tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43717258422142912102024-03-13T06:03:13.633-04:00Man In the WoodsA blog dedicated to culture from a catholic perspectiveSean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-3558508741350475572021-05-27T08:46:00.024-04:002021-06-15T14:21:29.192-04:00The Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: 7 Things it May Represent <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Individuals (religious and not) have puzzled over the Genesis creation narratives for millennia. One aspect of the Eden narrative that seems particularly gripping to the imagination is the prohibition that God lays upon the first two human beings. While God invites the pair to enjoy anything in the garden, it is of one particular tree that He warns they "shall not eat of it lest they die". While some may dismiss this narrative as "naive and superstitious," I would like to explore a few reasons that I think, to the contrary, it offers profound insight as to why certain "fruit" <i>does </i>actually "kill" our innocence, along with our sense of Edenic bliss. The tree in question is said to impart "the knowledge of good and evil" (a foreboding and burdensome moniker if ever there were any), and below are seven possibilities as to what that tree may in fact represent. To be clear, the claim is not that the "tree" in itself is wicked, but rather that the particular knowledge contained therein is such that child-like human innocence cannot bear such knowledge: <br />
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<b>1. Scientific Progress</b><br />
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The word science is derived from the Latin<i> scientia</i> meaning <i>knowledge, experience, or expertise</i>. This is <u>not</u> an argument against science, but rather a caution. The prototype of this warning can be seen in the story of Prometheus, a mythological figure who steals fire from the gods (and of course there's Mary Shelley's modern sequel, Frankenstein). The thread that connects these stories is not only the threat that accompanies man's attempt to "play God", but also the danger that accompanies the human enterprise of playing with forces that have the capacity to threaten human life on a universal scale, especially when those playing with that power have the metaphysical mentality of a five year old child. The upshot of this potential carelessness is the possibility annihilation, not only for the individual, but for all of mankind. Knowledge is without a doubt "power," but that power is anything but neutral and harmless. <div>
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<b>2. Hallucinogenic Drugs</b><br />
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One of the things that all of the items on this list have in common is their ability to deliver otherwise inaccessible knowledge to the everyday human experience. The knowledge that is delivered in all these cases comes from the "great beyond," and provides (or seems to provide) divine advantage to those who "consume" this information. The reason individuals partake in drugs is no mystery. The drug-taker ingests the chemicals to feel what one might regard as a heavenly/mystical/disembodied experience. One becomes an addict because, whatever else drugs do, they allow you to steal some of "heaven's thunder". Clearly different drugs do this in different ways. Hallucinogenic drugs, like LSD and Psilocybin may, for example, may allow you to experience a kind of oneness with the universe and all of creation. On some level, this appears to be a<span> </span>phenomenon built into the human person. On the other hand, the grave danger seems to come down to the fact that those who tend to make it their business to "break on through to the other side" on their own terms, don't necessarily come back the same. In the most tragic cases, they don't really come back at all. However, what is so striking about this attempt to eat the nectar of the gods is how frequently it is associated with madness. As Carl Jung apparently once said (and I think rightly so); "Beware of unearned wisdom." <br />
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<b>3. The Occult </b><br />
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Unlike the former, this attempt to illicit a sublime experience is less about sensual transcendence and more about breaking the frustrating limitations that bar the human intellect from knowing our destiny. Much of what is frustrating about practicing traditional monotheism is the restriction it lays upon the adherent when it comes to how one may obtain supernatural assistance. Faith and trust are not only a suggestion, they are requirements for those who do not wish transgress the code of communication with the divine in these religions. Interestingly, one of the early Christian heretical groups that sought to bypass such a restriction, came to be known as the Gnostics, a name associated with the capacity for one to be "in the know", especially as it relates to God and Christ. At any rate, traditionally those who practice "occult/secret" methods as a means to obtain divine information or favors, do not generally pray, but rather invite spirits to reveal information and/or perform supernatural acts on their behalf, thus creating a kind of express lane to interacting with the great beyond. Whatever else one may think of such an interaction, from a Biblical standpoint, it is unacceptable, for in the process of opening a gateway to the supernatural, you have (in essence) opened a doorway without a hinge. Of your own volition, you have created an open door policy for anyone or anything to enter into your abode (including predators), without the means to reseal the portal. There is something strangely naive about the basic occult view that the supernatural world is primarily filled with spirits existing only to serve you. Certainly one would be considered daft if they practiced this type of policy in the natural world. <br />
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<b>4. Sexual Freedom</b><br />
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Another interesting linguistic connection surrounding the word <i>knowledge</i> can be seen in the realm of sexuality. To <i>know</i> someone "Biblically speaking" means to have had a sexual relationship with them. I grant you this phrasing may seem odd, especially in our day and age, nevertheless it requires little of the imagination to wonder why this is the case. What more "intimate knowledge" could one have of another than to see their naked body, while simultaneously entering into a bodily union them. Sex changes a person, and it furthermore changes the way we look at the world. Even a mere discussion about sexuality, has the capacity to create all sorts of profound difficulties, or opportunities (depending on your perspective). Thus, the idea that a woman woke "man a man up to something attractive and desirable that she possessed (the root of "arousal" means <i>awaken</i>), and that he seemed both speechless and somehow weakened before this "knowledge, seems nothing short of what happens to every naturally developing man. The sexual imagery in the garden seems undeniable (fruit, nakedness, desire, and serpents), however, the obvious question might be "What should this be a problem at all?" The problem is not rooted in the possession of power, or even that of pleasure, but rather whether or not the wielder is given license, or even should be given license, to wield that power. Notice the word license is used here, which often denotes, not an absolute prohibition of something, but rather maturity, training, and wisdom, in order for a particular liberty to be properly exercised. <br />
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<b>5. The Knowledge that Wickedness is an Option </b><br />
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What all of these former examples have in common is that they represent a kind of sham divinity. In other words, they are attempts to shrug off our mortal limitations in favor of powers and prerogatives that allow humanity to define itself on its own terms. One of the things that innocence seems blissfully unaware of is the ability to manipulate the truth, not only to achieve a positive end, but even worse a wicked end. Thus, the true of the knowledge of good and evil is not knowledge of how to do a specific evil, but rather a window into a world where one can gain advantages and pleasures at the expense of others... and to view this as perhaps a pleasure in itself. Such advantages would not even a occur to the innocent soul (for truth is the only currency that exists in the realm of innocence), but it seems consistent with reality to say that we have all experienced a kind of serpent enter the garden of our innocence and introduce an idea or action that would otherwise never have dawned on us. <b> </b><br />
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<b>6. Self-Consciousness</b><br />
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There's something beautiful about watching a child (or an adult for that matter), working on some project simple or complex, while never once stopping to consider how admirable it is to be simultaneously industrious and not self-obsessed at the same time. However, inevitably someone will come along and point out how cute, successful, or funny that individual is at performing some task, and the next thing you know that individual becomes more self-aware and subsequently more prone to pose. Whatever humanity "waking up" to itself may mean, one of those things must surely have been a heightened sense of self-consciousness and self-awareness. Nevertheless, this is another one of these phenomenon that is clearly not evil in and of itself, and seems to be constitutive of what it means to say that human beings are exceptional. Self-transcendence/self-awareness seems to be exclusive to the human species (although there may be rudiments in other species). The beauty of this awakening is that man can contemplate, create, and make use of the marvels of the universe, the downside is that he has also become acutely aware of himself in ways that are both self-obsessed and self-destructive. Man has not has become aware of his power, but vulnerability, his vulnerability, and worst of all, the fact that he is going to die.<br />
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<b>7. Responsibility</b><br />
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<br />Moral timing is everything as it relates to happiness, for it is not the things of the world that are evil, but the failure to use them for their ordained purposes. Whatever else this "fruit of knowledge" represents, it must represent on a certain level the human attempt to prematurely elevate human awareness beyond its innocent Edenic status. In others words, whatever <i>knowledge</i> was revealed, must have exceeded their capacity to withstand its power. And that's the heart of the problem. Man wants divine power, but man wants to operate it according to his own lights, which ultimately cannot see all the unintended consequences it is bound to inspire. What happens as a result of this "power grab" could ultimately be described as a kind of divine miscarriage. The real tragedy of the Fall is not simply that man fell, but that he fell reaching for something that he was ultimately destined (in due season) to possess. Thus, these children of God failed to come to "full term" because they wished to be born long before they were <i>viable</i>, or rather because they wished to give birth to themselves. The most emphatic proof that man is/was "not ready" for this birth was his obstinate refusal to take responsibility for the one thing that he was actually responsible for (viz. his own sin). We can recognize this at the dawn of self awareness (whether it be in Eden or childhood). Before we even know what day it is as children, we find ourselves are running away from, and even denying, our most blatant and irrefutable crimes. Yet to wish in the end to be something more than mere animals requires ownership of one's actions. Subsequently, the celestial fruit that is devoured in the Garden must be something like the "fruit of responsibility", a power which is a flaming double-edged sword if ever there were one. For with the responsibility comes not only the pleasure of self-awareness and transcendence, but also the burden of moral culpability for one's subsequent actions (hence the catastrophe of history). However on the bright side, even as you become increasingly awakened to your own wretchedness, you are simultaneously reminded that you are only truly wretched because you happen to be divine. <br />
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<br /><b><br /></b></div>Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-10579828419467066382019-11-26T07:57:00.000-05:002019-11-26T07:57:15.727-05:00Why Grammar Matters<br />
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11.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEium9F0uB_eItG7G3_mEFxnbN3H3Iuk9IDLCPHKH82CFRvgsI0ixU4FcCui-MPBuKBJmCaIzhrKHuxRohZ0nJkicqFs0MpuaIUddWj6Uv7_UeJe7lnjcqWt7k3DifPFxHX-AQJpJn8HPHI/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEium9F0uB_eItG7G3_mEFxnbN3H3Iuk9IDLCPHKH82CFRvgsI0ixU4FcCui-MPBuKBJmCaIzhrKHuxRohZ0nJkicqFs0MpuaIUddWj6Uv7_UeJe7lnjcqWt7k3DifPFxHX-AQJpJn8HPHI/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="244" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
12.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBH_g1oshDXFUQhlX-GVB_k8qJcPlBEs_8WzWK-ZXXvPn9r3-cUuc5OHG-9XcHX0wSUY1GdicKRrYvAM0JgVwyjS3Cssx81x96pEpIPgRwsyS-h-7R14oLHa-kNgAG7o0loxVUy0idLI/s1600/Unknown-14.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBH_g1oshDXFUQhlX-GVB_k8qJcPlBEs_8WzWK-ZXXvPn9r3-cUuc5OHG-9XcHX0wSUY1GdicKRrYvAM0JgVwyjS3Cssx81x96pEpIPgRwsyS-h-7R14oLHa-kNgAG7o0loxVUy0idLI/s320/Unknown-14.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
13.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmVwbECvndIX3NF_FXyXgRzipc5E4MJAD1ZEM2Kf46AobnZRXPtECuy1AhXvsh7CZsu2G_1hj0p2fqVJhUbCvNkl65o3OA39rQqdDC76RnvXUxmToqByCUxC6OClNBciNnS8_wFW2spg/s1600/Unknown-13.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmVwbECvndIX3NF_FXyXgRzipc5E4MJAD1ZEM2Kf46AobnZRXPtECuy1AhXvsh7CZsu2G_1hj0p2fqVJhUbCvNkl65o3OA39rQqdDC76RnvXUxmToqByCUxC6OClNBciNnS8_wFW2spg/s320/Unknown-13.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
14.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGqvrxGsIQjzyw8yifbk7tmdOAbIDHZbs_DX6vaaxIItKUNrfoTuXREPOLX9A2WJxzul2IKKH8T5rFe_jK6uF8gV0g4j4XKCtuPMKTJiKIGBSH_pVRHNEx8UguPa4a95o_GstRFKF1gk/s1600/images-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGqvrxGsIQjzyw8yifbk7tmdOAbIDHZbs_DX6vaaxIItKUNrfoTuXREPOLX9A2WJxzul2IKKH8T5rFe_jK6uF8gV0g4j4XKCtuPMKTJiKIGBSH_pVRHNEx8UguPa4a95o_GstRFKF1gk/s320/images-6.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
15.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo_ybMIkFephbrZm_rFWd98aV68rKEAq7NjcP-HaS-KqO2AtgMn_B_-6yGz7kl8HvBdm-fpRobe3hM-NoPdJCMcw64ORPuo0XYkBdTPltOawpFvFbYFnBnWfllMgycCpPjlAjyyZ9ZTg/s1600/Unknown-13.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo_ybMIkFephbrZm_rFWd98aV68rKEAq7NjcP-HaS-KqO2AtgMn_B_-6yGz7kl8HvBdm-fpRobe3hM-NoPdJCMcw64ORPuo0XYkBdTPltOawpFvFbYFnBnWfllMgycCpPjlAjyyZ9ZTg/s320/Unknown-13.jpeg" width="320" /></a>w<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-55361098269523179882019-09-24T14:14:00.000-04:002019-11-12T21:21:55.424-05:00The Dankest Apostle Memes (and Beyond)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil88XsLnQf5Cps9dRo_zV7SJnFGy8tw4cBpnq9RBVOi25om_2vQb0LkuPpUfzvtzoRsuuRztF1TYvG0GAY_ZEv3g4j2e8yg9qbBdsNvczM9XeUQr0QxohXsAYS_733rTkXKesA_I0wn0Y/s1600/Unknown-16.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil88XsLnQf5Cps9dRo_zV7SJnFGy8tw4cBpnq9RBVOi25om_2vQb0LkuPpUfzvtzoRsuuRztF1TYvG0GAY_ZEv3g4j2e8yg9qbBdsNvczM9XeUQr0QxohXsAYS_733rTkXKesA_I0wn0Y/s320/Unknown-16.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyBK2OZnA5c0_0Mh6QCxhCSPdv-m5fDyn4qem9aMUlCeZUuItoeBuwbokyz4RfDnY-Z68iFOTcXuqkxcfjcG_i7N1jY_8a7tAhj9Qu3CFyjyk-JtYBPP8nPBF4TCs_Qek2Pf_3pmHadA/s1600/Unknown-15.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyBK2OZnA5c0_0Mh6QCxhCSPdv-m5fDyn4qem9aMUlCeZUuItoeBuwbokyz4RfDnY-Z68iFOTcXuqkxcfjcG_i7N1jY_8a7tAhj9Qu3CFyjyk-JtYBPP8nPBF4TCs_Qek2Pf_3pmHadA/s320/Unknown-15.jpeg" width="264" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrxT3A3gujKzLbFZENgir-2JWw1wN1c3XA95cdFiWQp8vUEvgGSemfAj3ybXiuPA-i3xIZnJZjLpJDekFS8w9Ye349v2DvEPyHjz6hXe3xPzdpcFS0pBVUmItzLVWnYtZAx8jq3fXw0Y/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrxT3A3gujKzLbFZENgir-2JWw1wN1c3XA95cdFiWQp8vUEvgGSemfAj3ybXiuPA-i3xIZnJZjLpJDekFS8w9Ye349v2DvEPyHjz6hXe3xPzdpcFS0pBVUmItzLVWnYtZAx8jq3fXw0Y/s400/images-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQXt1rg1RKYMy9-9NMmf65eCs_1BBOMEcu1E3ZDvpG6ElWmx6BrqNj8z1ZpcQu9DqvPxHRJ3Lur91Zf14Q0zgeoOtf45GFgxDwxqm1nnv1-IW_1r0xO4QosjX8Q7tm7WVuh-hAXTdQzs/s1600/2ca0bf684ee2fdeb6d6dfdf8f9fd89d7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQXt1rg1RKYMy9-9NMmf65eCs_1BBOMEcu1E3ZDvpG6ElWmx6BrqNj8z1ZpcQu9DqvPxHRJ3Lur91Zf14Q0zgeoOtf45GFgxDwxqm1nnv1-IW_1r0xO4QosjX8Q7tm7WVuh-hAXTdQzs/s320/2ca0bf684ee2fdeb6d6dfdf8f9fd89d7.jpg" width="271" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjN5SS9cerS-tk-mwYBGtBIPckmnnM5lxJokI0g4DXWNLzzQ8OlwY7RYUX6CRUT-qXW8d5yJXStJY7jicNki84_2-whSkIPG8jHpkA5Si3ClsbOlVQx7ZjlGBfx9zqo3tKyW7-CEtW3Do/s1600/Unknown-12.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjN5SS9cerS-tk-mwYBGtBIPckmnnM5lxJokI0g4DXWNLzzQ8OlwY7RYUX6CRUT-qXW8d5yJXStJY7jicNki84_2-whSkIPG8jHpkA5Si3ClsbOlVQx7ZjlGBfx9zqo3tKyW7-CEtW3Do/s320/Unknown-12.jpeg" width="256" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLx9fSIR15AV2g8He3SDrmRjySopnPC0-5sm9AVPvc0e_8zuTLnD-yD2MJqcIY5yMFQBEQguBo1req1vQPRggw57iT6Poa6FsRBtEPudQ2daYstKu_mH_F5q91ig3BsEB3GrgtJiO13k/s1600/CL_ChristianMemes_642x428.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLx9fSIR15AV2g8He3SDrmRjySopnPC0-5sm9AVPvc0e_8zuTLnD-yD2MJqcIY5yMFQBEQguBo1req1vQPRggw57iT6Poa6FsRBtEPudQ2daYstKu_mH_F5q91ig3BsEB3GrgtJiO13k/s400/CL_ChristianMemes_642x428.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ONCLT_3ITry4wDbwoeWuCDbMUuwmuTiVduidC8XWl8n2tvkXuhAkaBNfEI3RJ23KZ_ok4AfFWMu6ULD0X76Lp_zkGF5-vJMhIx9Kd4tCm74QYmEJxoeoQOU4JYGV0Rq-iVtZwEzBf1M/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ONCLT_3ITry4wDbwoeWuCDbMUuwmuTiVduidC8XWl8n2tvkXuhAkaBNfEI3RJ23KZ_ok4AfFWMu6ULD0X76Lp_zkGF5-vJMhIx9Kd4tCm74QYmEJxoeoQOU4JYGV0Rq-iVtZwEzBf1M/s320/images-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbSALutlsX15MzcaZDuWp1i_PTIiZaP9aUr7JrqEZ1dFw3pdi8yebZhpodE5JXEG_ojDp6NI3yYR1pDkIc4u3EOeuaA-OP1AxiYED_v7bpgy_w6tbwL8FGotJnlroGtyuotBXLbCdnRM/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbSALutlsX15MzcaZDuWp1i_PTIiZaP9aUr7JrqEZ1dFw3pdi8yebZhpodE5JXEG_ojDp6NI3yYR1pDkIc4u3EOeuaA-OP1AxiYED_v7bpgy_w6tbwL8FGotJnlroGtyuotBXLbCdnRM/s400/images-4.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFect0fkjyFImxlb5Qff4WUaVO4LFK7c07VaP4D9LGJSYAM1-uQEXm6EA6X0IV4CF5vVseBZvu7fCDDNuh1rR41IIoXjBQ2xqGPRKUyklmBAArGymqRg6YKznDtwzwrlCrqvl6wEOEMME/s1600/30c0207f684f8f4ba189db9c3d309577.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFect0fkjyFImxlb5Qff4WUaVO4LFK7c07VaP4D9LGJSYAM1-uQEXm6EA6X0IV4CF5vVseBZvu7fCDDNuh1rR41IIoXjBQ2xqGPRKUyklmBAArGymqRg6YKznDtwzwrlCrqvl6wEOEMME/s320/30c0207f684f8f4ba189db9c3d309577.jpg" width="238" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2O4Y66bEFJga-9wGPF6vZnTRobQkNlGZ_ynWXPvJuqJ3gK7GE4IVlea1xNJ_1af28ezuFz4hHR_9Awv4gmxgrp46Nz02nf6squAb1zl3bE8PDSSttR3eTSNy3boOy25BFznhyphenhyphenHTO1DM4/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2O4Y66bEFJga-9wGPF6vZnTRobQkNlGZ_ynWXPvJuqJ3gK7GE4IVlea1xNJ_1af28ezuFz4hHR_9Awv4gmxgrp46Nz02nf6squAb1zl3bE8PDSSttR3eTSNy3boOy25BFznhyphenhyphenHTO1DM4/s400/images-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">11.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV1hRIADC1JYDbfEpxdp4DmGbIBcQtwO5Mi70uQ5P80hd6VzWF0hgFTBCA-XLt1PN3yB2Ndmt8zV1LD6LaFOcyNDs0wvVNpxrowsAClpvMKwccabMsTeiFkRe6qGkEkDDc9itAO3dn38/s1600/Unknown-14.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAV1hRIADC1JYDbfEpxdp4DmGbIBcQtwO5Mi70uQ5P80hd6VzWF0hgFTBCA-XLt1PN3yB2Ndmt8zV1LD6LaFOcyNDs0wvVNpxrowsAClpvMKwccabMsTeiFkRe6qGkEkDDc9itAO3dn38/s400/Unknown-14.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">12.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LMtKoMMmsaYoizxn9wqp6HRkBgLM_5lrh6bu6xktEQZkTa-94ggsBot4U1DVdMLAGg-cKrhwg68aGxSwqUmP5AuvSoZU786XDxguqwtNdwtOpM-IdCionUR5kBPCK628H4gm4jw0ZMo/s1600/Unknown-13.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LMtKoMMmsaYoizxn9wqp6HRkBgLM_5lrh6bu6xktEQZkTa-94ggsBot4U1DVdMLAGg-cKrhwg68aGxSwqUmP5AuvSoZU786XDxguqwtNdwtOpM-IdCionUR5kBPCK628H4gm4jw0ZMo/s400/Unknown-13.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">13. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireXGvdLkz7nXnXe2agi_4YXS06hRuk7gkvrw84rzT7Nea6QsMG9f0U75GpXHHL2bN7qKcgLeerV-eAa7YJn22us-pnaaZjveDLcn6vafrEJu9SFwdxu6C6r9qMBqBUpdcrw4zNoihl-A/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireXGvdLkz7nXnXe2agi_4YXS06hRuk7gkvrw84rzT7Nea6QsMG9f0U75GpXHHL2bN7qKcgLeerV-eAa7YJn22us-pnaaZjveDLcn6vafrEJu9SFwdxu6C6r9qMBqBUpdcrw4zNoihl-A/s400/images-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">14.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWl6RIQgiaQiiaM3ZU8pusgtPXOBsiRvLR1fPgQ7KpEMc5T9F-KnZ-aN2sQO2pjvv9YJGO-zYk1xj9N8nMzcKtJFeEy1vgTSy8UkcO-17Tba3eYyZCiqEEN_3CMwGzB-JjM6QIL61EIo/s1600/computers-login_detail-username-password-saint_peter-peter-jsh121130_low.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWl6RIQgiaQiiaM3ZU8pusgtPXOBsiRvLR1fPgQ7KpEMc5T9F-KnZ-aN2sQO2pjvv9YJGO-zYk1xj9N8nMzcKtJFeEy1vgTSy8UkcO-17Tba3eYyZCiqEEN_3CMwGzB-JjM6QIL61EIo/s320/computers-login_detail-username-password-saint_peter-peter-jsh121130_low.jpg" width="241" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">15.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-s25sk_-2NGeqHzSNY7VMyK-Rqxnex23hGK0oYQS1C88GolRnRRdqQnEDYd3U1Hvmz6VoJabhLVZZnDdgQ9t0ewQwIT2a_UwZvbOnWkWxCIV5hVbFTGbHp3QkpUZ-PpYoNfdGPQyyCI/s1600/close-to-home-july-5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-s25sk_-2NGeqHzSNY7VMyK-Rqxnex23hGK0oYQS1C88GolRnRRdqQnEDYd3U1Hvmz6VoJabhLVZZnDdgQ9t0ewQwIT2a_UwZvbOnWkWxCIV5hVbFTGbHp3QkpUZ-PpYoNfdGPQyyCI/s320/close-to-home-july-5.jpg" width="235" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">16.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoRoCp2aOJz2DdhlnpD_04bPgVTURHOYar9hZUZYs3yA98XNoi-jhsu6-ZbyGLAGePvAupZEL_-OjP9lwXFhKkq1pv7m6e88izT1lrjuZn6FZu_T_BwhMuy_nrlTwKZ9g22pXyb8x5C8/s1600/st-peter-look-i-wanna-let-you-into-heaven-i-25585337.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoRoCp2aOJz2DdhlnpD_04bPgVTURHOYar9hZUZYs3yA98XNoi-jhsu6-ZbyGLAGePvAupZEL_-OjP9lwXFhKkq1pv7m6e88izT1lrjuZn6FZu_T_BwhMuy_nrlTwKZ9g22pXyb8x5C8/s400/st-peter-look-i-wanna-let-you-into-heaven-i-25585337.png" width="313" /></a></span><br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Part II: Martyr Memes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVis7FP8RZV4VqnAXABfgWXR1CbG1lvYhurLKGaA4ew9IG3v1-edpmUpZluxiguEfRhNWNpi-GHmim4_vUnCzdg34Wl0n59acOyxw9E2xPkI8_3iLY5DZscDPzbpLkB1099ktCsOkcDI0/s1600/20ad4aaa8e1c51db6d97e9a64971fe25.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVis7FP8RZV4VqnAXABfgWXR1CbG1lvYhurLKGaA4ew9IG3v1-edpmUpZluxiguEfRhNWNpi-GHmim4_vUnCzdg34Wl0n59acOyxw9E2xPkI8_3iLY5DZscDPzbpLkB1099ktCsOkcDI0/s400/20ad4aaa8e1c51db6d97e9a64971fe25.jpg" width="323" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYA5i8CiSDkBpZpqB3npWR6sOAe6WlFo9MazAuuDY5i7QB9fFQvsJfVIvZ0l3_4jXMj-G7O7vB5G3hV1mQVly0P_Kjh6zaJMWJG1eto4Ma00pwCq1zoOqNv0BLCTdsokhdHpMq7-gowi8/s1600/Medieval_405005_5490840.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYA5i8CiSDkBpZpqB3npWR6sOAe6WlFo9MazAuuDY5i7QB9fFQvsJfVIvZ0l3_4jXMj-G7O7vB5G3hV1mQVly0P_Kjh6zaJMWJG1eto4Ma00pwCq1zoOqNv0BLCTdsokhdHpMq7-gowi8/s400/Medieval_405005_5490840.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC-h1ht8Az8zSKvueiQdiEK-YB8PCGC7EtbBXJ7vtuHSm9Yf556AxsML38Hb3KygFpDs8wTwGJXj0CENlTxUIc9K0wtTXx0h0MsVhJ7aYIflxQgHia9csxrgXxDOzgXOpF83XH2lOzAA/s1600/2e26d677a7d21e08492ed8a922377745.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC-h1ht8Az8zSKvueiQdiEK-YB8PCGC7EtbBXJ7vtuHSm9Yf556AxsML38Hb3KygFpDs8wTwGJXj0CENlTxUIc9K0wtTXx0h0MsVhJ7aYIflxQgHia9csxrgXxDOzgXOpF83XH2lOzAA/s400/2e26d677a7d21e08492ed8a922377745.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AK2zgxIKI53ViEfc3ZOPBVi66Fofl-w6J7XWwxGcHq9iplZC3dPPF8HuM-lgv3JdmHWb86GdZQdrFmet6zZDXRB7x8fhLEOljeJMeS6-i256ax0d2TRD8fLBQvUY9EbrkB5-PNl69Y4/s1600/Medieval%252Btwitter%252Bpart%252B1_668706_5809580.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AK2zgxIKI53ViEfc3ZOPBVi66Fofl-w6J7XWwxGcHq9iplZC3dPPF8HuM-lgv3JdmHWb86GdZQdrFmet6zZDXRB7x8fhLEOljeJMeS6-i256ax0d2TRD8fLBQvUY9EbrkB5-PNl69Y4/s400/Medieval%252Btwitter%252Bpart%252B1_668706_5809580.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYcV1PfOzqrP-UuvN4CPmCKz6-mSkGKxsEotKupzhjyvjvIzAEuvUokgHffKOlhnZWACEPfGxZK1he881r9013SgGWkgvXbRk5gyICH2_flFNGSwR1HDTOmgFHz9q-jZ_mLCd7CUPsQM/s1600/peter-martyr-headache.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYcV1PfOzqrP-UuvN4CPmCKz6-mSkGKxsEotKupzhjyvjvIzAEuvUokgHffKOlhnZWACEPfGxZK1he881r9013SgGWkgvXbRk5gyICH2_flFNGSwR1HDTOmgFHz9q-jZ_mLCd7CUPsQM/s400/peter-martyr-headache.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgHHmRF7W4kdSiNLdybFMHzvUNO8KtqrIz2QOVldhXkp1heBZQC88GBq-rmUJ7LT8VDbZQrjj5fwaA0gI7HXSNSEyDBTMXb2pwQxbmuTQYzLfnkKaLGuJ7c325w-YAJ9O8I-wD6vcEYk/s1600/when-you-realise-you-gave-birth-to-a-middle-aged-balding-420982.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgHHmRF7W4kdSiNLdybFMHzvUNO8KtqrIz2QOVldhXkp1heBZQC88GBq-rmUJ7LT8VDbZQrjj5fwaA0gI7HXSNSEyDBTMXb2pwQxbmuTQYzLfnkKaLGuJ7c325w-YAJ9O8I-wD6vcEYk/s400/when-you-realise-you-gave-birth-to-a-middle-aged-balding-420982.png" width="225" /></a><br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-53593688767275252362018-04-05T10:01:00.003-04:002018-04-08T13:47:08.320-04:00The 70 Dankest Catholic Memes<br />
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1. When you try to encourage class participation...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3BmGdLDDsYpKgyK2BAmotjmppIyqpdGY1I68uq_dFZQBOw5Y040uD4hQmEs1XK3o9XOLT7m9Bzx0nkc1O5HvnQ-PuAtXp9N4eANmxuZxSN7XGRl0ry44nTHdkMXq1o2NVmTet3HfMxA/s1600/via-dustoffthebible.com-2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3BmGdLDDsYpKgyK2BAmotjmppIyqpdGY1I68uq_dFZQBOw5Y040uD4hQmEs1XK3o9XOLT7m9Bzx0nkc1O5HvnQ-PuAtXp9N4eANmxuZxSN7XGRl0ry44nTHdkMXq1o2NVmTet3HfMxA/s320/via-dustoffthebible.com-2.jpg" width="268" /></a><br />
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2. Dating biblically...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCOi2I_4Z6HoOXvxlEOKHaHUErD3-_QLYyORUgWNcF7vDmKRdoaXnZDU7fn4vlDbJRGvpa0lJJEPVRl_evL_iggmAwT-i9UFng9sfQbHw9on4BXlC8hvJiyn356_Qn4PPbVqwZh5huLQ/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCOi2I_4Z6HoOXvxlEOKHaHUErD3-_QLYyORUgWNcF7vDmKRdoaXnZDU7fn4vlDbJRGvpa0lJJEPVRl_evL_iggmAwT-i9UFng9sfQbHw9on4BXlC8hvJiyn356_Qn4PPbVqwZh5huLQ/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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3. Who you gonna call...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf88RKmAtIPG920dBy9_7BuNP9yGUOEIsQbS1GRvH81XSU4dMcHOcGHrIsYeVqlb7cZf_p1U2y0Nbfvcxx9QkONd4o3DX7E7bOpOW_dVbcWvvKnG2373-61gnZnVzPgar2t9dgWHnCMew/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf88RKmAtIPG920dBy9_7BuNP9yGUOEIsQbS1GRvH81XSU4dMcHOcGHrIsYeVqlb7cZf_p1U2y0Nbfvcxx9QkONd4o3DX7E7bOpOW_dVbcWvvKnG2373-61gnZnVzPgar2t9dgWHnCMew/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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4. The science of the resurrection...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32j50wV2RixzZ-Fd53qckKeVtguHMwMOU_rQLGtLJ9jmFXFQhyBQW7s6jcvjjVUg4RkAbqRAVc68D7pohyBDe7ydOG5HrGzED5z96T_hEWLX-6c69GNWKQTdg7zidNPPf6QfwQlKEHtw/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32j50wV2RixzZ-Fd53qckKeVtguHMwMOU_rQLGtLJ9jmFXFQhyBQW7s6jcvjjVUg4RkAbqRAVc68D7pohyBDe7ydOG5HrGzED5z96T_hEWLX-6c69GNWKQTdg7zidNPPf6QfwQlKEHtw/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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5. Surprise!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6IvwILIGQyKA_wa8hqHS0aD602O0iCi_ATJGZNmrLL_4-hLY2CaQB_xJIce8zzcRtc6yypVMFL7aGC0xtHeRBTiqbAjkVjgWeLwsqYcxSEmAUzXNwVfr4iUV3eHtEJACLftDfZ6kY3k/s1600/satan-finally-jesus-is-dead-jesus-myjesusjam-april-fools-easter-31932670.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6IvwILIGQyKA_wa8hqHS0aD602O0iCi_ATJGZNmrLL_4-hLY2CaQB_xJIce8zzcRtc6yypVMFL7aGC0xtHeRBTiqbAjkVjgWeLwsqYcxSEmAUzXNwVfr4iUV3eHtEJACLftDfZ6kY3k/s320/satan-finally-jesus-is-dead-jesus-myjesusjam-april-fools-easter-31932670.png" width="288" /></a><br />
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6. He's got game...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KBFpGwOK-Ntct-0AWhxZz4L3uAHpoiLQGX04cHH8c-IXcr0FeD1dTEdmaFWfI-TQ99leDKGBpPudBz1VPSY7C9lvef_ETGzAbIKE1-vLqApOQ6hWw4GCwvkaqkTDemp5vR0S4B4X2vI/s1600/CVGGRggUAAAAwSG.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KBFpGwOK-Ntct-0AWhxZz4L3uAHpoiLQGX04cHH8c-IXcr0FeD1dTEdmaFWfI-TQ99leDKGBpPudBz1VPSY7C9lvef_ETGzAbIKE1-vLqApOQ6hWw4GCwvkaqkTDemp5vR0S4B4X2vI/s400/CVGGRggUAAAAwSG.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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7. Two weeks in the life of the Church...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nm6D89HwtOVLDm9Pg1_KgbJsn8VRynmxF7ubYbPkfnFuuaZbtWMrBK0QUkRbMeWopadFxYoqCuz220_nTcpo2Pj1qixOD5HMxUzDrfH8ij2oxfp3Gt8SzAmSzLmUeruMkqIlWP0cPDU/s1600/easter-sunday-church-parking-lot-457802.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nm6D89HwtOVLDm9Pg1_KgbJsn8VRynmxF7ubYbPkfnFuuaZbtWMrBK0QUkRbMeWopadFxYoqCuz220_nTcpo2Pj1qixOD5HMxUzDrfH8ij2oxfp3Gt8SzAmSzLmUeruMkqIlWP0cPDU/s320/easter-sunday-church-parking-lot-457802.png" width="306" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGenTmalRPuS9YvA0qf5v7qf-eIA-gIlFnVRgqhyx3v7MJM0MW9bMXsyX0_lvPlUAT-eW3yahmCke2A52no1IFhuQegdKjwBx-K2ABNs_8YkBKedYpL0hSAeB7_4i2NUgSKkJ2qHYtgc/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGenTmalRPuS9YvA0qf5v7qf-eIA-gIlFnVRgqhyx3v7MJM0MW9bMXsyX0_lvPlUAT-eW3yahmCke2A52no1IFhuQegdKjwBx-K2ABNs_8YkBKedYpL0hSAeB7_4i2NUgSKkJ2qHYtgc/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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8. There are definitely "easter eggs" in religious icons<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_zGbSp6ndinpUI7nqUoAseCfKFV9AWTVHp57PWaBDn5XzP74IL_NVRexd7CnlwqEW2SBAXuPf7E5K9fqImqc3VorGo7apMa6va03DvdAAuPnGY-OUGzf2XoINjwpbebgkNSQOxE_di0/s1600/Where-easter-actually-came-from-meme.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_zGbSp6ndinpUI7nqUoAseCfKFV9AWTVHp57PWaBDn5XzP74IL_NVRexd7CnlwqEW2SBAXuPf7E5K9fqImqc3VorGo7apMa6va03DvdAAuPnGY-OUGzf2XoINjwpbebgkNSQOxE_di0/s320/Where-easter-actually-came-from-meme.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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9. Hipster Catholics<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1QgAx7Hy3AHo7HlFK7PT931_SOhvYbgabP-JvJVwWjT2Q7VPpCoHqne6WpgPZW9h3exeqhp89tv44aoNjoVvxBRR9OrHQJ8hpr7MhNsn7odYIVlLH8P-d8_nSTGYaGrK-cacUQcvLJQ/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1QgAx7Hy3AHo7HlFK7PT931_SOhvYbgabP-JvJVwWjT2Q7VPpCoHqne6WpgPZW9h3exeqhp89tv44aoNjoVvxBRR9OrHQJ8hpr7MhNsn7odYIVlLH8P-d8_nSTGYaGrK-cacUQcvLJQ/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="212" /></a><br />
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10. #Monklife<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtljKI51bDX43htktSRGsOOXNRLllyqHEumTHVyZDHevIcvT6-yYFoh0-7-eJvKGRfGjGhXL8thDsxCZRQo-zLskOHrQMWJY7QLngtupZRoFoZb0jJ-h8A3ZKqAvtygZ2YtmkVDO-dxk/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtljKI51bDX43htktSRGsOOXNRLllyqHEumTHVyZDHevIcvT6-yYFoh0-7-eJvKGRfGjGhXL8thDsxCZRQo-zLskOHrQMWJY7QLngtupZRoFoZb0jJ-h8A3ZKqAvtygZ2YtmkVDO-dxk/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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11. The fear is real...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiqvgLWFgAUWGFj95Y1VokMENKaHvjfi-HHocXYOW5X-1ebl0-969bd7dcghp82METhg4f5j4auAdjmqu1dZDEueW4GYyby3ArThasW-JWbO44ZvWICO66uTWjPA2wNNuSRUmx6kBKhQ/s1600/10170910_547389785379603_6807713330758827652_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiqvgLWFgAUWGFj95Y1VokMENKaHvjfi-HHocXYOW5X-1ebl0-969bd7dcghp82METhg4f5j4auAdjmqu1dZDEueW4GYyby3ArThasW-JWbO44ZvWICO66uTWjPA2wNNuSRUmx6kBKhQ/s400/10170910_547389785379603_6807713330758827652_n.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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12. 70s Yearbook photo?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoO1phyphenhyphenHXymtZIw_-hwLQtNFR-D30hgfuyVkg9ypRCntepP3a1hTv4EvfGsAWjEGqjcLx_T-MMHvf_fGo5jSBejpoF4j5t_2p3N-aCRiLOS3_IjuIMSNu96Fl2PD8hAchDjb1fm-v344/s1600/5e35000511c1bea48fe9bcf6597d49a4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoO1phyphenhyphenHXymtZIw_-hwLQtNFR-D30hgfuyVkg9ypRCntepP3a1hTv4EvfGsAWjEGqjcLx_T-MMHvf_fGo5jSBejpoF4j5t_2p3N-aCRiLOS3_IjuIMSNu96Fl2PD8hAchDjb1fm-v344/s320/5e35000511c1bea48fe9bcf6597d49a4.jpg" width="273" /></a><br />
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13. Oh Brian...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztM3in_zSRi7GrNmaw1x0E6Ap6eLTIJszZCkkA3qMihuEdZjaVpPGX036yKSY5IrxRxo64_U-Foe5zI3hsePzUDeWbTnlZv5DOQZ-OrLqIQoYnIRh_2hc8B1vFLBX9CBNJKcnf9prSOU/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztM3in_zSRi7GrNmaw1x0E6Ap6eLTIJszZCkkA3qMihuEdZjaVpPGX036yKSY5IrxRxo64_U-Foe5zI3hsePzUDeWbTnlZv5DOQZ-OrLqIQoYnIRh_2hc8B1vFLBX9CBNJKcnf9prSOU/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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14. Dude is scary!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8i0kNYF2JQ-Y2-ov89M7XxIGcOyS0_LZoU4chocO-6cj6nfbuglPWA3Gn19ggKwik_zvRzPCI9KHuKfTom3_fDHkioNmSyaMXMQO8VDktYs915t78u3nRpQqbvu55-wBo9KKz0KP7pg/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8i0kNYF2JQ-Y2-ov89M7XxIGcOyS0_LZoU4chocO-6cj6nfbuglPWA3Gn19ggKwik_zvRzPCI9KHuKfTom3_fDHkioNmSyaMXMQO8VDktYs915t78u3nRpQqbvu55-wBo9KKz0KP7pg/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="233" /></a><br />
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15. The gravest mortal sin of all<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGsozY08gYeVcrSKrW3L8sDYrfXECfZxV_NbT4xGkQBC9ZOUNL_dMhFKwzyLHVajeb9OfFzGkStfWEz9VpYOQZjkYmRePAn1OWtKR0lQ42N9m-UkFkpvGTFNBD9Hk47UgkWjWTInLJcw/s1600/Confession.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGsozY08gYeVcrSKrW3L8sDYrfXECfZxV_NbT4xGkQBC9ZOUNL_dMhFKwzyLHVajeb9OfFzGkStfWEz9VpYOQZjkYmRePAn1OWtKR0lQ42N9m-UkFkpvGTFNBD9Hk47UgkWjWTInLJcw/s400/Confession.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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16. Hey Ryan Gosling...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitK7qtR92bb9mcZxJ1kn42njCMiFb_rN6kx70AXgMF22Y-y8yMz9d3KU2Kt-gMlLVeXBsvV_iKVuXaNOK894C_5907DoMEVcqhR4B1pZA_O52MJHFrmw0A-GTWvrxLdfRMMEc7rv7ZeTw/s1600/e518b3be70bc7b958c38fb889a6620ea--lent--catholic-memes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitK7qtR92bb9mcZxJ1kn42njCMiFb_rN6kx70AXgMF22Y-y8yMz9d3KU2Kt-gMlLVeXBsvV_iKVuXaNOK894C_5907DoMEVcqhR4B1pZA_O52MJHFrmw0A-GTWvrxLdfRMMEc7rv7ZeTw/s320/e518b3be70bc7b958c38fb889a6620ea--lent--catholic-memes.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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17. Even Judas got a meme<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSvCS8lLHSKgKybwXq2AxHqG22EhR3RbvfAYC8zoG_SirLKi24kudLFT1QDIU33xBX_Ytg-aAV2GqN7V4Zm8_hIS6tE7jqT8X28W9Afidma1zfkTXwk5OCK1v79ITvc2FfrrarhokP40/s1600/f26116088c8479d9e95d297f91a589e2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSvCS8lLHSKgKybwXq2AxHqG22EhR3RbvfAYC8zoG_SirLKi24kudLFT1QDIU33xBX_Ytg-aAV2GqN7V4Zm8_hIS6tE7jqT8X28W9Afidma1zfkTXwk5OCK1v79ITvc2FfrrarhokP40/s320/f26116088c8479d9e95d297f91a589e2.jpg" width="232" /></a><br />
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18. The day the Jersey Shore got preachy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqQj7uzIoQ7j0SI96c5YozKEXsWpiSTJ_mbNGtsbsmpg3dPeAWvV8xzLL_1kXODq7c1SMru_9L_k57OtNrWvNxgraExkn5lud31IYkX5NM7yngFOvlKW6kwpaK_mvkCOTgChstX5fVNU/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqQj7uzIoQ7j0SI96c5YozKEXsWpiSTJ_mbNGtsbsmpg3dPeAWvV8xzLL_1kXODq7c1SMru_9L_k57OtNrWvNxgraExkn5lud31IYkX5NM7yngFOvlKW6kwpaK_mvkCOTgChstX5fVNU/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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19. Nothing like the pained Kevin Hart expression...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSwhOIzm-g3TamYyS7pU_JYAHWuEnYpg4LDRbXjww2gFFZF3UKSCWkgIdNxRKP88X8E4dl96t2dLLZM3cElknauMcPM2aHNsB-zjxhw86tcP_M18pYpxDy-N37Z_yUcPaHMU8mnjXi_w/s1600/meme.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSwhOIzm-g3TamYyS7pU_JYAHWuEnYpg4LDRbXjww2gFFZF3UKSCWkgIdNxRKP88X8E4dl96t2dLLZM3cElknauMcPM2aHNsB-zjxhw86tcP_M18pYpxDy-N37Z_yUcPaHMU8mnjXi_w/s320/meme.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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20. #catholicschoollife<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcX2-MLxg6ztde98-RgDknsWApZ9ix6csAltuP-GCgcZUUB3Dtw7EGAMqvKByWiS97M1WerrCk6xvbPes84FD6ZUAkqRwCSgIuuKJIMVDZrZuvX-aFELgx0UWcOe77bLNfWsl-VzIcQ8/s1600/i7oul.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcX2-MLxg6ztde98-RgDknsWApZ9ix6csAltuP-GCgcZUUB3Dtw7EGAMqvKByWiS97M1WerrCk6xvbPes84FD6ZUAkqRwCSgIuuKJIMVDZrZuvX-aFELgx0UWcOe77bLNfWsl-VzIcQ8/s320/i7oul.jpg" width="268" /></a><br />
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21. Th kid's not buying it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MRJDjXWXgVoNOmTGr6SCqAYa-cLcX-GeB9oaokWzukd4YQljBR7D5tSwh-NNYneMCitWOU3ymPG8Y5OWV4k8X3pntefNtGwQcjwW4o8wnC4IuG-vPyfNj_a3yC2Ir1L6ukw8tnf1-zQ/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MRJDjXWXgVoNOmTGr6SCqAYa-cLcX-GeB9oaokWzukd4YQljBR7D5tSwh-NNYneMCitWOU3ymPG8Y5OWV4k8X3pntefNtGwQcjwW4o8wnC4IuG-vPyfNj_a3yC2Ir1L6ukw8tnf1-zQ/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="312" /></a><br />
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22. Schrutisms<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jgo22Ib5pWo9Ihy5KMSKP1joZJGrCm94dKXboXJis6IZQXYtgrN57heJfD2xd_GlLZ9QDFDSflqyKdXMp20FrTpccSTnCl7Uu82RH2kv0fdOTkjH0_t9I9Z2cAfjuE7_zIC3CUvaT2g/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jgo22Ib5pWo9Ihy5KMSKP1joZJGrCm94dKXboXJis6IZQXYtgrN57heJfD2xd_GlLZ9QDFDSflqyKdXMp20FrTpccSTnCl7Uu82RH2kv0fdOTkjH0_t9I9Z2cAfjuE7_zIC3CUvaT2g/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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23. The "Taken" guy's gonna save you...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRRO4n0srG178eIG1wESGZqr8BJOBZiBUMi_NLzaIaA75qAGA6w0AldAaW4BRVr9O-3CtvN16iRJ5JRd8Hlkzhzw7-8DQEBcL6kZaiMWoTOsotDhyF9aHug6o4sRmQMF9nVUvGtVmqMs/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRRO4n0srG178eIG1wESGZqr8BJOBZiBUMi_NLzaIaA75qAGA6w0AldAaW4BRVr9O-3CtvN16iRJ5JRd8Hlkzhzw7-8DQEBcL6kZaiMWoTOsotDhyF9aHug6o4sRmQMF9nVUvGtVmqMs/s400/images-1.jpeg" /></a><br />
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24. Your secret is safe with me...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xgf230hGHc3VkTv4hgWOAJkm8DTu27UvSEzG0D8cgo3FtYfxuXdZP6wNB9TDdZoOC98lv5r_10w04KA_g_cKGyaxjxspuXA09lKDDkn0UvSvLUWtwmmKB07PLxT9Y4QACxezWIf7OFM/s1600/dexter___sends_son_to_catholic_school.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xgf230hGHc3VkTv4hgWOAJkm8DTu27UvSEzG0D8cgo3FtYfxuXdZP6wNB9TDdZoOC98lv5r_10w04KA_g_cKGyaxjxspuXA09lKDDkn0UvSvLUWtwmmKB07PLxT9Y4QACxezWIf7OFM/s320/dexter___sends_son_to_catholic_school.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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25. Just... no<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OU3GwlZuWx4i2np0JsBrnJLq6sK8FHnwcoTJXMWT5pztOkRrZ14CUXfssRlOom4b3AOpoA-c63lo84byVNOWQL6hC-jkeMURSGhoVLnQsS6Qe13f6cGii_vrNsksUa8G21-ruCjrBq0/s1600/a6deafa0c6acee8fb09f5e311a65d2f1--funny-church-memes-catholic-memes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OU3GwlZuWx4i2np0JsBrnJLq6sK8FHnwcoTJXMWT5pztOkRrZ14CUXfssRlOom4b3AOpoA-c63lo84byVNOWQL6hC-jkeMURSGhoVLnQsS6Qe13f6cGii_vrNsksUa8G21-ruCjrBq0/s320/a6deafa0c6acee8fb09f5e311a65d2f1--funny-church-memes-catholic-memes.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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26. Fair question<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpkNLwJ1Km5cxLlWDZq8grMtfrknD32KQazYdhfq7ASWV9w3c_HRMhPQjNpZBsEn8cz1752j_B-c0A-_NmCm1zKDMPAIALMHYE9xFCBOSzp1jfpSem9DNo0fvab4soR3ePLZW8MXGNVM/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpkNLwJ1Km5cxLlWDZq8grMtfrknD32KQazYdhfq7ASWV9w3c_HRMhPQjNpZBsEn8cz1752j_B-c0A-_NmCm1zKDMPAIALMHYE9xFCBOSzp1jfpSem9DNo0fvab4soR3ePLZW8MXGNVM/s320/images-2.jpeg" width="282" /></a><br />
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27. #Know your history<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qo7KGdp00o6VsOHm23SZdXDHr2yhgsGYqxbaVoyZBSEbOoasSvZxF0s3RKXOY-Ft3Uv0hoHklXqBMS6VdateB7RjGGPBDEyV8bd-n8sQ7Mg2SEQIp4897lVRsWujL5a5M_CaJIBuBo8/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Qo7KGdp00o6VsOHm23SZdXDHr2yhgsGYqxbaVoyZBSEbOoasSvZxF0s3RKXOY-Ft3Uv0hoHklXqBMS6VdateB7RjGGPBDEyV8bd-n8sQ7Mg2SEQIp4897lVRsWujL5a5M_CaJIBuBo8/s400/images-3.jpeg" /></a><br />
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28. This probably happens...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIESS_d5lQjadJWnsaPER0pvH3L0DaHXtQUXxfowOqyotHFqc8-x5F_BkD7CshrZOJuxijDvj9WIdvx0HqVhG3bGMjpBd80YRSTcyV5Db2Cah16xsuDEAJ4BppoHD8rTjlJ1CLB39x_8/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIESS_d5lQjadJWnsaPER0pvH3L0DaHXtQUXxfowOqyotHFqc8-x5F_BkD7CshrZOJuxijDvj9WIdvx0HqVhG3bGMjpBd80YRSTcyV5Db2Cah16xsuDEAJ4BppoHD8rTjlJ1CLB39x_8/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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29. How Rick Astley spends his Lent... without you<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Ef-wKf-Qao88eNsuZO3PQm_FI_NJFl7IFWQ8XQsapFgK5SVCR0mBhpR2LrDigbRvbI8KEcuxzxicz3o9zxyThJgqBVUg4THSVpQTCJMpIiBlnHogMCflajEpZcQ4OP2V8c99AmylyI/s1600/tumblr_kycvyidnbd1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1Ef-wKf-Qao88eNsuZO3PQm_FI_NJFl7IFWQ8XQsapFgK5SVCR0mBhpR2LrDigbRvbI8KEcuxzxicz3o9zxyThJgqBVUg4THSVpQTCJMpIiBlnHogMCflajEpZcQ4OP2V8c99AmylyI/s320/tumblr_kycvyidnbd1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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30. Is it Lent or a New Year's Resolution?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCw0AA1naSp8zNyV3E-uRNI5Nv6IycauB2WU20s0QR02LxVK4BJtSKHsBGC4lQbvjPDUxg2dtCwG5yMPpyo3xc1f3yf1tmW9T23236_twlX0f9QMZ12hiFiRQBMrWCaVKGbMEcc_Zkis/s1600/E6FA72E5-75BC-4EE2-A72E-62CBFB9E100D.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCw0AA1naSp8zNyV3E-uRNI5Nv6IycauB2WU20s0QR02LxVK4BJtSKHsBGC4lQbvjPDUxg2dtCwG5yMPpyo3xc1f3yf1tmW9T23236_twlX0f9QMZ12hiFiRQBMrWCaVKGbMEcc_Zkis/s320/E6FA72E5-75BC-4EE2-A72E-62CBFB9E100D.PNG" width="254" /></a><br />
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31. This one goes to eleven!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mNGgF4bmsUraJ6JXL5T1qkayyhoERpgtzxcDW5bG30ipBnRSyfBH5uzkmsGSDOyHdbh7VnG-NxCQPNJ8dEOS9eO9_IPwFQpUEAgeYEdlQnafSC3Hv807tICZVwxWXrU4dvFYGOSBB5g/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mNGgF4bmsUraJ6JXL5T1qkayyhoERpgtzxcDW5bG30ipBnRSyfBH5uzkmsGSDOyHdbh7VnG-NxCQPNJ8dEOS9eO9_IPwFQpUEAgeYEdlQnafSC3Hv807tICZVwxWXrU4dvFYGOSBB5g/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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32. When a meme gets predictable...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_qT1JN_V3zS8aJbys0YHaMjHUUyW34IKq7tHKJpQUtUVjfGxNWimb5gbopNm9_kMovCAMFQIQOkDKNBKNlJF32I9nr7AiROHCtM-IfbHZLIP2rTVGcfKNj4EZiJSrNY81kcItiBuFu0/s1600/61149d06138fcc171c14539e9222e87e.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_qT1JN_V3zS8aJbys0YHaMjHUUyW34IKq7tHKJpQUtUVjfGxNWimb5gbopNm9_kMovCAMFQIQOkDKNBKNlJF32I9nr7AiROHCtM-IfbHZLIP2rTVGcfKNj4EZiJSrNY81kcItiBuFu0/s400/61149d06138fcc171c14539e9222e87e.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />
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33. Koala coolness<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGSc-cmbdpr7ZQo-f12VZMAG-IsWgG_WAx4iZhvjAlMaZdiKSwl8pCAdDyo4inTtm5cfsmurXG6kkNvnUCO4giP7ooSVV0CVKstVOPcEHBeeubqltEx7mKVQ5850kPseOsotDmMRt1hY/s1600/0EM2Qga.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGSc-cmbdpr7ZQo-f12VZMAG-IsWgG_WAx4iZhvjAlMaZdiKSwl8pCAdDyo4inTtm5cfsmurXG6kkNvnUCO4giP7ooSVV0CVKstVOPcEHBeeubqltEx7mKVQ5850kPseOsotDmMRt1hY/s400/0EM2Qga.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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34. A "second" Baptism with Peele<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wVaFOPZOOUJOsJvQwzXfGCAN_Gt2lfXPski82DkvNou2kmplZcs8t_c24sW2-k1S22Bx1vHTgbuGN6SlOytX0IsTm3wl046h6hyphenhyphenPswUQv3vDMIPcWDfK9JTXjdpbRESw6XwRqW4TKNQ/s1600/ZWzog0D.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wVaFOPZOOUJOsJvQwzXfGCAN_Gt2lfXPski82DkvNou2kmplZcs8t_c24sW2-k1S22Bx1vHTgbuGN6SlOytX0IsTm3wl046h6hyphenhyphenPswUQv3vDMIPcWDfK9JTXjdpbRESw6XwRqW4TKNQ/s320/ZWzog0D.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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35. The struggle is real<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3F4acZkCVG7qdLbRavbR7TgYtZ-7YmMjNhOT-4LmLqqX9FDwIkBDn3SLF8IYzkMPhTBJkCPdLeN_dwuqp8dd-ikeA1P2vE0rAgQ6Rs5_XtaRx0XsLBzUDhOJS7Fp7Gvs6YLAZZYT6cE/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3F4acZkCVG7qdLbRavbR7TgYtZ-7YmMjNhOT-4LmLqqX9FDwIkBDn3SLF8IYzkMPhTBJkCPdLeN_dwuqp8dd-ikeA1P2vE0rAgQ6Rs5_XtaRx0XsLBzUDhOJS7Fp7Gvs6YLAZZYT6cE/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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36. #infallible<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm2ySpb1BQapi0xuC7Lx_XfvAcJNcTFBiFdbDAj5FbQxHLbT3s4HPYGGJz6ZmVaLeVqIAdN-uFllYWda6dJoa572soYxu7bnTEYoCtD36p68h2uPR8mQnAOI4gjjDxcFzb5eKxLf_PUA/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm2ySpb1BQapi0xuC7Lx_XfvAcJNcTFBiFdbDAj5FbQxHLbT3s4HPYGGJz6ZmVaLeVqIAdN-uFllYWda6dJoa572soYxu7bnTEYoCtD36p68h2uPR8mQnAOI4gjjDxcFzb5eKxLf_PUA/s400/Unknown.jpeg" /></a><br />
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37. How to save souls without leaving your house...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgFGzsZfePFW0_q6gqX4s0eoq1XtCvijtqDPc8A8LlKPjKDDI0EHSCrIn8rzGv_ZC9xqGnJ7yIBZfrVuJ5INdHsgazxnZ4MCmkJciotCePmf1Xe-KXt3aDTpaVWRCBvF20HgYoheZRUw/s1600/4d0019d54fd96aedde2918399f7e4c2e.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgFGzsZfePFW0_q6gqX4s0eoq1XtCvijtqDPc8A8LlKPjKDDI0EHSCrIn8rzGv_ZC9xqGnJ7yIBZfrVuJ5INdHsgazxnZ4MCmkJciotCePmf1Xe-KXt3aDTpaVWRCBvF20HgYoheZRUw/s400/4d0019d54fd96aedde2918399f7e4c2e.jpg" /></a><br />
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38. Feels like a threat...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4I4eZroUtaVZyzjHeRt1g2zjzHcwocVrNv5KQjCJ9tU90zhcDe-d861TWbgfyyIOgXVhV9ZQg7NErPfPD0iiB9HtGie-MpQSHsRk367WKBVAsbuFo0dxrWp45_WanY-Smvk_73JunAU/s1600/22d96a8a2016e68307429d5ff1834a95.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4I4eZroUtaVZyzjHeRt1g2zjzHcwocVrNv5KQjCJ9tU90zhcDe-d861TWbgfyyIOgXVhV9ZQg7NErPfPD0iiB9HtGie-MpQSHsRk367WKBVAsbuFo0dxrWp45_WanY-Smvk_73JunAU/s320/22d96a8a2016e68307429d5ff1834a95.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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39. Andy is annoyed by your lack of awareness... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f_XRfKQCra1q4NLCJDZfmGuf6sHt9pzLzeISN9_IkXKgFOHFD7Y99XOy1_HwbL49ZgPfxuGSounwSdnljdwO_mViMRS0kVKhKwgMUOmS6ZzZFXrm6CQMXtt-roF6aXWQ2UNq8wIQtfs/s1600/d40f05d0f2ebc9dc5dec50a11c523447.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2f_XRfKQCra1q4NLCJDZfmGuf6sHt9pzLzeISN9_IkXKgFOHFD7Y99XOy1_HwbL49ZgPfxuGSounwSdnljdwO_mViMRS0kVKhKwgMUOmS6ZzZFXrm6CQMXtt-roF6aXWQ2UNq8wIQtfs/s320/d40f05d0f2ebc9dc5dec50a11c523447.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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40. Your first mistake: Debating Willy Wonka <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjhegDRSHgBccjN5R8Cl1RioCaP0uquPc7Z-zYVssULgUtz-rWGEo9Cg5j8m4I23unugKi_DcT-MFemg5vV2Oz9vdzycvdGrSy9TBwqPV3EVfrEi14eKfHcMNURqyA2XpAc6j3w4GaBk/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjhegDRSHgBccjN5R8Cl1RioCaP0uquPc7Z-zYVssULgUtz-rWGEo9Cg5j8m4I23unugKi_DcT-MFemg5vV2Oz9vdzycvdGrSy9TBwqPV3EVfrEi14eKfHcMNURqyA2XpAc6j3w4GaBk/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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41. #Atheistlife<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbc9KXN3QTBn0Eo_2SxXRuSa2xREbmIHMsdZxLiMtvCN9ZddkvOeYxP6bUiuOy5CTQFT9CV0RbBa6uSJe9QEKwZD5Ddpl0yOQlh9v3xn806Q8ahPuXpe3koThwcZ4ctV519Nn8wdvGXY/s1600/Facebook-8fba07.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbc9KXN3QTBn0Eo_2SxXRuSa2xREbmIHMsdZxLiMtvCN9ZddkvOeYxP6bUiuOy5CTQFT9CV0RbBa6uSJe9QEKwZD5Ddpl0yOQlh9v3xn806Q8ahPuXpe3koThwcZ4ctV519Nn8wdvGXY/s320/Facebook-8fba07.png" width="286" /></a><br />
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42. All truths are valid... kind of <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ch9EZLZ9490rPmir013bkioPQcdBLgG7S8kO4MWpm_FnbnqkaDqL54x-sLESKSj5z0FO8Gjs6t0DPHEFurt8FAuiMq9bmwV2PDsLaLABvn9m3aGo2e8fzA-7rQ6Fv0UfY1WVCJyT_Dc/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ch9EZLZ9490rPmir013bkioPQcdBLgG7S8kO4MWpm_FnbnqkaDqL54x-sLESKSj5z0FO8Gjs6t0DPHEFurt8FAuiMq9bmwV2PDsLaLABvn9m3aGo2e8fzA-7rQ6Fv0UfY1WVCJyT_Dc/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="212" /></a><br />
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43. Francis about to drop a fat beat...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkmUFDI0pWo4Fqkr7JSZzN45k2VWoMKLfOk-YKYX14WrxJeVNJUphyphenhyphenNLHSFTkJMKJj3Ll9PY0LwR60CgKt-p5Pk8-tXoBDHXjl5gRpFCf5E9r6AxVTa3MCeU4LSrLrvSu0MGBonMHIus/s1600/bobby-blizzard-tell-me-this-pope-doesnt-look-like-hes-14394054.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkmUFDI0pWo4Fqkr7JSZzN45k2VWoMKLfOk-YKYX14WrxJeVNJUphyphenhyphenNLHSFTkJMKJj3Ll9PY0LwR60CgKt-p5Pk8-tXoBDHXjl5gRpFCf5E9r6AxVTa3MCeU4LSrLrvSu0MGBonMHIus/s320/bobby-blizzard-tell-me-this-pope-doesnt-look-like-hes-14394054.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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44. Dude was a bouncer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvv8aCJ1zV09QBp4sexzR6lroEKowJDpSae29KClqW_1YdpXbQst46j6PfBv2h2V-vcxpD0Ha0BRePJbNhbL7aKNAKRxqlb9pq-NvmGk4A39eaWVErGNAjHiX2ef_9moGGioBMk84zk4/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvv8aCJ1zV09QBp4sexzR6lroEKowJDpSae29KClqW_1YdpXbQst46j6PfBv2h2V-vcxpD0Ha0BRePJbNhbL7aKNAKRxqlb9pq-NvmGk4A39eaWVErGNAjHiX2ef_9moGGioBMk84zk4/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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45. Lenting with Ryan Gosling...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKa3TsKdHJQHSclVKdF1lDzzP9BUVtV6v3o4jn2_jg85xt23lSrCx9dmiCp01-m46aANDfECd6w33d70FzOrU1vtcQvEjLyN8B5OsA14kHnKV4UrvdZUZnZREwZaOzj2H2W19PoyWQTI/s1600/cccdf168274effb744f1d0c90f08f24f.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKa3TsKdHJQHSclVKdF1lDzzP9BUVtV6v3o4jn2_jg85xt23lSrCx9dmiCp01-m46aANDfECd6w33d70FzOrU1vtcQvEjLyN8B5OsA14kHnKV4UrvdZUZnZREwZaOzj2H2W19PoyWQTI/s320/cccdf168274effb744f1d0c90f08f24f.jpg" width="253" /></a><br />
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46. Eh, what' that you say?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQreeko5-xDftd4J33RChUvxYyc72-gW3Z4L93pjkq3N4EFboWbzn8S6VU2UqIqGClqT2b1Ii0GOLiortjGJrl2WIO7Zfv27Bukl8ORQvHkHfIsfkRbkRERSH-57hJK57Qh4UrWD2jLk/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQreeko5-xDftd4J33RChUvxYyc72-gW3Z4L93pjkq3N4EFboWbzn8S6VU2UqIqGClqT2b1Ii0GOLiortjGJrl2WIO7Zfv27Bukl8ORQvHkHfIsfkRbkRERSH-57hJK57Qh4UrWD2jLk/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="257" /></a><br />
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47. "I've got a fever... and the only prescription is more..."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOrM1xYlddmA-7A3VGvZGYzv4xllZ7hxx9sKz9xDn9T4P4fmRQKC1kw1xb9Dkji7gx4jGtHVVMugzpfWc_MNShtNhmUl4oaF9RDi_8AdXr5H6DNtcLJ77iAv_KuGX-5RLlzNih-DTSdQ/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOrM1xYlddmA-7A3VGvZGYzv4xllZ7hxx9sKz9xDn9T4P4fmRQKC1kw1xb9Dkji7gx4jGtHVVMugzpfWc_MNShtNhmUl4oaF9RDi_8AdXr5H6DNtcLJ77iAv_KuGX-5RLlzNih-DTSdQ/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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48. "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual..."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp3H0lfOgVEfuXqLaZji7VhpbFth2CHylK_jUttft_dbY3v_mzQkQsdJnSx1OCJkBlOd5BqM9bptCFbAEHDIIlrZq3ZAJY8ardH9LV-dYM8OKTIMBgpwTVoNgaxjoRxySodfay5hzbzA/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAp3H0lfOgVEfuXqLaZji7VhpbFth2CHylK_jUttft_dbY3v_mzQkQsdJnSx1OCJkBlOd5BqM9bptCFbAEHDIIlrZq3ZAJY8ardH9LV-dYM8OKTIMBgpwTVoNgaxjoRxySodfay5hzbzA/s320/images-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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49. Who here doesn't just love religious chain letters?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQEdA2O6LTx_YAWUQTxx0pLTSGLboHatoDf7QjE4eyGqPaVgTMUTmq7BapDFOTq5n00GzcAnHEeqjrlZOBUyegvnalc4kEiRbiNFpYH0obYmKZo9RBy4YWgDh7idfGMLLBT6PXFkzH4M/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQEdA2O6LTx_YAWUQTxx0pLTSGLboHatoDf7QjE4eyGqPaVgTMUTmq7BapDFOTq5n00GzcAnHEeqjrlZOBUyegvnalc4kEiRbiNFpYH0obYmKZo9RBy4YWgDh7idfGMLLBT6PXFkzH4M/s320/images-2.jpeg" width="247" /></a><br />
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50. And so it begins...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl6yyiB02UlQlQhDN-3dCGTMmNoRLgpzvKXsCH8FtAcYddR8BE8FV6IIeLjMurWdKIl-_qA7zUTRmyhGhOhyphenhyphenznBVuWPsbD3o3CeXl6lYMIXm3kmFL8xaBDFIdXdPugFGgYYSEl5ACDkk/s1600/cc7562bb869f39d96410aca156840ea2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl6yyiB02UlQlQhDN-3dCGTMmNoRLgpzvKXsCH8FtAcYddR8BE8FV6IIeLjMurWdKIl-_qA7zUTRmyhGhOhyphenhyphenznBVuWPsbD3o3CeXl6lYMIXm3kmFL8xaBDFIdXdPugFGgYYSEl5ACDkk/s320/cc7562bb869f39d96410aca156840ea2.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />
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51. Meanwhile at Father Obi-Wan's Parish<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOywXBjdGwUt7FtHuDfvzBRRwmeRmF6T44lXItUMJUVmU1cQyis6xM-kpvjpQszI1Jo2jewLPX873Qu-xogBhOyt92DG-D_pvNqPJD0rYYmeA7zlnZdxwCsAgqd_u8OYfDn3xB062OX0/s1600/may-the-force-be-with-you-and-also-with-you-13994913.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOywXBjdGwUt7FtHuDfvzBRRwmeRmF6T44lXItUMJUVmU1cQyis6xM-kpvjpQszI1Jo2jewLPX873Qu-xogBhOyt92DG-D_pvNqPJD0rYYmeA7zlnZdxwCsAgqd_u8OYfDn3xB062OX0/s320/may-the-force-be-with-you-and-also-with-you-13994913.png" width="294" /></a><br />
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52. St. Anthony, Finder of Stuff?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaAlnkrxmxTQ_VGmP-KXvvJORnwbOlhAs-7xfa6kbVmyR6_bmjAB6L9GKn9cw7L-tt5jTd7d0lqn2xI-spBTJcpa8w_roUfeV4HXhHtOyJgqZu8i_993kzRpJ1HNz53B2X9JB3TJh1x0/s1600/via-stpeterslist.com_.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaAlnkrxmxTQ_VGmP-KXvvJORnwbOlhAs-7xfa6kbVmyR6_bmjAB6L9GKn9cw7L-tt5jTd7d0lqn2xI-spBTJcpa8w_roUfeV4HXhHtOyJgqZu8i_993kzRpJ1HNz53B2X9JB3TJh1x0/s320/via-stpeterslist.com_.jpg" width="193" /></a><br />
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53. Was this guy in the Princess Bride?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA74VyPXbpgcKOYrqu2PozpVWQj4N5XM9c5TSa0y2EwfWEd0Xe5p4jZ1-ghFvxGvLGd2vvEhCZ9sqrxQCo8GILsfKBcY17L0BrLmahjq7LI0c6iwRHM82NuJvhjE4NFHM0Cahf_i2A1c/s1600/images-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA74VyPXbpgcKOYrqu2PozpVWQj4N5XM9c5TSa0y2EwfWEd0Xe5p4jZ1-ghFvxGvLGd2vvEhCZ9sqrxQCo8GILsfKBcY17L0BrLmahjq7LI0c6iwRHM82NuJvhjE4NFHM0Cahf_i2A1c/s320/images-5.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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54. A man of <strike>few</strike> no words...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6t0MFYqfP_TxbRcis1jJKfert-gbMbllGJmCCw4BL7MGQy539wjBeO0z1x6SamV3RcjZDyTdueGAfd7f4syBkYalK5yYo6IioN9-RbYWHugQwUEkIjDHgv5zM338PA1W4YkKZswnOH8/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6t0MFYqfP_TxbRcis1jJKfert-gbMbllGJmCCw4BL7MGQy539wjBeO0z1x6SamV3RcjZDyTdueGAfd7f4syBkYalK5yYo6IioN9-RbYWHugQwUEkIjDHgv5zM338PA1W4YkKZswnOH8/s320/images-4.jpeg" width="261" /></a><br />
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55. My funny Valentine!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDRWOIOo-vLSXDgdoyokulLm_hzmPvpXl4FCUfuqSFBLOilVSnXaMrcq-4SFylF22H4jsRqT4nCXRd38IOj3e634Pd4PQNeduJe9aOSsLhSs6ThCLKjM8yPm6ip8YxeLNTrhAyrfpxBQ/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDRWOIOo-vLSXDgdoyokulLm_hzmPvpXl4FCUfuqSFBLOilVSnXaMrcq-4SFylF22H4jsRqT4nCXRd38IOj3e634Pd4PQNeduJe9aOSsLhSs6ThCLKjM8yPm6ip8YxeLNTrhAyrfpxBQ/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="257" /></a><br />
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56. Bad timing?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMPVDV40Qzld7g870yUCzujlQ8OZZ2UTcVN8pYYvRNIafw0J5pICvSsKgaFmo5hcJLpKESHjYqEUkRAbYd0r7VXRN-OQivbzwLLHhwBBWv3xf_I_bytF2ItJyEoeyndoVhrBBWZWawl4/s1600/tmg-article_tall.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMPVDV40Qzld7g870yUCzujlQ8OZZ2UTcVN8pYYvRNIafw0J5pICvSsKgaFmo5hcJLpKESHjYqEUkRAbYd0r7VXRN-OQivbzwLLHhwBBWv3xf_I_bytF2ItJyEoeyndoVhrBBWZWawl4/s320/tmg-article_tall.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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57. "The priest would blush if he heard my confession..."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVIzZrUQbFCrsHC-APwGQM63RKgnTeeJITIV7kRNQ3_w1nXDhlLOuXepCwrgdVtRICRqAYYUbc7tKsOe7PtO3CqNRn4Ozpu9dme48bST7UBY6SegOWpxx91j0ASj-IOsrjqRoQMV6DPk/s1600/via-Christine-LaMont-Pinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVIzZrUQbFCrsHC-APwGQM63RKgnTeeJITIV7kRNQ3_w1nXDhlLOuXepCwrgdVtRICRqAYYUbc7tKsOe7PtO3CqNRn4Ozpu9dme48bST7UBY6SegOWpxx91j0ASj-IOsrjqRoQMV6DPk/s320/via-Christine-LaMont-Pinterest.jpg" width="254" /></a><br />
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58. The Gospel according to Memes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimanzWcR1pXMG6MZRTtKXHJLtzxf7TjXAWfvknrqI4_pp3PC_x2TxXleFh7x47cCJiSnd_qJpYEW7Uxkn_9g62RNxKEgtvE1_dHhmGT7lLNhyC8kk-5iUWBsfUvFZM_wn3DiMirHxuaP0/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimanzWcR1pXMG6MZRTtKXHJLtzxf7TjXAWfvknrqI4_pp3PC_x2TxXleFh7x47cCJiSnd_qJpYEW7Uxkn_9g62RNxKEgtvE1_dHhmGT7lLNhyC8kk-5iUWBsfUvFZM_wn3DiMirHxuaP0/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="229" /></a><br />
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59. Deck the <strike>Halls</strike> Heretics?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8jNcsswZ_3UFw2ikDst2737K94E0v4xtPsOTgtQbuasGpNS4QimkUCd4i8g0MfdglKr6iCBa6XuQJzhaPeRTLwFB0MV5t85Fb_2LYJVYwpQqw9tLff0Evo01mMeHcffIXt1fEL6RQWI/s1600/images-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8jNcsswZ_3UFw2ikDst2737K94E0v4xtPsOTgtQbuasGpNS4QimkUCd4i8g0MfdglKr6iCBa6XuQJzhaPeRTLwFB0MV5t85Fb_2LYJVYwpQqw9tLff0Evo01mMeHcffIXt1fEL6RQWI/s400/images-6.jpeg" /></a><br />
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61. #moreirishthanyou<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzfNmB1umpllPaFMRH-CZ_hxY0cn85FPrFWWMa8bHv4G8kYfS_fBghXY1IpYPHp8BcDpP5BPI2yve34OvhOPtQ659zklybPvPZpk6KnKmUrXhkKHUW4bkuY6TzKbsDFbUXJUm_Egl3DI/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzfNmB1umpllPaFMRH-CZ_hxY0cn85FPrFWWMa8bHv4G8kYfS_fBghXY1IpYPHp8BcDpP5BPI2yve34OvhOPtQ659zklybPvPZpk6KnKmUrXhkKHUW4bkuY6TzKbsDFbUXJUm_Egl3DI/s400/Unknown.jpeg" /></a><br />
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62. Nailed it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGEPdRzb6yRogrgZ5ZvK81vjQ_hIV_SDR3712od_Mf7auV5m54Dc7Wcn3CKtez_ZqYZ8W-FbfoF4NGsvJxBH2AcwgbU4KZl9uZ2zsIyBmmkGOM_uHRVkSJhRs5Jg5yIRaYxCgezGQ8pk/s1600/i-have-95-problems-and-the-church-is-one.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGEPdRzb6yRogrgZ5ZvK81vjQ_hIV_SDR3712od_Mf7auV5m54Dc7Wcn3CKtez_ZqYZ8W-FbfoF4NGsvJxBH2AcwgbU4KZl9uZ2zsIyBmmkGOM_uHRVkSJhRs5Jg5yIRaYxCgezGQ8pk/s320/i-have-95-problems-and-the-church-is-one.jpg" width="219" /></a><br />
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63. Faith vs. Reason?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTImb7t9Rhd_4V-0_Rb50wY3QRIOBfXagwlL9JXaXfAkQV-Uvj6lFH2DwXmkmMkvmavF9BxVx9CdGWM7ZutTAZne7xDwXs6Z2XE6Kl2L6ib2UHDZcRGqz9J1wyZfn0l2p0CrIz0jDoPy4/s1600/tumblr_n0hkfum4581r1ye13o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTImb7t9Rhd_4V-0_Rb50wY3QRIOBfXagwlL9JXaXfAkQV-Uvj6lFH2DwXmkmMkvmavF9BxVx9CdGWM7ZutTAZne7xDwXs6Z2XE6Kl2L6ib2UHDZcRGqz9J1wyZfn0l2p0CrIz0jDoPy4/s320/tumblr_n0hkfum4581r1ye13o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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64. The spicy traditionalist meme<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj395H4a6PCE1XQJmyHIMsKrYJ4JqjeEX5CkdlxsGYQYRMeFFp1Kwwq22qJyflN2EJOcUMQT52nSJIMxBUut2Py8FK3v0g93Mkerc_MRz0BDFz3crVdhxDycVE8RqcfmtMLtSiMuM7hiwc/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj395H4a6PCE1XQJmyHIMsKrYJ4JqjeEX5CkdlxsGYQYRMeFFp1Kwwq22qJyflN2EJOcUMQT52nSJIMxBUut2Py8FK3v0g93Mkerc_MRz0BDFz3crVdhxDycVE8RqcfmtMLtSiMuM7hiwc/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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65. The challenges of dating...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW4JIls9-XKboBm_Kz15hDmIPZR-Q3JarctwAltGhy_hlntQgeMAF5idYdS7DdopQM-qZrzBL16M1eLLMjJnXM_axWjhu3zHZXOHk8f4qbassB_HfQw5T9tQp0mHMYgRDPA87Dac7_rE/s1600/431825_198479843635099_1221515925_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW4JIls9-XKboBm_Kz15hDmIPZR-Q3JarctwAltGhy_hlntQgeMAF5idYdS7DdopQM-qZrzBL16M1eLLMjJnXM_axWjhu3zHZXOHk8f4qbassB_HfQw5T9tQp0mHMYgRDPA87Dac7_rE/s400/431825_198479843635099_1221515925_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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66. Moses was the first IT guy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVarm98MFiJQvhGq0NO3geZ2QqSvutSRNTf-corbebgHfoNQOHW34QwAg7i1KQ93x63l0p6QSetvPhmDMe1KrqtbH25a9oCDNr-Po3nGungkSDiwJIInhTLyIjN3lZdzw8lvBegag8wI/s1600/29715431_428705960920905_4183223478297559040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVarm98MFiJQvhGq0NO3geZ2QqSvutSRNTf-corbebgHfoNQOHW34QwAg7i1KQ93x63l0p6QSetvPhmDMe1KrqtbH25a9oCDNr-Po3nGungkSDiwJIInhTLyIjN3lZdzw8lvBegag8wI/s320/29715431_428705960920905_4183223478297559040_n.jpg" width="264" /></a><br />
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67. Technology before technology<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhbdbJ1k_TKYk_6JDAJtqm_M42DSggIlr-UwlZgvp6KC5-5e4pp_jd_5YfRUjKtLmuE9RtAgCSGharMIcPeSiEHyB64Ao8EHm-RPdnbaHO428fz7UV7fZ9n-uTYiyUC7prY5p-E8CQ2M/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhbdbJ1k_TKYk_6JDAJtqm_M42DSggIlr-UwlZgvp6KC5-5e4pp_jd_5YfRUjKtLmuE9RtAgCSGharMIcPeSiEHyB64Ao8EHm-RPdnbaHO428fz7UV7fZ9n-uTYiyUC7prY5p-E8CQ2M/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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68. No wonder why the Israelites were mad...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpUOFAF9NLscINTFnVL0-VEG-7_pW02TLB6gI5yo-_3yySQXIX8m9SDQBGsppUxt7vQB4BGbvSYwBgQ4moGJSPi084sAOWBMejvxRjcrCXnz16-OECd8f3lYrRKz6zpAewWJafZcUWyI/s1600/parts-the-sea-gets-lost-in-a-desert-for-40-years.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpUOFAF9NLscINTFnVL0-VEG-7_pW02TLB6gI5yo-_3yySQXIX8m9SDQBGsppUxt7vQB4BGbvSYwBgQ4moGJSPi084sAOWBMejvxRjcrCXnz16-OECd8f3lYrRKz6zpAewWJafZcUWyI/s400/parts-the-sea-gets-lost-in-a-desert-for-40-years.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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69. The first instance of GPS death<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5w3GSo5t_xgxoJg7ST73fqlgr_OGiCDzM8tBxP46WJo6ZwCoCRd_e1VN1PkJXQ7Or9DcCXsh8nHXStjp4SXiizhxfMeoZBIAacoLLUjSpMT0EF4WVaSWlMNwBT3-8Vby8SVuZsojCWA/s1600/d141be05bf6f945287ab806e02ecfcd3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5w3GSo5t_xgxoJg7ST73fqlgr_OGiCDzM8tBxP46WJo6ZwCoCRd_e1VN1PkJXQ7Or9DcCXsh8nHXStjp4SXiizhxfMeoZBIAacoLLUjSpMT0EF4WVaSWlMNwBT3-8Vby8SVuZsojCWA/s320/d141be05bf6f945287ab806e02ecfcd3.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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70. Bad Apologetics<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-voqykY6m59Zkx3cuFr_KLXUeAu9E3AIKg5J_-XcWeig-I7Bg1Yo_TIlqLKVu4LKC78kOhkhTox4IF5uEPdljfiQpOj9tUvEWYpfyd1SJEZXSnvMDM5xB4H7XCxufDHf7wPYYVZjDEwY/s1600/b3f2b8052e7b6a8707f495f8d17ad86cb2518bf7892a61be4459ce3cdd8f051a.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-voqykY6m59Zkx3cuFr_KLXUeAu9E3AIKg5J_-XcWeig-I7Bg1Yo_TIlqLKVu4LKC78kOhkhTox4IF5uEPdljfiQpOj9tUvEWYpfyd1SJEZXSnvMDM5xB4H7XCxufDHf7wPYYVZjDEwY/s320/b3f2b8052e7b6a8707f495f8d17ad86cb2518bf7892a61be4459ce3cdd8f051a.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-53321585508122465532017-06-06T12:14:00.004-04:002020-03-11T07:52:22.180-04:00The Divine Biology: The Theology of Mary as Revealed in Art<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTruT8E9kWwIgYjW66RaTHG1usoZwVBDPDFZ9wOA5BGq8CtzIOF493AA5PRQiUDsWwDBMSnyqmI70_NFWvZcPQVcuevOH6UlhWu2WuWBXSxxKMHAy9WtsW77i0_Q27HBxBqJT0F6B0vJg/s1600/Geertgen_tot_Sint_Jans_-_The_Glorification_of_the_Virgin_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTruT8E9kWwIgYjW66RaTHG1usoZwVBDPDFZ9wOA5BGq8CtzIOF493AA5PRQiUDsWwDBMSnyqmI70_NFWvZcPQVcuevOH6UlhWu2WuWBXSxxKMHAy9WtsW77i0_Q27HBxBqJT0F6B0vJg/s400/Geertgen_tot_Sint_Jans_-_The_Glorification_of_the_Virgin_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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The first thing to know about good Catholic art is that it is not merely something pretty, as if beauty were its accidental byproduct. Rather, Catholic art is pretty precisely because of what it is depicting. And what is it depicting? It is attempting to offer a window into a world which might be described as Beauty itself.<br />
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Yet what most may not have considered is the notion that this art is not there purely for the purpose of inspiring an <i>appreciation</i> of divine things, it is there, likewise, to stir our intellect to the point of contemplating the divine mysteries, particularly those mysteries that words cannot express in a satisfactory manner.<br />
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A picture may be "worth a thousand words," but this kind of picture offers something far superior, for a thousand words can often be quite tedious and hard to digest. By contrast, good Catholic art seeks to condense a thousand words into what feels like the pithiest and most succinct explanation of a complex idea.<br />
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Such is how I would describe my experience with Marian iconography. Though my own words regarding Mary are often clumsy and unsatisfying (at least to me), the following art, I would suggest, eloquently makes present that which is otherwise beyond expression. <br />
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Below I attempt to articulate Marian theology through the lens of Mary's maternity, coupled with the manner in which she is depicted in art. My thesis in essence comes down to this: <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">biology is theology</span></b></i>.</span> In fact, one could argue that developments in biology have and will continue to be at the service of historical developments surrounding our theological understanding of Mary's unique role in the plan of salvation (not to mention the dignity and value of women in general).<br />
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For example, the role of a woman in the conception of a child was once believed to be little more than an incubative process; we now know better, and that lines up beautifully with Marian dignity. Another example involves the question surrounding the moment of conception. During the medieval period, many held that true conception did not occur until some weeks after fertilization. We now know differently, and not only does that not diminish the Church's deep and abiding respect for human life (as well as motherhood), it rather elevates it. In any case, far from inhibiting Catholic doctrine, science actually serves to clarify doctrinal definitions, and may even, as I attempt to argue here, deepen our insight and understanding on these matters. And while, needless to say, I am no expert on biological matters, I will attempt at the level of my capacity to expand upon the above insight, leaving it to the real biologists and artists to offer further insight as it relates to what I have begun here in embryo...<br />
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<b><i>1. Mary, Living Monstrance of God</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>"At last! This one is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh" - Genesis 2:23<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ413_ueiYETv7zWyL9IRrXDIXqCUDTZ6EB9bveMbfCwu2B8TqZGpLoxS1pYdLicQfZwHkSzzQEX-Bk5nPDllsmU9jsTOl9C4Fe_RO8eWjrTCeRcCd5tGOPZJ7qVwJXCMBvGj8Hy8m3g4/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ413_ueiYETv7zWyL9IRrXDIXqCUDTZ6EB9bveMbfCwu2B8TqZGpLoxS1pYdLicQfZwHkSzzQEX-Bk5nPDllsmU9jsTOl9C4Fe_RO8eWjrTCeRcCd5tGOPZJ7qVwJXCMBvGj8Hy8m3g4/s400/Unknown.jpeg" /></a><br />
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Mary, like no other human on the face of the earth literally "embodies" our Lord (in both senses). Not only does Mary look like Jesus, but even more startlingly, Jesus looks like Mary. Indeed, Jesus would not be Jesus in the particular way he manifested his humanity, had he another mother. The above image calls to mind three things in particular for me. First of it all, the icon itself looks a bit like some sort of divine sonogram revealing within Mary a kind of royal embryo. Secondly, it looks- based on the way Mary holds her hands- that she herself is a priest, the antecedent Priest from which the flesh and blood of God was originally conceived. And lastly, it causes me to reflect on Mary as the "living monstrance of God.<i>" <span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>In other words, this image depicts</b> <b>Mary as a sort of immaculate monstrance, a living sudarium showcasing the holy face of God. Mary is the true icon/window into heaven,</b></span></i><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span>a living canvas into which the masterpiece of salvation has been engrafted and branded from the first moment of her conception.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7BkQfcLWQ8kKhqpkFeqA3krISgpvts4WMUwFStNq93C9rc6cFav6BfQh8wrDtOJXQDORg7wbdmGf6mbqlNJjygtbFuW844hVH3qMaVm91CbWqpUaZzixjFxofNEDhm9B9z_i7KxBGk/s1600/ab0d8da22c32bec60c9157bd7d54e113.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7BkQfcLWQ8kKhqpkFeqA3krISgpvts4WMUwFStNq93C9rc6cFav6BfQh8wrDtOJXQDORg7wbdmGf6mbqlNJjygtbFuW844hVH3qMaVm91CbWqpUaZzixjFxofNEDhm9B9z_i7KxBGk/s320/ab0d8da22c32bec60c9157bd7d54e113.jpg" width="290" /></a><br />
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<b><i>2. Mary, The Burning Bush</i></b><br />
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"God is an all-consuming fire..." - Hebrews 12:29<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9traHfaqy_MJx9KeN3anuI50aT6J4ZtgTn7VYcVQi7WwDMkN2C9xVOphDXhk-cP4uPDxmKT7L3wTyj0bMnm3bOE3tevtFFXITSi2ROUqRoF7xkxLDa2kE5LOIxXcqu7NTUbwfRuj6sE8/s1600/ef876227ec04e3493540fb38444ef623.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9traHfaqy_MJx9KeN3anuI50aT6J4ZtgTn7VYcVQi7WwDMkN2C9xVOphDXhk-cP4uPDxmKT7L3wTyj0bMnm3bOE3tevtFFXITSi2ROUqRoF7xkxLDa2kE5LOIxXcqu7NTUbwfRuj6sE8/s320/ef876227ec04e3493540fb38444ef623.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
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"Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up..." - Exodus 3:2<br />
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When gazing upon this icon I begin to reflect upon Mary's special capacity to bear (in both senses, once again) the Son of God. One could argue that she is just an "ordinary" woman given an extraordinary task, but that would be (in many ways) to miss the point. Yes, she is "ordinary," but that doesn't diminish her extraordinary relationship with God. Other than the Savior himself, Mary is singular in the part she plays in salvation. In <u>this</u> sense, all other saints are replaceable. According to the Archangel Gabriel, Mary is, in a unique way, 'filled with every grace and blessing in the heavens... having been chosen from the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish' (Luke 1:28; Ephesians 1:3-4). <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">How else could she have given flesh to God Himself, if she herself weren't already conformed to this "all-consuming fire?" She can bear the Flame Himself within her precisely because she is already consumed by the flame of divine love.</span></i></b><br />
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5b/00/dd/5b00dd8e54b4489d713da9d2ebaaa8d4--burning-bush-the-burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5b/00/dd/5b00dd8e54b4489d713da9d2ebaaa8d4--burning-bush-the-burning.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>"When the day of Pentecost came around they were altogether in one place... They saw what seemed like tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each one of them" - Acts 2:1, 3 </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G8GEVgaC2J8gLhW2z9vtf2bcsdT8cGYNWw74QpRqDjF2ihiCqllr3wSt1O400skokbpPaduoAJ9NAz8E4usP0h-1HMHljlxGEvejbeIMtM8YPXyPXCk3SPGns0apyaKH0J37R1czpzU/s1600/mary17.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G8GEVgaC2J8gLhW2z9vtf2bcsdT8cGYNWw74QpRqDjF2ihiCqllr3wSt1O400skokbpPaduoAJ9NAz8E4usP0h-1HMHljlxGEvejbeIMtM8YPXyPXCk3SPGns0apyaKH0J37R1czpzU/s320/mary17.jpg" width="284" /></a><br />
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<b><i>3. Mary of the Trinity</i></b><br />
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... and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh." - Mark 10:8<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqChJEzCuI4DG83r5RLto-UFITz5pe4y0lloO86bE67NmBDmhO3kc9f51oqbWB6RPn9LMM_mvifxhv0nzjnIWfRR8BvsFM87EVb1W0pEZXnayd1QgFpKwn-dAy4z9GmoEm7cpDOrZS0M/s1600/Unknown-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqChJEzCuI4DG83r5RLto-UFITz5pe4y0lloO86bE67NmBDmhO3kc9f51oqbWB6RPn9LMM_mvifxhv0nzjnIWfRR8BvsFM87EVb1W0pEZXnayd1QgFpKwn-dAy4z9GmoEm7cpDOrZS0M/s400/Unknown-6.jpeg" /></a><br />
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God has chosen (in a very literal way) to express his union with humanity through Mary's maternity. To put it another way, he has chosen motherhood to express what it looks like for humanity to be in communion with God. Joseph in a certain sense represents humanity's role in the Incarnation. As he became the adopted father of Jesus, he subsequently (with the rest of humanity) gets "adopted" into this divine project. There are only two "persons" in all of eternity from which the eternal Word has proceeded. The first, in order of priority, is the Father; the second, is Mary. Thus, calling Mary the "Mother of God" is not mere hyperbole, especially if we regard her motherhood as a complete biological fact (as opposed to some kind of alien incubation). Though Mary is <i>created</i> and therefore not with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from the beginning, she is nevertheless part of the real conception of the Son in the order of time. Biologically speaking, one does not conceive part of a person, but rather the totality of that person (we are not Hindus/Dualists). Not only is this consistent with the Church's teaching on when life begins, but further highlight the sublime intimacy between mother and child (both biologically and spiritually). Hence, it is no accident that we see in the above artwork a mysterious and inescapable "love triangle." Observe how the lines of the two holy families are ultimately united in a constellation of two shapes- cross and triangle, together forming the shape of a kite, held in unison by the wings of the Holy Spirit. <span style="color: #bf9000;"><i><b>In any case, the child really is a physical sign of the communion of a set of parents, the living embodiment of their intimacy. The child in this case is the Word made flesh, a manifestation of the communion shared between Mary and God. </b> </i> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtvuaSn49Lg0fDfZa1ztuhFtJ13UY79QkZE3V47EdcU7XUG7FIsCPN0D3E50RjHidopYlC9QIFVeY-S9KyPmMqc78AtQ0cnbdZ6M0d9idG-vEg9nj3XzcTIvHGTbt4jLp0ak3P1Ohyphenhyphenys/s1600/02c021d3a42e22616e76dfde1606bd87.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtvuaSn49Lg0fDfZa1ztuhFtJ13UY79QkZE3V47EdcU7XUG7FIsCPN0D3E50RjHidopYlC9QIFVeY-S9KyPmMqc78AtQ0cnbdZ6M0d9idG-vEg9nj3XzcTIvHGTbt4jLp0ak3P1Ohyphenhyphenys/s320/02c021d3a42e22616e76dfde1606bd87.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
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<b><i>4. Mary, the Church</i></b><br />
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"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother; 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then he said to his disciple, 'Behold, your mother!'" - John 19:26-27<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gl5D5MfcH-F-WUi1CAi8bGvtChbHPwSjysSRdLGBN5IOpMeX18pdOWiYRo6I5HGOP4ypZejSRTLwvXwNUA9qbfT3cdwqR1HYNVH07br-WG97l4MZTU81IiNzmLELsynxNZ1p76WZTGI/s1600/Lucca-Madonna-375x500.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gl5D5MfcH-F-WUi1CAi8bGvtChbHPwSjysSRdLGBN5IOpMeX18pdOWiYRo6I5HGOP4ypZejSRTLwvXwNUA9qbfT3cdwqR1HYNVH07br-WG97l4MZTU81IiNzmLELsynxNZ1p76WZTGI/s320/Lucca-Madonna-375x500.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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"She brought forth a male child, one who was to rule the nations... but her child was caught up to God and his throne... Then the dragon was angry with the Woman and went off to make war on her offspring..." - Revelation 12: 1-2, 5, 17<br />
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Everyone knows, I suspect, that the priesthood is something reserved for men only. Yet there is a sort of female priesthood, which is in some ways even more primitive, or rather primary, than the former. <span style="color: #bf9000;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Motherhood in itself serves as a kind of priesthood in the biological sense, for a mother really does, from her very flesh, give "life to the world", and then sustains that life from her own substance</b>.</span></i> </span>In that sense then, a mother is not only a sign of the priesthood, but a sign of everything the Church does. Indeed, this mother is eucharistic in every possible sense, for she holds back nothing of her being, and so is perfectly <u>given</u> over to the other for the sake of, and in the name of, her Son; "And just as a mother nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, Christ also constantly nourishes us with his own blood, those to whom he has given birth." (St. John Chrysostom)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQHT2JuQ2PygFWkvYUceNrOeEfzy-N0K5mEqIgttE2FD59aqzGFMArTh15RrfSpjuG_o5YrOqhHmI67nFrxmIpkQTMNfK2HwVFCWGvcXS1fwa9VDaTrliOou1n2k_tK8e2FzbA0HPPrY/s1600/f6393045e8b0676cb02fc62863836ea7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQHT2JuQ2PygFWkvYUceNrOeEfzy-N0K5mEqIgttE2FD59aqzGFMArTh15RrfSpjuG_o5YrOqhHmI67nFrxmIpkQTMNfK2HwVFCWGvcXS1fwa9VDaTrliOou1n2k_tK8e2FzbA0HPPrY/s320/f6393045e8b0676cb02fc62863836ea7.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<b><i>5. Mary, Mother of the Immaculate Word</i></b><br />
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"But Mary treasured all of these things, pondering them in her heart..." - Luke 2:19<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wszTSIjBpnNa8OgQO9PRit0I_-tjZyCYZA5gKKr3QFLfW-TX72gZxZOnsnfGZa8cMp6_JnbQyA8uksWM7bf3IzFqzVypNPTeoUuyQTQBGVJsRhBBn74E-JKbRXzo6EtWkhS-n96Qu9Q/s1600/4b30f7de323066303fccc7e6cc6f59d2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wszTSIjBpnNa8OgQO9PRit0I_-tjZyCYZA5gKKr3QFLfW-TX72gZxZOnsnfGZa8cMp6_JnbQyA8uksWM7bf3IzFqzVypNPTeoUuyQTQBGVJsRhBBn74E-JKbRXzo6EtWkhS-n96Qu9Q/s320/4b30f7de323066303fccc7e6cc6f59d2.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Every mother bears in her body the stigmata of her love and her communion with her child. For example, the indelible belly button which marks the place where the umbilical cord was formerly attached, exists as a living memorial of their connection, a physical mark that remains constant even while everything else changes. However, this unique communion of lives moves well beyond this physical reminder. A mother's memories possess two distinguishing characteristics: they are both meticulous and immaculate (i.e. idealized). Mary is a living Bible, for the life of Christ is literally inscribed into her flesh Moreover, it can be said that she<b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;"> <u>is</u> a living Bible of memories, the original Sacred Page upon which the infallible Word of God was inscribed by the Father with the feathery quill (and ink) of the Holy Spirit.</span></i></b> Every mother believes her son to be infallible (or at least tends to idealize them), Mary is the only mother who has ever lived that has had the benefit of being correct in this assumption. <br />
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<b><i>6. Mary, Tree of Life</i></b><br />
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"By their fruit you will recognize them... Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit... a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." - Matthew 7:16-18<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjuGkfWAS0qxhpwiA3scbHycY8l-VF-3Q1jdzFAP3pH4H_LwMsUjcTQMbzmvVj2u-1NezMi-lSeWoVHWRxJWUa2g6cWAgGZ5_yJSLHX_lGvPG_RLxmRpNI2PJ7gTYBOSp2nzwyuxI7Ps/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjuGkfWAS0qxhpwiA3scbHycY8l-VF-3Q1jdzFAP3pH4H_LwMsUjcTQMbzmvVj2u-1NezMi-lSeWoVHWRxJWUa2g6cWAgGZ5_yJSLHX_lGvPG_RLxmRpNI2PJ7gTYBOSp2nzwyuxI7Ps/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb..." - Luke 1:42<br />
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It's hard not to notice the trans-literary references to the word "fruit" in the Bible. Simple Bible logic: that which is fruitful is good, and that which is fruitless is bad. As the above piece of art indicates, Eve, by her actions, eats the fruit of sin and thus "delivers" death into the world, while Mary, as a result of her fiat, receives the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and thus delivers Life into the world. This is not only theo-logic, but life logic. After all, families that seem to embody sin and division more often than not tend to burden and curse the following generations, while on the other hand, the faithfulness and solidarity of a good father and mother naturally communicates the same to their offspring and so on. In such a family, there is even tremendous hope for the black sheep, for when the black sheep is the exception, there are many opportunities for him/her to return to the fold, when they are the "rule," to what fold can they return? As it relates to Mary, she is so life-giving and faithful, that the "fruit of her womb" turns out to be the "medicine of immortality," not only for a thousand generations, but for every generation (which is why they will always call her "blessed") By contrast, by imbibing death and disobedience, Eve transmits the venom of the ancient serpent to all of her subsequent generations.However, in spite of all of the curses brought on by the sin of disobedience, the blessing of motherhood cannot be overthrown, thanks be to God.<span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><i> T</i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">he womb of Mary (as well as that of every other woman) is truly a kind of "tree of life", a graceful bough, producing the fruit of human existence.</span></i></b><i> </i>Mary is truly the mother of mankind in the double sense. She is both a sign of its creation and a sign of its redemption, for the fruit of her womb delivers both to the world simultaneously. <br />
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"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below... for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of their parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations to those who love me and keep my commands." - Exodus 20:4-6<br />
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<b><i>7. Mary, Gate of Heaven</i></b><br />
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"Behold you will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you shall give him the name Jesus... and his kingdom will never end!" - Luke 1:31, 33 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbTvAikTHsOii2pn_ONc6wfPfvTuR1KToxYxzDVRzKXQ_jivZ8zNgB103184Si5_ObnuQ-a1j7Q_cdNs2Grds6fJ_REWmphhO91iGJUPb8dTuAJ0i1FxiWbeplb0s830pHnjHxRgg_KA/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbTvAikTHsOii2pn_ONc6wfPfvTuR1KToxYxzDVRzKXQ_jivZ8zNgB103184Si5_ObnuQ-a1j7Q_cdNs2Grds6fJ_REWmphhO91iGJUPb8dTuAJ0i1FxiWbeplb0s830pHnjHxRgg_KA/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="219" /></a><br />
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"The Lord God said to me, 'this gate is to remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel shall enter by it'" - Ezekiel 44:2<br />
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The above work of art, along with this traditional title for Mary, causes me to reflect on just how <i>theo-logical</i> the various titles of Mary tend to be (i.e. they can be logically deduced from Mary's biological role as mother). In essence, motherhood is a gateway that enables humanity to pass from oblivion into existence. On the other hand, Christ in his unique birth is not so much passing from nothingness into existence, but rather from heaven to earth.<i> <span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Consequently,</b></span></i><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> this remarkable "gate" has not only been given the capacity to introduce new life into this world, but additionally has been given the special task of introducing our world to Heaven Himself. </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mary is </span></span></span>ultimately the primordial image of the Church. She is, as it were, the Church <u>before</u> the Church. Indeed, she is the <u>first</u> Church of God, and her womb the first sanctuary. There is a certain kind of gritty honesty to this title that makes me a little uncomfortable quite frankly. Perhaps I am a bit of a Puritan, but it is more than a little biologically direct to create a title for surrounding Mary that directly invokes her birth canal. In any case, Woman (in this way) represents both mystery and revelation, the mystical curtain from which the drama of all earthly life proceeds, not to mention the ultimate revelation of God's plan for salvation.<br />
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<b><i>8. Mary, Seat of Wisdom</i></b><br />
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"Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with gold... on both sides of the seat were armrests... Nothing like it had ever been made for any kingdom." - 1 Kings 10:18-20<br />
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Whether it be the image of a child resting in his mother's arms, or one sitting on his mother's lap, such images are so deeply embedded in the human psyche that in some ways they might be regarded as the Alpha and the Omega of our childhood memories. Another particularly divine trait associated with motherhood is her gift of <i>Wisdom</i>. From the Book of Wisdom to the Book of the Beatles, this form of human intuition goes well beyond verbal expression, and borders on a kind of psychic awareness. In fact, one might even associate it with another kind of silent <i>force</i>, something that is commonly called "grace". This primal understanding serves to nurture life, especially at its most fundamental stages. For this reason, it is a representative virtue of both the Church and of Mary at the same time. Just as the mother seems to anticipate all of the mysterious twists and turns of life, so also the Church. When we need insight as to how to navigate the difficult riddles and challenges of life, we must return to our mother's arms, or rather, we must humble ourselves and listen to her marvelous wisdom and insight. Her awareness and intuitive skills derive from her primordial instincts, her intimate knowledge and concern for her children, and her extensive experience and contemplative life.<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Her ivory "seat of wisdom" is simultaneously an authoritative chair and a mother's lap. She may not always say what we want to hear, but her presence alone is a remarkable form of consolation. </span></span> <span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><br />
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<b><i>9. Mary, House of Gold</i></b><br />
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"So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he made a partition by the chains of gold across the front of the sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold." - 1 Kings 6:21 <br />
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"You shall overlay (the ark) with pure gold, inside and out shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it" - Exodus 25:11<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9P6YKwelU8CTGccKp0oelWrAS3H-IDrSuimhwQ5XWYxw6so9951WOj9x4eCYdTT0sjw0D8qK-gJ5NgNlTkqXoyCtTASuWs3SLc3rl7b0VblkM_OSAjCpunXQN6n1FnfKX3YZLNt7-XA/s1600/936451_10151669179594604_957434581_n-960x350.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9P6YKwelU8CTGccKp0oelWrAS3H-IDrSuimhwQ5XWYxw6so9951WOj9x4eCYdTT0sjw0D8qK-gJ5NgNlTkqXoyCtTASuWs3SLc3rl7b0VblkM_OSAjCpunXQN6n1FnfKX3YZLNt7-XA/s400/936451_10151669179594604_957434581_n-960x350.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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In our age we assume that dignity and respect are the inevitable right of every woman and child (at least in theory), but in the ancient world it was not so. Though the image of a child nestling in his mother's arms is universally regarded as beautiful, there is a built-in vulnerability suggested there that threatens the solidarity of this dynamic duo. Consequently, the value of the divine biology (and the symbolism therein) should not be dismissed as a mere pious abstraction. At the Incarnation, divinity literally attached itself to humanity, thus elevating the value of both child and mother. <span style="color: #bf9000;"><i><b>Always the sanctuary of biological life, the womb has now become the sacred residence of the Incarnate God. No longer can this temple known as Woman be patronized as the "weaker sex", nor can the child within her womb be dismissed as having "potential value" (though the Supreme Court may beg to differ).</b></i></span> Both sanctuary and temple, Ark and covenant, are to be regarded as fearful- reverential and inseparable. Perhaps this explains the holy fear that gripped both David and Joseph when confronted with their respective responsibility to care for their respective Ark. What then is the biggest threat to the joint dignity of mother and child? Separating what God has joined. <br />
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<b><i>10. Mary, True Grail of God</i></b><br />
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"This is my body given for you; do this in memory of me" - Luke 22:19 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGJcO4nrSasSFKYIN0aJHRhmCj1htaceVYmoniWXSBEr4uTMlYYSKio1D6EgDe1uib4JEHpJrtp8I-SnjGE-KCU542aiS5-abT0yGY4FPkNgF95osSN-_AMi6I6fgK6ArccWciSbQ4tQ/s1600/a15b1234ccfe05848c0670a3038c20f7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGJcO4nrSasSFKYIN0aJHRhmCj1htaceVYmoniWXSBEr4uTMlYYSKio1D6EgDe1uib4JEHpJrtp8I-SnjGE-KCU542aiS5-abT0yGY4FPkNgF95osSN-_AMi6I6fgK6ArccWciSbQ4tQ/s320/a15b1234ccfe05848c0670a3038c20f7.jpg" width="255" /></a><br />
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Mary is the Holy Grail, the sacred vessel, the golden chalice from whence the precious blood of our Lord and Savior flows. Observe the way that the lines are drawn in this beautiful icon. It is as if the Child and his mother are both extending their arms in orans prayer, while the eucharistic chalice simultaneously proceeds from the mother's breast. Much like the "Mother of the Church" image, the emphasis here is placed on the co-mingling of the two persons in such a way that the flesh we receive cannot merely be assigned to Jesus irrespective of his mother. Though it appears that the child is authoritatively extending the mother's arms with his hands, this same child nevertheless proceeds from the flesh of the mother. The tragedy of modern talk surrounding abortion is just how perfectly it aligns with a Eucharistic mindset... but in reverse. "This is my body," doesn't have to be meant in an antagonistic way. It can be expressed in both a maternal and marital sense as well; "Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies" (Ephesians 5:28). <span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><i>The same way in which Christ, the Bridegroom, gives life to his "body" the Church, so also each mother from her own flesh literally gives life to the world. Hence, we are left with a profound conundrum. Who exactly gives us the Eucharist anyway: Jesus or Mary? Yes. </i></b></span><br />
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<img height="239" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c6/67/fa/c667fa1d409ea16de6654e33cd02343c.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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<b><i>11. Mary, Immaculate Image of God</i></b><br />
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"So God created man in his own image; in his own image he created them; male and female he created them" <br />
- Genesis 1:27<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnvb7quMgQ16vCSgv9TAMPIh-WlNvMdtddR-zeqb4ZqQRxtme0BKK724jAeZjuD4gW_9lcS28T0tfMqypQ9fsilKz217CDkD_9A4dCrxg1-mUSp9zdJaRA9nilw4FGSzU6IsW-5bnWfY/s1600/Unknown-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnvb7quMgQ16vCSgv9TAMPIh-WlNvMdtddR-zeqb4ZqQRxtme0BKK724jAeZjuD4gW_9lcS28T0tfMqypQ9fsilKz217CDkD_9A4dCrxg1-mUSp9zdJaRA9nilw4FGSzU6IsW-5bnWfY/s400/Unknown-5.jpeg" /></a><br />
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In another universally familiar image of mother and child, I am once again inspired to reflect on the primordial unity of mankind, not to mention the paradox of the above Scripture passage that employs both the singular and plural of the same idea; "he created him, male and female he created them."<span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">In this beautiful icon we can observe just how the </i><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">new</u><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Adam and Eve together express the full face of God. Two distinct faces pressing against one another in affection to make one. I've never heard of Siamese twins conjoined at the cheek, but in this work of art we can imagine that what conjoins them is not so much a piece of vestigial skin, but rather the bonds of agape love.</i></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Indeed, like the original pair (as seen below), they really are an extension of one another, a visage of the whole human race.</span></span></span> </span>However, unlike the short-lived harmony of our first parents, we can imagine how the sequel, particularly as expressed in the above icon, helps restore the perfection of the once disfigured and malformed image of God in man. <br />
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<a href="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*WycX9NIHBcZC7gT_qomcnA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="720" height="278" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*WycX9NIHBcZC7gT_qomcnA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i>12. Mary, Morning Star</i></b><br />
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"So we have prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts" -2 Peter 1:19<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHFrNHitjNHNsBZqq6hjB5pqvub11g34g3l8I50jpe-TBi0TWb73iMukDDu48lsULx58c6JN8Ynfh12OOSOOEyYNrVq4E1kV9MYVsdwkUwT2VSKPhRV5lsQ1pXMmOmkNDyTpNLZrt3_Q/s1600/Unknown-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHFrNHitjNHNsBZqq6hjB5pqvub11g34g3l8I50jpe-TBi0TWb73iMukDDu48lsULx58c6JN8Ynfh12OOSOOEyYNrVq4E1kV9MYVsdwkUwT2VSKPhRV5lsQ1pXMmOmkNDyTpNLZrt3_Q/s400/Unknown-3.jpeg" /></a><br />
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Marian devotion must be a perplexing thing to non-Catholics, especially when you consider the length to which the Church goes in order to honor her. Indeed, if Evangelicals believe in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Catholics do likewise, but they might also consider it natural to have a personal relationship with Mary as well (for both are persons after all). Nevertheless, the language that is used to honor Mary is not meant to marginalize God, but rather to properly acknowledge the unique part that Mary played in salvation. God not only became man, but chose a man, or rather a woman, to be his partner in this project of restoring the "dawn" to humanity. <span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Hence, much of what we might say about Jesus, we can also say of Mary by implication. For example, do we have the hope of an everlasting dawn, a tomorrow, a future, because of Jesus, or do we have one because of Mary. The answer is a resounding "yes"!</span></i></b> </span>And this is ultimately true of every mother that's ever conceived a child. Of course we must first set each thing in its proper order (i.e. God provided the conditions whereby this could take place in Mary), but nevertheless, in God's humility, he does ultimately permit us a share in his inheritance. When a citizen marries a foreigner, she shares all of the rights and privileges that a citizen does. Incidentally, we also see this, theologically speaking, with Peter as well. For he too is given various titles that God himself formerly possessed (i.e rock, shepherd, etc.). Like Mary, Peter possesses these titles, not because of his own merits, but because of whom he is united to in the Spirit. <br />
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<b><i>13. Mary, Our Mystical Rose (and the New Eden)</i></b><br />
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"I am the rose of Sharon, like a lily of the valley. Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens." - Song of Songs 2:1-2 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFolNupXUxm1s4gq3-wcojOK_kl4LCssqkx9dYGlatdOgjCguSadOqmdTsFZ6eAvwv_0_PIftVaYVWWwdzMIh5kSdsZOW4QoOVjFWygtUBBW4u07WLoP28VRypnDmU0fm7Kp2PUX1v-s/s1600/115365094_addition1171.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFolNupXUxm1s4gq3-wcojOK_kl4LCssqkx9dYGlatdOgjCguSadOqmdTsFZ6eAvwv_0_PIftVaYVWWwdzMIh5kSdsZOW4QoOVjFWygtUBBW4u07WLoP28VRypnDmU0fm7Kp2PUX1v-s/s320/115365094_addition1171.jpg" width="179" /></a><br />
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"A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." - Song of Songs 4:12<br />
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Of all the strange flowers in the garden of God, the rose is perhaps the strangest and most mystical. Why? Because in a most singular way it captures the ironic marriage between beauty and sorrow, between love and pain. <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">The etymology of a word like "passion" tells us practically everything we need to know about the marriage between the thorn and the rose. Indeed, love and suffering, at least in this fallen world, are so deeply intertwined (like strands of DNA) that they are literally bound up in the same word, or as in the case of the flower, bound up in the same flower.</span></i></b> Indeed, the mystery and mysticism of redemption is pregnant with symbology like this, especially surrounding gardens and flowers. For Mary herself is not simply a rose with a thorn pressed to her bosom, but also the virgin soil, prepared by God, enclosed, both fruitful and undefiled, the untainted ground from whence true salvation springs. <br />
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"Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me" - Hebrews 10:5<br />
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<b><i>14. Mary, Mother of Sorrows</i></b><br />
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"...and a sword shall pierce your own soul also, so that the secret thoughts of many shall be laid bare - Luke 2:35<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0vHN1bgX04HhyoI9xibbeaYR1_wMF6Uk1twdouoVn_hAXzkqV2QgnqkKp0_UsFZU9DgXvHYx_1Z_ux00Glgz4miS1SrhFPC_WuIohP7UiJkiNoJQ-JmBHKT2UmZ2Xj1ATp5cIwOMO0g/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0vHN1bgX04HhyoI9xibbeaYR1_wMF6Uk1twdouoVn_hAXzkqV2QgnqkKp0_UsFZU9DgXvHYx_1Z_ux00Glgz4miS1SrhFPC_WuIohP7UiJkiNoJQ-JmBHKT2UmZ2Xj1ATp5cIwOMO0g/s400/images-1.jpeg" /></a><br />
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Other than Jesus, never has another human being ever been so crucified and stigmatized by the death of God, nor has any human rejoiced more over His Resurrection as much as she. Does a child ever fully leave his mother's body? So fully are their lives interconnected and intertwined that at the suffering of her child, the mother must in some sense feel the ache in her womb, though the child has long departed. According to recent findings, there is a phenomenon known as micro-chimerism, wherein some of the biological DNA of the child remains in the mother's womb years after the birth of the child. Another interesting biological detail involves the discovery in recent years that prolonged stress in the life of a mother prior to giving birth, can effect the genetic development of the baby in utero (so the process can go both ways). Perhaps a more overtly positive biological discovery (among many) involves the release of a chemical known as oxytocin during breastfeeding, wherein a mother experiences bonding with her child as a result of this biological aid. Yet even beyond these biological factors, the bond between these two is so perfect that the mother often prefers her own suffering to that of her child's.<i> <b><span style="color: #bf9000;">Indeed, true love in this sense is so completely other-centered, that the suffering of the beloved is quite often a heavier burden than one's own personal suffering. Perhaps this explains the mystery of why certain icons depict every member of the Blessed Trinity suffering the pains of the crucifixion equally.</span></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/5b/d5/af5bd574ed67bc516cd80a84052e0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="347" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/5b/d5/af5bd574ed67bc516cd80a84052e0221.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<b><i>15. Mary, Pillar of Cloud</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him (Moses) and proclaimed his name, the Lord" -Exodus 34:5<br />
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiLQONgK1tqeguakVoypZaZelipe9wv7WCWAdxtZfMwj6peCSa_8J-8plZzob0MuhQcOPm8C-H125njPDi9SdOv_EF9zTLd_MC7HIclgJUHIET2VvHyu8_VJhTs3SHtMEQiOUAXO9UIw/s1600/legionofmarypicture_300.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiLQONgK1tqeguakVoypZaZelipe9wv7WCWAdxtZfMwj6peCSa_8J-8plZzob0MuhQcOPm8C-H125njPDi9SdOv_EF9zTLd_MC7HIclgJUHIET2VvHyu8_VJhTs3SHtMEQiOUAXO9UIw/s320/legionofmarypicture_300.jpg" width="206" /></a></i></b><br />
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Whenever God wishes to manifest his presence in the Old Testament (and frequently in the New Testament as well), more often than not this Presence is accompanied by the overshadowing of a cloud. For example, whenever the Lord manifests himself to Moses at the Tent of Meeting, there is always a cloud that overshadows the place wherein he speaks to the prophet. In the same way, motherhood is a white pillar that conceals the precise nature of the heavenly alchemy known as conception. <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">Even with all that we now know about pregnancy from a biological standpoint, the mystery and wonder that accompanies the process whereby a woman (in particular) helps bring into existence a being ex nihilo, is a magic, or rather a power, that can only be described as a "miracle"... which is perhaps why it so often regarded as such.</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i>16. Mary, Assumed into Heaven</i></b><br />
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"... because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see corruption." - Psalms 16:10<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Accademia_-_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_by_Palma_il_Vecchio.jpg/300px-Accademia_-_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_by_Palma_il_Vecchio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Accademia_-_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_by_Palma_il_Vecchio.jpg/300px-Accademia_-_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_by_Palma_il_Vecchio.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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One of the central themes of Scripture is the deepening of man's understanding concerning the nature and meaning of sacrifice. Whereas in the Old Testament the language of substitution is often used (i.e. lambs, bulls, goats, etc), in the New Testament the focus shifts from the offering of animals to the language of self-offering. The school of Scripture is a long and arduous process, pastoring humanity to the ultimate form of sacrifice... "This is my body <u>given</u> for you. Do this..." <b><i><span style="color: #bf9000;">From the Incarnation all the way to the Ascension, Christ, in a very literal sense, offers himself back to the Father. In the same way, at the end of her life, Mary, who also offered her body to the process of God's redemptive work, was likewise lifted to the Father as a sign commensurate with <u>her</u> sacrificial work.</span></i></b> Because of her obedience in giving herself completely to this motherhood, salvation was planted in her body... literally. 'Where her heart is, she is also.' Like Christ, she gives her flesh over to the Father so that the world may have life. Thus, she follows Christ in this secondary fashion because by giving birth to him biologically, her "flesh and blood" (see the passage below) goes wherever He goes. <br />
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"These are those who did not defile themselves... for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first-fruits to God and to the Lamb." Revelation 14:4<br />
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<b><i>17. Mary, Queen of Heaven</i></b><br />
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A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. " - Revelation 12:1<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA3LQI6UqRn-u7uCQAXO0sGPNFvP681XCVBBU3D_b6pw3duDoijPUzKGvqnXeAytDAgBtQnlwlblNsYbl0eknM5g5yPrGi9UNK4sNpaIy5ro1IAgp6TuEenkYINMlVih9LTjxWttErzE/s1600/mary-21.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA3LQI6UqRn-u7uCQAXO0sGPNFvP681XCVBBU3D_b6pw3duDoijPUzKGvqnXeAytDAgBtQnlwlblNsYbl0eknM5g5yPrGi9UNK4sNpaIy5ro1IAgp6TuEenkYINMlVih9LTjxWttErzE/s400/mary-21.jpg" /></a><br />
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"What is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven..." If the Incarnation means anything at all from a human standpoint, it means manifesting in heaven what has been manifested on earth (and vice versa). We are not merely being "saved" by God, but being made a "new creation." And so it makes perfect sense that all of the titles that Christ is given would be conferred in some complimentary way upon those with whom he has united Himself. Hence, if Christ is the Bridegroom, then who is the bride? And if Christ is King, who is the Queen? And if Christ is our Communion, then with whom is he communing? <i><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>Theologically speaking, we know that we are the baptized members of the family of God. Yet <u>how much more</u> is Mary baptized due to the fact that she really is biologically and genetically related to God? It is true that we are also grafted (and adopted) into the divine family, but <u>how much more</u> is Mary a member of the family of God in that Jesus receives his human identity from her</b>?</span></i> It may be in our DNA and psychological makeup to be oriented towards our heavenly Father, but in truth it is only the result of Mary's "yes" to God (on our behalf), that this orientation can be brought to fruition. <br />
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"And the king arose to meet her (his mother), bowed before her, and sat on his throne; then he had a throne set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. Then she said; 'I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.' And the king said to her; 'Ask my mother, I will not refuse you.' "<br />
- 1 Kings 2:19-20<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-27063106744287040122017-02-27T17:10:00.001-05:002017-03-05T14:07:20.106-05:00The Communion of Saints Art Gallery<br />
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<i>1. "Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..." Hebrews 12:1</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL8rf6ePqoCA4JKCpHsaip9TMz5s8KFInzc3HEuELOE0_NRoZxQCXww3jQki4ArWjb6CxkLQP6BOJqR-Z5Q7Y-6PzzhcpXKHY_LCi7uf7nGQiIUg3IYjBjbFnB5ZqdHgwzaaWTCQM7p0/s1600/slide051.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL8rf6ePqoCA4JKCpHsaip9TMz5s8KFInzc3HEuELOE0_NRoZxQCXww3jQki4ArWjb6CxkLQP6BOJqR-Z5Q7Y-6PzzhcpXKHY_LCi7uf7nGQiIUg3IYjBjbFnB5ZqdHgwzaaWTCQM7p0/s400/slide051.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>2. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it..." 1 Corinthians 12:27</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyNsbZFEBJjdqPyn6d2DMkqN-wDKuhyt81wC90rx0Wz0CX3HCNI6zbgJlInYo0vuEnLtfAXbWWXh4wOcErB40wD7rCQMXncSwE0NcGMRoRtJ-ksplIbpZlnilBpfLGuf8CwtMTyC_Cqo/s1600/Toussaint.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyNsbZFEBJjdqPyn6d2DMkqN-wDKuhyt81wC90rx0Wz0CX3HCNI6zbgJlInYo0vuEnLtfAXbWWXh4wOcErB40wD7rCQMXncSwE0NcGMRoRtJ-ksplIbpZlnilBpfLGuf8CwtMTyC_Cqo/s400/Toussaint.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<i>3. "Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of God's household" Ephesians 2:19</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJm2gc3rtuYocKs0FIoujxqlvxvRdtbRLaeytwxxNqM38mLCnzDfJ_JkuY-CxxqUg4uC_eLAWOUt1S8b6KqlMLRFvURm8RduOddY4N4cJfG63fbji5RDaUyGJ8UGRJ_9fAGvKwxtEZvMY/s1600/communion-of-saints-51710-4-728.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJm2gc3rtuYocKs0FIoujxqlvxvRdtbRLaeytwxxNqM38mLCnzDfJ_JkuY-CxxqUg4uC_eLAWOUt1S8b6KqlMLRFvURm8RduOddY4N4cJfG63fbji5RDaUyGJ8UGRJ_9fAGvKwxtEZvMY/s400/communion-of-saints-51710-4-728.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Family photo albums:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwvphFQMXsXEM7i37z-rc5X4PoWRqjVd3rLC5_vi_lONv1ZyV40nPWGx7pwT_xL-xLEBGm69mX8-JheDj6JUwz-3d5Vjn_EFHEhtwu6J3D5it4jsIRzDhjjLWNE-t0B78wJxhRgZARCE/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwvphFQMXsXEM7i37z-rc5X4PoWRqjVd3rLC5_vi_lONv1ZyV40nPWGx7pwT_xL-xLEBGm69mX8-JheDj6JUwz-3d5Vjn_EFHEhtwu6J3D5it4jsIRzDhjjLWNE-t0B78wJxhRgZARCE/s400/images-3.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>4. "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus..." Acts 1:14 </i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCAiotzqS8J0kIbhJcuf__soKIyfmfPsPxQrwEOVVbrv9fz1IMcR7rLIzmZ0YiNmssVxmSb00DFyG793DW0Suox5JL5ewP37ztYifsxuBjwQvZQPGOEWeZxfhnvWkdsabQRmeAr8k4SU/s1600/cloud-of-witnesses.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCAiotzqS8J0kIbhJcuf__soKIyfmfPsPxQrwEOVVbrv9fz1IMcR7rLIzmZ0YiNmssVxmSb00DFyG793DW0Suox5JL5ewP37ztYifsxuBjwQvZQPGOEWeZxfhnvWkdsabQRmeAr8k4SU/s320/cloud-of-witnesses.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i>5. "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world... Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life?" 1 Corinthians 6:2-3</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy6x-PW6oluANdpLXWUQ5VIpMIt3W-2A77YI7QdnfBdhfY3b34lQyLOSImWWfgHnJnxUQ-4-nTy4P2ZSOypB6v-eaeQhmNvtVt-aEjj3D_Q7wFQ1Re6FvFM1LQrMJKZCCG4GPpayC3w4/s1600/4037586_orig.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy6x-PW6oluANdpLXWUQ5VIpMIt3W-2A77YI7QdnfBdhfY3b34lQyLOSImWWfgHnJnxUQ-4-nTy4P2ZSOypB6v-eaeQhmNvtVt-aEjj3D_Q7wFQ1Re6FvFM1LQrMJKZCCG4GPpayC3w4/s400/4037586_orig.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>6. "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory" 1 Peter 5:4</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHi-WjTQQYvo1-_KUeQtrD4hiM33Rlrb2C8x1WFi43pVCP3B1LTa1KhpR_wDj71-7b9LHBK2oxERw9AkapI_9-f5_HG-fXldzAXwTFE2pV-TSnMMJf4y8fO5XObQqtuBAzquYZnD0mE/s1600/libyan-martyrs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdHi-WjTQQYvo1-_KUeQtrD4hiM33Rlrb2C8x1WFi43pVCP3B1LTa1KhpR_wDj71-7b9LHBK2oxERw9AkapI_9-f5_HG-fXldzAXwTFE2pV-TSnMMJf4y8fO5XObQqtuBAzquYZnD0mE/s400/libyan-martyrs.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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A photograph of the above Egyptian Christian martyrs:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNW12L-WA9U-tSWumMMUdqyBe0x2n9aZWVlq3rXeXFjz5EsCc4iW-ieK0VxjvKPopFFCWn8HHhscn4Bd8GFPCbA9sD9Pk7SPB5un9mFxQGpn6kUu3oaaAR9g7FqBhn5Y1rFmQM3QFXaqQ/s1600/Unknown-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNW12L-WA9U-tSWumMMUdqyBe0x2n9aZWVlq3rXeXFjz5EsCc4iW-ieK0VxjvKPopFFCWn8HHhscn4Bd8GFPCbA9sD9Pk7SPB5un9mFxQGpn6kUu3oaaAR9g7FqBhn5Y1rFmQM3QFXaqQ/s400/Unknown-4.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>7. "In my father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into my presence, so that you may be where I am..." John 14:2-3</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQA4Sr5FBPkqzcWthu1j728V2qtn5OVH-7kShYcHGPp-9DLHQkqNTzdcoRcNLgQPdbP-IYeip3KlSAPsjEvSlIhgu08JTLO50wMIAIJmrY19dgIPIY7yhqSVfP19mpE_gAnEW_8m0WWo/s1600/Cheryi-minei.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQA4Sr5FBPkqzcWthu1j728V2qtn5OVH-7kShYcHGPp-9DLHQkqNTzdcoRcNLgQPdbP-IYeip3KlSAPsjEvSlIhgu08JTLO50wMIAIJmrY19dgIPIY7yhqSVfP19mpE_gAnEW_8m0WWo/s400/Cheryi-minei.jpg" width="330" /></a><br />
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<i>8. "After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and people and tribe and tongue..." Revelations 7:9</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_EAuQbgBe-qoOcUogdGlivBLmBmug8ItUYSdpUwmbU8W-FzGV8ki52rGMAw0pi6d_7TsYG2doXrtQODbsSmn-wgL8g6DRvgErxzxVMu_8RuLXSo-vwFj0p4nve0cCsoN8gP9QGY3M2A/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_EAuQbgBe-qoOcUogdGlivBLmBmug8ItUYSdpUwmbU8W-FzGV8ki52rGMAw0pi6d_7TsYG2doXrtQODbsSmn-wgL8g6DRvgErxzxVMu_8RuLXSo-vwFj0p4nve0cCsoN8gP9QGY3M2A/s400/images-2.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
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More from this mural:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fuHu8RGn5x2bR94AMNMrYsUVsVa4msxStPBuqtiYfc6OHUBtguMu5Q6Q2Hw6qgZR8MuoUi8h_K7jeR-ic3Uy5R37yAWPXaGBRega7jVXsZCoePw8JzkyhfapdM263IYQYw87jxVfkC4/s1600/Unknown-6.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fuHu8RGn5x2bR94AMNMrYsUVsVa4msxStPBuqtiYfc6OHUBtguMu5Q6Q2Hw6qgZR8MuoUi8h_K7jeR-ic3Uy5R37yAWPXaGBRega7jVXsZCoePw8JzkyhfapdM263IYQYw87jxVfkC4/s400/Unknown-6.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
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More:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwLu-nHV7kbaRqL8A5ZlUSIT9YR0X-_tKBhzY6OmKN1yKvv5Gl9J10AY5LHR4RYdOop-jsErLN8L-WxfqOKs7S4x3JQJSXej9x2rsPeEVYrKQwLytNhYesmYpJ4kbXFE8nqlsedAIK9k/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwLu-nHV7kbaRqL8A5ZlUSIT9YR0X-_tKBhzY6OmKN1yKvv5Gl9J10AY5LHR4RYdOop-jsErLN8L-WxfqOKs7S4x3JQJSXej9x2rsPeEVYrKQwLytNhYesmYpJ4kbXFE8nqlsedAIK9k/s400/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
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More:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zId0ZIvWeMjtRAPhun88Bshg4C435WrhQMJ1sBBri_X11wbU-_y_HXhHvvwGiZxmdBkTZNYk1k2xKZ_zvy1Scfa5tA37Kwvd4v6Jr_XD1YGAmYTwQQiusvEKBMXF6CwLpWLMYaqVxaM/s1600/a8d7d10f6a76669e471ccc6ddbd1c622.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zId0ZIvWeMjtRAPhun88Bshg4C435WrhQMJ1sBBri_X11wbU-_y_HXhHvvwGiZxmdBkTZNYk1k2xKZ_zvy1Scfa5tA37Kwvd4v6Jr_XD1YGAmYTwQQiusvEKBMXF6CwLpWLMYaqVxaM/s400/a8d7d10f6a76669e471ccc6ddbd1c622.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>9. "Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads" Revelations 4:4 </i> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUE8LAZK4uQOLA3T1vrNtzygUAh58qNyOPni95AxZJQvFpWnvtKFzgxU6TB4Lm1uoZ8b4zEIGef9ByCqXA4m19CWqmhv_147CWwrl05nowmwGREK_qcxR1Gzv2-MPeTJINyYtCm_zWGLg/s1600/Saint_John_on_Patmos.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUE8LAZK4uQOLA3T1vrNtzygUAh58qNyOPni95AxZJQvFpWnvtKFzgxU6TB4Lm1uoZ8b4zEIGef9ByCqXA4m19CWqmhv_147CWwrl05nowmwGREK_qcxR1Gzv2-MPeTJINyYtCm_zWGLg/s400/Saint_John_on_Patmos.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />
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The throne of Christ:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhHaf46nA_-Mylz9kXFgHse-WvWmi59c8spKv36-LLUio1hSr0eCwLzldLIOw9cxF6URC65KYaH9SMBkzZOJyvnuj2vbEpbbjc5YdGDRU157ut5Nr3ukeM6-GSpXOf9dGL4x_xkssyXE/s1600/9baa465643d6cf8c47fb5cb4c92b4061.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhHaf46nA_-Mylz9kXFgHse-WvWmi59c8spKv36-LLUio1hSr0eCwLzldLIOw9cxF6URC65KYaH9SMBkzZOJyvnuj2vbEpbbjc5YdGDRU157ut5Nr3ukeM6-GSpXOf9dGL4x_xkssyXE/s320/9baa465643d6cf8c47fb5cb4c92b4061.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<i>"And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Revelation 7:11</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1Va8-fqSt4M1pKsv6thOQx0WsWjxQLV-gys_JMnYoYggCL4BecR4-ayxWO_yHnROE5Z08hDUVXOrcp4DWDaENH4ja81Pt2ybIiRAAPeUccdFFU8gAQTqUr4iiihx8Xja7JPF9-XMac0/s1600/635838586304003650336106840_communion-of-saints.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1Va8-fqSt4M1pKsv6thOQx0WsWjxQLV-gys_JMnYoYggCL4BecR4-ayxWO_yHnROE5Z08hDUVXOrcp4DWDaENH4ja81Pt2ybIiRAAPeUccdFFU8gAQTqUr4iiihx8Xja7JPF9-XMac0/s400/635838586304003650336106840_communion-of-saints.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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<i>10. "...the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:8 </i><br />
<i><br /></i><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7rjhdouq-A_ynyqJup46QQMtk9ZJsKExYDdFkp6_QLC_jiRe_u4Eloi9EusvAhVgzFWYal2KnGyEoVBzkylBjLdbyEQCeZfG9RcVjuxn9lriKI3R7gtF0Bs4moPmALPfezc2FUFnDPM/s1600/rev-week04-large2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7rjhdouq-A_ynyqJup46QQMtk9ZJsKExYDdFkp6_QLC_jiRe_u4Eloi9EusvAhVgzFWYal2KnGyEoVBzkylBjLdbyEQCeZfG9RcVjuxn9lriKI3R7gtF0Bs4moPmALPfezc2FUFnDPM/s400/rev-week04-large2.jpg" width="400" /></a></i><br />
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<i>"Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints... And the prayers of the saints rose up before God from the hands of the angels." - Revelation 8:3-4 </i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x2tuE44xVxNZEJGl-vsmx7uWxcycbp3j1DdYbkT8nxGn_jzNr3p3HCo7G8yxm7vtlqTxz07_NEXab6UiUoyXp8liacQUxwIXJJ3AqV5B-9L-A1DosSmig5y6C02lVk1seeF2u4AbK04/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x2tuE44xVxNZEJGl-vsmx7uWxcycbp3j1DdYbkT8nxGn_jzNr3p3HCo7G8yxm7vtlqTxz07_NEXab6UiUoyXp8liacQUxwIXJJ3AqV5B-9L-A1DosSmig5y6C02lVk1seeF2u4AbK04/s320/images-2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></i><br />
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<i>11. Modern and Post-Modern Attempts to Honor "Saints"</i><br />
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"Veneration"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFLvG41UV5zD_-nlpVx0qKJpNywOS-sNZDmNInZHTlrZh7fS0X2LiwFBig7jWqcAl8bKRzkuj30vCKuAjBLhk1ZVLmoQOcc_JPTi_ch394mBm_KO_hoaCoSUNbSAt-dMnBJ9UuK5oD44/s1600/amy-adams-hat-einen-stern-auf-dem-walk-of-fame-bekommen.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFLvG41UV5zD_-nlpVx0qKJpNywOS-sNZDmNInZHTlrZh7fS0X2LiwFBig7jWqcAl8bKRzkuj30vCKuAjBLhk1ZVLmoQOcc_JPTi_ch394mBm_KO_hoaCoSUNbSAt-dMnBJ9UuK5oD44/s400/amy-adams-hat-einen-stern-auf-dem-walk-of-fame-bekommen.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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In Sports (Honorific Statues):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vmC7BXccCEOqAjnso9Qkowwt7mLOqq1CIicErg-hJKEoxRdqngZ4eVnJJyqqGH287VMavOfr817keNqc5mtvgV-l2nOinU64-zwzGLWO0GjIrtSJmEwTQFf2H8awdXPy-tsiTAp_Y0s/s1600/hall-fame.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vmC7BXccCEOqAjnso9Qkowwt7mLOqq1CIicErg-hJKEoxRdqngZ4eVnJJyqqGH287VMavOfr817keNqc5mtvgV-l2nOinU64-zwzGLWO0GjIrtSJmEwTQFf2H8awdXPy-tsiTAp_Y0s/s320/hall-fame.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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In Rock n' Roll ("Relics")<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3PbwLByj3nE9iqZJTCj55xpCHhvSH_wc0a2eucjInThP98zn3rDJ2ZuvtJ4s54phcQKHAwRPEYyAUtWQPal11AqF-5ggWhy2FrrD6nxjmgSDrcgEoYyQWlrrNJw8B-5sJF5lorBqVHs/s1600/David-Bowie-large.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3PbwLByj3nE9iqZJTCj55xpCHhvSH_wc0a2eucjInThP98zn3rDJ2ZuvtJ4s54phcQKHAwRPEYyAUtWQPal11AqF-5ggWhy2FrrD6nxjmgSDrcgEoYyQWlrrNJw8B-5sJF5lorBqVHs/s400/David-Bowie-large.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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The Real Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyN8EjvhkSC6fLZacNR-j6CJFz84-NPcZtpRRAJuj65yzKKmJFDLRmVi9_UHewbOn9G_9eWjfLhlrUVOYSyfm9_s_jjJ-BnA2PbG6EPc8QuSBt4XDIeURwtCnLSC0ws_jLDCl516QDv0/s1600/7a2853db6cd9645495efa0e459c9a21a.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRyN8EjvhkSC6fLZacNR-j6CJFz84-NPcZtpRRAJuj65yzKKmJFDLRmVi9_UHewbOn9G_9eWjfLhlrUVOYSyfm9_s_jjJ-BnA2PbG6EPc8QuSBt4XDIeURwtCnLSC0ws_jLDCl516QDv0/s400/7a2853db6cd9645495efa0e459c9a21a.jpg" width="310" /></a><br />
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"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him" James 1:12<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8ln5RQF8zePEWMW4L9MEWPcZsapvisjbCbQrwsKIfU998reAdtvOjvLJCHSE1sogq5VM1OXExv0C_It1u7hFKS-TaaWOuvVgmVcGqw8Kbv54VrJT9-3-YhXs-qW4tWtTmuFBZZI0F6c/s1600/2AP910786679873.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8ln5RQF8zePEWMW4L9MEWPcZsapvisjbCbQrwsKIfU998reAdtvOjvLJCHSE1sogq5VM1OXExv0C_It1u7hFKS-TaaWOuvVgmVcGqw8Kbv54VrJT9-3-YhXs-qW4tWtTmuFBZZI0F6c/s400/2AP910786679873.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-70253700752202108322016-12-26T20:38:00.004-05:002020-08-05T19:23:55.995-04:00Christmas and the Romance of Night<br />
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<a href="https://highlandhind.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/p1050678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://highlandhind.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/p1050678.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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When an atheist, agnostic, or general cynic wants to needle a Christian, especially around this time of the year, they either bring up the so called "pagan origins of Christmas," or they make some joke about how they themselves will be celebrating the Solstice rather than indulging in a phony celebration involving some bearded fat guy in a red suit. By dismissing Christmas in this way, they see themselves as somehow superior to those who are still willing to buy into such childish legends. <br />
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Now whether or not they are correct about the birth of Christ (viz. that Christ's birth was superficially placed over a pagan feast day), I cannot say with absolute certainly.<span style="text-align: center;"> What is indisputable is the fact that Christmas actually did succeed in replacing the former. Indeed, so universally beloved is this season that even when people no longer embrace the religion, they cannot bring themselves to deny the feast. However, what is more interesting to me is not simply that people still like Christmas after nearly two thousand years (which is amazing in and of itself), but just how Christmas has change people's perception of reality.</span><br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Guisers_at_Uyeasound_Up_Helly_Aa_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1706010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Guisers_at_Uyeasound_Up_Helly_Aa_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1706010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While there are many things I could focus on here, for brevity's sake I will stick with the original theme (i.e. the Solstice and pagan feasts).<br />
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First of all, I have nothing against people celebrating Sol Invictus (i.e. the victory of the "unconquerable sun"). Let us together raise a toast to that giant orb in the sky that gives us life and light (though it feels a little superstitious to thank a celestial body and I thought that's what we were trying to avoid). In any case, celebrating and worshipping <i>light</i> and/or the source of that light, would seem natural enough. In fact, I would be surprised if such a practice wasn't as old as the hills... literally. Nevertheless, what cannot be ignored is just how the birth of Christ changed, and in fact truly elevated, this simple idea of the celebration of light coming into (or returning to) the world.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn-image.travelandleisure.com/sites/default/files/styles/1600x1000/public/1435070599/SOLSTICE0615-stonehenge-4.jpg?itok=odkoUKcS" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn-image.travelandleisure.com/sites/default/files/styles/1600x1000/public/1435070599/SOLSTICE0615-stonehenge-4.jpg?itok=odkoUKcS" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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From a distance it would seem that the celebration of the Nativity of Christ is merely a continuation of this popular idea. And it <i>is</i> a continuation of it- but for one very significant addition. Yes, part of the romance of Bethlehem is the idea that the "true light" has come into the world, but there is also something far stranger which is introduced here, something far more paradoxical.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tbo.com/storyimage/TB/20141126/ARTICLE/141129439/AR/0/AR-141129439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tbo.com/storyimage/TB/20141126/ARTICLE/141129439/AR/0/AR-141129439.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the ancient world there was no "romance with the dark." The dark represented everything that we still recognize as fearful: death, blindness, evil, confusion, wickedness. The only kind of romance there may have been with the dark is the kind that humans still "enjoy" today. Indeed, some like the dark because it provides cover for their wickedness.<br />
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Yet what one comes into contact with at Bethlehem is an entirely different order of things. Indeed, the Nativity of Christ wasn't merely the celebration of the light dispelling the darkness, it was rather a celebration of the light coming in to make the darkness, as it were, a little more hospitable and cozy.<br />
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d1/0f/af/d10faf22ee0618b0d453bc26eace0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d1/0f/af/d10faf22ee0618b0d453bc26eace0327.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Formerly a tameless and terrifying beast, darkness in this context has ultimately become domesticated. The dark may still have its shroud of mystery (and no doubt it does), but now it is more the mystery of a starry starry night, an evening of moonlit musings, perhaps even carols by candlelight, or a Christmas Market in Germany. The warmth that radiates from that primitive barn at Bethlehem, still sheds light into the grotto of this dark world.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pflug-oberkirch.de/sites/default/files/images/christmas-market-strasbourg-france-1-m_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pflug-oberkirch.de/sites/default/files/images/christmas-market-strasbourg-france-1-m_0.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yet what Christmas invites is something far more compelling than the act of making a primitive barn seem somehow cozy and appealing. By the pure light of reason we already can intuit that we should celebrate the dawn, but who would have ever considered that we would come to celebrate the beauty and majesty of the night. Indeed, so beautiful is this season leading up to Christmas and beyond, that it is no hyperbole to suggest that we are downright dreamy and nostalgic about it; "O Holy night", "Silent Night, Holy Night," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Even the cold and snow becomes the object of our nostalgia this time of year. Consider how the cold of winter gets idealized in light of Christmas, and how death and baroness somehow get turned into a cause for celebrating a "White Christmas'", not to mention countless songs that appear to brag about just how cold it is outside.<br />
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Still, what is most incredible about this particular version of Sol Invictus, is the method by which this "victory" comes to pass.<br />
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If the so called U<i>nconquerable Sun</i> actually entered into our midst, it would certainly conquer everything it came into contact with, but there would literally be nothing left to celebrate. And in the same manner, if God had chosen (at Bethlehem) to enter into the world in all his glory, no one could have endured it. However, he apparently opted to make a very different type of entrance, a method of conquest that to this very day still provokes a riot of hymns, poems, movies, and artistic renderings the absolutely run the gamut.<br />
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At a grotto in Bethlehem, he chose to light up the darkness, not as some terrifying autocrat might do, blazing and blinding humanity with his glory, but rather doing so like some tiny ember tucked into the heart of the world, slowly thawing out the hearts of humanity from the inside out. Indeed, as opposed to merely cursing the darkness, he chose instead to give it a little bit of ambiance and atmosphere to otherwise dreary state of affairs. He sought to prepare humanity for the dawn of his coming by giving it a "night light", temporarily shrouding His glory, if for no other reason that everyone might ultimately receive it.<br />
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Consequently, whenever we encounter a yard tricked out with an assortment of lawn ornaments, or a host of lights dangling from the rooftops, or even an adorable little tree all aglow with the joy of the season, we should (before all else) be reminded, not only of the brighter days to come, but of something still more marvelous yet- a warmth that should truly "make our spirits bright" (even in amidst of the darkness), a paradox of beauty and wonder that can only be summed in these stunning words of the Psalmist; "with Him even the darkness is not dark; the night is as bright as day, for darkness is as a light to you." Psalm 139:12<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-72780152462364446872016-12-21T09:40:00.001-05:002016-12-21T15:13:31.497-05:00Hate Christmas Shopping Like I Do? Here's Some Poetic Inspiration For You...<div>
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When doing some Christmas shopping it never hurts to use one's poetic imagination in the service of this painful task. For example, whenever I go Christmas shopping at the mall, I tell people that I've just been to hell and back again for my wife. If they inquire further, I simply point out that for me the Netherworld consists in enduring the local mall, beginning with the general limbo of being anywhere outside during this time of year, and then progressively moving from the parking lot (which may in fact be the outer rung of hell), all the way to the inner sanctum, or bowels of <strike>hell</strike> the mall, if only to redeem one of the few worthy items that have been surreptitiously confiscated by some beast out of the Apocalypse.<br />
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Perhaps this is a little bit heavy-handed and self-serving, but there is a real point here. So often we lose a sense of the beautiful and heroic in our day to day actions because we fail to recognize that whenever and wherever we exercise virtue it is always dramatic and heroic no matter the circumstances. After all, the very same virtues that we exercised when we first fell in love (and it came easy), are the very same ones that we employ when we perform some everyday task (after the initial thrill wears off), and that includes those tasks which are particularly displeasing. In fact, generally speaking, the more unpleasant, the more gallant and noble the behavior. Yes, it is impressive for a man to stand out in the rain when he is in love, but how much more so is it when he has been in love for 20 years, and he is holding a shopping bag instead of an engagement ring? <br />
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If one could only see one's actions in this manner, one might just find greater inspiration to be more romantic all of the time. Indeed, if man could just recognize that what makes his life beautiful is not merely a set of harrowing circumstances (like some Christmas DieHard film), but rather the resiliency he demonstrates in fighting the day to day "armageddons" that are waged in our hearts, those that threaten the very existence of our true happiness. Ironically, the biggest threat to man's triumph in this battle is not even the fearful opponent that he faces, but rather the odd detail that before anything else, he must be convinced that he is already fighting the battle (or failing to fight it). </div>
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The "fantasy genre" frequently attempts to make this connection. Consequently, I suppose it is appropriate (in a sense) that <i>Fantasy</i> Football, via Pepsi, might assist us in articulating this point: <br />
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The true purpose of "fantasy", as introduced here, is not mere escapism. To the contrary, it helps us in seeing our lives, however mundane they may seem, as God sees them. In fact, as it is depicted here, one man's mundane, may be another man's fairytale (and vice versa). And they are both right! They are champions to each other, as well as champions in their own right.<br />
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A healthy Christian imagination knows that the battle for goodness may simply involve one amazing act of courage, though it is far more likely to involve a whole series of tiny martyrdoms; like working a job that you don't like out of love for your family, or caring for some family member that lacks any appreciation for all you've done for them. It is this boldness and bravery that ultimately gives one the courage to persevere against the greatest foe, death. Indeed, whenever we exercise these muscles of virtue (as opposed to letting them atrophy), we are truly becoming strong in the spirit, or rather we are going to hell and back again, if only to bring back a jewel from the jaws of the beast worthy of one so beautiful as our beloved bride. </div>
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Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-22863153192272461742016-10-22T09:43:00.000-04:002016-10-23T08:34:52.523-04:00Sunday School Catechism Class with "The Boss" (Bruce Springsteen)<br />
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When I say "The Boss" this is not a euphemism for God, but it is nevertheless true that I learned something divine from Bruce Springsteen when he appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I have never been much of a fan of the sound of Springsteen, but I have always admired his energy and commitment to his work and fans.<br />
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Furthermore, I also had the pleasure of hearing him discuss in an extremely moving fashion the Nativity of Christ- during an unplugged performance some years back (as you can see here):<br />
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However, in the following interview, I learned a little bit more about how his Catholic youth influenced him, and more importantly how it has informed his lyrics over the years. All the same, like many artists who are influenced directly, or indirectly, by growing up Catholic, he seems aloof to the fact that- not only is the Church incidentally a part of his lyrical inspiration- but that there is a damn good reason for it (i.e. the Catholic Faith is truly inspiring)!<br />
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Quite often there is a begrudging admission of the Church's positive influence, and more often than not it goes something like this; "Oh well, I guess I can admit that there's at least something salvageable about the Catholic Church... in spite of all its endless shortcomings." However, what never seems to dawn on such artists is the possibility that one is able to employ such beautiful theological categories, because the Catholic Faith itself is irresistibly beautiful, or better still, irresistibly <i>Musical</i>.<br />
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For example, in the above interview, the "Boss" appears initially reluctant get into the Church's influence on his music, but then once he does, he waxes philosophical in a completely natural way; "At the end of the day, a lot of the language found its way into my music. And I always say 'the verses are the blues, and the chorus is the Gospel... if you look at the ways my songs are built... A lot of it came out of my Catholic education."<br />
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Colbert then asks him about something Springsteen calls "the magic trick". This, Springsteen explains, is something that happens between he and his audience; "You're there to manifest something... Before you go in it's just an empty space. So the audience is going to come, you're going to show up, and together you're going to manifest something that is very very real, very tangible. But you are going to pull it out of thin air. It wasn't there before you showed up. It didn't exist... but it's real magic. And hopefully on a night when we're at our very very best, there's some real transcendence... It's always new. <i>It's like if you could have a first kiss on a nightly basis</i>, <i>that sense of newness</i>... <i>that if you had it once it would stay with you for the rest of your life... that sense of us..." </i><br />
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There's too much here to unpack! I will keep my insights as simple as possible. As far as his description of the structure of his songs. Is he not simply providing a description of the Gospel itself? In other words, is he not suggesting a kind of mournful O' come O' come Emmanuel of fallen man for the verses, subsequently building to a joyful <i>Alleluia</i> for the chorus (viz. Redemption)?<br />
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As far as the lengthy second quote- is this not a profoundly poetical description of what Christians mean when they attempt, however unsatisfactorily, to describe the Trinity (i.e. how something can be three and one simultaneously)? Notice, he doesn't simply say that there is "something in the air". He says this presence is "tangible" and "real" (in Biblical terms he is saying "verily verily"). It is so real in fact that "it can change you for the rest of your life, even were you to experience it once." Moreover, this only happens, according to The Boss, when the audience and performer unite in a kind of divine and "transcendent" communion. Without the first two principles, there can be no third. In fact, as he points out, the space is a mere void/vacuum before these aforementioned parties appear.<br />
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One final insight that Springsteen offers (it comes in the following segment) is more liturgical than anything else. In this segment Springsteen speaks about what happens to space and time at his concerts:<br />
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"Once I get to a certain point, I'm not thinking about the time. I'm here to take you out of time. I'm here to transport you someplace else. I'm here to alter time and space..." Equally fascinating (at least for me), is the fact that all of this transcendence is set against the backdrop of what he describes in the interview (and his book) as his "night terrors." According to him, his music, or rather this "liturgical" transcendence was//is really his true refuge from the terrors of the night, as well as the depression that haunts him by day. Just as the Mass exists in such a way so as to take us from the the mundane to the sublime (from time to the transcendent), so also this ecstatic musical experience exists to take us to heaven.<br />
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To be honest, this entire interview reads a little like <i>a subliminal Sunday School lesson</i>. Even at the end of the segment, when Springsteen discusses how the the birth of his child changed him, his insights seem to be framed in an unmistakably theological manner; "You want to run out into the streets and say; 'People! Stop shopping. Get off your cellphones. Stop watching television. A messiah has come!' That's how you feel about your kids... 'Here in Babylon Los Angeles, a new son of New Jersey has been born..." <br />
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Thus reveals the fascinating influence of a Catholic education, and how becomes inescapably part of one's DNA on the level of the imaginative, even while being rejected by the artist on a conscious level. For whatever reason, most Catholic artists who no longer profess the Catholic Faith, are still willing to live with this obvious contradiction, even while simultaneously enjoying the creative influence it provides (shades of the Prodigal son with his inheritance). Yet hopefully, like Bruce with his father (as mentioned in the final segment), the artist ultimately realizes that just because our humanity is profoundly wounded, and just because the servants of God are profoundly flawed, does not then mean that the same is true of the Gospel. Indeed, if the message were as miserably conceived as some would suggest, then how would the artist, as is patently clear here, derive such transcendence and beauty from it? <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-90226427022085374332016-09-25T12:45:00.001-04:002016-09-29T11:53:51.782-04:00What a Good Conscience Looks Like vs. A Bad One<br />
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I was an English major in college. Unfortunately, I never learned to actually type my own papers until I was faced with a terrible dilemma (this was before everyone had a computer). I had three papers due by the end of the week, and no one available to type my papers. I offered all kinds of financial incentives, but it was of no use, everyone had their own work to do. I was extremely frustrated, if not infuriated, but at who? This may sound strange, but I was infuriated at "past me"!<br />
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How could "former me," with my typical procrastination, have put "present me" in this untenable situation. What was "present me" to do?! Well, I could dwell on what put me in this situation in the first place, or I could actually devise a plan to salvage the future. Consequently, instead of simply falling down in despair, I organized a schedule and program to finish the papers that allowed for a sane regimen of progress laid out over the week. I accomplished my task, but even importantly, this sort of conundrum never happened again, because that is how I approach projects even today.<br />
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And let me tell you, "future me" (or rather, "present me") is very pleased with that decision. In any case, what is the value of discussing this seemingly schizophrenic division that can exist between past, present, and future you? In a word: conscience. The man or women who listens to their more virtuous instincts is at peace, and at one internally, while the individual who neglects themselves and their future, has no one to blame but themselves. For this reason, the following commercials are quite on point in this regard:<br />
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However, it is not always easy to listen to that deeper sense of wisdom, which is why when our conscience is well-formed it can feel a little like an inner drill sergeant, demonstrating an awareness of the bliss and happiness that is at stake, perhaps even more so than we ourselves might consciously sense it at the present moment:<br />
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In many ways, "future self" is a lot like every good teacher you have ever had, one that knows exactly what happens when we dismiss the most the essential details of our lives. And since a good conscience is the ultimate authority in this regard (because it is the voice of God in our soul), it is meant to be attentive to the highest order of happiness. For this reason it may feel relentless, and even cruel at times, though it's ultimate aim is immortal rest:<br />
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This is true even in the every day practical things; "You can't have any pudding unless you eat your meat/vegetables!" And so what is leisure without work? A kind of lethargy without rest. What is an extended sit upon the couch without a prior run in the park? It is idleness and sloth. Hence, we can recognize the effects of a bad conscience, especially when we observe the inevitable side effects (which are the reverse of the former). War in the heart. Inner division (which may involve you referring to yourself exclusively in third person). Psychological disintegration. Narcissism and excessive self-love. Hatred of self. War against those who might actually be trying to free you from said condition. No doubt, the ill effects tend to be "legion" in this regard.<br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-811e1f4a-7631-8935-a211-6732f889ffd2"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Consequently, when we are true to our conscience, we may find it challenging, and even frustrating at times, but we will ultimately find peace within ourselves. After all, a well formed conscience aligns perfectly with who we were designed/created to be in the first place. By the same token, if we betray our conscience, and “will” what is wicked, even if we are fully given over to that wickedness, inner division remains. Why? Because our nature is our nature regardless, and no matter what we tell ourselves internally that fact remains forever. </span></span></span><br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-64442554660535034362016-09-17T13:50:00.001-04:002017-09-21T20:21:08.990-04:0013 Essential Philosophical Insights Provided by the Creation Accounts in Genesis <br />
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While I am far from a Biblical literalist, I am not so quick, as are many modernists in the church today, to reduce everything in Scripture to a fascinating, if useful, fiction. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">And while I do not read Genesis as if it were designed to be an account of "Eden's itinerary", neither am I shut off to the extraordinary possibility that something, well, "extraordinary" happened there.</span></b> Furthermore, I am also not trapped within a worldview that regards empiricism as the only reputable kind of truth that exists out there (as if man were somehow able to live by math alone). To the contrary, there are any number of truths that we do <i>live by</i> every day, and most of them move well beyond the nomenclature of the binomial system.<br />
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Enter the Book of Genesis, which is often dismissed by "thinking people" as ignorant superstition, and by "unthinking people" as true because, well, God said it. I will not get into which particular position is more sympathetic to me, I will only say that I am not satisfied with either one.<span style="color: #e06666;"> <b>In any case, after reading both Genesis creation accounts, what I am most struck by is not how purely mythological they are, but rather how remarkably rational they are.</b></span> Nevertheless, I will not attempt to argue here that Genesis possesses a bunch of modern scientific categories (which is impossible and anachronistic for any number of reasons), but rather what I will attempt to argue is that Genesis Chapters 1-2 are philosophically sound, and offer any number of insights that are in fact the precondition for scientific and philosophical progress (yes I said that). Below I provide thirteen examples of what I believe to be the most essential philosophical insights provided in the aforementioned creation accounts.<br />
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<b>1. "In the beginning..."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #1: Time and space have a distinct starting point... </i></b><br />
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In order to study something scientifically in a manifestly satisfactory way, you must have an understanding of the essential nature of thing that you are studying. Whether the universe is eternal, or began to exist at a certain point 13-14 billion years ago (along with all of the rest of space and time) matters. Indeed, 21st century science would be unimaginable without that prior assumption. And yet as recent as one hundred years ago, most scientists accepted something called the "steady state theory," which posited an eternal universe. <span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Knowing what type of universe we are living in is a pretty essential starting point if you are going to do any real scientific investigation. Yet equally important, at least to me, is knowing that I believe in a Faith that not only doesn't contradict the current model of the universe, but rather (to the contrary) seems to have ultimately anticipated it</b>.</span> I am not a scientist, nor do I play one on TV, but the story of the priest Fr. Georges Lemaitre is a compelling one, especially when you consider that his initial attempts to convince Einstein of Big Bang theory (or as he called it, the Primeval Atom) failed. And why did his initial attempts fail? Because, at least in part, Einstein feared the religious implications of the model. So much for following the evidence where it leads! <br />
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<b>2. "... God..."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #2: The idea that the universe had a "First Mover," or an "Uncaused Cause," is not only a Judeo-Christian concept, but was posited by ancient philosophers as well</i> </b><br />
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The simple statement "in the beginning God..." is meaningful not only from a religious standpoint, but also from a scientific one as well. From a religious view-point it is a radical statement simply by virtue of suggesting that there is only one God who, by Himself, generated all of creation. In the ancient world, the notion that there was one preeminent god was relatively common, but the notion that there was One true God (not merely one to be placed foremost in a larger landscape of competing gods) was truly unique. From a scientific point of view the assertion that God was there in the beginning, both confirms and introduces, not necessarily a God to be worshipped, but rather a First Principle, or Uncaused Cause. While the mystery remains as to why there is any "Principle" at all, the simple act of allowing for the possibility of some kind of Primordial #1, explains how all subsequent numbers can exist in the first place. Indeed, without this assumption about life how would one do any scientific investigation at all. To accept an ultimate "Ground of Being" respects the rule of science, even if it maintains the mystery of religion. Ironically, it is the atheist alternative that essentially rejects the basic rule of cause and effect (which is a truly unscientific formula) by embracing the more illogical mystery, the notion that everything was just there. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">In a most remarkable way, then, Occam's razor comes to the defense of the Hebrew God, for what more concise explanation could there be than the notion that there must have been some kind of Primordial #1 in order for there to have been any subsequent numbers.</span></b><br />
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<b>3. "...created the heavens and the earth"</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #3: Modern science assumes design, order, and intelligibility in the universe, how else would one even begin to do science in the first place without this presupposition?</i></b><br />
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A "creative" order is assumed in Genesis (is there any other kind?). Yet one does not need to be a believer to assume it. To put it another way, believer or not, we function and operate in the world as if we believed in design even when we claim not to believe in an overarching Designer. We do not regard the universe as ultimately unfathomable (as did the ancients), but rather as a kind of willing partner, both intelligible and logical, in the larger project of discovery. But whatever you believe in this regard, what is essential to understand here is that we assume a posture towards our world and cosmos as one who believes, even without believing. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Whether scientist or theologian, we believe that "everything happens for a reason". Thus, if we take it as a given that the cosmos is both logical and intelligible, then why would we also not assume that at the back of it all there is also some kind of larger "Logos" and Intelligence? </span></b>Indeed, if we already assume that the forces of nature are capable of being commandeered for the sake of our own "designs", then what precipitated this awareness, save a God who is Himself fully aware of the larger Architecture?<br />
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<b>4. "God saw all that he had made, and saw that it was very good" </b> <br />
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<b><i>Insight #4: Genesis provides a rational explanation for man's natural pursuit of the good life, of progress, and of human perfectibility</i></b> <br />
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For something to be truly insightful it must possess, on a certain level, an idea which might be described as counterintuitive, otherwise why even point it out. Enter our fourth insight on the list. Based on what we see in the world every day (or throughout history), the average observer might describe their earthly experience in any number of ways. They might say that the world is meaningless, they might say that it is generally evil, they might even say that it is some combination of both (all of these views were particularly common in the ancient world). What would have been completely incomprehensible (or even laughable) to individuals in antiquity would be the notion that world was from top to bottom "good". On many levels this is patently absurd, if not easily falsifiable (or so it seems). <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Yet without this basic conviction about the world,</span></b><b><span style="color: #e06666;"> how could man have ever advanced as a collective. Indeed, it is this pervading sense of a higher "goodness", in spite of the daily evils that confront us, that inspires us to move beyond mere barbarism, whether one believes in a Deity or not. </span></b><br />
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<b>5. God created each thing "according to its kind"</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #5: While the basic idea of evolution is compatible with Genesis, so also is the notion that each creature is intended (i.e. things <u>are</u> things and not merely an indistinct amalgamation of accidents)</i> </b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><br />
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Another feature of the creation accounts that is impressive, philosophically speaking, is the methodical manner in which creation unfolds. While some intellectuals get hung up on certain fundamentalist details (like whether or not birds of the air really precede land mammals), others take note of just how remarkably coherent and rational the description is as a whole.</span></b><span style="color: #e06666;"> <b>And this is all without the aid of many centuries of scientific research at their disposal.</b> </span>When one compares this account in Genesis to any other primitive account of how the world came about, it is like night and day (no Genesis pun intended). From gods tearing each other to shreds in the process of "creating the world", to accounts of deities purging themselves (i.e. vomiting) as a method of creating the earth and everything in it, it is difficult not to recognize just how much more rationale the account in Genesis appears to be. The world is intentional and rational, meaning that there is an internal logic to the way it unfolds. In fact, not only does the narrative allow for an interpretation of creation that could unfold over eons, but it also provides room for an evolutionary view of how life came to be in the universe. The narrative begins with the formation of land and sea, then slowly we move to vegetative life, after which life develops and "teems" in the water, then on land, in the air, and then finally it culminates with man. This is not science in the strictest sense of the word, but it is a rational and logical explanation of the order of events. This is not to say that every other creation myth lacks an internal logic, but they do lack, in several significant ways, the kind of logic and earthiness that would lend themselves to the study of science as we undertake it today. <br />
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<b>6. "Then God said: 'Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate the day from the night. Let them marked the fixed times, days, and years..."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #6: The cosmos is rational and orderly, and behaves according to fixed laws. Thus, unlike other ancient cosmologies, Genesis lays the groundwork for a rational understanding of the universe</i></b> </div>
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<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Unlike just about every other ancient tale surrounding the origins of the cosmos, the celestial bodies in the book of Genesis are not gods. In fact, according to the Book of Wisdom, everything was created having, "measure, number, and weight."</span></b> From the perspective of the ancient world, the notion that the cold eyes in the heavens were anything but inscrutable and indifferent, would have been a fancy supported by little more than mere speculation. Such a view would not have been perceived as bold, it would instead have been perceived as arrogant, if not laughable. Socrates and Plato prized something called "epistemological humility," a kind of ancient agnosticism rooted in the inescapable notion that man was helplessly ignorant and in no position to assert anything dogmatically about the heavens. Who are we? Who made us? Why are we here? Few answers seemed forthcoming from that massive, terrifying and unpredictable dome that loomed above. Yet here comes the book of Genesis, suggesting not only that there is a method to this cosmic madness, be even better still, a purpose and intention that naturally inclines itself to a rational study of the heavens.<br />
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<b>7. "... And the name of the third river is the Tigris, it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates..."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #7: The Genesis creation narrative is uniquely "down to earth," especially when compared to other primitive creation stories</i> </b> </div>
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While the story of Eden is prehistorical in its approach (because by definition it is pre-history), what is most striking about the narrative is the fact that most stories of a mythological nature tend to feel more like fantasies disconnected from certain concrete realities (e.g. Mount Olympus or Xanadu). However, what is most striking about Genesis is just how remarkably down to earth the description really is. Though it passes through (and describes) the various ages and eons of the earth, it never departs from the sober and solid realities that are recognizable to the casual observer. Even while the terminology remains pre-scientific, especially in terms of how it articulates the nature of the cosmos, there is still the presence of a very rational, if rudimentary, approach to the world around us. <span style="color: #e06666;"><b>In some ways Genesis is profoundly dramatic for not being terribly dramatic at all- believable because it is so very clinical and repetitive.</b> </span>It is a little like Jesus post-resurrection when he makes breakfast for the disciples. "Breakfast with Jesus" is a remarkable statement (and believable) simply for its mundanity. In the same sense, when I discover that Eden was located between two rivers that can be located on any map today, I am stunned by the accessibility of it all. Does this mean that it proves that Eden was precisely there. No. But it does prove that the authors did not see this tale as a kind fanciful bedtime story, or even some kind of pleasurable dream, but rather something deeply rooted in space, time, and as it is pointed out here, geography. <br />
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<b>8. "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being"</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #8: Why does man believe himself to have a free will, a conscience, a sense of rationality, and a higher purpose? Either he is delusional, or these qualities are real and have a source</i> </b> </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><b>The evolution of man chart has been used in any number of hilarious ways, not because evolution is hilarious, per se, but because man, while physically a match for this seamless chart, from intellectual standpoint is a misfit in the most humorous of ways. Why do I say humorous? Because, quite literally, humor and irony are not something that our evolutionary ancestors engage in any discernible way, at least not on this level (i.e. doing science, making a chart in order to explain primate development, then making an ironic bumper sticker as a humorous and insightful reflection on how different man is from the rest of the creation).</b> </span>We are indeed 98.6% the same (DNA-wise) as our closest animal ancestor, a detail which is fascinating in and of itself. Yet what is even more fascinating is the stunning difference that 1.4% of DNA can make. This inexplicable "ontological leap", as the late John Paul II called it, is a profound mystery however you slice it, and simply saying that it happened slowly over a really long period of time, doesn't exactly offer much in the way of <i>causation</i>. Stephen Hawking once put it this way; "Millions of years ago mankind lived just like the animals, then something happened to unleash the power of the imagination... we learned to talk." "Something" indeed happened, something which cannot precisely be accounted for on the empirical level, and thus requires a different order of truth, one that is less about mechanics, and more about meaning. That Great Big "Something" is described by divine revelation as an intimate and profound investment of Self from the One who made everything; "he formed man out of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils". No other creature in Genesis is created directly by the hand (and breath) of God. What else could explains this profound disjunct, or rather mind-blowing evolutionary leap? Like inanimate matter becoming animate, there seems to be a rational demand for a rational explanation. Some may think this is begging the question", but what is more of an intellectual dodge, saying that "something (mysterious) just happened", or claiming in the most basic terms that whatever that Something mysterious is, it has to at least possess the same characteristics that we inexplicably possess. At any rate, whatever one believes on this front, there are two possibilities offered here, that the One who is Rational, Free, Good, Ironic, and Powerful shared with us some of his divinity, or that there really is no satisfactory explanation for all of these delusions of grandeur, other than to say that they are "God delusions." <br />
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<b>9. "And the Lord God commanded man; "You are free to eat of any of the trees in the garden; but you must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you shall surely die'"</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #9: The fact that the majority of humanity (even atheists) recognize a general morality, not to mention personal responsibility, only confirms the instincts of the Eden narrative </i></b> <br />
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The fact that a man has a sense of right and wrong, a conscience, a volition, may in the end be a grandiose delusion. However, to claim this without any concrete evidence to confirm this hypothesis is simply begging the question. Because some people are deluded when employing any of the aforementioned concepts does not then mean that these concepts are therefore void. In other words, you still have to address the origins of this sense of moral responsibility. <span style="color: #e06666;"><b>It is interesting to note that while atheists by definition deny the very existence of God, they do frequently appeal to morality in order to condemn this God. It is, for example, in their opinion, both immoral and illogical to believe in the God of Christians, Jews, and Muslims (in whatever order you prefer).</b> </span>Yet the point here is that while many diverge on what is moral and what is immoral, few would in practice deny the basic premise of morality, the notion that in order to have a prosperous, happy society, there needs to be sufficient degree of freedom, choices which redound to the happiness of the individual, and to the larger society as a whole. Not to mention a citizenry that is willing to correct its errors, especially when the collective is going down the wrong path. You may call this awareness of wrong-doing, "shame", as does Genesis, or you may call it "regret", as a secular individual might. In any case, whatever you call it, you cannot explain it away, without both literally and figuratively doing violence to what it means to be human. Indeed, would anyone argue this point, especially when one considers the behavior and disposition of a sociopath?<br />
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<b>10. "It is not good for man to be alone"</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #10: Man is made for communion</i></b><br />
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My favorite philosophical insight from Genesis is this one. Why? Primarily because it is a psychological insight, which is not necessarily the general focus of Scripture. While dogs may be "man's best friend", they can only go so far in nourishing our deepest longings for companionship and communion (consider why "crazy cat lady" is regarded as crazy). Thus, when the second chapter of Genesis informs us that everything that God created was good... except the condition of "man being alone", we should take particular notice. Even the tree of the "knowledge of good and evil" is not deemed bad, rather it is simply off limits to man in his current state. While in some ways such a detail may seem tangential, it is anything but. In point of fact, highlighting this particular need in man, not only lends insight into the precise nature of psychological evil, but into the nature of spiritual evil as well. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Whatever else man is, he is not a psychological unitarian, he is rather an utterly <i>contingent</i> being (dependent for his existence on others), or in a more positive sense he is communitarian/ trinitarian.</span></b><br />
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<b>11. "Then God said; 'Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness...' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #11: The communion that is expressed in the basic constitution of the family (Father/Mother/Child) is necessary for the positive evolution of the human species</i></b> <br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Picking up where I left off from the previous insight, not only is it not "good" for man to be alone, but from an evolutionary standpoint, man cannot neither "survive" nor be "fit" unless he rejects- on every level- this kind of anthropological solipsism.</b> </span>In fact, man is not even <i>man</i> by himself. He is only fully himself (as well as a reflection of God) when he is seen in communion with woman. This explains the paradoxical language in the above clause; "God created him... he created them." As the band the Who once said; "in life 1and 1 don't make 2, 1 and 1 makes 1." Moreover, this idea of communion seems to reflect larger logic of the passage. Why else would God describe the divine experience in terms of "us", and then subsequently follow with these words; "it is not good for man to be alone"? So the full picture of humanity (as well as divinity) is expressed in a paradox. Why? Because the fullness of humanity is not expressed in merely a "him alone", but also a "them" as well. And furthermore, when this living paradox is expressed in the form of a sexual union, it winds up not only being fruitful in the biological sense, but it quite literally becomes embodied in the face of the child. For in the face of the child the man and woman <i>really </i>are<i> </i>one. <br />
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<b>12. "... And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing... So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable partner was found."</b><br />
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<b><i>Insight #12: Man is from the beginning a scientist and a biologist, for not only does he seek to harness and understand nature, but he also seeks to name it, not merely for amusement sake, but presumably based on some particular insight about it </i></b></div>
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The door of anachronism swings both ways. It may be anachronistic to say that Adam was the first biologist, but if that is true, then it's equally silly to call Karl Linnaeus the first one to name and classify animals. In any case, there is a natural kind of "scientific" disposition in man right from the get go, at least as far as the science of categorizing and naming the animals. Yet the larger anthropological point is not merely that this classification continues to "happen", but rather that there is a basis for it happening. Indeed, according to Genesis, it is man's job to be both governor and steward of creation. And the sign of that "governorship" can be seen in his simple power to name and describe things. There is a reason animals can't enforce animal rights, while humans can. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Our unique awareness of the mistreatment of animals is derived from the fact that we are ontologically superior to animals.</span></b> If we were genuinely equal to other animals we could simply destroy them without impunity- as they do to one another. There is a worthy debate to be had about where that line should be drawn, but even in that case, Genesis strikes a valuable balance, avoiding the two possible extremes (e.g. animals are equivalent to humans versus animals exist purely for the slaughter).<br />
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<b>13. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the other wild animals the lord God had made. He said to the woman; "'Did God really say that you must not eat of any of the trees in the garden?"</b><br />
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<i><b>Insight #13: Genesis offers the most satisfying and practical explanation for why we are divided even within ourselves</b> </i> <br />
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Though this verse appears at the beginning of chapter 3 in Genesis, it is pertinent to this list. for it offers a fascinating insight into the apparent psychological and spiritual schizophrenia from which every human suffers. The story of the Fall not only provides an explanation for our inner conflict, but also seeks to warn humanity about two equally horrible (logical) abysses. The first logical abyss involves atheistic nihilism. The second logical abyss involves a view God that would impute to Him malicious intent. <b><span style="color: #e06666;">Something is wrong with the world, and even the most hardened atheist will rarely deny it. Yet there can't be something wrong, unless there's something that is ultimately Right.</span></b> And the mystical tight wire upon which this passage teeters (coupled with Catholic interpretation) is the only one I've ever heard that preserves the aforementioned original "goodness", while simultaneously offering a satisfactory explanation for the evil that does exist. Evil is not a pre-existent material (like a god), as Genesis suggests, but rather the free decision to act against one's nature (which is synonymous with God's will). This conclusion proves not only logically consistent (though some may understandably dwell on certain confounding details therein), but also a workable hypothesis from a practical standpoint (i.e. from the perspective personal improvement). In any case, every true insight is like a riddle solved, or even a lot like a punchline being delivered that is both witty, surprising, and right on the mark. <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-31894674573002873582016-07-24T12:09:00.004-04:002016-08-03T10:15:52.449-04:00What's Missing from Modern Education... in Two Commercials <br />
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Just recently I attended a seminar at Notre Dame on the relationship between science and religion. It was spectacular. I had the opportunity to listen to several preeminent scientists, as well as some incredible theologians, all of whom helped elevate my understanding surrounding both subjects. I took notes like a starving man scarfs down a meal. It was great to be back in the classroom as a student again, especially a student like myself who loves theology and philosophy. Education is wasted on the young, I tell you! OK, maybe it's more accurate to say that it was, to some degree, wasted on me.<br />
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While I am mature enough to appreciate this now, when I was in high school, I was not. Perhaps it is the nature of education today, or maybe it was my lack of maturity, but I believe that when I was in my teens my time would have been better served learning a trade. The truth is that while I enjoy transmitting important information in my capacity as a teacher, I feel- in a sense- an absence, especially as it relates to my capacity to create and fix things as a man.<br />
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Man is, by his nature, both a creator and a redeemer (simply consider the nature of the majority of the jobs out there), for he is made in the image and likeness of God. And while I am not a fan of the cynical (and simplistic) adage that states; "if you can't do… teach", I do sometimes feel that there is a lot to be said for a saying like this in a world that is as abstracted as ours. Unfortunately, for the past several generations we have created a kind of one track system of education, suited primarily to an office-cubicle kind of world. Consequently, it is not only me who feels this longing for a more "physical" brand of education, but many of my students as well.<br />
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My students often complain of what they like to call this "race to nowhere" education, wherein they are made to jump through any number of hoops in order to satisfy the latest demands of college administrators. While some of this problem can be solved by a more purposeful and focused education- wherein teachers and administrators grasp the deeper motive for education, and where subject matter in one class works in harmony and dovetails with other subjects (as opposed to existing in hermitically separate containers), there is something more at issue here.<br />
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What I am getting at is more than just the importance of kids playing a sport, or involving themselves in some sort of extracurricular activities. All of this is essential, but certainly not off the radar as far as educators are concerned. The larger point here is about the kind of education imparted by St. Joseph, a master carpenter, who happened to teach our Lord how to employ his holy and venerable hands in the art of creating and redeeming.<br />
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This is not a criticism of those who do good work in the field of education today; rather it is an encouragement for our culture to return to the noble and necessary work of learning a trade, or rather to return to the "carpenter's bench" once again. Consider St. Paul, for example, who studied the Law as a Pharisee, but who also learned a important trade (he was a tentmaker).<br />
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The following commercials to a large extent reveal what's is wrong with our mentality today, celebrating cleverness and technological superiority over craftsmanship. These commercials exist for the general purpose of making light of our ancestors and their retrograde mentality, but what they reveal, in my opinion, is something quite to the contrary:<br />
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The ironic name given to this "backward" family are the "Settlers". Obviously it is meant to be a double entendre, and the humor is well taken, but there is also a reverse humor, and I wonder if the makers of this commercial actually see it. We as a society have also become "settlers", but in an entirely different sense. So great is our obsession with technology that we actually have the nerve to mock people that are in reality better fit for long term survival in this world than ourselves.<br />
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In truth, we have built our various DirecTVs on the back of craftsmanship and innovation of our ancestors, who all too often worked their fingers to the bone to create a world stable enough for the leisure that we assume is our right today. We live in technological castles in the air, while they chose to build their lives on the rock of things fashioned from the earth. In any other age of the world- these so called backward "Settlers" would not only have been the ones who survived, but also those who serve as the backbone of society. By contrast, the "superior" family next door would in all likelihood have wound up becoming some sort of Darwinian casualty.<br />
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In the following GE commercial, similar humor is employed (i.e. prior generations can't seem to appreciate the technological savvy of the current generation). However, by the end of the commercial, as you will see, one is left wondering whether this kind of physical impotency is really a good thing after all:<br />
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It is possible that these commercials are attempting to make light of both world views, and truth be told, that is my take away- even if it is not intended by the company. However, in terms of real world application, it is hard not to come away from these ads thinking that we have lost something along the way far more than essential our "boiled clothes" or our "grandpappy's hammer". Indeed, creatures made from the soil of the earth after all, and the more we neglect that aspect of ourselves, the more we imperil future generations by placing undue focus on only one aspect of our being.<br />
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Do you genuinely believe that the young man in the above commercial would survive in a world of even slightly harsher conditions? Obviously, we need all sorts of people to run the world today, but right now with all of the "tablet toddlers" and "computer kids" out there, could anyone possibly argue that what the world needs now is a greater proliferation of screens with eyes glued to them?<br />
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And so it may be that the kings and queens of the future world <i>are</i> the plumber and the tentmaker, the carpenter and the cloth merchant. For if we need the above technology at all (and I believe we will), it will certainly not be for the purpose of useless entertainment, but rather for the kind of technological advances that allow us transmit the necessary means and methods of survival across the face of the earth, much like the monks' were able to do during the Dark Ages of Europe.<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-35971312351702842682016-07-15T11:55:00.002-04:002016-07-20T10:01:15.190-04:00Millennials and Micro-Agressions: Why Our "Victim Culture" Needs the Sacrament of Confession More Than Ever<br />
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In adolescence we often believe (at least subconsciously) that all the good that has come to us is there on account of our own worthiness, while all the bad things are the result of the failings of those who reared us. The first day of spiritual adulthood truly begins when one realizes, not so much that everyone in the world is innocent, but rather that while we were spending our time assessing the faults of others, we ourselves were accruing a sizable debt.<br />
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In the past (or so it seemed), people tended to grow out of this behavior relatively quickly, after all, who would really have the time or patience for this kind of self-pitying narcissism? Today, unfortunately, this "victim culture" is somehow thriving and has much more of a market (as well as an audience). <br />
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Somewhere along the line we have taught this generation how to confess everyone else's sins, but have forgotten the most important lesson (viz. how to confess their own). We have practically given them trophies for existing, while simultaneously teaching them to despise the ones who have given it to them. This modern day Pharisee has no problem dismissing virtues that have been embraced for the past three thousands years, while elevating to the level of unchanging dogma terms that were invented in the previous month.<br />
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Practically speaking, this has become a total nightmare for every day communication. For who knows where and when all of these verbal land mines will be detonated. Indeed, what was once thought to be a pleasantry, has inexplicably become an insult. What was once thought to be an act of chivalry is now an act of sexual aggression. And what was once thought to be a simple attempt at humor, has now become grounds for firing. This is not to say that there are no examples out there of behavior that is worthy of condemnation, however, the following video should make it quite clear just how far we've taken this "art" of being offended by everything:<br />
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One has always been able to find people in society who will say just about anything in front of a camera, but what makes our times particularly unique is that the people that are speaking in this video (and the following one) are quite sober and reasonable in their assessment of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xykv9NzPjoA">these questions.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Towards a Solution</i></span><br />
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The question is what has inspired this self-centered obsession with how others have failed us? Let us first consider Jesus' rather ironic saying about the danger of judging others; "You hypocrite, first take the beam out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from the eye of your brother" (Matthew 7:5).<br />
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Here Jesus is describing something that is a physical impossibility, namely the reality of an entire plank/log of wood being lodged into the eye of a human being. The purpose of this hyperbole is to make a point about how hypocrisy distorts and disfigures our perception of the world around us. <br />
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In other words, when we enthusiastically set ourselves up as the supreme judge of the goodness of others, we are so comically off base that we are worthy of a kind of satirical mockery (and so Jesus in essence does just that). At any rate, if we had even an ounce of humility we might see just how merciless and disproportionate our judgments are under these circumstances (an idea that is embodied in this saying).<br />
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Yet the point here is less about what our neighbor did or didn't do, and more about our own failure to recognize what needs correcting in ourselves. By neglecting this essential discipline, the faults of others become significantly (and mysteriously) magnified. As we become more innocent in our own eyes, others become increasingly guilty. It's magic!<br />
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In the meantime, we are so preoccupied with our campaign of perfectibility, that we progressively find ourselves incapable of even listening to such "offensive" personages, fearing that even the sound of their voice might taint us. Consequently, not only are we offended by most everything, but we go about looking for further opportunities of being offended, like some child in the first grade (or Pharisee) taking pleasure in tattling. Indeed, these hypocrites love the sin, but hate the sinner.<br />
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However, what Jesus is saying here is not merely that personal hypocrisy is a bad thing, but rather even more importantly, that self-recrimination is something which is good and necessary. To put it another way, if we do ponder our faults and failings before launching into an attack on others, we may well see their faults in the proper proportion (faults that are quite frequently more forgivable than we first thought), an initiative that might genuinely lead to the resolution of the problem as opposed to a shouting match.<br />
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There is a tremendous difference between pointing out failings and trying to resolve them. In this case, Jesus isn't simply looking for his followers to have a proportionate response to the wrongs committed by others, but an attitude of remedying the situation. To remove a splinter from someone takes tremendous caution and care (I think of a mother trying to remove a tiny splinter with tweezers), not the reckless bluster that we often bring to these occasions. <br />
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For these reasons (and many more), the Sacrament of Penance is needed more than ever today. Where else in our society is this form of self-accusation encouraged? Where else do we encourage individuals as a practice to critique themselves? To many individuals today, such criticism amounts to masochism, or a kind of self-harm, but to the one who practices it in reasonable measure, it is the key to seeing everything, including ourselves, in the proper light.<br />
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According to Scripture, before we can take an account of anyone else's transgressions, we must take a full accounting of our own. And if after we're done judging ourselves with sufficient care and circumspection we still have the strength to pick up stones and hurl them at others, then we should proceed with utmost caution, knowing that we too must be forgiven for our failings.<br />
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However, if (on the other hand) you find yourself a little less ferocious and little more humble after examining your conscience, you may want to use the rest of your strength to figure out how to heal a particular situation as opposed to exacerbating it.<br />
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By pointing the finger at ourselves before blaming others, and by marshaling our efforts towards a regimen of self-improvement, we develop a healthy sense of conscience. This is not to be confused with a destructive negativity which seeks to turn everything into a sin, as our "victim culture" is wont to do, but rather to turn every moment into an opportunity to be the best version of ourselves.<br />
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As an adult, there are far fewer opportunities for genuine self-critique (in childhood it is built into the natural framework of things), but by developing a gentle spirit of self-examination, we can learn to hold ourselves to account and work towards improvement. In confession we get to observe the plank in our own eye, because we actually stand outside of ourselves and see our lives "flashing before our eyes". We take, as it were, a God's eye view. It is a judgment day of sorts, but on the bright side, when we take the initiative to call ourselves out first, we know that the story will end in our favor.<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-51832175037252679992016-06-20T19:46:00.000-04:002016-06-25T18:34:44.798-04:00The Best Scriptural Evidence for Saintly Intercession That You've Probably Never Heard<br />
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On a purely practical level, the intercession of the saints makes perfect sense to me. Yes, God is everything to me, but he's not the only thing. In other words, I cannot navigate life without the assistance of God's creatures (both living and dead). Whether it is the immediate help of a friend whom I ask for assistance, an ancestor who assisted in my physical existence, or better still, some historical figure whom I've never met before, but who is nevertheless responsible for much of the wisdom and prosperity that I enjoy in my culture today. <i>In this sense,</i> then, man does not live by God alone.<br />
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If this weren't really the case, then why would we even begin to thank anyone for anything? Indeed, where there's a will, and some good received, then gratitude should ensue. It brings to mind that popular joke about the man drowning, who refuses various forms of help/intercession under the pretext that "God will save him." He eventually drowns, and subsequently finds himself standing before God, only to discover that God had employed those aforementioned individuals as agents of His saving help. We are not mere puppets of God, we are, by His generosity, partners and <i><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/5-20.htm">ambassadors</a></i> of his plan for salvation.<br />
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And that all makes perfect sense to me on a practical level. But looking for clear Biblical evidence that human beings can come to our assistance post-mortem, always poses a bit of a challenge for any number of reasons. Thus, when I heard last Thursday's Mass readings I had to take a double take. I've heard numerous individuals invoke the book of Revelation (e.g. Rev. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+5%3A8">5:8</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+8:3-4">8:3-4</a>) as a defense of the doctrine of intercession, but I always found the argument somewhat unconvincing- if only because divine activity is so other-wordly and symbolic (how could it be anything else). And this is part of the difficulty in making the case. How do we make something so other-worldly, a little bit more "earthy"… if only for a moment?<br />
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Enter the prophet Elisha and last week's reading:<br />
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"Then Elisha, filled with the two-fold portion of his (Elijah's) spirit, wrought many marvels by his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one, nor was any man able to intimidate his will. Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life. In life he performed wonders, and after death marvelous deeds." Sirach 48:12-14 </blockquote>
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Had I misread the passage? I read it again. No, that's precisely what it said "after death he performed miracles." The critique I had always heard about the intercession of the saints seemed refuted by this simple statement. Whenever I had previously attempted to draw the analogy of human and divine behavior, I was often reminded by those attempting to refute this that the rules of this life don't apply on the other side of the curtain. In this life, I was told, you are allowed to accomplish Godly works for the sake of the kingdom, but after death, not so much. And yet, here was a verse, one that I do not remember ever having read, before suggesting something suspiciously like a saint interceding after his physical death. How much more direct do we need it to be? I'll state it again; "After death <u>he</u> performed marvelous deeds".<br />
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This is not to suggest that Elisha is in some kind of competition with God. Quite the contrary, the point is death does not change our ability to love God and serve our neighbor. As a matter of fact, one might argue that our close proximity to God in the next life might only serve to bolster <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5%3A16-18&version=NIV">our efforts</a> in this respect.<br />
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All the same, one may point out that Sirach is part of the Septuagint, and not accepted as part of the Protestant canon. And indeed, if there were no related verses to support my claim, I would agree that my argument would seem to be on shaky ground. However, what is most compelling to me about this passage is not simply what it says, but rather that it further corroborates and clarifies another passage which is in every Christian Bible:<br />
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"Elisha died and they buried him. Now the bands of Moabites would invade the land in the spring of that year. As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast him into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet." Kings 13:20-21</blockquote>
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Hence, not only was Elisha capable of performing miracles in this life, but apparently, as both passages suggest, he "performed marvelous deeds" even after death. What marvelous deeds you may ask? See the aforementioned passage. In one fell swoop these corresponding texts not only point to the possibility of holy figures effecting miracles <i>after death</i>, but something still more shocking, that healing exists quite literally within their very bones.<br />
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From the Catholic perspective, these relics are not seen as an amulet, but rather derive their potency from the same Source they always did. Whether in life or death, the prophet's power comes from their unshakable union with God. Still, one common counter argument to this claim goes something like this; "prophets may have been necessary before Christ, but now that Christ has come and died once for all, there is no longer a need for them." Yet Christ did not come to abolish saints and prophets, rather he came- as the following prophets suggest- to share his intercessory power with all of his people, not just a select few:<br />
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"And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, answered and said; 'My lord Moses, forbid them!' And Moses said unto him. Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!"</blockquote>
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"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Yours sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions"</blockquote>
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Were not these very words of Hebrew Scriptures fulfilled at Pentecost… and afterwards?<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-17958831424844961652016-06-14T11:38:00.000-04:002016-06-27T11:38:56.900-04:00Why Are Catholics So Exclusive About Holy Communion!? 14 Ways to Approach This Delicate Issue <br />
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Recently I attended a Baccalaureate Mass, and I couldn't help but to feel the generally awkward vibe that tends to arise whenever Communion comes around, especially when the priest must explain that those who aren't Catholic may come forward and receive a blessing, but may not otherwise partake in the reception of Holy Communion. Maybe I am projecting, but it seems to me that such a statement (however gently uttered) can often come across as somewhat gosh and rude, especially in a climate where the very mark of politeness is to never exclude anyone from anything.<br />
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Thus, in our world today, the question is how might one even begin to explain the rationale behind something that seems to an outsider little more than an imperious dictate of the Catholic Church? Below I present ten possible approaches to this <i>dilemma of hospitality</i>. There are no quick fixes below because there are no quick fixes to the divisions among Christians. Yet, if nothing else (hopefully), there is at least the possibility of offering a more gratifying and sympathetic response than what tends to be the case (this is assuming that people attempt at all). Exceptions to this rule are duly noted, but this is more a guide to how to broach the topic in a way that invites discussion rather than a purely awkward exchange. Incidentally, this is not an indictment of any priests particular style, but rather some further options for those who wish to offer an explanation to friends, family, or anyone else who may be interested.<br />
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<b><i>1. An Appeal to the Sacred</i></b><br />
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One approach might involve focusing on the preciousness of this Sacrament in the life of Catholics. Everyone (presumably) has something that they would deem priceless, something that they would cringe to think that someone might abuse, mock, or mishandle (a family heirloom, a daughter, a bullied child). Figure out what that person holds in highest regard, and use this as a metaphor to explain why the Church is so particular about how the Eucharist should be safeguarded. <i>Thus, if one can understand the need for reverence in the one instance, how much more warranted would such behavior be when handling God Himself. </i><br />
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<b><i>2. An Appeal to Intimacy</i></b><br />
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Another way to explain the Church's view surrounding the Eucharist involves employing the language of romance and intimacy. <i>To put it another way, just as one shouldn't use the gift of sexuality in an indiscriminate way, neither should one approach communion with God (viz. becoming <u>one</u> with God) as if it required nothing up front. </i>Just as it is loathsome and dangerous to speak of God's name carelessly and without affection, or to enter the marriage bed without first being married, so also this act of union with God must be entered into fearfully via a covenantal process.<br />
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<b><i>3. A Club/Organizational Approach</i></b><br />
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No matter what the organization, if you are invited as a guest to attend a function, it is more than a little presumptuous to assume that you would immediately participate as a full member would. In order to be a true beneficiary of all of the most cherished traditions of an organization, one cannot simply swoop in for a meeting (or a game) and expect to be a full participant. You must, as it were, go through the appropriate channels and rites of passage in order to enjoy what full memberships entails. <i>To participate in the Eucharist in this sense is much more than just something you do because you prefer to to be included in the ceremony. Rather, it is a testimony, a sign of your absolute commitment and dedication to the mission and purpose of the organization (or at least that is as it should be)</i>. <i>Can the individual who wishes to receive the Eucharist in this instance say this about their intentions?</i><br />
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<b><i>4. <u>Not</u> Receiving Communion Can Also be a Sign of One's Dignity</i></b><br />
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<i>If you reject the pope's authority to speak infallibly on matters of faith and morals, or you do not believe that the Catholic Church is the true of Church of Christ, then you should not be ashamed to declare this. One of the best ways to assert this conviction is by not receiving communion at Mass.</i> Whatever you deem to be true in the most noble sense of the word, you should hold it with conviction and purpose. There is a certain power in knowing what you believe and what you do not. However, to state on the one hand that you reject the Church's authority, while simultaneously receiving a Sacrament that states that you embrace it, seems at best confusing. There is something beautiful in receiving communion for good reason, and something beautiful in abstaining for good reason. Both of these choices are no doubt honored by God.<br />
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<b><i>5. A Scriptural Approach</i></b><br />
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If you grew up like me hearing stories about the Ark of the Covenant, and how you didn't touch it lest you encounter the wrath of God, then you too may have had a healthy fear of God's Holy Vessel. Hence, if the exterior of the ark was so dangerous to touch, then how much more dangerous would it be to touch all that was inside (i.e. the manna, the Commandments, and the rod of Aaron). According to Raiders of the Lost Ark (which is of course a highly reputable source), to even open the Ark could lead, inevitably, to a face-melting experience. <i>Fast forward to the new Testament, wherein <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A23-34">St. Paul warns</a> in a similar fashion that to receive this "new manna" in an "unworthy" manner, can potentially lead to physical illness or death, and may even kill the soul altogether.</i> Consequently, it is not out of a lack of hospitality or kindness that the Church places limitations on who can receive holy Communion, but rather out of obedience to what St. Paul says. These are fearful matters (in both senses of the word). And so, like the Ark, it would behoove everyone (including/especially Catholics) to "use as directed."<br />
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<b><i>6. The Standard Applies to Everyone... Equally</i></b><br />
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The question I sometimes ask my student's is this; "Are there situations in which Catholics are not permitted to receive Communion?" Yes. Why? And eventually they come to it. <i>The rules for Communion weren't established as a rebuke for Protestants, but as a standard for everyone, including Baptized Catholics.</i> One could just as well say that the rules of communion are in place to prevent (in certain instances) baptized Catholics from receiving communion. Any human can receive Communion, no matter what religion or denomination they hail from, and any human may potentially be prevented from receiving communion, even if they are Catholic. The ultimate litmus for receiving communion is not what background you are from, but whether or not you choose to be in communion with the Catholic Church… for that is, in part, what the action itself implies. As for myself, I do not receive communion because I am a baptized Catholic, I receive it because <u>I will</u>, by the grace of God, to remain in union with the Church. Anyone else may do as much.<br />
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<b><i>7. Turning the Question Around</i></b><br />
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<i>Do Protestants ever limit who can or cannot receive communion?</i> Up until about fifty years ago, most Protestant denominations did not permit inter-communion for the same reason Catholics do not today. If you didn't share the same beliefs, why would you then share a covenantal meal with them that suggested that you did? Today, however, many denominations insist that as long as you are baptized you may receive communion. Yet this too begs the questions; "Why should we draw the line there? Isn't that too exclusive? Suppose someone of good will would like to receive communion, but they are not Christian. Why exclude them? And what does communion mean as a concept in the first place?" By addressing the question in this fashion, it may expose something which has progressively gone missing from Christian theology- the importance of the sacred (i.e. that which is set apart for God). In the process of avoiding the appearance of any inhospitality, we have sacrificed the sacred in many ways. Indeed, by leveling off everything, we have massaged away the things that truly distinguish us (i.e. sacred objects, sacred rites, sacred books, and sacred names). Thus, by progressively opening communion to everyone, we slowly have abolish the very meaning of it.<br />
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<b><i>8. …But What About Those Who Believe That the Eucharist is More Than a Symbol</i></b><br />
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To repeat, the reception of Holy Communion (assuming one is in a state of grace) is the ultimate sacramental sign that one is in union with the Catholic Church. If the individual attending Mass is a Protestant, and wants to receive communion, the question then becomes are you really on board with all Church teaches (i.e. The Church's teaching on sexuality, Mary, the Eucharist etc.)? If you do not wish to subscribe to these ideas, then why would you publicly engage in an activity which states otherwise? And if you do believe all of these things… then why aren't you already Catholic? This line of reasoning may have particular force, especially for those who maintain that the Eucharist is much more than just a symbol (viz. Episcopalians and Lutherans). The theological differences surrounding the Eucharist may seem negligible from their perspective (i.e. transubstantiation vs. consubstantiation… see above image), but the larger issue still remains. <i>Receiving Communion is not only about saying "Amen" to the theology of the Eucharist, but about saying "Amen" to everything that the Church holds definitively.</i><br />
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<b><i>9. Confronting the Charge of Inhospitality</i></b><br />
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<i>It is not inhospitable to balk at a house guest who thinks it perfectly natural to enter someone else's home and start dictating the rules of the house. I certainly wouldn't go to someone else's home and do the same. </i>The Church continues to open her schools, hospitals, charities and places of worship to those of different religious persuasions, but she also asks respectfully not be forced to compromise the values that she holds most dear.<br />
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<b><i>10. An Historical Explanation</i></b><br />
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Most individuals simply look at this issue in the context of modern day society. Thus, it may be useful to consider this issue from a larger historical perspective. In other words, historically speaking, what has the Church taught concerning this issue throughout history. For the most part, Catholic teaching hasn't changed on these matters. <i>It's not as if the Protestant Reformation happened, and all of sudden the Church started excluding people from Communion.</i> <i>What the Church did pre-Reformation, the Church did post-Reformation, and what she did from the jump, the Church does today.</i> It has been the historical been practice of the Church to exclude from communion those who do not practice the Catholic Faith in all its essentials (or those who publicly reject it). <i>No one</i> is worthy of the Eucharist (which is why we state as much at the Mass). Catholics receive it <i>not</i> because we are "worthy", but because, among other things, we accept Catholic teaching (e.g. "real Presence"), and remain united to the Faith, whatever our own personal shortcomings. Exceptions can be made in cases where people believe, and wish to convert, but for whatever reason are limited by their circumstances. However, the common denominator in all of these situations is a concrete desire to identify one's self with the Catholic teaching. <br />
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<b><i>11. What About the Orthodox Churches?</i></b><br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>I do not begrudge the fact that the Orthodox Churches prohibit me from receiving Holy communion at their Liturgies (incidentally, they do it for the same reason the Catholic Church does it… see #10). Nor am I offended that, while they are permitted to receive communion at ours, their bishops will not allow it. Why doesn't it bother me? Leaving aside the whole complicated history, as well as the unique bond between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, anywhere that a religion regards the sacredness of an action so much that they take precautions to safeguard that action, I can truly appreciate that. Hence, when the Jews get irritated with Christians for using the unutterable name of God in certain religious songs, I get it. And when Muslims believe that holy figures should not be depicted in any way, shape, or form, I can see the wisdom in that. And when the Mormons have a more "inclusive" religious service for anyone interested in the faith, while reserving a more private gathering for those who are committed Mormons, I do not see a problem with that. <i>I am at peace with my own Faith, and I am happy whenever and wherever God is being honored, even if I am not privy given a "front row seat" at that affair.</i> I do not need to be expressly included in a particular religious practice to appreciate and honor that practice. And if I were to be agitated by it, I should probably ask myself "why"?<br />
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<b><i>12. What Should Priests Emphasize/Avoid</i></b><br />
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<i>It is best to assume that most individuals are merely looking for instructions on what to do during this part of the Liturgy, rather than a theological explanation for why they can't receive communion.</i> If you stop to dwell on the manifold reasons why some may receive and others may not, you may aggravate a situation that was otherwise copacetic. The point is a theological discourse should not be shoe-horned right before communion. Treat it as if it were assumed, and proceed from there, especially at those events that make this issue most challenging (i.e. funerals, weddings, and baccalaureates, etc.). The priest might say (or some variant thereof); "For those who are not Catholic, or for those Catholics who may not receive Communion at this time for whatever reason, please <i>feel free</i> to come up for a blessing, simply indicate this by…". I like to call it the "nothing to see here" approach. In my experience, explanations of a longer sort are more positively received when they are either addressed one on one, explained in a well articulated homily, or even provided in a written explanation in the program where one can read it without feeling that there are in the spotlight. Obviously this will not solve every issue, but avoiding certain "unforced errors" in this regard can be important when it comes to not exacerbating the problem.<br />
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<b><i>13. Whatever your approach, say it with love and vulnerability </i></b><br />
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In all of this there should be love, charity, and vulnerability, not only for God's sake, but for the sake of one's neighbor. I know this from personal experience. The first time I ever tried to invite someone to Mass- and subsequently explain to them why they couldn't receive communion, it was nothing short of a disaster. I was "ham-handed" and extremely lacking in eloquence. My friend agreed to come with me to church, but after I botched the whole communion explanation, she rose up in rage, and declared angrily that "she didn't want to come to some my church anyway, especially one that thought that she wasn't good enough to receive communion". At that moment my heart broke, for that was the last thing I wanted to communicate. Right in front of her, I simply broke down. As she observed me, she suddenly had a change of heart, and began saying to me that she wanted to come after all. Her anger was miraculously quenched by my vulnerability under these circumstances. I am not arguing that you should weep your way out of every problem, but for whatever reason, my vulnerability helped to understand my motivation.<i> This issue will not be resolved by avoiding it, or by coldly laying down the law. Christ was crucified not because he sternly shouted out a bunch of dictates, but because with arms wide open, he spoke the truth in love.</i> <br />
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<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">14. The Sacrament Will Be </span>Defined Down….<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Not only is intercommunion a problem from an integrity standpoint (i.e. how can it be "communion" if you share a different view about the nature and purpose of communion), but by allowing intercommunion you inevitably </span>reduce<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> the Sacrament to little more than a social convention, defined by popular opinion. In light of this, the Eucharist is doomed to become</span> indistinguishable from the vague symbolic variants that are out there today.<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Communion </span><i style="font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0px;">is</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> meant for everyone, but not without respect to some kind of assent of Faith. Thus, in the end, the real reason to set limits on the reception of Holy Communion has nothing to with looking </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">down</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> on anyone, and everything to do with preserving the integrity of the Sacrament. After all, how can we maintain an appropriate level of reverence for Christ truly present in the Eucharist, if we do not even require that the one who receives it actually accepts this fact</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">? </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span> <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-78263289250052968242016-05-29T13:56:00.000-04:002016-06-03T11:05:16.779-04:00What I Saw from the Choir Loft on Pentecost Sunday... and How it Changed My Conception of the Holy Spirit<br />
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Catholic art is not just there to be pretty, it is there to preach, or rather it is attractive because it has something profound and beautiful to say. I remember somebody once referring to the Holy Spirit rather condescendingly as simply a "bird", pointing out just how weak the symbolism is. In fairness, he was trying to encourage a more interesting discussion surrounding the Holy Spirit by suggesting that we could do a lot better than offering forth a "boring old bird" as the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.<br />
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Nevertheless, I would suggest that the problem isn't the "bird", but the lack of an artistic imagination on the part of those who behold this image. The key is to see these winged creatures as a child sees them. The creature isn't boring, we are. When we were children and saw a swallow ascending like a kite, who among us did not take flight with them? And what about those stories we heard as children (and the pictures we saw) of those ancient birds known as pterodactyls? What about the hummingbird, or the bluebird (on our shoulder, as it were)? And how "boring"is it to take a flight in a dream, or on a plane or in a parachute for that matter?<br />
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I say this not because it is always easy for me to come up with an inspiring images for the Holy Spirit, but because I too must do the "leg work" of the imagination if I'm going to be inspired with gratitude for the Spirit.<br />
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Consequently, what I observed from the choir loft this past Pentecost gave me quite a head start in this department. High above the congregation, and far from the priest and the altar, I experienced one of the most magnificent gestalt-switches imaginable, a trick of the eye that immediately provoked a deeper contemplation of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it was my imagination, or maybe it was intended by the creator of the iconographic image (or maybe it was some combination of both). What is irrefutable is the fact that it deepened my gratitude for the Holy Spirit.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"><i>WHAT I SAW FROM THE CHOIR LOFT:</i></span><br />
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First of all, while casually observing the priest from the choir loft, what I perceived on his chasuble was what seemed to my eyes to be the Holy Spirit "dive-bombing" humanity. When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, Scripture says that the heavens were "torn open" and the Spirit descended like a dove. Notice, Scripture never claims that the Spirit is a dove as such. Rather, the Gospels say that the Holy Spirit descended "like" a dove. At any rate, in this context the image struck me with incredible force, the notion that the Holy Spirit- like some youth waiting to get into a rock concert- rushing forth in a riot of divine energy, as the gates of heaven are torn asunder. Indeed, what a mind-blowing paradox, the dove of peace, appearing almost (as in the photo below) like some sort of divine arson. <br />
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Surrounding this particular type of Holy Spirit imagery, it is not uncommon to see accompanying streaks and flames that attend the action of the Spirit, ready to set the world ablaze with the love of God. Yet these streaks surrounding this Holy Bird also appear, at least to the untrained eye, to represent the tremendous speed at which the Spirit is traveling. He is like a doctor rushing with urgency to reach an ill patient, as if having in his possession some sort of vaccine, an antidote desperately needed on account of a world-wide pandemic. And perhaps the reason he leaves traces of fire wherever he passes is due to the pure speed at which he travels (like a Marvel comic book hero).<br />
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Secondly, I observed something of which I am far less certain, but which is nevertheless the very thing that inspired this post in the first place. Because I was so far away from the altar, my imagination (and eyes) were able to take a little impressionistic journey. Indeed, as I squinted to look at the vestment, it occurred to me that not only was the Spirit "dive-bombing humanity," but the image also revealed something quite opposite, though anything but contradictory.<br />
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Much like those images that reveal one thing when you look at them one way, and something quite different when you look at them another (see above image), so also for me at the Mass that day. Yes, there was a dove facing downward, but as I looked a little bit longer, I also observed what appeared to be a kind of Firebird facing upward. Immediately I was reminded of images I had seen somewhere depicting the mythical creature known as the Phoenix rising from its ashes. In this upside down Gestalt, what was formerly the tail, now appeared to me to be the head tilted to the side, and what was previously the head of the dove, now represented the ashes from whence this mystical bird arose.<br />
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Thus, it dawned on me that the gates of heaven were not just "torn open" so that the Holy Spirit could rush upon us, but that we too, like the Spirit, could ourselves storm heaven. Was it a dream, or are my theological instincts correct? Quite possibly both. For in Baptism it has been revealed that we too will receive the "wings" of the Spirit. Indeed, is this not the whole point of the dogma of the Ascension, as well as the Assumption? As a matter of fact, if all of these theological dogmas are true, then we too should one day expect to soar into the choir loft of heaven, we too should expect to rise from the ashes of our demise, singing for joy, not like some "boring old bird", but rather like those beautifully terrifying and exotic creatures described in myths of old, as well as the ones detailed by John in the Book of Revelation. <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-70768582110225157862016-05-22T10:23:00.001-04:002016-06-03T11:13:59.232-04:00Stand by Me: 5 Popular Songs Which Provide Key Insights into the Hidden Meaning of the "Stabat Mater" <br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wouldn't be the first blogger to point out that a song like "Let it Be" has certain Marian overtones, but I may be the first one to point out a certain reoccurring Marian theme known as the Stabat Mater in popular music. May is the month of Mary, so usually we are inclined to hear a decent amount of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUR804FH1Q8">flowery images</a> surrounding the Blessed Virgin Mary (both literally and figuratively). However, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stabat Mater</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is- in many ways- the opposite of that. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The phrase is associated with Mary’s presence at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion. In fact, during Stations of the Cross there is often a hymn by the same name which accompanies the reciting of each station.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Translated, the Latin phrase means "the mother stood". On the surface, this is perhaps the least impressive thing that could ever be said about someone we are looking to emulate. "Sean stood", well, congratulations! Indeed, unless I was previously paralyzed, or had just come back from the dead, that is hardly an impressive feat. However, what I learned from listening to the Beatles, and other famous artists, was something quite unexpected. This innocuous little phrase is not only quite potent (if not poetic), but has been sung about and celebrated on more than a few occasions by a whole variety of artists.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">How can this be (to use another Marian phrase)? I am not implying that these various artists have some kind of Marian devotion, but rather by virtue of their poetic insight, my own eyes have been opened (Emmaus style) to the beauty and power of a phrase that was formerly "hidden" from me.</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">1. The Beatles - Let It Be</i><b><i> (Stabat as Comforter)</i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This song not only has "Marian overtones", it is practically a guide to Marian theology. I am well aware that Mr. McCartney wrote this song about his own mother Mary (and not the Mother of God), but need an artist always be completely aware of the profundity of his insight for the insight to be profound? I would love to ask Mr. McCartney if the phrase itself "Let it be" was an accident, or if he recognized the fact that it echoed Mary's fiat? I would love to ask him if he recognized the fact that the lyrics seem to imply that this Mary is not only a mother for him individually, but a sign of hope for humanity in general? And lastly, and more pertinent to this post, I would love to ask him if he saw a parallel between his own mother coming to him at a dark time, and Mary at the foot of the cross?</span></span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-1f3a3981-c3c9-331f-0381-b76823d48f59" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, 'Let it be'"</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Lady of "Wisdom" does not pretend to take away the darkness, or remove the cross from the shoulders of the one who must bear it, but she does promise constancy, even while others abandon us. She stands with us until the darkness passes. Her burden is not that of the cross itself, her cross, as it were, is to watch her child suffer. Indeed, her cross is to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">stand</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">firm</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and not fall apart beneath the weight of the agony of the one who is flesh of her flesh and bone of her bones.</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">2. Ben E. King - Stand By Me </i><b><i>(Stabat as Companion)</i></b><br />
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<i>"When the night has come and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see. No I won't be afraid no I won't shed a tear, just as long as you stand, stand by me… If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall, or the mountains should crumble to sea. I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear, just as long as you stand, stand by me." </i></blockquote>
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This is another song with some very Biblical overtones. One might even call it apocalyptic (or at least as apocalyptic as early 60s music can be). In any case, I cannot help but to see a little of Golgotha (as well as the Gospels in general) in these verses; "From the sixth to the ninth hour darkness covered the land/ the sun was darkened… At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split." Matthew 27:45; 50<br />
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In this instance, the virtue of the Stabat Mater is quite clear: 'I can endure anything that hell throws at me, as long as I know that you are with me.' Without companionship in dark times, it is nearly impossible to avoid falling into despair. Consequently, only love can keep us strong in the face of death, and only the one who remains faithful to us through it all, can offer us a reason to hope in the face of misery.<br />
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<b><i>3. The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You</i></b> <b><i>(Stabat as a Sign of Solidarity)</i></b> <br />
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One of the great virtues which tends to be present in the feminine is a willingness to "cover a man in his nakedness". In other words, when everyone else is running for cover, this lady is willing to stand with us. How difficult it is to endure the taunts, stares, and threats that accompany such a brave form of solidarity. As it relates to Jesus, this willingness to help "cover his nakedness" (for indeed he was naked), is something that few in Jesus' company were willing to do. Why? Beyond the potential threat to their lives, it was the larger burden of associating yourself with a loser, the guy, as it were, who "lost you the game", the one who will ensure that even your "friends" will have nothing more to do with you, especially if you continue to defend him. The ones brave enough to "stand" beside you under these circumstances, possess a form of moral courage that isn't so much measured by human activity, as it is by a willingness to prefer justice over human respect.<br />
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<i>"I'll stand by, I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you. Take me in, into your darkest hour. I'll never desert you… I'll stand by you"</i></blockquote>
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Perhaps my favorite Hollywood example of this was the time that Robert Downey Jr. defended Mel Gibson during an awards show ceremony.<br />
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<b><i>4. Tammy Wynette - Stand by Your Man (Stabat as Loyalty and Forbearance)</i></b><br />
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In this particular song, "standing" is all about the virtue of <i>fidelity</i> to ones spouse, especially when one's spouse is anything but. Lyrically, one might argue that this song is somewhat misogynistic, if not particularly antiquated. Yet beneath all of the cultural trappings, there is the simple message in the song, one that many of the saints have echoed throughout history (St. Monica in particular comes to mind). Indeed, sometimes love is about fidelity in the face of betrayal. Obviously Jesus betrayed no one, but this kind of "stabat" is not simply about Jesus and Mary, but rather about the Christian life in general. If we think about it, there is probably someone in our own life who believed in us, or who stuck by us, even when we were monumentally unworthy of such fidelity. Without that goodness, that fidelity, that long suffering, there would be no hope for us at all! In any case, there are moments in the song that do indeed echo the fidelity of Mary at the foot of the cross.<br />
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<i>"Even though he's hard to understand... Stand by your man, and show the world you love him. Keep giving him all the love you can… Stand by your man." </i> </blockquote>
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<b><i>5. Stand - Sly and the Family Stone (Stabat as Defender of Truth)</i></b><br />
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As exciting as the physical act of standing can (and should) be, the expressions that I am highlighting here are less about the physical act itself, and more about the metaphysical virtue of never backing down. For example, he was "the last man standing", "stand up for yourself," and Bob Marley's "Get up, stand up. Stand up for your right!" There are even famous books and movies based on this premise. There is Stephen King's novel "The Stand" which is all about a final apocalypse, and making a final "stand" against evil. There is also the movie "Stand and Deliver", a movie about a teacher who inspires students in low income situations to transcend their particular cultural circumstances. Hence, to stand in this particular sense is synonymous is not merely about being sentient, but rather about a kind of unconquerable will. The song "Stand" is in some ways a kind of self-help (it was the late 60s after all) approach to overcoming fear and indifference, and <i>standing up</i> for what you know to be right and true.<br />
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<i>"Stand! There's a cross for you to bear, things to go through if you're going anywhere. Stand for the things you know are right. It's the truth that the truth makes them so uptight. Stand! "</i></blockquote>
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OK, not Shakespeare. However, my point isn't so much about the genius of the song, as it is about the particular manner in which the expression is used here. To stand for something, especially the truth, is not only brave and virtuous, but downright (at least according to Stephen King) apocalyptic. The refusal to remain on the canvas, and to stand erect in the face of hell's fury is why Stabat Mater is anything but a passive stance. Thus, in the order of grace and virtue, Mary is the ultimate prizefighter, an historical juggernaut who cannot be vanquished- no matter how many haymakers the enemy throws.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bonus Track</span><b>:<i> I'm Still Standing - Elton John (Stabat as Perserverence)</i></b><br />
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"Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did, looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid. I'm still standing after all this time, picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind… I'm still standing." </blockquote>
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-54458896679715477772016-05-05T12:02:00.001-04:002023-03-08T12:51:39.077-05:00The 10 Things I Learned from Prince About Venerating Saints<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z7JNCFOmzVfmSMoS6_mZt2ffXalGX3ceYXKg9lxCBQk2I1ypE7Xmaqz8_IQKwGgRkrvv3bjv8Agg4ezSwqSw2Wbbn-G37SFBherdIcKwZVRNgsN5zb0a6CDSGVxMDH7Uw69EGnphD-A/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Z7JNCFOmzVfmSMoS6_mZt2ffXalGX3ceYXKg9lxCBQk2I1ypE7Xmaqz8_IQKwGgRkrvv3bjv8Agg4ezSwqSw2Wbbn-G37SFBherdIcKwZVRNgsN5zb0a6CDSGVxMDH7Uw69EGnphD-A/s400/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the biggest mistakes that Catholics make in attempting to explain the Faith to others is that they often tend to use language and concepts that are foreign to the listener. Indeed, they are much like the scientist seemingly incapable of using anything other than abstract scientific terms to explain themselves.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The challenge of the evangelist is something more personal and empathetic than all that. They have to stand outside of themselves and imagine what the Faith might sound like to someone who has never heard it before. In practicing empathy in this regard, they can then begin to help the other individual to truly comprehend the beauty of the Faith from their own perspective. The question is, how does one go about this?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simply put, the best way to accomplish successful evangelization is not by becoming more "spiritual" in your explanation, but rather by being more down to the earth. The trick is to realize that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the heavens have already spoken</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It is now our job to translate and make those ideas incarnate. The good news about all this is that we do not have to re-invent the wheel. Not only are there good apologists out there, but even better, we have our own personal experience. The world already imitates in a secular way what the Church expresses in theological terms.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The doctrines of the Catholic Faith are fundamentally the doctrines of humanity, albeit infused with a supernatural significance (or, rather, their deeper significance). Hence, if you ever want to know how it is to explain the Catholic Faith to anyone, simply observe man and how he reacts to those things which he deems to be the most essential. In other words, he may not value what we value, but he will nevertheless ultimately go about those things the same way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The clearest example of this can be seen every time some popular artist or celebrity dies. For example, a few weeks ago when Prince died, social media, along with society in general, spent several days in mourning, grieving over the loss of this artist who apparently meant so much to them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Below, I outline 10 ways that people honored Prince (as well as other recently deceased artists), each of which bears a natural kinship to the Catholic practice of venerating saints:</span></span></div>
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<i><b>1. <u>Santo Subito<br /></u></b></i>
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As is this case when many popular artists die, there's a natural tendency to idealize their lives. "Santo subito" is the Latin phrase which declares, on behalf of the sensus fidelium and the vox populi, that this man warrants immediate canonization. Obviously the standard is very different in the eyes of world as to what that means (virtue is not always high on the list), but nevertheless there is a similar attitude of indefectibility that we impute to the artist. There's almost a kind of general absolution that is granted to them, especially with regard to any indiscretions they may have committed. They are afforded this because of what of all the good we impute to their particular talents. Interestingly, the religious saint has much more claim to this "absolution", though the world tends to see it in reverse. Below is a tiny clip taken from the funeral of Whitney Houston, a beautiful singer, who tragically overdosed on drugs. However, Costner speaks of her as if were reflecting on the Blessed Virgin Mary. I point this out not as a mockery, but in order to indicate how natural this instinct to canonize is.<br />
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<b><i>2. <u>Iconography</u> </i></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-a812c63f-8197-a361-53ce-b0955b260fa1"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whether one is talking about a famous figure like Princess Diana, or someone like Blessed Mother Teresa, the term “icon” is often used interchangeably. In the strictly religious sense it refers, at least artistically speaking, to a specific type of art that serves as a window to the divine. But in the broader sense it refers to anyone who seems to have transcended their own historical time period. The world uses this term as a kind of catch all for anyone whose name has endured. Coupled with their memory, there is also usually some kind of iconic photo that accompanies their fame, not to mention an image which is ultimately emblematic of their success, and seems to embody what is most memorable about them. Prince is no exception on this front, for there are any number of "iconic" symbols, colors, and images associated with him.</span></span></span><br />
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<i><b>3. <u>R.I.P.</u></b></i><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ec9d6179-819a-8935-a447-8e5320fb4b0a"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While praying for the dead is associated with the souls in Purgatory (i.e. those who have yet to experience the full beatific vision), these prayers are nevertheless offered for those whom we hope will be heaven, so it applies at least in that sense. Granted, this is only a rudimentary form of prayer, almost a subconscious aspiration offered by admirers of the particular celebrity, but it is prayer nevertheless. In the town that I reside, on the day Prince died, there was a neon billboard that prayed that Prince would "RIP", or rather, "rest in peace". The "RIP" prayer is basically a universal way that people can express their desire for eternal peace for someone without explicitly saying it (whatever your religion or irreligion). Perhaps this is because the acronym "R.I.P." feels a little less Catholic, thus the rest of the world is a little more OK with it. I won't tell them (or maybe I will), that it comes from the Latin </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">requiescat in pace</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">… which is a Catholic prayer for the dead.</span></span></span><br />
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<b><i>4. <u>The Name Change</u> </i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This example isn't so much about how individuals honor the popular figure as it is about how the popular figure seeks to define (or re-define) himself. Whether in Hollywood or in the religious life, it is hardly extraordinary to change your name. In the case of the religious figure, their name is changed often to embody some virtue or figure they wish to imitate. When one is canonized such a figure frequently becomes synonymous with their place of origin, or with some virtue (and sometimes even a flaw) that captures the larger narrative of their life. As it relates to the artist Prince, Prince was indeed his given name (though interestingly it was given to him by his father who had previously taken this as his own stage name). In any case, this was not enough for Prince, for at some point in his career he chose to change his name (so to speak) to an unutterable symbol. So "sublime" was this particular performer (apparently) that no word could capture his essence. Beyond "The Artist", as he was sometimes called, there are countless other examples of people taking stage names for all of the same reasons that religious figures do (Sting, Bono, Marilyn Monroe, Snoop Lion, David Bowie, Madonna, etc.), though their reasons for doing so are usually considerably less humble, say, than consecrated Religious who take on a saint’s name upon profession of vows.</span> </span><br />
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5. <u>Relics</u> <br /></i></b>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ec9d6179-819c-a294-8726-e162a6e20ceb"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Without getting into the different classes of relics that one can possess, it is more than a little easy to see the connection between the Catholic mentality surrounding relics, and the larger attitude of society surrounding objects connected to significant events and people. Whether you're talking about sports, film, music, or even loved ones, objects have an incredible power over us to the extent that they are connected to our favorite figures. Indeed, no one would call it strange to kiss a picture of someone we love, or even someone who we long to be loved by. No one would deny that they have at least at one point kept an object, ticket, article of clothing, as a keepsake because it connected us to a memory of a person in whose presence we felt a kind of glory. I can only imagine all of the Prince "relics" that are out there now. And while the Catholic faith takes it a step further by directly connecting those objects to the divine realm, this kind of higher devotion seems to be a natural extension of the former. One can even find direct examples of this in Scripture, whether in the Old or New Testament, all the way from the healing bones of the prophet Elisha, to the miraculous handkerchief of St. Paul. If we experience the power of some drumstick thrown into the crowd by a musician, how much more should we venerate the relics of one who is totally united to God in heaven?</span></span></span><br />
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<b><i>6. <u>Reverence and Piety</u> </i></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ec9d6179-819d-903a-ffab-c192cefe5ccd"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most people have certain level of respect for an individual when they have recently passed away. For example, if anyone makes jokes about this individual's death shortly afterwards, one may be heard to retort "TOO SOON", though that artist may have in fact "danced with death" their whole career. Yet, when it comes to music and Hollywood, there is a special kind of gentleness of tone that certain individuals may not afford anyone else. These individuals often build shrines, speak about their influence, and even wax poetic about the meaning and substance of their life. I still remember when heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio died, and many of his admirers talked of his kindness and good deeds. Indeed, one does not to appear before a saint in a cathedral to see a vigil candle lit in the name of a beloved popular figure. Simply look at the awe and "holy fear" with which the devotee speaks of their favorite artist, whoever they are, and you will see that very same instinct. In this famous scene from the film </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wayne's World</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the lead characters demonstrate just how naturally we fall into religious postures, even when the figure seems to evoke quite the opposite of that instinct.</span></span></span><br />
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<b><i>7. <u>Beatitude</u> </i></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-ec9d6179-819e-531a-34f2-b19c041d1d16"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Along with attempting to canonize these popular figures in the earthly sense, there is also a push by the </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">vox populi</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to place him or her in the high heavens, bypassing in just about every the Catholic criterion (which is founded on holiness). This could be seen most distinctly after the death of David Bowie. One particular meme quipped that God had finalized his "super-group", for there had been a recent spate of popular musicians dying in a relatively short period of time. But, whatever the case, when artists like this die, people admit religion, if only as a kind of desire or aspiration, a way for that artist to live on in perpetuity. In some ways this explains the seemingly paradoxical </span><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/fewer-americans-believe-god-yet-they-still-believe-afterlife-n542966"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">study</span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Link #3) that came out in the U.S. recently that showed that people hadn't given up the belief in heaven </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">per se</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but they had stopped believing in God. I will leave to my readership to write the punchline on that one.</span></span></span><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">8. </i><u><b><i>Revealing Our Favorite Stories About Them</i></b></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we become enamored with a particular artist or athlete, we often find ourselves scooping up every little detail about them, real or imagined. When it comes to the lives of the saints, the Church has sometimes been criticized for conflating the truth with reality. Yet this is not only a Church problem, this is rather a human tendency anytime when we encounter someone who is in our sight remarkable. Just look at how stories are sometimes framed surrounding Pope Francis (for good and ill), especially surrounding the manner in which he bucks the traditional narrative of a pope. My favorite story came with this particular headline: </span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/01/pope-francis-stops-to-pick-up-hitchhiker/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Pope Francis Picks Up Hitchhiker"</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Link #4). From such a headline, any number of magnificent images and stories might arise. What was the story on the ground? A priest friend of his from Argentina happened to be in St. Peter's Square as the pope was making his way through the crowd, so the pope gave this priest a ride in the "pope mobile." This is not to say that extraordinary things do not happen, but rather that even the ordinary becomes extraordinary in the presence of a beloved figure. </span> </span><br />
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<b><i>9. <u>Mourning Their Loss (though we never met them)</u></i></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few days after the death of Prince, there was an </span><a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/1/12/10755600/celebrity-death-grief" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">article</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Link #5) in a music publication which successfully explained from a secular perspective- and provided justification for- why Catholics choose to venerate and mourn people whom we've never met. According to this article, we do so because the artist is able to speak to our collective psyche; they give voice to our inexpressible desires and longings. Obviously one can quibble with the extent to which Prince does that in the positive sense, but what can't be argued is that the true saint does appeal to us for just that reason. He or she is able to make living a life of holiness that much more intelligible to us. If we struggle in understanding God's will for our own lives, or the meaning behind the world as we experience it, the iconic figure, for whatever reason, seems to be an apt translator. They make it easier not only to understand life, but to fathom the beauty therein even in the midst of sorrow. And so when they die (if they were alive in our lifetime), we feel sorrow because they made us feel, not only closer to the divine, but closer to ourselves. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<b><i>10. <u>Intercession</u></i></b><br />
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Perhaps one of the most perplexing things, at least from an outsider's perspective, is why Catholics ask "dead people" to pray for them. As a Catholic, I cannot help but point out to people who say this, that saints are not zombies, nor are they spirits of the damned, but rather those who have entered into eternal life, or as Jesus said; "I am the God of the living, not of the dead" Matthew 22:32.<br />
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Nonetheless, what can the death of a musician like Prince teach us about this particular Catholic instinct. First of all, it should be pointed out that, Catholic or no, the instinct is already there, even if it's only in a rudimentary kind of way. For example, how many times have you heard an individual say; "I know she's watching over us", or "I felt her presence at that very moment." Yes, both of these common sentiments definitely imply a kind of grace filled moment, wherein an individual was helped/comforted by the presence of someone who is deceased and is not the Deity. However, as it relates to Prince and other famous figures such as these, do we collectively acknowledge their power to intercede, or pray for us? Perhaps not in the fullest sense- as it is not common practice to say; "David Bowie, ora pro nobis."<br />
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The dictionary defines it as "the action of intervening on behalf of another". Yet what is "intervening on behalf of another" if not gifting them hope in their hour of greatest need. In this case, it may be retroactive intercession, but God is outside of time, and is not limited by it. How many individuals have found their calling through an inspired writing of some saintly individual? How many people have felt saved by a song that came on the radio, or by an artist that seemed to translate the inarticulate groanings that lay deep in our hearts. On the road to Auschwitz, and in the heart of a starvation bunker, St. Maximilian managed to get his fellow inmates to sing songs of hope that they might face death, not in the grips of despair, but rather with a melody on their lips. Don't tell me that intercession is only praying "dead people", it is anyone in heaven, on the earth, or in between that gives us strength to run the race and finish it!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So as with everything on this list, we can see that the Church does not simply leave our worldly instincts as they are, but rather elevates them to their highest form, for "grace builds on nature, it doesn't destroy it". A final example of this parallel can be seen in Chris Carter's Hall of Fame induction speech. In the speech he even makes the connection himself. Yet what is most moving about his approach is that the speech is only secondarily about himself. First and foremost, the speech is about all the people who made him great, those who challenged him and those who saw greatness in him. The speech itself is a kind of sermon on the communion of saints. </span><br />
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<br /><br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-27826295690962369662016-04-23T09:40:00.003-04:002016-04-25T14:43:56.709-04:00The Seven Sacraments in Popular Music… <br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the great mysteries today in art and music is the fact that oftentimes those who most wish to glorify God through this medium, often miss the point entirely. God is certainly glorified by their desire to glorify him, but he is not necessarily glorified by having His mystery reduced to ideas and terms which are unbearably sentimental, simplistic, and self-referential (for God is neither of these three). It is for this reason that the best artists tend to glorify God's beauty, especially when they are least trying to do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This can happen in two primary ways. The artist with all his agnostic instincts can be drawn to some beautiful idea, not because he seeks to force it on himself or others, but because he lets the muse enchant him in whatever direction it pleases. The second way that this can happen is a bit more ironic. The artist may in fact have a bone to pick with God (or the Church), and so as it often happens he "picks that bone" by attempting to get personal with God and his adherents. Interestingly, by not limiting himself to pious platitudes, he winds up exploring the symbolism of the Faith, if in a negative sense -Link #1- (see post on the </span><a href="http://woodsydude-gkcrocks.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-13-best-theological-band-names.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 best theological band names</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). In the meantime the artist, accidentally, unveils a rich tapestry of poetry endemic to the Faith, even as he attempts to denounce or denigrate it. Of course I am speaking here most specifically about the Catholic Faith, for there is much less symbolism/ sacramentality in fundamentalist branches of the Christian Faith.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The following songs are in many ways profoundly sacramental. As I examine each of them, I will attempt to show how they celebrate in their own way the beauty of the Seven Sacraments… if accidentally.</span></span><br />
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<b><i>1. Billy Joel - The River of Dreams (The Sacrament of Baptism)</i></b> <br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-4317-f639-8763-689c8e6589fe"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's a great story behind this composition, and if one is interested in an extended treatment on the subject, the video in this -Link #3- </span><a href="http://woodsydude-gkcrocks.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-day-billy-joel-met-god-in-shower.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #674ea7; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">post</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> provides a fascinating reflection. In any case, the quicker version of the story involves the fact that Mr. Joel did not want to write this song at all. And he didn't want to write it primarily because he knew the song would inevitably have religious connotations. Being a professed atheist, he certainly wasn’t in the business of acknowledging the divine. Yet, oddly enough, the song wouldn't leave him alone (think hounds of heaven). According to the story, the melody was so catchy that it even “followed” him into the shower one morning; “I got religion in the shower", he explained. The lyrics in essence explain why Mr. Joel (as a musician) finds himself constantly "walking in his sleep" at night. He is not literally walking, but rather feels as if he has travelled to the land of vision; a land which provides musical inspiration, but also leaves him wanting more. Worst of all, he goes there to find the answers, but the answers are on the other side of the river, which, as he describes, is too far to cross. The water in the song is both a barrier and a baptizing agent. As for the fire, it inspires him, but also leaves him irrepressibly thirsty. Salvation is at hand, but Joel seems completely ignorant to its larger significance. You will notice in the lyrics he recognizes what the water is for, yet in waking life- as an atheist- he cannot bring himself to acknowledge what the vision so plainly is telling him:</span></span></span><br />
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"Not sure about life after this, God knows I've never been a spiritual man/ Baptized by fire I'm wading into the river that is leading to the Promised Land… In the middle of the night…"</blockquote>
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<b><i>2. Billy Joel - Only the Good Die Young (The Sacrament of Confirmation)</i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I suppose if Mr. Joel has regaled us with a song about Baptism, it is only appropriate that he should do the same for Confirmation. Long before he revealed to his audience his penchant for wading into the rivers of baptism, he also "waded" into another controversy. According to Mr. Joel, this song was written as an "ode to lust", and while that obviously comes across in the song, what also comes across is the incredible attention he gives to sacramental details. Even while his tongue is firmly implanted in his cheek, he also delivers a rich mosaic of images that demonstrate just how wonderfully intricate (like a cathedral) the life of a practicing Catholic can be; from stain glass windows, to temples, to rosaries, to virgins and statues, to saints weeping, even mothers praying for wayward souls like his own. Indeed, few songs in the annals of rock n' roll are more blatantly Catholic than this one. And then there's this little gem:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You've got a nice white dress and a party on your Confirmation/ You've got a brand new soul, and cross of gold…"</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit, this song reminds us just how wonderfully God equips us in the Sacrament of Confirmation for the work of the Spirit, providing us with the necessary weaponry to resist just the kind of puerile and short-sided temptations suggested in this song. Consequently, if "Virginia" (as she is called in the song) was a truly wise and prudential confirmand and was faithful to her promises therein, she certainly got the better end of the deal here, especially when you consider the long term consequences of living a life dedicated to lust.</span></span><br />
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<b><i>3. Audioslave - Like a Stone (The Sacrament of the Eucharist)</i></b> <br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-431b-7770-5c3d-bc3e3eede4dc"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike the previous artist, the lyricist and vocalist for the band Audioslave (who was also the founding member of the well known Seattle grunge band Soundgarden) is more of what one might describe as an agnostic. In his youth, Chris Cornell went to Catholic School, but after that experience, he never really found himself connecting with any one religion. All the same, if one were to pay close attention to his lyrics, one might be struck by his not too infrequent use of religious imagery. For example, in the song Black Hole Sun he writes; "...In my youth ‘I prayed to keep’… Heaven send hell away, no one sings like you anymore." In the song Show Me How to Live, he exclaims; "Someone get me a priest... To put my mind to bed, this ringing in my head! Is this cure, or is this a disease?!" Moreover, on some occasions he even performs a rather extraordinary rendition of the Ave Maria. Yet perhaps most poignantly of all, in his song "Like a Stone", he tells the story of a man at the end of his life, reading "a book" that sounds suspiciously like the Scriptures. As the man reads it, he feels a tremendous sense of remorse- not just for what he has </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">done</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> wrong, but also for everything that he has "blessed" that he ought not to (a most profound insight). Though the reference to the Eucharist in the song is passing, it is nevertheless quite powerful:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"… And on my deathbed/ I will pray to the gods and the angels/ Like a pagan/To anyone who will take me to heaven/ To a place I recall/ I was there so long ago/ The sky was bruised/ The wine was bled/ And they led me on… In your house, I long to be…"</span></span></blockquote>
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</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">True to his doubts, but also delightfully open to the Lord and his coming, he describes beautifully the sense of longing one might have a the end of one’s life. Like a righteous pagan, he awaits the coming of the Savior, one with whom he “longs” to sup. Hence, in spite of his admitted ambivalence towards the Church, remarkably he chooses an image that looks suspiciously like something from his own past; a faint, though vivid, Eucharistic memory from childhood. </span> </span> <br />
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<b><i>4. Sting - All this Time (The Last Rites/Anointing)</i></b><br />
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Al<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">most every artist on this list has at least a few things in common. For example, most are of Jewish and/or Catholic heritage. And while, paradoxically, Catholic symbolism sets alight their imagination, they are more than a little uncertain about what they think about the Catholic Church as an institution. Sting is no exception. Perhaps the most comfortably sacramental of any on the list, Sting's lyrics and music always tend towards a kind of medieval and chivalrous atmosphere. The album the Soul Cages is perhaps the most indicative of this particular spirit. All of the tracks on the album were written soon after the death of his father. Consequently, according to Sting’s own reflections, the lyrics focus on his childhood and the history of his hometown. Not terribly close to his father in life, this album was meant as a tribute to him in death. As a result of growing up on a river (and in the shadow of the shipyard, as he explains), he imagined burying his father at sea, particularly because his father had always wanted to travel, but never was financially stable enough to do so. In any case, this song is all about the complex relationship he had with his father, coupled with Sting's deep and abiding desire to bury his father at sea. The lyrics of the song seek to contrast his desire to “bury his father at sea”, with the Church's “rigid” policy surrounding Christian burial:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Two priests came round our house tonight/ One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying to serve final rite. One to learn, one to teach, which way the cold wind blows. Fussin' and flapping' in priestly black, like the murder of crows… If I had my way/ I’d take a boat from the river, and I’d bury the old man, I’d bury him at sea… Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth/ Better to be poor than be a fat man in the eye of a need/ As these words are spoken I swear I hear the old man laugh; ‘What good is a use up world and how could it be worth havin?’” </span></span></blockquote>
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</span><span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-432d-3a52-d7fe-6da6683f0f66"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">While, again, the tone is noticeably cynical, especially where it refers to all things Catholic and Biblical, the humor, while dark, would have no bite to it at all without the distinctive beauty and poetic imagery of the Catholic rites…. especially those, as is the case here, which are administered last.</span></span></span><br />
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<b><i>5. Mercy Street - Peter Gabriel (The Sacrament of Confession)</i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are countless movies which utilize the Sacrament of Penance/Confession/ Reconciliation (whichever you prefer) for dramatic effect. However, there are not many songs which mention it directly. Perhaps the reason for this is because in a certain sense music itself is a kind of confessional (though admittedly in this particular kind of confessional some boast of their sins). At any rate, Mercy Street explicitly mentions the Sacrament of Confession. A fan of the poet Anne Sexton, Peter Gabriel wanted to write lyrics that would capture some of the spirit of this poet's soul:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Nowhere in the corridors of pale, green, and grey/ No where in the suburbs of the cold light of day/ There in the midst of it, so alive and alone/ Words support like bone/ Dreaming of Mercy Street/ Where you're inside out/ Dreaming of Mercy Street/ In your daddy's arms again…"</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gabriel himself is an imaginative lyricist, and has on occasion been known to incorporate religious themes into his songs (viz. In Your Eyes, Solsbury Hill, and Here Comes the Flood). While Mercy Street is a beautiful and earnest song, there nevertheless seems to be a hint of cynicism in it, if only where he makes reference to Confession:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Pulling out the pages from drawers that slide smooth/ Tugging at the darkness word upon word/ Confessing all the secret things in a warm velvet box/ To the priest/ He's the doctor/ He can handle the shocks… </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet even while possessing what seems to be a bit of jaundiced attitude towards the rite, he admits, if only accidentally, the true nature of the sacrament with the subsequent line.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Dreaming of the tenderness/ tremble in the hips/ Of kissing Mary's lips…"</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The sacrament of reconciliation is a paradox wherein "justice and mercy kiss". The child who who truly knows the Father, rushes into His “daddy’s arms,” for there he knows he will find true peace and peace.</span></span></div>
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<b><i>6. Leonard Cohen - Joan of Arc (The Sacrament of Matrimony)</i></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Born of Jewish stock, these days Leonard Cohen describes himself as a Buddhist. Yet for whatever reason, on occasion he has a penchant for writing songs about Catholic saints. Apart from his famous song "Alleluia" (which is of course is more in keeping with his Jewish roots), he wrote a song called "the Song of Bernadette, performed by Jennifer Warnes (you may know her from songs like Up Where We Belong, Right Time of the Night, and I Had the Time of My Life). Another exquisite piece written by Cohen (and performed by Warnes) is "Joan of Arc". Even were there no music at all in this piece, the concept itself would suffice as a work of art. The story describes Joan's martyrdom. Yet what is utterly unique about this rendering, is the fact that Joan has a conversation with the fire that is to burn her. One might assume that this dialogue would be rather one dimensional and unromantic. To the contrary, this remarkable dialogue turns out to be a discussion of Joan's forthcoming wedding and the consummation of her vows...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"'Then fire make your body cold/ I'm going to give you mine to hold'/ Saying this, she climbed inside/ To be his one/ To be his only bride. And deep into his fiery heart/ He took the dust of Joan of Arc/ And high above these wedding guests/ He hung the ashes of her wedding dress" </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazingly, Cohen, a self-professed Buddhist, understands what so few Catholics do today, that the ultimate purpose of sacramental marriage (not to mention sanctity itself), is to prepare us for eternal inside the "fiery heart of God".</span></span><br />
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<b><i>7. Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles (The Sacrament of Holy Orders)</i></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-4332-6756-c2d5-1425bd4204cc"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though Paul McCartney was raised Catholic, the faith of his childhood rarely appears in his music. Apart from songs like "Let it Be," it is hard to see any direct influence Catholicism may have had on his music. However, Eleanor Rigby strikes an interesting note on this front. It is an ode, and an expression of sympathy, to all the "lonely people" out there. Interestingly, all of these "sad saps" seem to be congregating around a church, as if their sadness is compounded by the fact that they are stuck at church and cannot leave;</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been/ Lives in a dream/Waits at the window, wearing a face the face that she keeps in a jar by the door/ Who is is it for…" </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then there's poor Father McKenzie, who of course must be a lonely sad miserable man, because who in their right mind could possibly want to be a priest, unless you were condemned to do so by your social ineptness. I jest, but this- to some extent- must have been the perception of Mr. McCartney, why else would he make the church "Ground 0" of said tragedy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Father McKenzie writing the words of sermon that no one will hear/ No one comes near/ Look at him working/ Darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there/ What does he care?" </span></span></blockquote>
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</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While I do not deny that these scenarios are very real, I would suggest that McCartney’s sympathy is somewhat misplaced. The tragedy is not that these "lonesome losers" are stuck at church, but rather that there are countless lonesome people in the world who haven't even that much solace. That is what is truly heartbreaking. By contrast, what </span><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in fact heartening is the reality of both a church and a clergy that offers a home, a purpose, and a community for people such as these. Why does Eleanor Rigby go to church in the first place, certainly not because the church itself is a depressing place, </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">but rather because it might be the only place where she genuinely feels welcomed. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The real tragedy here is that Paul McCartney (and so many others) can only envision a priesthood as a kind of vocational default. How does he even know that Father McKenzie is not a priest for the same reason that Jesus Christ was, namely to bring glad tidings to the poor, especially to the Eleanor Rigbys of the world!</span></span><br />
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<b><i>8. Hozier - Take Me To Church (The Sacrament of the Church)</i></b><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-4337-141a-88d7-63549eeee917"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Vatican II reminds us, the Church itself is a Sacrament. In other words, all of the individual Sacraments that we have discussed prior to this find their meaning in the context and life of the Church, not apart from it. The Church Herself is the ordinary medium through which we receive the grace of Jesus Christ. For this reason, when we discuss all things "Catholic Church," one cannot help but to bump into everything associated with Liturgy and Sacraments. Thus, Hozier, by discussing the Church as a larger concept, empties out the vast treasury of Catholic art and beauty, if only for the purpose of denouncing it. Other than "Only the Good Die Young", this is by far the most resplendent with Catholic imagery.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9276489-4337-141a-88d7-63549eeee917"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Take me to church/ I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies/ I can tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife/ Offer me that deathless death/ Good God let me give you my life… My church offers no absolutes/ She tells me worship in the bedroom/ The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you. I was born sick, but I love it/ Command me to be well… Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen." </span></span></span></blockquote>
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</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to this logic, the only true absolute is the rejection of the Absolute, and the only right use of sexuality is the misuse of sexuality. Yet what is most intriguing to me about Hozier's lyrics is the simple fact that he seems to think he has come up with an idea that is wholly original, when all he has accomplished is a sneering plagiarism. Before Hozier ever dreamed of associating sex with worship, the Bible had long before considered it a sacred rite (See Song of Songs), and long before he had ever thought of describing the sexual union as the height of worship, Jesus said; "Hoc est Corpus Meum" and "Consummatum est".</span></span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hozier has indeed "emptied out the sea and found something shiny" but he neither invented the sea, nor any shiny objects therein. The problem isn't that Hozier associates sex with religion, or even that the bedroom has something to do with worship, the problem comes down to the fact that he has an utterly puritanical (if not Manichean) view of Catholic sexuality, and seems bent on talking about good sexuality as if it could only be regarded as filthy. In his convoluted account of the meaning of sex, he leaves some question as to whether it is even love he is after at all. Quite the contrary, what he seems to be after is calling sin sanctity and sanctity a sin; "there's no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin". But more importantly (for the goal is not to critique the song), he seems completely blind to the fact that quite often devout people </span><span style="text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> go to Church precisely to seek this kind of ecstatic communion with God, the type of communion that indeed inspires one to say "Amen, Amen, Amen Amen". And while erotic love is only one sign of that ultimate union with God, everything that we as Catholics associate with the sacrament of the Church, leans towards that unimaginable ecstasy in heaven, that self-same ecstasy that Mr. Hozier, for some bizarre reason, wants to call a sin. Hence, we both agree what the sacrament is for, but what he seeks to profane, we look to glorify.</span></span><br />
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Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-15661754021297121062016-04-02T09:40:00.002-04:002016-04-08T09:11:57.752-04:00Morality In Two Commercials… for both Good and Ill <br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-5d4ca494-d724-ba6e-2158-b3be4597231d"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the most challenging things to communicate to young people about the moral life is how our actions have larger implications than we could ever envision. Understanding this "law of unintended consequences" requires a great deal of imagination. Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the spiritual life is the necessity to use one's imagination in the service of imagining the larger consequences of our behavior. Yet this is true not only for the bad things, but for the good as well. We celebrate the imagination for children, for novelist, but what about the rest of us?</span></span></span><br />
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The ultimate problem with the moral life comes down to this: sin is extremely generous up front, but robs us blind on the back end, while virtue is initially a bit like working pro bono, in that it pays us nothing up front, but on the back end rewards us handsomely.<br />
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Consequently, I present the following commercials as a kind of imaginative effort to illustrate and illuminate what is most challenging and subtle about the moral life. My hope is that both ads, like a kind of visual Ignatian exercise, provide encouragement to the reader in his or her efforts to recognize the consequences and trajectory of our actions, and how their implications are often much larger than we would/could have imagined.<br />
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The first commercial is one for DirecTV (currently their "Settlers" ad campaign is very popular as well). The memorable tag line, as you may recall, is "Don't end up in a roadside ditch." <br />
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While the moral culpability of the gentleman in this ad may be negligible at best (or so it would seem), the larger point is still valid. Our actions have a domino effect well beyond that of our original intention. Like Mickey Mouse as the Magician's apprentice in Fantasia, the consequence of one misdeed (or attempted shortcut) can have cosmic implications. Try as we might to quarantine them, our actions take on a life of our their own, and sometimes, in the spirit of Frankenstein, they literally come back to haunt us. We can see this occur in a general sense with our sins, but also in a generational sense as well (see commercial below).<br />
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Obviously I do not consider the failure to purchase DirecTV to be a sin, but I do believe that the instinct of this advertisement is quite right (at least in this very specific sense). Vices never happen in a vacuum. And they not only affect our own fate, but those with whom we interact as well.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second ad campaign that lends insight into the moral life is a recent State Farm advertisement. In this case, the insight is a bit more positive. Yes, sin has a cumulative effect, and like karma there is nothing that you put out into the universe that won't (in some fashion) come back to you. You must "pay every last penny" of your debts. Depressing, no? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, there are also many moments in the moral life that seem initially off-putting, something otherwise to be avoided. Indeed, this is perhaps the best argument for immorality. Not that goodness isn't reasonable or justifiable, or even beautiful, but rather that goodness is too difficult, and thus rationalization is preferable to bravery. If bravery exists at all, it is a one-off thing, not something that you must build towards day in and day out.</span></span></span><br />
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At the risk of sounding maudlin, love and sacrifice open us up to a new horizon of generosity. The super manicured, hyper-controlled existence that we may have originally envisioned begins to dissolve when confronted with this higher sense of beauty and goodness. Initially, when we sacrifice, we say "I will do this... but only this". Yet the more we give our bodies to that love, and the deeper we enter it, the more irresistible it becomes.<br />
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The two ad campaigns are a description of the moral life going in opposite directions. Our actions have power, and they can be deadly in ways that defy our initial intentions. Yet in the positive sense the moral life can lead you to positive surprises, a lifestyle that also defies your intentions… but in the best possible sense. In any case, if there are going to be surprises that defy our original intuitions let them at least be holy surprises! <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-2208819097771643652016-03-25T18:20:00.002-04:002016-03-26T10:36:32.296-04:00The "Bullies" of Good Friday… and their Circular Logic<br />
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Growing up, one of the things I noticed about the habits and practices of bullies (including myself, for a while) was that- among other things- they tend to repeat themselves. In other words, they would fix onto some unsuspecting prey, and their reasons for "ramping up the rhetoric" tended to be quite circular. If they offered any reasons at all for their desire to brawl, those reasons seemed superficial at best. In most cases, they simply needed sufficient grounds to justify it to themselves, and some kind of lame pretext for starting the fight (even a bully needs to justify his actions to some degree).<br />
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For instance, when I was in sixth grade, I really wanted to start a fight with a kid named Adam Johnson. A few other kids, hoping to see the same thing, threw my books on the ground when I wasn't looking, and then claimed it was him. I suspected what they had done, but I didn't care. I walked right up to him and said; "Why you wanna throw my books on the ground?" He responded curtly; "I didn't do it." So I responded again; "Why you wanna throw my books on the ground?" This verbal repetition continued until the fighting eventually commenced. Do you see how it works? By the way, I lost that one… handily. I think at one point during the bout, I actually slipped on my own books during the fight, and he started kicking me while I was on the ground. How's that for karma?<br />
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When I was in high school I went to a party out on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. Rule #1: do not go to a party on a dirt road in the middle of no where (for any number of reasons). Anyhow, at one point during this party some extremely intoxicated fellow whom I had never met in my life came up to me- with the fire blazing in the background- and said through his half closed eyes (and in a terrifyingly calm voice); "Why you over here talking (bleep) about me?" I responded; "I wasn't talking (bleep) about you." He said; "I saw you looking at me and talking about me." I explained again; "I do not know what you're talking about." (Unlike Simon Peter, I really didn't know the man, even if I was warming myself by the fire). He then repeated himself again; "Why you wanna talk (bleep) about me?" There is definitely a pattern to this.<br />
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Incidentally, this is when you know you are in deep trouble. When you try to explain yourself, and there is not even a hint of any attempt to try to understand your perspective; "Oh dear, my apologies! I thought thou wert speaking junk of me, but I was sore mistaken! Can I buy thee a drink?" No. Indeed, by repeating themselves over and over, they reveal what's really going on, which is essentially that they want to lay a whoopin' on someone and you happened to have won the lottery ticket. Said whoopin' did not take place because fortunately I had a few very large friends who extracted me from this unsavory situation… on that scary dark dirt road, interestingly referred to as the "Crossroads."<br />
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So in what in sense does this relate to Jesus' trial? In essence, this is what the chief priests and scribes did to Jesus (though the Romans did their dirty work). According to the Gospels, Pilate is looking for grounds to punish Jesus when he is brought to him. However, try as he might (and he does), he cannot find any solid evidence. Consequently, he looks for some other opportunity to escape from the cross hairs of this mock trial, but cannot find any. At one point he even tries to get Jesus released by appealing to a Jewish custom, whereby a prisoner is released on Passover. But instead of seeking his release, they ultimately exonerate Barabbas, a murderer and insurrectionist. <br />
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After all, these bullies don't want someone who really might "deserve it", they want the innocent and the vulnerable. For whatever reason, the true bully always prefers slapping the taste out of the mouth of someone who is least likely to deserve it. The bully reviles innocence, and loves it when this type of man is squirming like some sort of lab experiment under the knife. Hence the religious leaders, along with the rest of the crowd, ultimately prefer Barabbas to the innocent man. In fact, they practically embrace the murderer, if only to guarantee the conviction of Jesus.<br />
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When asked "why", they, like every other nasty bully in history, reveal their true colors. As it turns out, it had nothing to do with sound reasoning, justice, nor even blasphemy against their Faith. Indeed, they themselves were willing to blaspheme the God of Israel if only to nab their man; "We have no king but Caesar… If you let this man go you are no friend of Caesar?" John 19:12, 15 <br />
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In any case, there is always some morsel- some kernel of truth in what is said in these situations. Yet the truth is only inserted into the narrative in order to create the impression that what the accusers are doing is justified. Truth under these circumstances is purely a means to an end; a useful masquerade employed for the purposes of inciting a spectacle of violence. And so because most people generally prefer the powerful rush of a spectacle to the restraint and sobriety involved in virtue, they often join in and shout; "Fight, fight, fight!", rather than oppose a mob and face potential reprisal. <br />
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Hence, the reaction of those bullies and their mindless cohorts is as predictable then as it is now; "Crucify him Crucify him!". But what has he done?! "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Behold, the man! "Crucify him Crucify him!" How about Barabbas, isn't he the murderer?" But they only cried the louder: "Crucify him, Crucify him!!!" <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-67505189042002362782016-02-24T09:41:00.002-05:002016-02-25T08:59:47.081-05:00Gratitude… The Original Aphrodisiac <br />
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As a high school teacher, you learn very quickly what is in the collective imagination of young people. For example, last year around this time,<i> 50 Shades of Grey</i> came out, and though it wasn't discussed widely among the student body (at least not in front of me), it was quite obvious that they were well aware of the movie's content. One senior asked me, "What's the Church's position on something like bondage, etc. within marriage"?<br />
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This should give you some idea of just how casual such talk had become. In any case, because this particular class was a little rougher around the edges than some of the other classes (I called them my Welcome Back Kotter class), I decided to take up the question. After all, I reasoned, I don't want them to think that the Church is afraid to answer such questions confidently and with clear rationale.<br />
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However, my deeper concern was that these students, like society in general, would come to accept the pernicious lie that "dirty sex" was somehow more pleasurable and fulfilling than genuine intimacy. Setting aside the bizarre notion that health consists in feeding perversion, how does one exactly respond to such a question in a meaningful way?<br />
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Some might say that such questions should not be addressed at all, especially in such an academic environment, or that such an indignity should be passed over in silence. Perhaps this is true. But in this particular instance, I wanted to take up the question in earnest, and hopefully provide a more positive and satisfying solution.<br />
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Firstly, I pointed out that we should be incredibly cautious about how we go about "turning ourselves on". If simulated rape and having sex with people that masquerade as strangers (or some combination of both) is what you're "feeding on", then how are you not feeding into a culture that glamorizes rape, violence, and meaningless sex? How strange is it to seek to turn intimacy into its polar opposite (i.e. being raped by a stranger/friend). Why not just make a snuff film while you're at it? Like an addictive drug (one in which the dosage must be progressively increased in order for one to feel a rush), so also this "game" of simulated sexual violence.<br />
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OK, this is what to avoid. But can Godly intimacy truly provide a positive alternative?<br />
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In some ways all of the former's pleasures are legitimate. Yet the problem isn't with sexual pleasure, the problem comes down to the means by which we obtain them. If we are simply using another person as an instrument and object from which to derive pleasure, we cannot help but to literally treat them as something disposable. For the moment any object ceases to accomplish its objective (viz. sexual pleasure), it immediately becomes something expendable.<br />
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Yet, once again, the problem isn't that we want love to be ever-new or exotic, it is that we almost prefer the experience of the "strangeness" of the circumstances to the people themselves. More specifically (and dangerously), we separate the pleasure from the person. <br />
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The ultimate source of pleasure is not a pharmaceutical drug, nor is it the perfect sexual move or device- rather, it is the virtue of gratitude. While the former may deliver a great deal on the front end, one is far more likely to lose everything on the back. Like the story of the Prodigal Son, we want to receive everything at once- without any mind for what it actually takes to maintain our inheritance.<br />
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The lustful one is always hankering for the pleasures yet to be obtained, while the eyes of gratitude are like the child on Christmas morning- unable to decide precisely where to begin. The eyes of lust are the eyes of a hung-over drunk looking for the "hair of the dog that bit them," while the eyes of gratitude are consumed with wonder over the fact that there is such a thing as sex in the first place, or as G.K. Chesterton so aptly put it in his biography of St. Francis; "Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything", and also this gem from his book Orthodoxy; "I could never mix with the common murmur against monogamy, because no restriction on sex seemed so odd as sex itself… Keeping to one woman is a small price for so much as seeing one woman."<br />
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The man who sees himself as unworthy of his beloved, and who sees his relationship with her as tantamount to winning the lottery, will always echo the words of Franki Valli; "You're just too good to be true… You'd be like heaven to touch. I want to hold you so much." And let's not forget about that silly Beatles ballad that sounds a little like the mushy musings of an 8th grader; "I want to hold your hand". The moment you begin to "deserve your wife" is the moment you begin to lose her (either figuratively or literally).<br />
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Yet the secret to this divine sense of gratitude involves not only an appreciation for the feminine, but also for the astonishing little things that surround us every day. The problem for us arises from the fact that awe and romance are not simply a kind of reflex (though we want them to be), but rather a virtue that must be practiced on a continual basis. One must truly take the time to- as one might say- "smell the roses", but even more importantly, one must take the time to literally thank God for the sweet fragrance that accompanies the flower.<br />
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Praise is always particular, and never generic (i.e. thanking God for nature in general). Each man should be in the business of creating, as it were, his own encyclopedia of awe. For any one who begins such a list will quickly discover that there really is no end to it. So grateful will he be, that he will find himself seeking to make a return, not in the spirit of one who expects something compensation, but in the spirit of George Bailey.<br />
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One can never truly repay God for all the good that he has wrought in our lives, but we can honor Him by using his gifts as they were originally intended. Perhaps this is why little children so often chat with inanimate toys. They are like St. Francis or George Bailey, praising everything in creation simply for existing: "Hello, Bedford Falls! Drafty old house! Broken knob on the stairwell! Hello brother sun, sister moon, blood from a punch in the mouth… And did you know that I'm going to jail for some unpaid debts… isn't that great?" (is there better proof for the joy of purgatory than this). The fact that things exists at all (as opposed to not existing), even when they are imperfect (perhaps especially when they are imperfect), becomes a kind of <i>natural aphrodisiac</i> injected into the bloodstream and into the mind of the man who sees things from this perspective. The fact that there are restrictions placed on creation is a small price to pay for the delight of being a participant. <br />
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Thus ensues a kind of eternal competition between lovers, a competition of generosity, humility, and sacrifice- a divine form of "one-upsmanship". Indeed, the aim of this never-ending game, like an immortal game of limbo (or riding a see-saw), is to elevate the other by the act of lowering yourself. Yet, best of all, in this game of "giving more than you get," there is no real motivation to end it, for who would genuinely want true love to cease, who would want to cease being grateful to another?<br />
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And so it is that we return to our initial question in order to answer the latter. What could possibly explain society's recent fixation with BDSM, especially in light of the beautiful alternative? In keeping with our previous theme, if love and sex are really to be equated with a game, then BDSM must be a game of a different sort; one that sacrifices agape love for the sake of erotic love, one that makes human interaction entirely optional. Vulnerability in this case is not the gift of one lover to another. To the contrary, it is the usurpation of said vulnerability by an act that would otherwise be regarded as violent. Mystery (in this case) is not cultivated by a sense of gratitude and creative imagination, but rather by a creepy and sinister masquerade.<br />
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In this instance, one really must be willing to sink as low as possible in order to obtain the latest fix ("how low can you go"). In this infernal version of limbo, one does not possess any upward mobility. Quite the opposite, in order to obtain the diabolical reward, one must be willing (like "hell week" at a frat) to sink deeper and deeper into the mire of indignity and humiliation in order to attain it. However, unlike its divine counterpart, the ratio of pain to pleasure goes progressively in the wrong direction. So much so, in fact, that eventually the only way for the hedonist to "get off" is by not "getting off" at all. In this life we call it the old "bait and switch", in the next it will simply be called<i> Hell</i>.<br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-8713878436005725902016-02-04T15:40:00.000-05:002016-02-06T10:12:40.865-05:00Roe v. Wade, Martin Luther, and the Power of One Individual <br />
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Oftentimes when we discuss the power that one individual possesses, we give it a positive spin, and well we should, because if we were always trying to kill Hitler before he was born (a la Minority Report), we might wind up killing off the whole human race in our paranoia. In any case, while there is tremendous value in pointing out all the good one individual can accomplish, there may likewise be value in pointing out all the evil one individual can accomplish as well, or at minimum, how one individual (or event) that seems small and insignificant can turn out to be cosmic.<br />
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Depending on who you are, you may well see this post quite differently (along with the title), but if nothing else, let us agree on one thing: every single human being has a cosmic significance well beyond what he or she may have previously imagined. In recent weeks we have been reminded of this fact, for not only was it the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 23rd, but also during that same week, the "week of prayer for Christian Unity".<br />
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What do these two events have in common? They both point to the power of one individual to change the world. Yet the point of this post is not so much to critique Protestantism, or even the evils of abortion, but rather to point out the unimaginable consequences of our actions. Consider that the now pro-life Norma Roe, the woman whose case helped initiate and facilitate the Constitutional right to an abortion for all woman (not to mention the subsequent termination of the lives of over 58 million children in the womb), <i>never</i> actually had an abortion herself. That's right, the very individual over whom this whole battle has been fought, wound up having the child, giving her up for adoption, and now as we speak the woman in question is forty-six years old.<br />
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And then there's Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, a Catholic priest, and a jealous defender of the papacy... until he went to Rome. Upon his arrival in the eternal city, he was understandably scandalized by all of the corruption that was going on there. Motivated by his righteous anger, and to be honest, a case of spiritual OCD, he posted his now famous list of 95 Complaints on the door of the cathedral at Wittenburg in Germany. With help from the recently invented i<strike>nternet</strike> printing press (not to mention the fact that there was some truth to everything he was saying), his criticisms essentially went "viral", and the next thing you know- all hell broke loose in the body of Christ.<br />
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Wars of religion broke out; Christians killing Christians; an endless proliferation of "versions" of Christianity spring up (not unlike some nightmare from Fantasia). Atheism begins to take root in the West, and consequently faith and reason are rent asunder and sacrificed on the altar of human sentimentality. Worst of all, a form of Christian self-mockery arises out of all this. Indeed, now the scandal has come full circle, a new kind of "indulgence" is sold, but this time it is coming from the critics of the Catholic Church.<br />
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Today, unfortunately, we must deal with a "new spring" of televangelists and mega-churches, each with his own catchy little jingles, great product placement, and an endless assortment of programs and building projects, all seeking to expand and build up everything that Luther fought to tear down. Pelagius lives on thanks to Luther's doctrine of Sola Fide.<br />
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Let us not forget about good King Henry VIII- a man who really wasn't trying to reform anything at all, and who, before his infamous run-in with the pope, was ironically dubbed "defender of the Faith". At any rate, it is a good reminder that- no matter how faithful one may be- we all have our own weak spots when it comes to fidelity. Yet whatever the circumstances, could King Henry have ever imagined, even as a "divinely elected king," that such power could be in his hands? Could he have suspected that by annulling his own marriage, he could- by fiat- call into question every other binding agreement along with it? For if everyone's vow is annulled based on personal interpretation, is there anyone who is really married? And who's to say what defines marriage in the first place?<br />
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The question is where does this all leave us, and why do I bring it up in the first place... other than to cause despair? I bring it up, not because each of these individuals are necessarily responsible for every subsequent action or event that ensued as a result (though one could make that case). But I do wonder if each of them (along with Tetzel and a few of the Renaissance popes) had been able to divine the future, would they have done the same thing, or would they have died immediately out of despair, or better still, would they have run off to a monastery (or nunnery) and never uttered another word the rest of their lives (a la St. Thomas Aquinas "I can write no more").<br />
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We indeed are gods, and terrifyingly so. Consequently, the next time we are tempted to criticize, or question how it is that God could possibly be so hard on our ancient parents, who just so happened to eat a tiny morsel of that inconspicuous fruit in the garden of Eden, perhaps we should call to mind a few other significant historical figures, if only to heighten our appreciation of the profound ramifications of every single one of our words and actions. <br />
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Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-52911878057716560872016-01-25T11:45:00.000-05:002016-05-09T09:15:56.312-04:00What the "Law of the Lord" Might Look Like If We Saw Things Aright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Understandably, the human race has a love/hate relationship with rules. On the one hand, we like having law enforcement when we need protection from some form of injustice. On the other hand, we don't like being caught when we are the ones from whom another needs protection. We like it when the bad guys are nabbed by the authorities (for the most part), but we don't like it so much when the authorities use their power for evil ends.<br />
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Adam and Eve enjoyed paradise, but they didn't necessarily like the fact that their one prohibition was an essential element in the fabric of holding paradise together. They "loved the law of the Lord" when it delivered them from slavery and barbaric treatment- but they were not so much fans of it, when it came back to bite them (quite literally) in the form of seraph serpents. <br />
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I recall how frustrated football fans were a few years back when the "replacement refs" were standing in for the "real refs", who happened to be on strike. The truth is the replacements did their best, but they honestly lacked the skill that the professionals. When the professionals finally returned, the fans behaved much like the Israelites after receiving the Law of the Lord. Indeed, I've never seen so much enthusiasm concerning the rules being restored. Yet what this reveals to me beyond the old adage; "you don't know what you got 'til it's gone", is the fact that if we actually perceived <i>just laws</i> as we ought, we might find ourselves grumbling and murmuring quite a bit less. Below I present a few examples of what such positive (if humorous) laws might look like:<br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">1. Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery = Thou shalt rather love thy wife with thy whole mind, heart, and imagination… for </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #e06666;">the alternative is truly exhausting to think about. </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<i><br /></i><i>Translation: It is indeed exhausting to have to imagine the work I would have to put in- pretending to be true to one person- while pretending to be in love with another. All that lying and plotting would be quite tiresome. Not to mention the perpetual awkwardness of pretending to be "all in" on a relationship in which I am "all out." </i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">2. Thou Shalt Not Run A Red Light = Thou shalt rather live long and enjoy a pleasurable drive to thy destination.</span></i><br />
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<i>Translation: Our problem is not with the law per se, our problem is with how it applies to ourselves. We are fine with justice for others, but as for ourselves… I think we would prefer far greater latitude. In these situations the common goods trumps our own personal desire to apply justice arbitrarily. </i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">3. Thou Shalt Not Kill Tom Brady with a Helmet to Helmet Hit = Thou shalt rather let him live, so that on the rare occasion in which thou beatest him, thou shalt enjoy watching him cry.</span></i><br />
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<i><br /></i><i>Translation: Even when we dislike somebody immensely (perhaps even with good reason), murder is never an option. To the contrary, true justice is served, not simply by killing the guilty man, but by watching him do hard time. </i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">4. Thou Shalt Wear No Unapproved Garb To School = Thou shalt rather wear holy attire, for as the band ZZ Top once said; "every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man".</span></i><br />
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<i>Translation: Wearing a uniform may not initially seem liberating, but if perhaps we saw things as we ought, we might recognize that the most important people in the world tend to wear uniforms. Thus a uniform, at least in its most exalted form, suggests dignity of office. What it seeks to move away from is a superficial sense of what distinguishes us (i.e. like the latest trend). A man's vestment in the most noble sense is truly what "distinguishes" us. </i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">5. Thou Shalt Not Sully Thy Lips With any "Yo Momma Jokes" = Thou shalt rather celebrate "yo momma", and every other momma besides, for without "yo momma" you would have no life at all.</span></i><br />
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<i><br /></i><i>Translation: The holy name of God (as well as the holy name of your mother) are names that we dare not take in vain. In a sense by mocking these holy names, we have not really destroyed them (for they are indeed eternally holy names). However, what we do jeopardize is our own existence, for when we do profane them, we profane the very ground of our existence.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i><span style="color: #e06666;">6. Keep Holy the Sabbath = Thou shalt thankest God whene'er it is Friday.</span></i><i> </i></span><br />
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<i><br />Translation: Every time Friday rolls around we really should thank God for it. After all, without God's "imposition" of this commandment, who knows if this day would ever exist at all. Even as we speak there are those slave drivers out there looking for a way to obliterate it. The world always tends toward slavery (see above), but God gave us this command, not to imprison us on Sunday, but in the faint hope that we might actually take a break from the drudgery of endless work.</i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>7.</b> Thou Shalt Have No False Gods Before Me = Seeing as how God holdeth all the cards, it would seem most wise to grant him pride of place at the table of thy thoughts, for thy lucky T-Shirt can only take you so far.<b> </b></span></i><br />
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<i>Translation: It is highly irrational to impute omnipotence to something which clearly lacks it (insert anything in the world here______________). On the other hand, if God does indeed exist, then what could be more rational than to say that he is "second to none"?</i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">8. Thou Shalt <u>Not</u> Break Any of the Rules of the Game = If thou dost truly love the game as thou claimest, then thou shouldst keep the rules, for without the rules, there is neither a game, nor a player.</span></i><br />
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<i>Translation:</i> <i>Though the referee penalizes a player for a violation of the rule, it is those same rules (and referees) which make victory and triumph possible. </i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">9. Thou Shalt Avoid Any Foul or Dissonant Notes On Thy Instrument = Thou shalt rather study thy instrument, practice it faithfully, and subsequently make beautiful music, and if thou doest this, even thy dissonant notes shall become melodious.</span></i><br />
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<i>Translation: People tend to see art and music as intrinsically liberal and even anarchic. And while this may have some basis in truth, what they often fail to recognize is the profoundly dogmatic and mathematical side of the arts. On a certain level, it is true, the canvas invites the imagination to go wild. Indeed, your only limit is your imagination. On the other hand, this is only partially true, for the canvas does have its physical boundaries (even were you to call your entire house your canvas). The same goes for music. You can play whatever you like, but the liberality comes not in the fact that you have a million chords, but a million ears. The point is you can wear whatever outfit you want and present yourself in the most quirkily disheveled way, but if you are not a disciplined artist, your success will be fleeting <u>at best.</u></i><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>10. Thou Shalt Not "Cry Wolf" = Thou shalt rather be a man of thy word, so that when thou dost cry wolf, thou wilt be believed.</i></span><br />
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<i>Translation: If a man is not in touch with the truth, he is not living in reality, and if he is not living in reality, he may be teetering on the edge of delusion. In any case, a society functions or falls on whether or not we can trust one another. In a society of liars, tyrannical law enforcement is inevitable.</i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #e06666;">11. Thou Shalt Not Steal = Thou shalt rather be grateful for what thou hast, for in truth thou hast already won the lottery.</span></i><br />
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<i>Translation: Generally speaking, we seek to steal from others when we no longer recognize the good in our own lives. Stealing isn't consigned to the poor alone. In fact, stealing (in the various forms it takes) actually transcends class. Why? Apart from cases of desperation, this behavior seems to arise out a lack of gratitude for what one already has. A simple litany of gratitude is a good way to avoid falling into this trap. If nothing else it offers a fine catalogue of all the things that we have already "stolen" from God, graces and gifts that have we have failed to recognize as such. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>12. Thou Shalt Neither Covet Thy Neighbor's Goods Nor His Wife = Thou shalt rather knowest what thou hast before it is gone… quoth Joni Mitchell </i></span> <br />
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<i>Translation: How many tragic love songs (or rather love-less songs) need to be penned for one to recognize the positive side of this command? Stop trying to possess something that doesn't belong to you. The problem isn't in what you have, the problem stems from the fact that when we do have something, we don't want it anymore, and thus fail to see its original beauty. If we want to be some sort miserable ghost, repeating the same mistake for eternity, this would seem to be the perfect recipe for it (i.e coveting). Why not instead train your eye and imagination to see in your beloved (and all the rest that you have) a priceless commodity that could be lost at any moment. This is not only a possibility, but according to the history of pop music, a promise! At least that's what bands like Cinderella (and a million others) seem to think. </i><br />
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<i> </i>Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4371725842214291210.post-41601769229019502792016-01-18T12:47:00.002-05:002016-01-18T22:05:49.591-05:00What is the "Placebo Church"? And why is it such a problem?<br />
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When I was a child, I hated church. I would lie in bed on Sunday morning wrapped in my <strike>elven cloak</strike> blanket, as still and and as quiet as I could, in the faint hope that I would somehow be passed over. Occasionally my plan worked. Perhaps it had more to do with my bad attitude than my invisibility cloak, nevertheless on occasion my mother would "let sleeping dogs lie". However, in spite of my disaffection for organized religion, I did feel mildly guilty for missing church, and so in order to assuage my restless conscience, I would watch the televangelist Ernest Angely- as he effortlessly healed everything that came into his living presence. I don't remember much of what he said, but I do remember that he said "awwwwwww" quite a bit. Most importantly, I felt a little better about myself afterwards, and thus came to the important conclusion that I really didn't need to go to church in order to honor God. Whether or not my conclusion was accurate, I was satisfied with the fact that this kind of "church placebo" satisfied what in me demanded that I keep holy the Sabbath. It wasn't so important that I had actually "kept it", so long as I felt like I had kept it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awww….</td></tr>
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In a similar sense, post-denominational denominationalism (as I like to call it) serves a similar purpose. First of all, let me define terms: "post-denominational denominationalism" is the name I give a particular movement within Protestantism, particularly in the United States, that seeks to transcend various historical disputes among Christians by either ignoring history and/or concluding that those divisions no longer hold. Such individuals seek to overturn these traditional disputes among Christians by constructing a model of Christianity that is non-liturgical and trendy, Biblically conservative (at least in the south), and moralistic in character. It is a bit like Dr. Phil meets Billy Graham… with Starbucks thrown in.<br />
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It is a form of Protestant Christianity that is completely unmoored from any kind of real historical appreciation. So disconnected is it from the historical Faith, that even figures like Luther and Calvin seem to fade into obscurity and irrelevance. As a matter of fact, most of the individuals who attend these churches no longer read any of the original Protestant writings, though they <i>do</i> carry out their theology to its natural end (whether they realize it or not). Hence, in this new program of Christian understanding, even Christ starts to feel a little less Incarnate- and a little bit more like some sort of moralist life coach that exists primarily to inspire us.<br />
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Even the particular names of these new Christian communities bespeaks a kind of post-denominational mentality. In the past, denominations either derived their name from their founder, their theological motivation, and/or a particular concept from the Old or New Testament. Today most of the titles for these mega-churches (which most of them tend to be) are derived from some relatively beige, innocuous, and vaguely pastoral term... with an occasional hint of grandiosity thrown in.<br />
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Around here some of our most popular "post-denominational denominationalist" congregations go by such names as Brookwood, NewSpring, Grace Church, and World Redemption Outreach Center. On a larger scale, one such congregation that has gained some national attention (particularly for catering to young celebrities) is called HillSong. Now it doesn't get much more inoffensive than that, does it (unless of course you hate either "hills" or "songs")?<br />
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My point is these names are practically impossible to associate with anything distinctly religious (with the mild exemption of Grace Church), and thus they cannot possibly "trigger" any negative feelings. Furthermore, their names tend to be utterly ahistorical, a feature which makes their name, for better or worse, fundamentally forgettable. In other words, if you don't associate us with anything personal or historical, then it is nearly impossible to be offended by us... at least initially.<br />
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There is a certain wisdom in this approach, and on a certain level it is more than a little understandable. History and religion tend to be top-heavy with negative memories (or at least that is the perception), so maybe if "we" can pull the old bait and switch on the populace, then we can at least get them in the door. And if we can get them in the door, then perhaps they will stay.<br />
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The problem is not so much in the idea of presenting the Faith in a manner that is appealing and relatable, the problem is that the Faith- in this sense- becomes so relatable, and individualistic, that it no longer resembles any kind of faith at all. To the contrary, the goal is simply to custom-fit your belief, like the latest fashion, to your personality. I call it The Placebo Church. It looks and smells and tastes a lot like chicken/communing with God, but in truth it is really the TOFU of religion. Interestingly enough, as the rise of this "new kind of Christian Church experience" has grown in popularity, others, who are not interested in Jesus at all, are starting to model themselves after it. Yes, even atheists are starting to create their own version of the mega-church, for apparently they too like to meet in community, sing songs, and hear profound readings.<br />
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And that's just the point, we <i>are </i>made for "church," whether we acknowledge God or not. We cannot get away from this fact. Yet is the goal of worship simply the placebo effect? Is the goal of this "new kind of Christian denominationalism" simply a matter of making ourselves feel like we went to church, whether we really have or not? We certainly "felt spiritual" when were there, and perhaps even shed a tear or two at one of the songs. But is feeling emotional about a pop song the same as honoring or loving God? To put it another way, should worship never truly involve "<u>a sacrifice</u> of praise", as Scripture suggests, or should it always be like that feeling of first love, or the rush of driving down to the beach as we listen to that catchy summer song?<br />
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I do not deny the need to make connections between the sacred and the mundane, but I would argue that these congregations are making the sacred so mundane that one might wonder what beyond their own feelings and sensibilities they are worshiping. Simply put, yes to U2, and no to the <a href="http://www.pnj.com/story/life/2015/08/21/ucarist-service/32141335/">U2charist</a>. As a Catholic who happens to be a musician, this is insulting on both accounts. Not only are we making a counterfeit of church, but a counterfeit of the original music. Indeed, it reminds me a little too much of that school teacher that tries a little too hard to be relevant to the kids, or the needy adolescent that is willing to say bad words just to fit in. It was this mentality that made me scorn church for so long!<br />
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The solution in a certain sense is quite simple. We all bring our own personal piety and affinities to the table in every relationship. That's a given. Who says that we cannot praise God at any given moment, either by listening to a particularly meaningful song in the car, watching a powerful video at home, or going to some concert that artfully praised God? But in our quest to make everything in our lives like this (i.e. as painless and as entertaining as possible), we have- perhaps- not once considered that worshipping God might need to strike a slightly different tone than everything else in our lives. Indeed, is this not precisely the kind of self-centered narcissism that threatens the success and longevity of all the important relationships in our lives?<br />
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The first test of love is caring enough about your <i>beloved</i> to find out their heart's desire. And in the case of Jesus Christ, he makes his appeal quite plain. On his "death bed," he says nothing about hearing inspiring talks, watching cleverly packaged videos which make you "think." He mentions nothing of big lights and big drums, nothing about sipping a delicious Starbucks while feeling a sense of contentment, and certainly nothing about being a hipster, though none of these things are necessarily bad in and of themselves. However, what he does say about his longing is unmistakable, namely that his disciples must celebrate a memorial in his honor, an expression of worship and love that looks suspiciously like the words of institution at every Catholic Mass; "On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his apostles, and said: 'Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you… Do this in memory of me.'" <br />
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<br />Sean Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07997751857416339284noreply@blogger.com0