Monday Night at the Movies
Stijn Coninx, Daens, 1992
ST. JOSE ESCRIVA-GET OFF DRUGS DAY-CANOE DAY
1 The Israelites did
what was evil in the sight of the LORD, who therefore delivered them into the
power of Midian for seven years,
2
so that Midian held
Israel subject. From FEAR of Midian
the Israelites made dens in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds.
Even
though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
One
does wonder; what was the evil that the Israelites did in the sight of the
Lord?
Answer:
Baal was the
name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice
of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges
(Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings
16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). The word baal
means “lord”; the plural is baalim. In general, Baal was a fertility god
who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce
children. Different regions worshiped Baal in different ways, and Baal proved
to be a highly adaptable god. Various locales emphasized one or another of his
attributes and developed special “denominations” of Baalism. Baal of Peor
(Numbers 25:3) and Baal-Berith (Judges 8:33) are two examples of such localized
deities.
According
to Canaanite mythology, Baal was the son of El, the chief god, and Asherah, the
goddess of the sea. Baal was considered the most powerful of all gods,
eclipsing El, who was seen as rather weak and ineffective. In various battles
Baal defeated Yamm, the god of the sea, and Mot, the god of death and the underworld.
Baal’s sisters/consorts were Ashtoreth, a fertility goddess associated with the
stars, and Anath, a goddess of love and war. The Canaanites worshiped Baal as
the sun god and as the storm god—he is usually depicted holding a lightning
bolt—who defeated enemies and produced crops. They also worshiped him as a
fertility god who provided children. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and
involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. At times, appeasing Baal
required human sacrifice, usually the firstborn of the one making the sacrifice
(Jeremiah 19:5). The priests of Baal appealed to their god in rites of wild
abandon which included loud, ecstatic cries and self-inflicted injury (1 Kings
18:28).[1]
St.
Josemaria Escriva[2] was born in 1902 at Barbastro
Spain. He was ordained in Saragossa in 1925 and by divine inspiration founded
Opus Dei which opened a new way for the faithful to sanctify themselves in the
midst of the world. He died on June 26, 1975 and was canonized a saint on
October 6, 2002.
Things to Do:
·
Read
a longer biography of St. Josemaria and at Anastpaul
·
Visit
this site to find St. Josemaria Escriva's
writings
·
View
this video on St. Josemaria Escriva at YouTube
· Visit Opus Dei's official US website.
Opus Dei[3]
Work, family life, and the
ordinary events of each day are opportunities for drawing close to Christ and making
Him known to others. As the Second Vatican Council taught, every baptized
person is called to follow Christ closely, by living according to the Gospel
and making its teachings known to others. The aim of Opus Dei is to contribute
to that evangelizing mission of the Church, by fostering among Christians of
all social classes a life fully consistent with their faith, in the middle of
the ordinary circumstances of their lives and especially through the
sanctification of their work. The following are some of the main features of
the spirit of Opus Dei:
·
“Divine filiation is the foundation of
the spirit of Opus Dei,” said its founder, Saint Josemaría Escrivá. A Christian
is a child of God by virtue of baptism. Thus, the formation provided by the
Prelature seeks to foster among the Christian faithful a deep awareness of
their being children of God and helps them act accordingly. It fosters
confidence in divine providence, simplicity in their dialogue with God, a deep
awareness of the dignity of each human being and of the need for fraternity
among all people, a truly Christian love for the world and for all human
realities created by God, and a sense of calm and optimism.
·
Ordinary life. “It is in the midst of the most
material things of the earth that we must
sanctify ourselves, serving God and all mankind,” said Saint Josemaría. The
family, marriage, work – all of our activities – are opportunities for drawing
close to and imitating Jesus, trying to practice charity, patience, humility,
diligence, integrity, cheerfulness, and all the other human and Christian
virtues.
·
Sanctifying work means to work with the spirit of
Christ, to work competently and ethically, with the aim of loving God and
serving others, and thus to sanctify the world from within, making the Gospel
present in all activities whether they be outstanding or humble and hidden. In
the eyes of God what matters is the love that is put into work, not its human
success.
·
Prayer and sacrifice. The formation given by Opus Dei
encourages prayer and sacrifice in order to sustain the effort to sanctify
one’s ordinary occupations. Thus, members strive to incorporate into their life’s
certain practices of Christian piety, such as prayer, daily Mass, sacramental
confession, and reading and meditating on the Gospel. Devotion to our Lady
occupies an important place in their
hearts. Also, in striving to imitate Christ, they try to acquire a spirit of
penance by offering up small sacrifices, particularly those that help them
fulfill their duties faithfully and make life more pleasant for others, such as
renouncing small pleasures, fasting, almsgiving, etc.
·
Unity of life. Saint Josemaría explained that
Christians working in the world should not live “a kind of double life. On the
one hand, an interior life, a life of union with God; and on the other, a
separate and distinct professional, social and family life.” On the contrary:
“There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is this life which
has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled with God.”
·
Freedom. The members of Opus Dei are
ordinary citizens who enjoy the same rights and are subject to the same
obligations as any other citizen. In their professional, family, political,
financial or cultural activities, they act with freedom and personal
responsibility, not involving the Church or Opus Dei in their decisions, nor
presenting those decisions as the only Catholic solutions. This implies
respecting the freedom and the opinions of others.
·
Charity. To meet Christ is to find a
treasure that one cannot stop sharing. Christians are witnesses to Jesus and
spread his message of hope among their companions, with their example and their
words. “Side by side with our colleagues, friends and relatives and sharing
their interests, we can help them come closer to Christ,” wrote Saint
Josemaría. The wish to make others know Christ, which is a direct consequence
of charity (that is, love of God above all things and of one’s neighbor as oneself),
cannot be separated from the desire to contribute to finding solutions to the
material needs and social problems of one’s surroundings.
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking[4]
Today serves to draw awareness to the need for action and cooperation in order to achieve a drug-free world. Illicit drugs and their trafficking pose a large health threat to humanity. Drug problems and dependencies put a great deal of pressure on health care systems and constitute a threat to the safety and well-being of humans all around the globe. Long-term drug abuse has been linked to poor general health, contraction of diseases through needle sharing, trouble with the law, poor self-hygiene and alienation from loved ones, psychological illnesses and death from overdose. In December 1987, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was designated by the United Nations. It is celebrated annually on June 26, a symbolic day that commemorates the dismantling of the opium trade in Guangdong. The day also serves as an opportunity for Member Nations to reaffirm their support for UN Conventions that attempt to control the world's drug supply.
Facts & Quotes
·
The
UN estimates that in 2007, the value of the illegal drug trade is 322 billion
dollars per year.
·
Approximately
51 billion dollars is spent on the war on drugs in the US every year.
·
No
one is immune from addiction; it afflicts people of all ages, races, classes,
and professions. – Patrick J. Kennedy, American democratic politician and
former US representative for Rhode Island.
Top Events and Things to Do
·
Watch
a movie on the perils of the war on drugs on society, government and the
citizens involved. Some suggestions are Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Sicario
(2015), Requiem for a Dream (2000), Christiane F (1981) and Blow (2001).
·
Spread
awareness by using the hashtags #InternationalDayAgainstDrugAbuseandIllicitTrafficking,
#saynotodrugs and #warondrugs on social media.
·
Read
a book on the dangers of drug use and the problems with the war on drugs. Some
suggestions are: Smoke and Mirrors, Chasing the Scream, and Drug Wars.
Canoe
Day[5]
There
is magic in the feel of a paddle and the movement of a canoe, a magic
compounded of distance, adventure, solitude, and peace. Sigurd F. Olson
There
is a special day for just about every hobby nowadays, and canoeing doesn’t miss out on the fun, with its very
own day of aquatic paddling celebration. Canoeing is a fantastic hobby, and
along with being environmentally friendly and relaxing, it is also a great form
of outdoor exercise that’s
suitable for all ages. It is
no surprise that canoeing gets its own day of celebration, with so many fans
around the world. Canoeing is an easy activity to learn, and with some basic
safety gear anyone can hit the water and enjoy this healthy hobby.
The
way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten.
It is an antidote to insecurity, the open door to waterways of ages past, and a
way of life with profound and abiding satisfaction. Sigurd F. Olson
Despite
the huge popularity of paddling a canoe, Canoe Day began in
2007. Since that time, it has become the highlight of every canoe loving fan
each year, and you can find activities in all regions of the world to enjoy
paddling with new friends. Canoes have been part of cultures all over the
world, from the deep South Pacific to the Pacific Northwest of the United
States. Used for commerce and hunting, fishing and recreation, the role they’ve played in the cultures of the
past and in the world of today cannot be understated. Even better, it’s a great way to get healthy and
stay in shape while getting out in to the wild. Going out to sea in a canoe is
another unique experience, one that has you above the water, but right down on
it where you can enjoy visits from critters like otters and seals.
How to Celebrate
Celebrating
Canoe Day is easy! You get out there and become one with your canoe! Explore
the great wide open and find adventure and freedom in the steady rhythm of your
paddles pushing you along. There are places you can’t get with roads or on foot, only
the river will take you there. Get out there and find what the world has to
offer, and come back with a sense of wonder and profound peace in your soul.
When a
man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known. Sigurd F. Olson
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION
OF FAITH
SECTION
TWO-I. THE CREEDS
CHAPTER ONE-I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
Article 1-"I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH"
Paragraph 4. THE CREATOR
279 "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth." Holy Scripture begins with these
solemn words. the profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God
the Father almighty is "Creator of heaven and earth" (Apostles'
Creed), "of all that is, seen and unseen" (Nicene Creed). We shall speak
first of the Creator, then of creation and finally of the fall into sin from
which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to raise us up again.
280 Creation is the foundation of
"all God's saving plans," the "beginning of the history of
salvation" that culminates in Christ. Conversely, the mystery of
Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end
for which "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth":
from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ.
281 And so the readings of the
Easter Vigil, the celebration of the new creation in Christ, begin with the
creation account; likewise in the Byzantine liturgy, the account of creation
always constitutes the first reading at the vigils of the great feasts of the
Lord. According to ancient witnesses the instruction of catechumens for Baptism
followed the same itinerary.
I. CATECHESIS ON CREATION
282 Catechesis on creation is of
major importance. It concerns the very foundations of human and Christian life:
for it makes explicit the response of the Christian faith to the basic question
that men of all times have asked themselves: "Where do we come
from?" "Where are we going?" "What is our origin?"
"What is our end?" "Where does everything that exists come from
and where is it going?" the two questions, the first about the origin and
the second about the end, are inseparable. They are decisive for the meaning
and orientation of our life and actions.
283 The question about the origins
of the world and of man has been the object of many scientific studies which
have splendidly enriched our knowledge of the age and dimensions of the cosmos,
the development of life-forms and the appearance of man. These discoveries
invite us to even greater admiration for the greatness of the Creator,
prompting us to give him thanks for all his works and for the understanding and
wisdom he gives to scholars and researchers. With Solomon they can say:
"It is he who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to know the
structure of the world and the activity of the elements. . . for wisdom, the
fashioner of all things, taught me."
284 The great interest accorded to
these studies is strongly stimulated by a question of another order, which goes
beyond the proper domain of the natural sciences. It is not only a question of
knowing when and how the universe arose physically, or when man appeared, but
rather of discovering the meaning of such an origin: is the universe governed
by chance, blind fate, anonymous necessity, or by a transcendent, intelligent
and good Being called "God"? and if the world does come from God's
wisdom and goodness, why is there evil? Where does it come from? Who is
responsible for it? Is there any liberation from it?
285 Since the beginning the
Christian faith has been challenged by responses to the question of origins
that differ from its own. Ancient religions and cultures produced many myths
concerning origins. Some philosophers have said that everything is God, that
the world is God, or that the development of the world is the development of
God (Pantheism). Others have said that the world is a necessary emanation
arising from God and returning to him. Still others have affirmed the existence
of two eternal principles, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, locked, in
permanent conflict (Dualism, Manichaeism). According to some of these
conceptions, the world (at least the physical world) is evil, the product of a
fall, and is thus to be rejected or left behind (Gnosticism). Some admit that
the world was made by God, but as by a watch-maker who, once he has made a
watch, abandons it to itself (Deism). Finally, others reject any transcendent
origin for the world, but see it as merely the interplay of matter that has
always existed (Materialism). All these attempts bear witness to the permanence
and universality of the question of origins. This inquiry is distinctively
human.
286 Human intelligence is surely
already capable of finding a response to the question of origins. the existence
of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his works, by the light
of human reason, even if this knowledge is often obscured and disfigured
by error. This is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the
correct understanding of this truth: "By faith we understand that the
world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of
things which do not appear."
287 The truth about creation is so
important for all of human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to
his People everything that is salutary to know on the subject. Beyond the
natural knowledge that every man can have of the Creator, God
progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation. He who chose the
patriarchs, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and who by choosing Israel created
and formed it, this same God reveals himself as the One to whom belong all the
peoples of the earth, and the whole earth itself; he is the One who alone
"made heaven and earth".
288 Thus the revelation of creation
is inseparable from the revelation and forging of the covenant of the one God
with his People. Creation is revealed as the first step towards this covenant,
the first and universal witness to God's all-powerful love. and so, the
truth of creation is also expressed with growing vigor in the message of the
prophets, the prayer of the psalms and the liturgy, and in the wisdom sayings
of the Chosen People.
289 Among all the Scriptural texts
about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From
a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. the inspired
authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their
solemn language the truths of creation - its origin and its end in God, its
order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of sin and the
hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the unity of Sacred
Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the
principal source for catechesis on the mysteries of the "beginning":
creation, fall, and promise of salvation.
II. CREATION - WORK OF THE HOLY
TRINITY
290 "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth": three things are affirmed in
these first words of Scripture: the eternal God gave a beginning to all that
exists outside of himself; he alone is Creator (the verb "create" -
Hebrew bara - always has God for its subject). the totality of what exists
(expressed by the formula "the heavens and the earth") depends on the
One who gives it being.
291 "In the beginning was the
Word. . . and the Word was God. . . all things were made through him, and
without him was not anything made that was made." The New Testament
reveals that God created everything by the eternal Word, his beloved Son. In
him "all things were created, in heaven and on earth.. . all things were
created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together." The Church's faith likewise confesses the creative
action of the Holy Spirit, the "giver of life", "the Creator
Spirit" (Veni, Creator Spiritus), the "source of every good".
292 The Old Testament suggests and
the New Covenant reveals the creative action of the Son and the Spirit, inseparably
one with that of the Father. This creative co-operation is clearly affirmed in
the Church's rule of faith: "There exists but one God. . . he is the
Father, God, the Creator, the author, the giver of order. He made all things by
himself, that is, by his Word and by his Wisdom", "by the Son and the
Spirit" who, so to speak, are "his hands". Creation is the
common work of the Holy Trinity.
III. "THE WORLD WAS CREATED
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD"
293 Scripture and Tradition never
cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: "The world was made
for the glory of God." St. Bonaventure explains that God created all
things "not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate
it", for God has no other reason for creating than his love and
goodness: "Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his
hand." The First Vatican Council explains:
This one, true God, of his own
goodness and "almighty power", not for increasing his own beatitude,
nor for attaining his perfection, but in order to manifest this perfection
through the benefits which he bestows on creatures, with absolute freedom of
counsel "and from the beginning of time, made out of nothing both orders
of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal. . ."
294 The glory of God consists in
the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for
which the world was created. God made us "to be his sons through Jesus
Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious
grace", for "the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man's
life is the vision of God: if God's revelation through creation has already
obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the
Word's manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God." The
ultimate purpose of creation is that God "who is the creator of all things
may at last become "all in all", thus simultaneously assuring his own
glory and our beatitude."
IV. THE MYSTERY OF CREATION
God creates by wisdom and love
295 We believe that God created the
world according to his wisdom. It is not the product of any necessity
whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God's
free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and
goodness: "For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were
created." Therefore the Psalmist exclaims: "O LORD, how manifold
are your works! In wisdom you have made them all"; and "The LORD is
good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made." God
creates "out of nothing"
296 We believe that God needs no
pre-existent thing or any help in order to create, nor is creation any sort of
necessary emanation from the divine substance. God creates freely
"out of nothing":
If God had drawn the world from
pre-existent matter, what would be so extraordinary in that? A human artisan
makes from a given material whatever he wants, while God shows his power by
starting from nothing to make all he wants.
297 Scripture bears witness to
faith in creation "out of nothing" as a truth full of promise and
hope. Thus the mother of seven sons encourages them for martyrdom:
I do not know how you came into being
in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order
the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped
the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy
give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the
sake of his laws. . . Look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that
is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that
existed. Thus also mankind comes into being.
298 Since God could create
everything out of nothing, he can also, through the Holy Spirit, give spiritual
life to sinners by creating a pure heart in them, and bodily life to the
dead through the Resurrection. God "gives life to the dead and calls into
existence the things that do not exist." and since God was able to
make light shine in darkness by his Word, he can also give the light of faith
to those who do not yet know him.
God creates an ordered and good
world
299 Because God creates through
wisdom, his creation is ordered: "You have arranged all things by measure
and number and weight." The universe, created in and by the eternal
Word, the "image of the invisible God", is destined for and addressed
to man, himself created in the "image of God" and called to a
personal relationship with God. Our human understanding, which shares in
the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of
his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility
and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth
from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness - "and God saw that it was
good. . . very good"- for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man,
an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church
has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical
world.
God transcends creation and is
present to it
300 God is infinitely greater than
all his works: "You have set your glory above the heavens." Indeed,
God's "greatness is unsearchable". But because he is the free
and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to
his creatures' inmost being: "In him we live and move and have our
being." In the words of St. Augustine, God is "higher than my
highest and more inward than my innermost self".
God upholds and sustains creation
301 With creation, God does not
abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and
existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being,
enables them to act and brings them to their final end. Recognizing this utter
dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of
joy and confidence:
For you love all things that exist,
and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made
anything if you had hated it. How would anything have endured, if you had not
willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by you have been preserved?
You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living.
V. GOD CARRIES OUT HIS PLAN: DIVINE
PROVIDENCE
302 Creation has its own goodness
and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of
the Creator. the universe was created "in a state of journeying" (in
statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has
destined it. We call "divine providence" the dispositions by which
God guides his creation toward this perfection:
By his providence God protects and
governs all things which he has made, "reaching mightily from one end of
the earth to the other, and ordering all things well". For "all are
open and laid bare to his eyes", even those things which are yet to come
into existence through the free action of creatures.
303 The witness of Scripture is
unanimous that the solicitude of divine providence is concrete and immediate;
God cares for all, from the least things to the great events of the world and
its history. the sacred books powerfully affirm God's absolute sovereignty over
the course of events: "Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he
pleases." and so it is with Christ, "who opens and no one shall
shut, who shuts and no one opens". As the book of Proverbs states:
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the
LORD that will be established."
304 And so we see the Holy Spirit,
the principal author of Sacred Scripture, often attributing actions to God
without mentioning any secondary causes. This is not a "primitive mode of
speech", but a profound way of recalling God's primacy and absolute Lordship
over history and the world, and so of educating his people to trust in
him. the prayer of the Psalms is the great school of this trust.
305 Jesus asks for childlike
abandonment to the providence of our heavenly Father who takes care of his
children's smallest needs: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying,
"What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?". . . Your
heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."
Providence and secondary causes
306 God is the sovereign master of
his plan. But to carry it out he also makes use of his creatures' co-operation.
This use is not a sign of weakness, but rather a token of almighty God's
greatness and goodness. For God grants his creatures not only their existence,
but also the dignity of acting on their own, of being causes and principles for
each other, and thus of co-operating in the accomplishment of his plan.
307 To human beings God even gives
the power of freely sharing in his providence by entrusting them with the
responsibility of "subduing" the earth and having dominion over it. God
thus enables men to be intelligent and free causes in order to complete the
work of creation, to perfect its harmony for their own good and that of their
neighbours. Though often unconscious collaborators with God's will, they can
also enter deliberately into the divine plan by their actions, their prayers
and their sufferings. They then fully become "God's fellow
workers" and co-workers for his kingdom.
308 The truth that God is at work
in all the actions of his creatures is inseparable from faith in God the
Creator. God is the first cause who operates in and through secondary causes:
"For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good
pleasure." Far from diminishing the creature's dignity, this truth
enhances it. Drawn from nothingness by God's power, wisdom and goodness, it can
do nothing if it is cut off from its origin, for "without a Creator the
creature vanishes." Still less can a creature attain its ultimate end
without the help of God's grace.
Providence and the scandal of evil
309 If God the Father almighty, the
Creator of the ordered and good world, cares for all his creatures, why does
evil exist? To this question, as pressing as it is unavoidable and as painful
as it is mysterious, no quick answer will suffice. Only Christian faith as a
whole constitutes the answer to this question: the goodness of creation, the
drama of sin and the patient love of God who comes to meet man by his
covenants, the redemptive Incarnation of his Son, his gift of the Spirit, his
gathering of the Church, the power of the sacraments and his call to a blessed
life to which free creatures are invited to consent in advance, but from which,
by a terrible mystery, they can also turn away in advance. There is not a
single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the
question of evil.
310 But why did God not create a
world so perfect that no evil could exist in it? With infinite power God could
always create something better. But with infinite wisdom and goodness God
freely willed to create a world "in a state of journeying" towards
its ultimate perfection. In God's plan this process of becoming involves the
appearance of certain beings and the disappearance of others, the existence of
the more perfect alongside the less perfect, both constructive and destructive
forces of nature. With physical good there exists also physical evil as long as
creation has not reached perfection.
311 Angels and men, as intelligent
and free creatures, have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their
free choice and preferential love. They can therefore go astray. Indeed, they
have sinned. Thus has moral evil, incommensurably more harmful than physical
evil, entered the world. God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of
moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his
creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it:
For almighty God. . ., because he
is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works
if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil
itself.
312 In time we can discover that
God in his almighty providence can bring a good from the consequences of an
evil, even a moral evil, caused by his creatures: "It was not you",
said Joseph to his brothers, "who sent me here, but God. . . You meant
evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people
should be kept alive." From the greatest moral evil ever committed -
the rejection and murder of God's only Son, caused by the sins of all men -
God, by his grace that "abounded all the more", brought the
greatest of goods: the glorification of Christ and our redemption. But for all
that, evil never becomes a good.
313 "We know that in everything
God works for good for those who love him." The constant witness of
the saints confirms this truth:
St. Catherine of Siena said to
"those who are scandalized and rebel against what happens to them":
"Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God
does nothing without this goal in mind."
St. Thomas More, shortly before his martyrdom, consoled his daughter:
"Nothing can come but that that God wills. and I make me very sure that
whatsoever that be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be the
best."
Dame Julian of Norwich: "Here I was taught by the grace of God that I
should steadfastly keep me in the faith... and that at the same time I should
take my stand on and earnestly believe in what our Lord shewed in this time -
that 'all manner (of) thing shall be well.'"
314 We firmly believe that God is
master of the world and of its history. But the ways of his providence are
often unknown to us. Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when
we see God "face to face", will we fully know the ways by which
- even through the dramas of evil and sin - God has guided his creation to that
definitive sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth.
IN BRIEF
315 In the creation of the world
and of man, God gave the first and universal witness to his almighty love and
his wisdom, the first proclamation of the "plan of his loving
goodness", which finds its goal in the new creation in Christ.
316 Though the work of creation
is attributed to the Father in particular, it is equally a truth of faith that
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are the one, indivisible principle of
creation.
317 God alone created the
universe, freely, directly and without any help.
318 No creature has the infinite
power necessary to "create" in the proper sense of the word, that is,
to produce and give being to that which had in no way possessed it to call into
existence "out of nothing") (cf DS 3624).
319 God created the world to
show forth and communicate his glory. That his creatures should share in his
truth, goodness and beauty - this is the glory for which God created them.
320 God created the universe and
keeps it in existence by his Word, the Son "upholding the universe by his
word of power" (Heb 1:3), and by his Creator Spirit, the giver of life.
321 Divine providence consists
of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love
to their ultimate end.
322 Christ invites us to filial
trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf Mt 6:26-34), and St. Peter
the apostle repeats: "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about
you" (I Pt 5:7; cf. Ps 55:23).
323 Divine providence works also
through the actions of creatures. To human beings God grants the ability to
co-operate freely with his plans.
324 The fact that God permits
physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus
Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that
God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very
evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Growth
of Catholic Families and Households
·
Know that you are on a great stage
where all heaven and earth are watching you. What message is our life giving?
· Eat waffles
and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
· Monday: Litany of
Humility
·
Rosary
[1] http://www.gotquestions.org/who-Baal.html
[2]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-06-26
[5] https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/canoe-day/
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