CCCXCI – Aeviternity and the Resurrection

Given what I’ve been thinking about Aeviternity, I wanted to turn my attention to the glorification and resurrection.

I said in my previous post on the topic that we spend our whole lives making the choice that angels get to make once. I said that its because we spend our whole lives as an act of creation, while Angels it might be fair to say are completed.

In the resurrection, we get our bodies back, so wouldn’t that mean we can make the same material mistakes? The answer is no: we have made our choice, and our souls have been perfected. Can you imagine our material being with a perfected soul? Disobedience to God would be impossible because our souls are incapable of choosing sin. We already chose God, the time of temptations will be over. The created order will be perfected as well, so we will have our free will, our perfected souls, and our resurrected bodies, and live in zero entropy agency-space.

In Hell, the damned get their bodies back too. But their souls are NOT perfected, yet they have been given the ultimate redpill—God is real, and you had a chance, and you missed it. Wail and Gnash, etc. Hell will be a place, but only God knows how to describe where that place is. I think there will still be an uncrossable barrier between the new Eden and the new wilderness. Or maybe the thing that makes it uncrossable is that everyone within won’t want to leave, and everyone without will not be perfected and so will be physically unable to enter.

For some reason the idea of “zero entropy agency-space” makes sense to me and unlocks the rest of these ideas. I hope you can follow along. If you are still confused let me know.

AMDG

CCCXIII – Blessed Be The Name Of Mary

On my computer at work I have taped three prayer cards. One is the Anima Christi, one is a Novena to St. Benedict, and one is the Divine Praises.

“The Divine Praises” is an interesting prayer. I was struck recently by the specific line, “Blessed be the name of Mary”. It follows a list of other aspects of Mary, and is followed by a simpler prayer that says “Blessed be St. Joseph”. St. Joseph in total is blessed, but Mary in her various aspects and her name specifically is blessed.

This reminds me of a piece of trivia I heard that to ancient Jews, Names mattered a great deal. To know someones name was to have power over them, so true names were reserved for only the most intimate of family and friends; everyone else would know your public name. This is why they censored the name of God and refused to say it–it would be the height of pride to presume they have power over God and such intimacy as to be able to say His name.

As Christians we have adopted and seem to have inverted this idea. Jesus is the “name above all names”–the Divine Praises themselves begin with “Blessed be God. Blessed be his holy name.” This represents an inversion, because to say someones name is to call upon their favor or intercession–it creates a virtue out of the presumption the ancient Jews wished to avoid. They say an invocation of the name of Jesus is the shortest prayer you could possibly say–and why it is a sin to “take the Lord’s Name in vain”–to call upon him for petty or frivolous or blasphemous purposes.

It is good to call upon the name of the blessed because it reminds us that they are uniquely blessed and reminds us of what about them is particularly grace-filled–gracious. To call upon the Name of Mary, then, is almost to call upon her relationship with God. Mary, the Mother of God; Mary most holy; Mary, virgin immaculate; Mary, assumed into Heaven. These are extraordinary gifts which belong not just to anyone, but to Mary.

***

A Side note about Mary, regarding the Assumption. At the Legion of Mary meeting recently, one of the Legionaries made the observation in response to a book we are reading that “Jesus wanted to be so close to his Mother that he took her up bodily into Heaven.”

While true, I also realized that nothing sinful can enter Heaven, and since Mary was immaculately conceived and lived a holy and immaculate life, she would have attained a very close approximation to the glorified and resurrected life–perhaps not so luminous as it will be, but certainly her Earthly body was perfect enough to be taken wholly into heaven.

Which made me realize–if she lived her entire life as a being worthy of being taken bodily into heaven, how hard life must have been. Certainly not so hard that it wasn’t worth living. Mary’s will was perfectly united to God’s, so she accepted the suffering of the world with perfect obedience and humility. But still: our world is full of petty little traps for fools and wounded people who insist on trying to wound others. And Mary, mother Immaculate, must have felt all of these worldly wounds with something like perfect empathy.

Thank you, God, for giving us your Mother also, and for giving us her example. Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother!

AMDG

CCCX – More Reflections From Luke 22

21 But yet behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 22 And the Son of man indeed goeth, according to that which is determined: but yet, woe to that man by whom he shall be betrayed.

23 And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. 24 And there was also a strife amongst them, which of them should seem to be the greater.

This is an interesting scene, to me. I can imagine how the conversation goes: Christ says his betrayer is among them, and they turn to one another and say “It couldn’t be me, I was with Christ from the very beginning!” “Yeah but I was there with the multiplication of the loaves!” “That’s nothing, Christ called me first!” “But I have done more!” The desire to identify the betrayer quickly becomes a holiness spiral. It stops being about Christ and begins to be about themselves.

I can also imagine Judas throughout this conversation, sweating bullets, tactfully trying to avoid getting entangled in this discussion. I can imagine Jesus staring him down, and Judas being very focused on the crumbs on his plate and how they are arranged.

---

25 And he said to them: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them, are called beneficent. 26 But you not so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is the leader, as he that serveth. 27 For which is greater, he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? Is it not he that sitteth at table? But I am in the midst of you, as he that serveth:

Christ rebukes the holiness spiral by calling them to servant leadership. “If you want to be great, serve your neighbor!” I especially like how Christ discusses who is greater: “Is it he that sitteth at table, or he that serveth? The guy sitting, right? I am here as he that serves.”–to me, there is an implied threat there. “When I come back, it will be as he that sitteth at table.” Christ does not say that he that serves is greater, but affirms that he that sits is greater. But none of us, in this life, can be greater than the Lord, and the Lord came first to us as he that serves, so we must imitate him in service. When He comes again to judge the living and the dead, our service will very tangibly be service to the King who sitteth at table, but who first came to us to teach us how to serve.

---

28 And you are they who have continued with me in my temptations: 29 And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom; 30 That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom: and may sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Christ affirms that their work and effort is not for nothing. “Guys, guys, relax. You all have been with me through hard times.”–he reminds them that their reward is eternal. Not in this life, will they sit on thrones, but in the next. “Lay up your treasure in heaven” but quite tangibly Christ tells them what their heavenly treasure will be. This also could be construed as the founding of the Church on Earth, essentially: The Kingdom of God, under the chair of Peter. Because of Peter’s pivotal role in the Kingdom to come, Christ continues:

---

31 And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.

33 Who said to him: Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

34 And he said: I say to thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, till thou thrice deniest that thou knowest me. (…)

I didn’t realize this was in scripture–it’s either often overlooked or it is a unique feature of the Douay-Rheims translation: that Satan desired to have Simon Peter. Essentially, Christ is saying that he saved Peter then and there, perhaps in a negotiation similar to Job. The price negotiated perhaps was that Satan would be allowed to tempt Peter but not to destroy him. Peter’s peacetime faith is strong, but when the moment of trial came he was weak and abandoned the Lord. Christ’s prayers perhaps protected him from Satan but did not protect him from stumbling. Christ admonishes Peter to, once he repents and converts–once he turns around–to get back to work and reinforce the faith of everyone else.

These are my thoughts.

O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.

AMDG

CXXX – Telling You What I Want To Hear

We’re going to be OK.

As a society, as a country, as a Church, as a civilization, as a species: We’re going to be OK. Everyone is bent to their megaphones trying to shriek as loudly as they can into the void. But first, and foremost, we’re going to be OK. Hear this and believe it.

Why should you believe it? Hospitals are closing! We’re on lockdown! Masses are cancelled! Stores are empty!

That’s fine. Maybe some of those things are partially true, maybe even wholly true. What else can we observe about our station?

First, that God has chosen us for these times. It’s true! You, reading this, and the rest of you, who aren’t: God has chosen you for these times.

“Well, who are you to speak for God? Why would God do this?”

I’m not one to speak for God. I can say that if God didn’t want you to be in these times you wouldn’t exist. That’s more an observation of the obvious than anything deep. Why has God chosen to do this? Who knows! As the prayer pinned to the top of my site right now says, it comes on by his wrath and leave by his mercy. May we remain ignorant of the cause of the wrath, may we pray heartily for his mercy.

Second, whatever will happen will happen. Think of your worst possible scenario. Eschaton? Better go to confession, and soon! Terror? Torture? Tyranny? Lets suppose any or all of those things are coming down the pipeline for us. It will happen. And then it will be over. God sent a rainbow after the Flood. This too shall pass! How great must the coming blessings be if the penance is so severe as this! We are powerless to control it, except to pray for God’s mercy. That is our only means of influence. May we pray for it early and often.

Third, do what brings you peace. Do as much as you can to stay healthy. Take sensible precautions. And live out your day responsibly. Are you doing everything you can? Are you practicing the virtue of prudence? Then there is nothing to worry about! You will be ok.

The worst thing about this is hearing everyone shouting from the rooftops how terrible it is, or how great were doing, or how superlative some other thing is. Now is not the time. We’re going to be ok.

Take care of yourselves. Go to confession. Be at peace.

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

-Scoot

LXVII – Resurrection

For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures: And that he was seen by Cephas; and after that by the eleven. Then he was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

^{1 Corinthians 15:3-7}

Paul here reminds the young church of Corinth of the gospel, and one of the key mysteries: The resurrection of Christ. Paul begins here, and not arbitrarily. Evangelism is akin to a negotiation: Before one establishes that a counterparts present position is untenable, one must first establish that a new position is greater. The resurrection is the cornerstone of a message of Hope.

A Study in Contrasts

Lets look at the word itself, first. Paul wrote Corinthians in greek, so the word he would have used for resurrection was a greek one: anastasi. This is derived from ana (back, restored) + stasis (to stand); anastasi meant “to stand back up”.

When it was translated into Latin, they used the Latin word: resurrexit, from resurrectionem, a derivation of re + surgere, meaning again + to rise, or “to rise again”. Resurrection in both Latin and Greek had the connotation of righting something that had been laid low.

This is in contrast to renaissance, or reincarnate. Both have the prefix re meaning “again”. Naissance comes from Latin nasci, to be born. Incarnate comes from en + caro meaning “in the flesh”. So the one means “To be born again” while the other means “to be made flesh again”. Both involve creating something new. A person, once born, cannot be born again except by metaphor. A person, once Incarnate with their own flesh and blood, can not be given new flesh and blood. But a person, having fallen, can be lifted up again.

This cuts to the heart of the Christian message. God made man, and man fell at the dawn of time. So God will lift us up, through Christ, who defeated death that we might be saved. O Happy Fault, that earned us a redeemer such as Christ!

A Hopeful Evangelism

The Resurrection is the core of evangelism for this purpose. We are not made some mysterious, new thing. At the end of all things, we are made perfectly ourselves in our Glorified, Resurrected Bodies. Physically! We are physically resurrected! We do not need to scorn our earthly form, because God will perfect it and give it back to us. Imagine being a Corinthian receiving Pauls letter. What news! First-century Jews also believed in the Resurrection at the end of time, but to hear that Christ did it, and that it he paved the way for us: Truly, that is what the Greeks called euangellos, or “good message”: the root of Evangelism.

But, this good news comes with a cost. The yoke is easy, the burden is light, but it must be accepted. We must give our lives to Christ. If we do not accept this, we lose everything. There will be no unity with God, no glorified resurrected form. We will suffer the complete denial of God. The negotiating table is set: To receive perfection, we must accept Christ, or lose everything. As said by Christ:

For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.

^{Luke 9:24}

For Daily Use

Remember this lesson of the Resurrection, and that Paul used it as the cornerstone of his Evangelism. Paul can be an example for us all: We are called to live out the Gospel, and bear witness to the good news through our lives. What do we reach for, when people ask us about our Faith? I propose that the first tool in the belt can be the story of Resurrection. Theology is a complicated thing, but everyone speaks the language of Hope, and everyone can understand the good news of having our bodies Perfected, Glorified, and Resurrected. We are all fallen creatures. Trusting God to lift us up removes a heavy burden from striving to do it ourselves.

AMDG