Devin Rose has crafted a worthy follow up to his exceptional book The Protestant’s Dilemma . A convert himself, Devin takes readers on a guided conversation with one of your Protestant friends that serves as an aid in the sometimes contentious debates that can occur. The books title is Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith and it is a worthy addition to anyone’s library. First an explanation of the title. Often... Read more
The hierarchy imitates God Dionysius the Areopagite explains that each member of a hierarchy—among the angels or in the Church—finds his own perfection in his own particular role in the greater organization. Each of those who have been called into the hierarchy finds perfection in imitating God in his own way—and, what is more divine than all, in becoming a fellow-worker with God, as the Scriptures say, and in showing the divine energy in himself manifested as far as possible. One of... Read more
Back in May I visited The Abbey at Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT. It is a “community of contemplative Benedictine women dedicated to the praise of God through prayer and work.” (http://abbeyofreginalaudis.org/) While there I picked up Seventy-Four Tools for Good Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict’s Rule by Michael Casey, OCSO. It is a series of “Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict’s Rule.” Although I am a “cradle Catholic,” I had no idea what a rule... Read more
Why a heirarchy? Dionysius the Areopagite uses neo-Platonist language to explain the purpose of hierarchy. The hierarchy in Heaven, and its mirror in the Church, both exist to make our lives into images of the life of God, and to reflect the divinity of God to others. The purpose of hierarchy is to bring all its members together, as far as at- tainable, with God, making him the Leader of all religious science and operation, by looking unflinchingly on his divine... Read more
The hierarchy in your mind Dionysius the Areopagite tells us that hierarchy is not just a way of organizing either individual angels or humans. There is a similar hierarchy in every mind. Your own mind is organized in such a way as to lead you toward participation in the perfection of God. It would be appropriate to add here that each mind, either heavenly or human, has within itself its own special first, and middle, and last ranks, and pow- ers,... Read more
There is an order in heaven Arguing against the heretic Jovianus, St. Jerome explains that there are ranks even of angels; we shouldn’t be surprised, therefore, to hear that there will be ranks among the saints. Christ tells us that in Heaven there are many different mansions, prepared for many different virtues, and they will be awarded, not to persons, but to persons’ works. But if there are not many mansions, then how does the Old Testament teach, like the New, that... Read more
Mosongo Osong is the founder and CEO of BibleZon, Inc. Biblezon Corporation is the company that develops and distributes Biblezon Catholic tablets. The tablet comes pre-loaded with the Bible, daily readings, catechism, prayers, rosary, liturgy of the hours, encyclopedia, activities, quizzes, games, books and a marketplace to download many Catholic apps. There are no distractions from the secular world. It is secure, safe and holy. There is no access to Internet browsing or any unholy content but the tablet requires Wi-Fi... Read more
Angels are kept alive by God A particularly poetic passage from Dionysius the Areopagite tells us that the angels, and all other living beings, are alive only because they share in the self- existing Life of God. When we say that angels are immortal, we don’t mean that they are immortal by nature; we mean that God keeps them alive forever. Now let us sing the eternal life, from which comes the self-existing Life, and every life; and from which, to... Read more
Immortally mortal and mortally immortal Both human beings and angels are mortal in a certain sense, says St. Gregory the Great. They can cease to be what they are now. But neither one can cease to be altogether. Now either a human soul or an angelic spirit is immortal in such a way that it is capable of dying. And it is mortal in such a way that it can never die. It is deprived of living happily either by sin... Read more
The angels’ immortality depends upon God’s will The angels are immortal, says St. Ambrose, but they don’t have the same kind of immortality that God has. God is immortal by nature; angels are immortal because God gives them immortality. The immortality of God’s nature is one thing, and the immortality of ours is another. Perishable things cannot be compared to divine things. The God- head is the only Substance that death cannot touch, and therefore it is that the Apostle, though knowing... Read more
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