Why
did St Catherine of Alexandria-after converting fifty
philosophers who were sent to convert her-die for the
Lord Jesus and Catholic Church?. . . Why are you, amidst
so many religious choices, a Catholic or a Christian?. .
.Why does Pope John Paul like visiting Assisi with other
religious leaders? .. .Read on...
Regarding other
religions, are you a:
TRIUMPHALIST (as in,
"I'll conquer you with my doctrine,") or a
LAXIST ("All religions are the same to me")?
Or, are you, like other heroes of the Faith, a
"CATHOLIC CENTRIST"? ... Remember: balancing
between religious relativism and discomforting dogmatism
is precarious. See below...
Amidst the springing
spring, do you remember the Olympics-and how they
"spotlighted" the Mormon Church? There was
speculative conversation about the nature of their
"mysterious religion" and just whether they
are Christians or not. And who can forget
"Nine-one-one" ("9/li")? With the
six-month mark of the September terrorist attacks, Islam
has been a source of study and conversation.
For Catholics this
raises such question as: "Are all religions the
same?" and, "As an informed and balanced
Catholic, what should be my response to other
religions?" Given the fact that both Mormonism and
Islam are the fastest growing religions in the world, we
should be updated regarding these important questions...
The Mormon religion
teaches Jesus is "semi-divine" but not
essentially "part of an eternal Trinity."
Mormons teach God the Father has a body and is not pure
spirit. They also believe that all souls are
preexistent, "awaiting" a set of parents to
unite and bring their spiritual souls into a sort of
"incarnation" through birth. They also teach
that persons can be baptized after death and that there
are many "Heavens," "worlds" and
"gods".
While Mormonism teaches
these doctrines-which are counter to biblical teaching,
the Vatican recently declared that Mormon baptisms are
not valid (any baptism is invalid which doesn't invoke
the Holy Trinity in a definite formula). This conclusion
does not, however, make any judgment on their
spirituality or upon individual Mormons themselves.
The Muslim religion
teaches that Jesus Christ is a great prophet, but not
divine, and that His Mother, Mary (Miriam), is to be
venerated; they believe Jesus will come in some form of
a "Judgment" of the world. The greatest of the
prophets, Muhammad, the founder of their religion,
delivered their holy book, the "Koran," which
includes much of our Bible with substantially-changed
other parts. Islam stresses the radical transcendence of
God (dwelling way-far above us) and the need for
submission to His divine, orderly plan (esp. five times
a day through prayer, a pilgrimage to Mecca, etc.).
While both Mormonism
and Islam present obstacles to the basic, unalterable
teachings of Christ, there are some very good and true
teachings. Both religions stress certain aspects of life
and spirituality, which we Catholics, esp in the modern
U.S.A.-need to relearn:
- FAMILY-True Muslims
and Mormons emphasize the importance of a mother and
father and, if graced by God, children (the more the
merrier: contraception is not favored). Families are
essential, unbreakable and beautful "small
communities" to learn about God, salvation and
eternal life. These traits are sometimes disparaged
in modern American life- Islam and Mormonism can
help us regain these needed realities and Catholic
identity.
- PURITY OF BODY AND
SOUL-both religions promote a certain abstemiousness
of body and soul in the world. They stress the need
for inner and outer cleanliness, and fasting and
abstaining, often heroically, each year. They thus
preserve and accentuate for us some
"lost," holy practices which we should
regain.
- FAITH IN MODERN
WORLD- with strong religious identities, Mormons and
Muslims emphasize tightly knit communities,
orthodox-solid schools of thought and missionary
activity, bold temples of worship, and disciplines
of learning and teaching of their faith. Can't we
learn from all this?
As dedicated and
balanced Catholics we need to acknowledge certain truths
(in however a limited way) in these religions. Vatican
II speaks of this: "Many elements of sanctification
and of truth are found outside its visible confines (of
Catholicism). Since these are gifts belonging to the
Church of Christ, they are forces impelling towards
Catholic unity" (The Church, # 8). And while this
is true, we need remember:
"The Catholic
Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these
religions.. . Yet she proclaims and is in duty bound to
proclaim without fail, Christ who is the way, the truth
and the life.. . in whom God reconciled all things to
Himself, men find the fullness of their religious
life." (Declaration on Non-Christian Religions).
Notice what was stated:
i) we should honor truth manifested in other religions
(not be "triumphalists"); 2) we also must
promote the Truth of Jesus Christ (thereby avoiding
"laxism"), realizing the fullness of spiritual
life is in Him.. .The document, Dominus Iesus/The Lord
Jesus, summarizes in a balanced way, thusly:
"Nevertheless, God, Who desires to call all peoples
to Himself in Christ and to communicate to them the
fullness of His revelation and love, 'does not fail to
make Himself present in many ways. . . which their
religions are the main and essential expression even
when they contain 'gaps, insufficiencies and
errors." (#8)
GENERAL PRINCIPLES: The
Catholic Church calls us to CONVERSE with other
spiritual persons while not COMPROMISING. The Pope
recently did this at the recent Assisi peace conference:
this is part of our religion. The Lord Jesus Himself
dialogued and discerned the beliefs of others (as we
should), but manifested Himself as "the Way, the
Truth and the Life "(+Jn 14:6). We should not give
up our beautiful, 2,000-year Sacred Tradition of Bible
teaching and Sacred Tradition (continuity) of the
Apostles, Popes and saints because of pressure to
conform (+Rm 12:2). As Catholics, the CENTRIST position
regarding other religions teaches we should encounter
others respectfully and propose truths without
selfishness.
Catholic Christianity
proposes ultimate, unique and liberating truths about
itself and Christ, as the sole mediator between God and
mankind. St Catherine died as a martyr because she
believed this; Pope John Paul patiently engages others
to help them know we Catholics are both loving and
sincere regarding our Faith.
In Summary, regarding
religious dialogue:
TRIUMPHALISM -uses
the disguise of being "devoutly inflexible"
and the tactic of using the Truth to assail others.
Does Jesus want this? (Eph 4:15: "practice the
truth in love") LAXISM--utilizes a disguise of
being "sheepishly uncommitted" with others
and the tactic of not truly searching/researching
Truth of Christ and His Church. Did Jesus die for
this? (Acts 4:12-under no other name (Jesus') can
anyone be saved).
CENTRISM-both proposes
Jesus as the Way and salvation in Him alone, and
recognizes how others have learned about God and
holiness.
MEDITATION--The
Eucharist---The Sacrifice of Christ:
"I want to stress
the centrality of the Eucharist for the life of the
world to which the Lord has sent us as the seed of
renewal. If the Church returns to her Eucharistic
source, she will recover her authentic nature and
strength, and that will relativize the urgent debates
over organizational issues while it will highlight
consecration to God and fraternal sharing that will
enable her to overcome fragmentation and division.
Moreover, the powerful presence of the sacrifice of
Christ in the Eucharist keeps the Mass from being
reduced to a gathering for a convivial meal. The
Sacrifice stands for ever as a sign of contradiction,
and is the place where we can verify the degree of our
conformity to the radical message of Christ, in our
relationship with God and with our brothers and
sisters." (Pope John Paul II)
LENTEN RESOLUTIONS: How
are you PRAYING more (intensely), ALMSGIVING (more
generously) and FASTING/SACRIFICING (more heroically)?
Imitate the Savior!
CATECHISM QUOTE:
"Temperance moderates the attraction of the
pleasures of the senses and provides balance in the use
of created goods." (#183 8). How do you need this
virtue more?
Read
other Sermons by Father John J. Lombardi