Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Reintroducing Logic and Reason to the Age of Sentimentalism

Sin

All of the posts under the "Sin" category.

Mortal Sin Against the Fifth Commandment – Failure To Bury the Dead

The Fifth Commandment: “You Shall Not Kill”

stone-tablet-fifth-commandmentIntentional Failure to Bury the Ashes Or Body of the Dead.

At first glance, you may wonder why intentionally failing to bury the ashes or the body of the dead would constitute grave matter that would risk eternal damnation if left unconfessed. The keywords here would be intentional failure. This would mean that you knew that this was a mortal sin and refused to bury said ashes or body. If you did not know, then it is not mortal.

So assuming that you didn’t know better, why is it a mortal sin to not bury the body or ashes?

We read in Genesis after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, God says:

“…By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19

The punishment for Original Sin is death. God created us out of dust, out of nothingness. When we die our bodies will decompose back into dust and nothingness.

When we experience the Resurrection at the end of time, we will be reunited with our bodies and depending upon the state of our soul we will have either a glorified body or a corrupt body. Purgatory will be emptied and all souls that were in Purgatory will be granted access into Heaven so that they too may have those glorified bodies. The poor souls that rebelled against God and His mercy will be stuck with a corrupt body.

What makes failing to bury the dead grave matter is that we are going against God’s plan for the dead. That is, He wants them returned to the ground so that they can go back to where they came. This way when the Resurrection occurs they can rise again from their graves. It also allows for the body of the person to have a final resting place that they may have for them selves. Hence the old saying “Rest In Peace”.

Rest In Peace

It is unlikely that you have a dead body in your home. It is more likely that you have the ashes of a relative in your house. Maintaining those ashes in your house is dangerous to your soul as you are denying your relative their final burial and resting place.

I would also like to make note that cremation is not the traditional way that Catholics are to bury their dead. Burning the body and reducing it to dust hastens the progress of allowing the body to naturally return to dust. On top of that, there is no longer a body there, where as burying the body allows for the skeleton to stay there. There is still a body. Cremation was not accepted until after the Second Vatican Council. It was widely made popular by the freemasons. Masonry is itself a mortal sin as it goes against Jesus Christ and we should avoid doing the things that they do.

If you are forced to cremate by your government, it is not a mortal sin to do so as you are not choosing it yourself. However, if you are not being forced or coerced, bury the actual physical body.

Follow the plan that God allowed so that you can have peace in your soul and your relative can have peace as well.

Do not forget to pray for the repose of their soul. Unless they have been canonized by the Church as a Saint, they are not guaranteed in Heaven.

 

This post is one of many in a series on Mortal Sins. Click here for more posts explaining and defining mortal sins.

Jeff May 15, 2014 Leave A Comment Permalink

What Is Blasphemy?

Awhile back, I posted on what the unforgivable sin was. I remind you about it because the other day I received a comment from a reader and I wanted to address it.

Jakob says:

“I don’t understand these words of Jesus fully. Sometimes being in despair and blaspheming against God is the most beautiful and painful prayer which God will fully understand. I mean, my God.
I would take the words more metaphorically: it’s all about the love of God.”

To me, the term in question is the proper definition of blasphemy. Using the Concise Catholic Dictionary of 1943 (CCD), we read that blasphemy is “any word or act insulting to God or to holy things. It is a sin against religion and may be aimed directly at God, or indirectly by contempt for His Church, His saints, or sacred persons or things.”

Based on this definition, it appears that blasphemy, properly understood, is specifically when we insult God or use His name in vain.

Despair is defined also in the CCD as “the contrary of hope; the state of being hopeless; deliberate act of the will by which one turns away from salvation, considering it as impossible of attainment.”

It appears that despair is not necessarily a blasphemous act, as despair is the deliberate act of the will and turning away from salvation. I would argue that Jesus was not in despair when He was on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Seeing as Jesus was perfect in His Divinity, this would not be sinful. Jesus could not commit a sin. Jesus is actually quoting Psalm 22 by saying this.

Being in a state of true despair and true blasphemy would be completely sinful, as we are not only denying God in His mercy (despair), but we would also be insulting Him (blasphemy).

In my opinion, what Jakob is referring to with “My God”, is similar to the statement of Jesus on the cross. It is not a despair of hopelessness or blasphemy, but it is an honest discussion with God in complete frustration and coming to Him with this frustration. If you are still going to God, then you are not in despair, just be wary that in your frustration you are not insulting to Him.

Jeff January 9, 2014 Leave A Comment Permalink

Hating Sin and Loving Sinners

Too often we Catholics are accused of hating on the sinner. Which, is wrong. We don’t “hate the sinner” as that would go completely contradictory to that of what Jesus taught us…”love one another, as I have loved you.” We do not hate the sinner, but we love him. We hate the sin that he commits, but we ultimately must love him.

Chesterton writes:

“It [Christianity] came in startlingly with a sword, and clove one thing from another. It divided the crime from the criminal. The criminal we must forgive unto seventy times seven. The crime we must not forgive at all. It was not enough that slaves who stole wine inspired partly anger and partly kindness. We must be much more angry with theft than before, and yet much kinder to thieves than before. There was room for wrath and love to run wild.” G.K. Chesteron “Orthodoxy” p.97

We all are sinners, thus we can’t be mad at the individual, lest we be mad with ourselves. It is a trap that the Devil lays so elegantly, that when someone offends us, we jump, partly out of spite, and partly out of anger, and attack the individual. But we must be wary! This will not fly, and I know that those on the traditional side of the camp are guilty of appearing to be this way. I think that in general, it is the sin that we are upset with, but we, in our weakness, poorly explain why we are angry, and uncharitably put all blame on the sinner. This is not to say that the sinner is not at fault, because after all, when someone robs your house, you are angry with the robber for committing such a crime. But, we are called to love him, but hate his crime.

All of us must work on this. Forgive those who have offended you, especially if you want the Lord to forgive you for your offenses.

Jeff November 1, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

The Unforgivable Sin

Jesus Christ tells us that there is only one sin that you can commit that God can not forgive. That sin, would be blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. But, don’t take my word for it, take Jesus’:

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew 12:30-32.

And…

“Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” Mark 3:28-29.

I know what you’re thinking, Jesus came to:

Here’s where it gets interesting. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is when we choose not to ask for forgiveness. Simple, that’s the unforgivable sin, not being sorry for our sins.

Jesus did come to forgive all sins, but, you have to want to be forgiven, you have to ask Jesus to forgive you.  You have to say you are sorry. You need to go to confession! That is why Jesus instituted it in John 21:22-23.

What if you aren’t sorry? Has there been a time where you have committed a sin that you aren’t sorry for? I’d imagine the answer is yes, as we all sometimes do something we aren’t sorry for. But, are you sorry for not being sorry? This can be forgiven. You would confess that you 1. Did X, 2. Are not sorry for it and want to be sorry, and wah lah. Forgiven!

A common theme of mine is confession, in case you haven’t noticed. That is because it is an important aspect of the Catholic faith. You need confession if you want to make it to Heaven. We are obligated as Catholics to go at minimum once a year. Confess all of your sins. If you haven’t gone in a while, tell Father, and he will walk you through it. On top of that, Father can’t tell anybody your sins. Its called the “Seal of the Confessional”. Even if the police come knocking on Father’s door after you have left, he can not say a word, otherwise, he is stripped of his priestly functions. Its kind of a big deal.

I want everyone to have the ability to make it to Heaven, and only Jesus Christ can allow you entrance. Ideally, I also want you to choose to go to Heaven as it is a choice to go there. Hopefully you want to go to Heaven and are constantly challenging yourself to become a better person.

Jesus instituted the Catholic Church upon Saint Peter. Jesus tells us that there is no way to the Father but through Him. Either Jesus is a liar, Jesus is loony, or Jesus is telling us the truth. Since the first two options make no sense, than the third option is the most plausible.

Pray for all of your friends, family, co-workers and well, everybody that you know. On top of that, preach the Gospel to them.

Jeff June 13, 2013 5 Comments Permalink

25 Things I’d Like My Sons To Know Tweaked

Today at the Huffington Post, there is a post written by Tom Matlack more or less pointing out 25 things he wants his boys to know. I was intrigued by the title, as I do enjoy lists such as this and as a fan of the Art of Manliness, I am always interested in learning more things that maybe I have forgotten or just never knew.

Unfortunately, he gets a few things wrong. So, here are my comments in bold and italic on the things that he got wrong.

1. It’s harder to take a punch than to throw one.
2. Find the people who make you laugh and follow them around like a golden retriever. Laughing is like a vitamin. You can never get enough of it.
As important as it is to have friends that make you laugh, it is also equally important if not more so to have friends that are always there for you, and are willing to build you up as a person. Someone who builds you up and challenges you to become a better person is a good friend, and these are the people you want to surround yourself with. Sure, Robin Williams can be funny from time to time (when he’s not being crude), but I wouldn’t want to follow the guy around just because I get an occasional chuckle.
3. A guy who hugs a lot is comfortable in his own skin.
This is a great point. I think men need to learn to hug a bit more. Now, I’m not saying that as a guy you should be going around and hugging all the men you encounter, but if you have a really good friend who happens to be a guy, well, hug away.
4. Read poetry.
Poetry rocks and should be read more.
5. There’s nothing wrong with looking at porn, but having sex with someone you care about is a thousand times more fun.
No. Just no. There is many things wrong with porn. Pornography teaches men to objectify women. It completely removes the act of self-giving love from sexual intimacy and teaches him that sex is about HIS pleasure and that she is to be used in order for this pleasure to be achieved. Pornography also completely cuts yourself off from God’s love and completely hardens your heart. Not to mention that it is completely addictive and the images generally become engraved in his head until the day he dies. It causes high expectations on your spouse and generally often will lead to him wanting to do degrading sexual practices on her to imitate what he has seen. She will feel used and lusted after and will NOT want anything to do with him. Secondly, would you say the same things to your daughter(s)? How about your wife? What makes it perfectly acceptable for boys to do it and not girls? I’m assuming a bit here, but I have noticed a general attitude where its okay for boys to do these things, but “if my daughter does it…”. Sexist much?

I do agree with the 2nd half of his statement, except it should be your spouse and it would be infinitely more better and fun.
6. When you feel like crying, for joy or out of pain, let ‘er rip. If you don’t get those tears out, they will calcify in your chest and make it harder to love as fully and deeply as you would like to.
Agreed. Crying is not a sign of weakness, but shows that you are indeed human. The old saying of men don’t cry is a load of crap and needs to be thrown away.
7. Crank the tunes when you have to clean the house.
8. Look deeply into the eyes of the one you are falling for to get a glimpse of his or her soul.
It surprises me that you are not expecting your son to be straight. I understand that you may not know and he could end up this way, but at least guide him properly. You as his father demonstrate actions to your son. The words you give him will have a lasting impact on his life.
9. Spend a chunk of time every year with people who are much less fortunate than you are. It will fill your heart with gratitude.
Yes, this is important and I fear that many Catholics as well as Christians don’t do this enough. Volunteering also has its health benefits.
10. Never lie about anything really important. The first lie will cause you to have to lie again and again to cover up the truth. And each time you’ll chip away an important piece of yourself.
How about don’t lie? He’s right that it will hurt you but how about don’t lie period?
11. Find work that makes you happy. If you can change the world in the process all the better.
12. If you get the chance to travel across the country or across the globe, take it. You will learn way more from people who are different from you than the ones who are the same.
Having traveled to the Eastern Caribbean, I have to completely agree with this statement. I didn’t think I would learn anything from the people down there, but I did. I’m going to comment more on this on my post regarding my honeymoon within the week or two.
13. Doing nothing is better than doing the wrong thing. But you are going to make mistakes. Tons of them. The real question is what you will learn from them.
14. Don’t be in any rush to get married. Divorce really sucks. A good marriage can start when you’re 21 or 61.
15. There’s nothing wrong with a Cuban cigar once in a while.
16. Money and power look good, but they won’t fill your being with joy the way your family will.
17. If you like guys, I will fight for your ability to have equal rights in every way.
Again, why are you even giving them this option? This is something that should be addressed at the time that they come out, IF they ever do. Secondly, just because they are your kids, doesn’t mean that their behavior is right. I will admit it, pre-marital sex is wrong. In fact it is a mortal sin. I will cover all the mortal sins regarding sexuality when I get back into my mortal sin series, but the point still remains. When your children do things immoral, you don’t have to back them for it. You also don’t need to fight for their equal rights. We as a society have come to the conclusion that if something is illegal and someone is struggling with this vice, that instead of helping them overcome this vice, we picket and rally until the act becomes legal. This is a travesty and we need to stop doing this. You have your faults. You know what they are, and you know how much you struggle with your faults. You wouldn’t want anyone else to bare that cross, so why make other acts that people struggle with legal?
18. Find a way to move your body that gives you pleasure. You don’t have to be an athlete to be a man, but your body is a temple and you need to care for it, enjoy it, and use it to express yourself.
Yes, this also includes not doing immoral acts with it… Keep your body healthy as well as your soul.
19. Drinking can be fun in moderation. Just make sure to ask for help if you find yourself blacking out or doing things you regret.

If you are blacking out and doing things you are going to regret, 1. You will not know it, it is too late. 2. YOU ARE NOT DRINKING IN MODERATION. Moderation is when you are in control over your actions and are not letting it get to you. You are at the point of drunkenness. How about you tell your sons that they should be careful when they drink?

20. Radical honesty will get you very far in this world. Most people don’t have the guts to speak their mind, regardless of the consequences.
21. Always give your spouse birthday presents in bed.
22. Find a spirituality that you can wear like a loose coat that keeps you warm no matter the weather. God should provide you comfort not make you feel ashamed of yourself.

Spirituality and God don’t always fall within the same sentence. Buddhists do not believe in God, yet this is a spirituality. Frankly, if you are wearing it like a loose coat, then you aren’t really practicing, nor believing your faith. It is just kind of a side thing that you do for convenience. Secondly, God does provide comfort to us. He also challenges us to become a better person each and every day. You should feel ashamed as there are things that God has told us not to do, that indeed are not good for us. You know the part above where you mentioned he should ask for help so he doesn’t do things he regrets? What feeling is it that causes that regret? Is it shame? We are to a point where we no longer challenge each other. Jesus has been reduced to as a man who “didn’t condemn nobody and taught us to be more compassionate and understanding and accepting”. This is half truth and half bull. Jesus did come to teach us these things, but He also told the prostitute to SIN NO MORE. He taught that you shouldn’t harm people because of their sins, because you too have sin, but more importantly that you should STOP sinning. If you’re going to quote scripture, make sure you include the parts that you don’t like as well.

23. Sex is great but holding your spouse in the middle of the night is one of the best feelings any guy can have.
24. Live passionately. Dream big. Don’t back down.
25. Always remember I love you, no matter what happens. You cannot lose me. I will always be there.

I didn’t comment on everything because for the most part I have to agree. I figured the things that needed correction were more important. From a secular point of view, this is a really well written article that completely summarizes how men should live today, but, it is lacking in substance when you really break it apart.

Jeff September 10, 2012 Leave A Comment Permalink

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