn enemy. This means even in prayer we are tempted and we are more in danger when we are holy for then we begin to be spiritually proud and to judge others. The devil knows the Bible more than we do and he can confound us with verses that seem to support our way of thought whenever we lower our guard.

All the baptised are called to holiness and to be great saints and responding to this call does not require great acts but rather careful and guided small steps. It takes a great act of humility to realise that we need help in our journey to God. St Augustine said “Thou hast made us to journey towards thee O God and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee”.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Shrine of Our Lady of Knock; Consecration in the Traditional Latin Mass

It is, the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven. It came forth out of the grand mind of the Church and lifted us out of the earth and out of self, and wrapped us round in a cloud of mystical sweetness and the sublimities of a more than angelic liturgy, and purified us almost without ourselves, and charmed us with celestial charming so that our very senses seemed to find vision, hearing, fragrance, taste and touch more than ear can give. (Father Frederick Faber)

What we call ‘The Mass’ is in fact called ‘The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass’ and has been understood as such from first century Christendom. In the Mass, we enter into the Heavenly worship, in the presence of Almighty God and His Son Jesus, the lamb appearing as if slain (Rev 5:6). The image of the lamb standing on the altar appeared in the apparition of Our Lady of Knock on August 21, 1779 in Ireland. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus Christ is both the High Priest offering the sacrifice and the sacrifice being offered. St Paul’s letter to the Hebrews chapter 7 explains the idea of Jesus as High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The Real Presence

So what is the Mass and what is actually happening there? We are told by the witness of the apostles that on Holy Thursday, Jesus made the astounding pronouncements ever uttered by human lips “This is my Body, which is given for you” (Luke 22:19). He did this showing to the twelve a broken piece of bread. He said of the wine “This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The first testament/ covenant between God and His people had been held about 1400 years before, where a lamb was slain, the blood was used to mark the doorposts and the meat was eaten. At the second Passover, the man Jesus announced that indeed he was the replacement of this Passover lamb. As St Paul says in Hebrews 9:22 - 28, Jesus Christ as the High Priest offered once this everlasting sacrifice in His own blood, after which He entered Heaven (the holy of Holies not made by human hands) and while there He offers sacrifices.

The Catholic Mass, does not purport to sacrifice Jesus over and over, but rather it is a re-presentation in an ‘unbloody’ manner of the one and only sacrifice of Calvary. The Catholic Mass is a sacrifice primarily and a banquet of the lamb to which we are invited. This is why there is a Priest, not a pastor and an Altar not a table. In Exodus 20:24-26, Almighty God defines the use of the altar as a place to offer holocausts to God. The Catholic encyclopaedia^[i] describes the term Priest to mean a (male) person called to the immediate service of the Deity and authorized to hold public worship, especially to offer sacrifices. This is why it is not so important for a Catholic priest to be very good at public speaking or to talk as to move the hearts, his role is to open the gate of Heaven so the faithful may join together with the angels and the saints in the work of adoring God. St Padre Pio set a record as one who rarely gave homilies, but his Mass offerings moved the hearts of all who came to San Giovanni Rotondo.

The Mass as a sacrifice has been replaced in our day with the idea of a meal. The reverence once offered to God in Catholic Churches has all but gone and its place has been taken by irreverent noises before, during and after. The solemnity that once characterised the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is now replaced by the idea of a community gathering where parishioners wear anything from beach shots and T-shirts to the most outrageous skimpy outfits. It is fitting at this point to remind each other of the words of Our Lady of Fatima that many styles and fashions will be introduced which gravely offend God. At the time this was said people did not understand, many still wore jackets to Mass and women dressed in modesty and covered their heads.

I believe all the faithful have a duty to remind each other of the simple things we can do to bring back the reverence to the House of the Lord. Such things as refusing to chat at Mass, receiving on the tongue, wearing modest clothing and perhaps a little reminder to others. True, this will make you unpopular and you will be regarded as ‘not a nice person’ but then again as members of the Church devoted to the Sacred Heart, we are called to a deeper union with the bleeding heart of the Beloved Saviour and He never promised that all will ‘like’ you for such things.

[i] http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

Calling all members of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Africa

St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle and inflame our hearts to true faith

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the change that has raised it's ugly head in our beautiful liturgy. Much of what once was has been lost, those who are active in the Church in this day have not been taught and so they treat the Church as a giant social welfare and a weekend social gathering.

To all those who still hold onto the faith of the Church as taught by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and who still listen to the words of Our Blessed Mother Mary, this is the time to come out and re-teach the faith. This site is set to be a reminder of the beauty of the Faith and as a call back to reverence in the House of God.

I will try to bring Church teachings drawing from years of Catholic Theology and thought, all those with Catholic Answers to share are welcome to contribute. Only African Christians can define inculturation as intended at the second Vatican Council and we will draw on the teachings of the Catholic Magisterium to do this.

Please help with prayers and content and may the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ make our efforts at evangelisation a success in calling people to their faith and more to fight for the souls of those who hang in the balance.