The Ghosts Of Christmas

                           

To My Readers: This week, TradWarrior writes a most interesting piece I think you'll enjoy very much. It is the first time a post of this unique quality has been published. The images above show the Most Blessed Trinity and the "ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future" from the classic A Christmas Carol by Dickens. Please continue to pray for John Gregory and his family. Feel free to comment as usual. If you have  a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Ghosts of Christmas

By TradWarrior

Every December, the world waits in great anticipation as Christmas approaches. The Season of Advent paves the way as the precursor to what becomes the most joyful season of the year. We remember family members and friends who have gone before us. Their memories are etched in our own memories as we recall many joyful times that we celebrated in years past with them.

          There are many stories that capture the Christmas spirit quite well. One such story that has always been a favorite of many is Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” Penned as a novella by Dickens in 1843, it has captured the thoughts and hearts of countless people around the globe. There are an array of characters in it that very much resemble all of us in our own individual lives. The Christmas Spirit is woven throughout the story.

          The story begins with Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted miser, who despises all things Christmas and everything that has to do with it. He only cares about himself, his money, and greed. On Christmas Eve, he refuses a dinner invitation from his nephew Fred. He turns away two men seeking a donation for food and heating for the poor. He grudgingly gives Christmas off to his underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit. He spends Christmas the way he always prefers to: Alone!

          That night, he is alone in his home when he hears the sound of moans and groans and the sound of dragging chains. An apparition appears to him that frightens him very much. The ghostly apparition reveals himself to be Jacob Marley, his business partner who died 7 years earlier. Scrooge finds it hard to believe that he is actually seeing what he is seeing, much like Thomas doubted that it was the risen Jesus that appeared to him. Marley asks Scrooge, why does he doubt his senses, just as Christ told Thomas to doubt no longer, but rather believe. Scrooge inquires further why Marley is appearing to him and why he appears to be in horrible pain as he drags his chains. Marley responds that he drags the chains for all of the life choices that he made in life that were not good that he is now paying the price for. He is a soul in Purgatory. His apparition is very much like an apparition out of Fr. Schouppe’s books “Purgatory” and “Hell”. In his book, “Purgatory”, there are all kinds of stories of souls who appear to those on Earth who are suffering horrible torments in Purgatory. They ask for prayers and indulgences offered up so that the painful flames that they are suffering will cease and they will be taken to Heaven where they can live forever with God in glory. Some souls in Purgatory are there for a very brief time. They had very little expiation to make for their temporal punishment that remained on their souls at the time of their deaths. 

    Other souls were not so fortunate. They are on the bottom level of Purgatory, right at the base of Hell. Their torments are far more severe and they will not be released from Purgatory for a very long time. To satisfy God’s divine justice, they suffer multiple torments and their pain is exponentially worse. In Fr. Schouppe’s book “Hell”, the stories are even more frightening and overwhelming. Many people who have read his “Purgatory” book had to stop because it was too intense. His book on Hell is even far scarier. In his book on Hell, Fr. Schouppe tells stories of souls in Hell who are burning in pain forever. They will never be released, their torments will never cease, and their pain will go on and on forever. There is no help for them. The stories of apparitions of the damned in his book are horrifying and take the torments mentioned in his Purgatory book to a whole other level. As 2 Maccabees reminds us, it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sin. This applies to the souls in Purgatory.

          Marley reveals to Scrooge that if Scrooge does not amend his sinful ways, he awaits a fate far worse than his own. He tells Scrooge that on that very Christmas night, he will be visited by three ghosts. Scrooge tells Marley that he would rather not be visited by these ghosts. Marley tells him that he has no choice. These ghosts will be sent to Scrooge as one last wake up call. Scrooge either changes his life or he lives a life damned in Hell, far worse than what Marley is experiencing in Purgatory.

          Scrooge thinks that this was just a dream. He awakens to see a figure next to his bed. He sees a striking figure who appears young and yet old with wisdom all at the same time. The figure has bright flowing hair and is in a white robe with summer flowers and a silver sash. This is The Ghost of Christmas Past. The Spirit takes him back to when he was a boy. He sees his old school he attended when he was a child. He sees a solitary student by himself very lonely. He reveals to The Ghost of Christmas Past that he is saddened because his mother died while giving birth to his sister. Next, he is transported to another scene where he is now a youth. His sister Fan visits with him. Fan tells him that his father has arranged for Ebenezer to be an apprentice for Mr. Fezziwig, a jolly man. The Ghost of Christmas Past remarks to Ebenezer that his sister died a young woman but that she had a child. He tells her that is true, it is his nephew Fred. The Ghost transports him to see another scene from his past. He is at the Fezziwig Christmas Eve party. 

    There is dancing and music and everyone is happy. Ebenezer realizes that he was once happy in his youth. Time grows short as The Ghost informs him and he is transported to yet another scene from his past. He is with a beautiful young woman named Belle. She was hoping to marry Ebenezer. She knows that he has changed. She tells him that an idol has replaced her. It is Scrooge’s love of money. It is his sole passion, his only love now and Belle points this out very clearly to him as she confronts him. She asks Scrooge if he is willing to marry a poor dower-less girl. Ebenezer looks down and refuses to answer her. Belle sees right through him and no longer wants anything to do with him. She will not marry him. He chose money over her (you cannot serve two masters). She says to him that she releases him and, “May you be happy in the life you have chosen!” The Ghost shows Scrooge that Belle eventually was happily married to another man and had several children. 

    He saw what his life could have been with her, had he chosen her over his love of money. Scrooge gets angry with The Spirit and demands that this ghost stop showing him these images. The Ghost shows him one more image, that of Jacob Marley dying as onlookers remark that Ebenezer is a miserable wretch. Scrooge is angry at The Spirit and demands to be taken away from these images that he does not want to see, just as the Pharisees could not bear to see that the long awaited Christ made the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, etc. Scrooge tells The Ghost “Spirit! Remove me from this place!” The Ghost of Christmas Past responds, “I told you, these are shadows of things that have been. That they are what they are, do not blame me!” Scrooge begs The Spirit to be taken back to his bedroom for he can take no more of this. Scrooge is taken back to his bedroom.

          Scrooge wakes up in his bedroom, relieved that this was all just a dream (or so he thinks). He then sees a huge figure, seated on a throne, dressed in a green robe and wearing a wreath of mistletoe. His beard, robe, and crown of mistletoe are reminiscent of Christ’s beard, His robe when the Romans mocked Him, and the crown of thorns on His head. Who is this startling figure? He is revealed as The Ghost of Christmas Present. Despite The Ghost of Christmas Past and everything this spirit showed to Ebenezer, he is not a changed man. He is still a miserable, greedy miser who cares only about himself. This Spirit tells him that there are those who walk this Earth who do deeds of passion, pride, ill will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness. How right he is. 

    The Earth is full of these sins and more. He transports Scrooge to the Cratchit house. Bob and his family are a poor family, who own very little, but they have love in their house. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Bob and his wife love each other and their many children beautifully. Ebenezer sees the youngest Cratchit, Tiny Tim. He is a sickly boy, on a crutch. Mrs. Cratchit asks if Tiny Tim behaved himself in church. Bob said he did and that Tiny Tim doesn’t mind if people see him in public places as a crippled. Tiny Tim hopes that people see him crippled on Christmas Day because the little boy hopes that it will remind people of who was the one who made lame beggars walk and blind men see. The boy has a pure heart. Ebenezer remarks to The Ghost of Christmas Present that he had no idea that Bob had a crippled son. The Ghost remarks, “I wonder why.” Ebenezer was too wrapped up in his money and greed to have ever noticed before.

     Scrooge asks The Spirit if the boy will live? The Sprit replies, “If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, the boy will die.” Scrooge is troubled by this but The Spirit replies that it is good for the lame and poor and sickly to die to decrease the surplus population. These were Scrooge’s very words earlier in the story and The Spirit is throwing them right back at Ebenezer. The Cratchit family gives a toast to Mr. Scrooge, the founder of the feast. Although he treats Bob poorly and pays him little, the family is very thankful for everything that they are given in life. It is reminiscent of the one leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus for curing him of his leprosy. The Ghost of Christmas Present transports him to his nephew Fred’s house. Fred wishes that his Uncle Scrooge would attend Christmas dinner with his family but he never does. Fred has a lovely young wife Janet. Fred remarks how his uncle only sees Christmas as a humbug. He talks about how his uncle has all of this wealth but does nothing good with it. This is reminiscent of Christ talking about what good is it if a man has all the wealth in the world, but still loses his soul. In the end, he loses everything. Janet has no pity for Ebenezer. But Fred does. He sees him as a poor soul and always hopes he one day changes his ways. Ebenezer sees his sister’s face in his young nephew. He misses her dearly.

          The Ghost of Christmas Present transports Ebenezer to the frigid outside weather. There are beggars on the streets and Scrooge wants to be taken away. The Ghost opens his robe where he shows him a little boy and a little girl who are dressed in rags and are malnourished. Scrooge asks him who these children are. The Ghost tells them that the boy is Ignorance and the girl is Want. These are all the poor children of the world that roam the streets, neglected by many who see them. This is reminiscent of Jesus saying, “Let the little children come to me.” The Ghost says, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Again, he uses Scrooge’s own words against him. Scrooge begs him to get him out of such a wretched place. He can see no more of this! The Ghost of Christmas Present is gone.

          Scrooge finds himself alone in the cold streets. It is windy and there is thunder in the background. He sees a tall figure, completely cloaked and hooded in black. This figure has skeletal hands with bony fingers and never talks. This is The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come (Future). Scrooge says to The Spirit, “I take it that I am in the presence of The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come?” The Ghost nods. This Spirit never speaks. Scrooge continues, “You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us. Is that not so, Spirit?” The Spirit nods. Scrooge tells The Spirit that he fears this Ghost more than any of the others thus far. This ominous figure cloaked and hooded in black terrifies him and is reminiscent of the grim reaper. The Ghost then transports him to a scene where bankers are discussing a man that died and how they do not know where the man’s money will be dispersed. One of the men says that no one will want to go to this man’s funeral. Scrooge does not understand why The Ghost is showing this vision to him.

          Scrooge is next transported to a scene where people are discussing items that belonged to a dead man as they discuss what these items may be worth. Scrooge still does not understand why The Ghost is showing him these scenes.

          The Ghost transports Scrooge to yet another place, this time to the Cratchit home. He sees the Cratchit household very sad and downtrodden. Bob Cratchit enters the house and he is extremely somber. Scrooge sees that the reason that everyone is so sad in the house is because Tiny Tim has died. Bob is especially saddened as he no longer has his little son to carry on his shoulders. The emotions start to get to Scrooge as he sees a future that is dark with an empty chair and a crutch with no owner by it.

          The Spirit is not through with Scrooge yet. He next transports him to a cemetery. Scrooge is very nervous and frightened by this point of the story. The Ghost points to a tombstone. Scrooge asks The Ghost, “Before I draw nearer to that stone to which you point, answer me one question. Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they the shadows of things that may be, only?” This is a very powerful moment and reminiscent of the difference of the Catholic position where grace and free will work together vs. the Calvinist position where things are predetermined and there is no chance of changing them. According to Calvinist predestination, held by many, God predetermined some souls to go to Heaven and some souls to go to Hell before the world ever was and there is nothing that we can do to change our fate. Our free will is useless in the matter. This has of course been condemned by the Catholic Church but this part of the story is very important because the “will” vs. the “may” makes all the difference here. The Ghost points to the tombstone. Scrooge creeps towards the tombstone and upon seeing the inscription on it, he falls to his knees trembling. 

    He says to The Spirit, “No, no, it can’t be! Am I that man?! Am I the man who died who no one mourned? Say it isn’t so, Spirit! Say it isn’t so!” The Spirit points to the tombstone. Scrooge (crying now) says, “Spirit! Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for your intervention. Why show me this if I am past all hope?” The Ghost’s hand trembles. Scrooge continues, “Surely your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I may yet change these shadows you have shown me, by a changed life!” 

    The Ghost’s hand continues to tremble. Scrooge says, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will remember the lessons of the Past; I will live in the Present; I will live toward the Future. The Spirits of all three will strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me that I may sponge away the writing on this stone!” (The 3 Persons of the Blessed Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost live within those who have been baptized and receive the sacraments that the Catholic Church dispenses to Her members. The 3 Persons live in the souls of those who possess sanctifying grace. The 3 Persons of the Trinity have a correlation here to the 3 Ghosts in the story.) Scrooge begs The Spirit to spare him this dreadful death. He knows that he is at death’s door, but even worse, Hell’s door. The next thing he experiences is he wakes up in his bed.

          Scrooge is overjoyed and dancing and happy to have come through this scary ordeal that the 3 Ghosts put him through, all in one night. He remarks how the 3 Spirits did it all in one night and how they can do anything they like (reminiscent again of the 3 Persons of The Blessed Trinity). He opens his bedroom window and sees a boy running in the snowy streets. He asks the boy if a large turkey is still in the poultry shop. The boy says it is. Scrooge tells him to bring it to him and he will pay the boy very handsomely for his efforts. Scrooge decides to send the turkey to Bob Cratchit’s house.

          Scrooge sees two men on the streets who always ask for money. He whispers into one man’s ear how much of a donation he will give him, and the man can hardly believe his ears and whispers the amount into the other man’s ears. Scrooge has changed and they can tell a transformation has taken place. (When we receive the sacraments, transformations occur in our souls).

          Scrooge next visits his nephew Fred’s home. Fred can hardly believe to see his Uncle Scrooge at the door. Scrooge asks if the invitation to dine with Fred and his family is still in force, to which Fred responds that it absolutely is. Fred introduces his uncle to his wife Janet. Scrooge says to Janet that he can see why Fred chose her from among all woman (this is very reminiscent of how God chose The Blessed Virgin Mary from all women). Janet is very happy that Uncle Scrooge has come to dine with them. Scrooge tells them, “I am sorry for the things I said about Christmas. And sorry for the poor reception I gave you yesterday, of which you were so undeserving. I see the image of my sister in your face. I loved her, you know. And she, you.” Fred replies, “I know it, Uncle Scrooge. She loved you very much, and wished until her dying day that we should always be close.” Scrooge replies, “And so we are, Fred, and so we shall be. So we shall be.” Scrooge’s transformation is very easy to see. He has one final visit to make.

          Scrooge is at his workplace when Bob Cratchit enters late. Scrooge says that he will no longer put up with Bob’s tardiness and that he will no longer stand for this anymore. He tells him, “ And therefore…I am going to double your salary!” Bob cannot believe what he just heard or saw. Scrooge tells him that he will assist Bob’s family from this point forward in any way that he can and he promises that Tiny Tim will walk again. Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more. And to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father.

                                        Conclusion                                             

There are several Christian themes that run all throughout Dickens story. There are strong references to the 3 Persons of The Blessed Trinity with the 3 Ghosts all throughout the story. The Ghost of Christmas Present in some ways strongly resembles Jesus Christ. Fan, Belle, and Janet display virtuous qualities, similar to The Blessed Virgin Mary as well as female saints. Bob Cratchit is a hardworking man who sacrifices much to provide a decent life for his family. He bears a resemblance to St. Joseph. Fred never gives up on his Uncle Scrooge and desires that they be a family. Tiny Tim embodies a very strong youthful innocence that gets to Scrooge, even before his complete conversion. Dickens uses his characters masterfully well with every stroke of his pen.           

          There are vices and virtues that run throughout Dickens story. Where we see greed, money, and power in Scrooge, we see that countered by kindness, innocence, and charity in characters such as Bob Cratchit, Tim Cratchit, and Fred.

          Perhaps the most endearing part of Dickens story is the overlying theme of redemption. Scrooge is visited by Jacob Marley, a man suffering the pains and torments of Purgatory. Jacob Marley warns Scrooge that if he does not change his ways, he will end up in an even worse state. Hell is strongly implied here.

He is further warned by the 3 Ghosts that he must amend his sinful ways before it is too late for him. He is slow to change. He does not want to hear what these Ghosts have to say to him. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows him painful scenes from his past. They stir up memories that he long hoped to forget. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him how he currently is living and how his life’s actions are affecting all of those around him. Still, he refuses to complete the change that is needed. Finally, The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come drives home the final part of Scrooge’s transformation from a life of greed to one of generosity, where he sees that in the end, he dies alone and no one cares that he is even dead. This Ghost who frightens him the most, pushes him over the edge to conversion.

In our own lives, we often fall prey to sin, including the 7 deadly sins of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy, and pride. Fortunately, there are virtues to help counteract these deadly sins. Lust is countered by chastity, gluttony by temperance, greed by charity, sloth by diligence, anger by patience, envy by kindness, and pride by humility. Our good Lord gives us chance after chance to make amends in our lives and to change our lives for good. Until we take our last breath, we always have a chance to achieve salvation if we only cooperate with God’s grace. It takes humility and love of God to want to change for the better. 

As Fr. Schouppe demonstrates in his books “Purgatory” and “Hell”, most souls do not make it to heaven when they die. Many will have to undergo a painful purgation in Purgatory; whereas, others will sadly be lost for all eternity in Hell. What a frightening thought! The Christmas season is one in which we reflect on all that God has done for us, most importantly, becoming one of us, so that we could be redeemed. Christ could have redeemed us in any way that He so chose, but He chose the best and most suitable way that He saw fit, entering into the world as a little baby, growing up, and finally dying for our sins on the cross. There is no greater love that what He demonstrated.  St. Anthony of Padua has a quote that is often referenced to him where he supposedly made reference to how only poverty was lacking in heaven. In order for Christ to truly be like us in all ways (except sin), He had to enter into this world and to embrace poverty.

Many saints have spoken on the Incarnation. St. John Vianney said, “Who could find it hard to persevere at the sight of a God who never commands us to do anything which he has not practiced himself?” St. Leo the Great remarked, “Invisible in his own nature he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.” St. Cyril of Alexandria said, “He undertook to help the descendants of Abraham, fashioning a body for himself from a woman and sharing our flesh and blood, to enable us to see in him not only God, but also, by reason of this union, a man like ourselves.”

The story “A Christmas Carol” is the story of a man’s redemption as God gives him a second chance. This is only possible because the Incarnation made this possible. We too all have a second chance, and indeed, many chances throughout our lives to make amends and to turn our lives around. We all struggle with vices and sins, the result of original sin. God’s grace is always there for the taking, if we just take advantage of it. He is always there to help us. No sin is greater than God’s love.

There have been many wonderful adaptations of Dickens “A Christmas Carol” that have been made throughout the years. The story has been told over and over and has gained new audiences over time. It has become a beloved classic in the hearts and minds of people around the globe.

As we celebrate this Christmas season, let us take time to seriously reflect on the Incarnation and what Our Lord has done for us. If we were the only person to have ever existed, He still would have been born as a baby in Bethlehem so that we could be redeemed one day by His blood on the cross. We are truly blessed and for this we should continuously show our gratitude and give thanksgiving to God for all that He has done for us and continues to do for us.

In the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, every one!”

A Very Merry Christmas to all!

Works Consulted

Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol: In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Chapman & Hall, 1843.

Schouppe S.J., Fr. F.X. Purgatory: Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints. Tan Books, 1926.

Schouppe S.J., Fr. F.X. The Dogma of Hell: Illustrated by Facts Taken From Profane and Sacred History. Tan Books, 1883. 

Scientific Confirmation Of Biblical Events

For Traditionalists, the miraculous events recorded in Scripture are true, proofs of the truth of the Catholic Faith, and are an effect wrought in nature by the direct intervention of God. There are those non-Christians, open to the claims of the Bible and the Church, but they seriously call into question the historicity of certain events/miracles. Finally, you have those unbelievers who use certain biblical accounts as "proof" that religion (in general) and the Bible (in particular) are "fairy tales" and openly mock said accounts incessantly. 

 One of the stories most ridiculed is that of Jonah. In the Old Testament, the Book of Jonah (chapters 1-4) tells us that Jonah was told by God to warn the people of Nineveh to turn from their evil ways. Jonah tried to flee from God in a ship. The prophet was thrown overboard where a big fish (sometimes called a whale) swallowed him. He remained alive inside the fish for three days, during which he prayed to God for deliverance. The fish vomits Jonah onto land, and he goes to Nineveh to preach, and the people repent. 

The Bible never expressly declares the story of Jonah to be miraculous, but people take it for such. A friend of mine recently pointed out to me some scientific literature which could be applied to Jonah and the big fish. To the consternation of non-believers, it actually makes an excellent case that, while directed by God, it may be scientifically possible to live inside a fish for three days.    

This post will demonstrate that what has been scoffed at for centuries actually has found scientific backing. That doesn't mean miracles aren't real or every event in the Bible can be explained scientifically, but rather that some events can be so explained and put the lie to the oft heard contention that science and the True Faith are incompatible. 

(N.B. The contents of this post were compiled from a multitude of sources both in print and online. I take no credit for any of it. All I did was condense the material into a terse and readable post.---Introibo). 

A Fishy Story?

For the atheist devoted to the belief that there is no God, one might search the depths of all the Earth’s oceans and find no empirical evidence of divine influence. Never mind that three-quarters of the global seafloor has not yet been mapped by high-resolution imaging technology. (See NOAA, “How Much of the Ocean Has Been Explored?,” oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/explored.html).  

The celebrity  atheist biologist Richard Dawkins pokes fun at the story of Jonah and other biblical miracles, calling them “nonsensical” or “just plain weird.” (See The God Delusion (2006), pg. 268). From the perspective of naturalism, which since Darwin has become the prevailing philosophy of science, the biblical text is implausible because it seems to defy what science teaches is possible. Naturalistic science supposedly has exposed the story of Jonah to the bright light of reason and rescued modern thought from "superstition and ignorance." 

New Testament scholar, textual critic, and Protestant turned atheist, Dr. Bart Ehrman, argues that Jonah is a story, not a biography.(See “The Bible’s Best Known Short Story: Jonah,” blog post, January 1, 2022, ehrmanblog.org/the-bibles-best-known-shortstory-jonah).  

Although not a biologist himself, Ehrman considers it self-evident that “back then…zoological knowledge was…undeveloped.”(See "The Bible’s Best Known Short Story: Jonah,” blog post, December 30, 2021, ehrmanblog.org/the-bibles-best-known-shortstory-jonah). Thus, the writer of Jonah simply did not know that whales’ mouths and bellies are just too small to accommodate a grown man, even if whales had been known to the pastoral people inhabiting the Ancient Near East.

The Catholic exegetes have always (rightly) considered the story of Jonah to be literal history and not some allegory told to convey a moral truth, as Modernists teach. Jesus Himself refers to Jonah having been “three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (St. Matthew 12:40). If Jesus were speaking allegorically, that would call into question His own historical death and bodily Resurrection, which He foreshadows by referring to Jonah. To call into doubt Our Lord's Resurrection is heretical. 

Science Sheds Some Light

Miracles are exceptions to common human experience and incompatible with what we understand about the world through science. Obviously, we do not see large fish (whales) going around swallowing swimmers, let alone those swimmers later emerging from their bellies to tell about it. We do not think of huge fish as inhabiting the waters of the Ancient Near East. On the face of it, it seems unreasonable to believe that an ancient writer on land would have specific knowledge about sea creatures, or that a man could fit inside the mouth of a fish, escape its teeth, breathe air, and survive its digestive secretions.  However, is what Jonah experienced (and non-believers mock) something that could also happen without miraculous intervention?  To the chagrin of Dawkins and company, the answer is YES.

1. What type of fish could Jonah have encountered?

The first question to address is what species of sea creature swallowed Jonah. In the Masoretic Text, the Hebrew phrase for the creature is dag gadol, meaning simply “big fish,” as it is rendered in all major English translations (Jonah 1:17). The Greek Septuagint also translates the Hebrew as “big fish.” Similarly, in the Greek New Testament, Jesus says that Jonah was in the belly of the "big fish." (St. Matthew 12:40), which can refer to any large sea creature. 

However, Jonah could have been swallowed by an actual whale. The most probable species encountered by Jonah was the fin whale. This is the second-largest whale species on the planet, measuring up to 22 meters in length and weighing 40–50 tons 

(See education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/big-fish-history-whaling)

It happens to be the most common whale to inhabit the Mediterranean Sea. (See “Are There Any Whales in the Mediterranean," musee.oceano.org/en/resources/are-there-any-whales-in-the-mediterranean).

Historical evidence shows that ancient mariners in the North Atlantic and North Pacific were familiar with whales, which were hunted as early as 4,000 years ago, although it is doubtful that Ancient Near Eastern seafarers would have had contact with North Atlantic mariners in pre-Roman times.(See op. cit.)

Significantly, Jonah writes that “The waters closed in over me” and “weeds were wrapped about my head” (Jonah 2:5), but he mentions no lacerations or bleeding, which would be consistent with entering the mouth of a fin whale, as it lacks teeth.

2. Is it really possible for a fin whale to swallow an adult human being?

Whereas skeptics assume that a man would not fit within the mouth or belly of a whale, field measurements indicate otherwise. The cross-sectional area of a fin whale’s mouth is determined by the dimensions of its skull and jaw which, when open, reaches 8 meters squared, which compares gapingly to the 2.2 meters squared of a standard residential door. (See Jeremy A. Goldbogen, Nicholas D. Pyenson, and Robert E. Shadwick, “Big Gulps Require High Drag for Fin Whale Lunge Feeding,” Marine Ecology Progress Series 349 (2007): 289–301, doi.org/10.3354/meps07066).

Further, the pleated walls of its buccal cavity are highly distensible, so that when the whale lunges to feed, it takes in an enormous volume of sea water. This lunge-feeding behavior was not well-studied until the 1980s. (See Jeremy A. Goldbogen, “The Ultimate Mouthful: Lunge Feeding in Rorqual Whales,” American Scientist 98, no. 2 (March–April 2010): 124–131, doi.org/10.1511/2010.83.124). 

3. How could a person survive three days with the digestive juices in the stomach and with no oxygen?

Jonah could not get through the fin whale's esophagus.  Jonah would have been confined in the whale’s voluminous oropharynx. The oropharynx is the middle part of the throat.  During feeding its distension enlarges the whale’s underside, corresponding to the biblical word “belly” (Jonah 1:17, 2:1–2). Therefore, there would be no digestive juices.

By far the greatest threat to Jonah’s life would have been an inadequate air supply to sustain him for three days and three nights and avoid asphyxiation. An air pocket might provide enough oxygen to sustain Jonah for a few hours, but the buildup of exhaled carbon dioxide would have overtaken him before he ran out of oxygen. Notably, as the fin whale is an aquatic mammal, it also requires air and surfaces every 5 to 15 minutes to take air in through its blowhole. (See  A. W. Vogl, H. Petersen, K. N. Gil, R. L. Cieri, and R. E. Shadwick, “The Soft Palate Enables Extreme Feeding and Explosive Breathing in the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus),” Integrative Organismal Biology 6, no. 1 (July 9, 2024): obae026, doi.org/10.1093/iob/obae026). 

As fin whales’ observed feeding behavior can include skimming at the surface, intake of air along with water could have periodically refreshed Jonah’s air supply. (See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Fin Whale,” last modified November 22, 2024, fisheries.noaa.gov/species/fin-whale).

The fascinating case of  Harrison Okene is instructive as to survival in pockets of air. Okene was the lone survivor of a tugboat that encountered a rogue wave off the coast of Nigeria in 2013. He was locked in a tiny bathroom the morning the boat capsized. The boat then sank, upside down, landing 30 meters below the surface on the sea floor. Okene found himself trapped in the four-foot room, where for nearly three days he survived by breathing from a pocket of air. (See Paula Cocozza, “I Survived Three Days in a Capsized Boat on the Ocean Floor — Praying in My Air Bubble,” The Guardian, September 26, 2023, theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/sep/26/i-survived-three-days-in-a-capsized-boat-on-the-ocean-floor-praying-in-my-air-bubble; “Divers Find Man Alive in Sunken Tugboat,” Associated Press, December 3, 2013, youtu.be/ArWGILmKCqE). 

A diving medicine expert estimated that the 13.5 meters cubed volume of Okene’s air bubble would have allowed him about 56 hours of life. 

(See “The Science Behind Man Surviving Underwater for Three Days,” National Geographic, December 5, 2013, nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/131204-nigerian-air-bubble-survival-shipwreck-viral-video-science). 

Summary: It is possible for a man to live inside a whale for three days.

Conclusion

I am not claiming that the story of Jonah wasn't a miracle. This information merely demonstrates the ignorance of those who deride this Biblical story as "nonsensical," and "just plain weird."  Not all divinely ordained events that appear to us to be miracles require the suspension or violation of natural laws. Jonah's watery adventure can (possibly but improbably) occur outside the miraculous as well.

As Traditionalists we must affirm miracles:

From the Oath Against Modernism promulgated by Pope St. Pius X for all clerics on September 1, 1910:

Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. (Emphasis mine)

From the Vatican Council (1870):

If anyone shall say that miracles are impossible, and therefore that all the accounts regarding them, even those contained in Holy Scripture, are to be dismissed as fables or myths; or that miracles can never be known with certainty, and that the divine origin of Christianity cannot be proved by them; let him be anathema.

It's nice to know that a Biblical event skeptics have laughed at for years, can be vindicated by the very science they claim disproves God. "For professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." (Romans 1:22). 

Cracking The Emotion Code

New York City is a metropolis of which many things can be said. One thing is certain; it never gets boring. A routine salutation can turn into a learning experience, as was the case with me earlier this year. The door to my office was open, and I was working late, as per usual. I had lots of paperwork to get done for one of my clients, and I was sorely lacking in both sleep and patience. A young associate was passing by in the hallway, stopped, and said, "How's it going?" I uncharacteristically snapped and said, "I'm having the time of my life!" "Someone has anger issues, " she replied. I apologized and told her the work was getting to me that day.

"You know, trapped emotions can make you sick. You need to free yourself," she said. I forced a smile and said, "I'll be fine when the trial is over and I get some extra sleep." She smiled back and left. I thought her somewhat enigmatic statement was a hint to go to see a therapist. In NYC, you're different if you don't have a therapist. The next day, she came to my office and handed me a copy of the book The Emotion Code by Dr. Bradley Nelson. "This book changed my life," she said. "I'm sure it will do the same for you. I keep a couple of extra copies to give to people who I think could really benefit from it. Everyone can benefit, but I'm not a book supplier! Keep it and let me know what you think when you're done." I thanked her and went about my usual business.

What I discovered was a book written by a retired chiropractor pushing an occult methodology to emotionally (and even physically) "heal yourself." This post will set forth my findings and hopefully serve as a warning to others not to fall for this occult trap. 

(The content of this post is derived from the many sources I researched, both in print and online. I take no credit for any of it. All I did was condense the information I obtained into a terse and readable post---Introibo).

Bradley Nelson: A Polytheistic Occultist

Nelson's life is not well-detailed, but what is known about him shows a man who is deeply involved in the occult. He was born and raised as a member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," i.e., a Mormon. The Mormons are modern day polytheistic pagans, masquerading as "Christians." Their doctrines are wacky and convoluted in the extreme. The Mormon sect founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., was raised in a home teeming with the occult, and became a Freemason early in his young adulthood. He incorporated Masonic doctrines with his own lies. He beguiled many into following him and making him powerful. Like Satan, he was a liar and a murderer, preaching violence and revenge to any that stood in his way.

Bradley Nelson was born in the early 1960s (approximately 63 years old as of this writing), and recounts that when he was 13, his parents took him to an "old timer holistic physician" which allegedly cured him and made him want to be a "holistic doctor" as well. 

When I was 13 years old, I developed a kidney disease for which there was no medical cure. My parents, being open to alternatives, took me to see some old timer holistic physician, who practiced out on the edge of town in a trailer house. Their clinic might not have been much to look at, but I remember seeing chartered buses full of people from other states that would pool their funds and come to see them for their healing abilities. Within a few short weeks of starting treatment with them the severe pains that I was experiencing had faded away. My parents took me back to the medical clinic where all the tests were rerun, and I was pronounced healed. It was at that time that I decided I wanted to be a doctor, but not a medical doctor, rather, I wanted to be a holistic doctor that helps people to get well in totally natural ways, using the incredible intelligence that exists within the body.

(See medium.com/authority-magazine/dr-bradley-nelson-5-things-anyone-can-do-to-optimize-their-mental-wellness-435643af34e1; Emphasis mine). 

An "intelligence that exists within the body"? It will soon be shown he's not talking about either the brain or the natural ability of the body to try and heal (sometimes given the misnomer of "intelligence").  As a chiropractor, he developed the idea of "the emotion code." 

Nelson explains his occult principle behind the "emotion code:"

It’s been an amazing thing for me to understand how much of a person’s current mental state is a result of their “emotional baggage.” What I’m referring to here is the trapped emotional energy that people have from those experiences in their life that they would rather not have gone through. Those energies, which we referred to as trapped emotions, live in the body as little clouds of pure emotional energy. At least, that is how we look at it when we are using The Emotion Code. Getting rid of that emotional energy is the most important step you can take to living on a higher level, without that emotional baggage dragging you down to the lower emotional ranges.

For example, a man came in to see me who was suffering from severe lower back pain. Using The Emotion Code, I found that he had a trapped emotion of anger from about 20 years before. He immediately remembered what had happened. It was a work situation, and he recalled being very upset, indeed. Using the simple technique that we outlined in The Emotion Code, I was able to release his trapped emotion of anger. Instantly, his low back pain was gone. It was miraculous to him, but to me it was not unusual. 

Our emotional baggage causes much of our physical pain. The interesting thing about this man, though, was that he returned to my office couple of days later with more information. He said to me, “Dr. Nelson, my low back pain is still gone, and hasn’t come back. That was really amazing. However, when I first came in here I had another problem that I did not share with you. For as long as I can remember, I’ve basically been what you might call a rage-a-holic. I’m always yelling at my wife and my kids. I have to really be careful about road rage. I’ve been in anger management several times, and it has really helped me. But since you released that trapped emotion of anger from me, I feel totally different. I feel peaceful and relaxed. Things aren’t setting me off like they used to.”(Ibid).

Relationships are a pain in the neck (literally)

When you feel like your heart is going to break, when you are feeling deeply hurt or grief, the subconscious mind will build a wall around the heart, a wall that is literally made of the emotional energy that a person has trapped.

Miranda is a perfect example of how a Heart-Wall can interfere with your love life. She was an attractive thirty-eight-year-old nurse who came to me suffering from neck pain. During the course of her examination, she mentioned that she had not dated anyone in years and had no interest in having any kind of a relationship with men anymore. When I tested her, I was not surprised to find that she had a Heart-Wall.

Eight years before, Miranda’s heart had been broken by a man she had deeply loved. In an effort to protect her heart from experiencing that kind of pain and injury again, her subconscious mind had created a Heart-Wall.

In Miranda’s case, three lingering emotions had been trapped in her body for all those years, blocking her from creating another relationship. She had no idea that these Heart-Wall emotions were the major underlying cause of her neck pain as well. The pain in her neck had been going on for some time and was considered chronic and even a bit mysterious by the other doctors she had consulted, because nothing seemed to relieve it.

One by one, I released these trapped emotions that were making up the layers of her Heart-Wall. When I released the last emotion, her neck pain suddenly disappeared completely, and muscle testing revealed that her Heart-Wall was indeed gone. (Ibid: Emphasis mine). 

So, how does does someone know about "trapped emotions," and how does Nelson release them? That will be discussed below.

Nelson has "miraculous ancestors"

Nelson's paternal grandfather, John Alexander Nelson, Jr., was a Mormon "missionary" who allegedly received from God the "gift of speaking the Tongan language" where he preached. On Bradley's website, you can download a book he wrote about his ancestors. You will learn in  Heritage and Histories that :

• My great-grandfather is harassed by entities while lost in the woods (pg 14)
• ...my great-grandmother (a midwife) knew when she was needed in days of no phones (pg 29)
• A young missionary is physically attacked by an entity that wants to silence him (pg 72)
• A deceased sister returns as an angel with a message (pg 361)
• My grandfather sees a man walk on water (pg 66)

(See drbradleynelson.com/beliefs; Emphasis mine---there are more bullets in the list, I just chose five).

These alleged happenings are either (a) lies or (b) demonic manifestations. 

"Releasing Trapped Emotions"

If you're wondering how an intangible, immaterial emotion can be "trapped in your body" and "released," wonder no more. Nelson claims “trapped emotions” in the subconscious mind are the cause of at least 90% of pain and discomfort. The subconscious mind is “tuned into Universal Intelligence." He further states he is  a “specialist in energy healing” stating “everything is energy.” Humans are "beings of pure energy." Hence, like pagan, occult reiki, the emotion code is pagan energy healing repackaged.

As one source states:

The Emotion Code was created by Dr. Bradley Nelson, a chiropractic physician and holistic healer. Dr. Nelson began developing this technique in the early 1990s while working with patients in his clinic. He discovered that many physical ailments and emotional issues were linked to unresolved emotional energies trapped in the body. Through years of research and clinical experience, Dr. Nelson refined the Emotion Code process, which combines elements of ancient healing practices, such as acupuncture and energy healing, with modern techniques like muscle testing. Since its inception, the Emotion Code has gained popularity worldwide as a simple yet powerful method for promoting healing and well-being.

The Emotion Code is a holistic healing technique that aims to identify and release trapped emotions, which are believed to be the source of physical and emotional issues. Practitioners use muscle testing to locate these trapped emotions, asking a series of questions to determine the specific emotion, when it occurred, and where it is lodged in the body. Once identified, the emotion is released using a magnet passed over the governing meridian. This process is repeated until all trapped emotions are cleared, promoting physical and emotional well-being. (See wellmeright.com/glossary/emotion-code#:~:text=The%20Emotion%20Code%20is%20a%20holistic%20healing%20technique%20that%20aims,physical%20and%20emotional%20well%2Dbeing; Emphasis mine). 

Energy healing is occult/pagan and believes in the "life force" or "ki" or "chi" as it's called. The chi/ki belief makes Nelson's form of energy healing like Reiki. Here is the pagan mumbo-jumbo regarding chi/ki: "The source or cause of health comes from the Ki that flows through and around the individual rather than from the functional condition of the physical organs and tissues. It is Ki that animates the physical organs and tissues as it flows through them and therefore is responsible for creating a healthy condition. If the flow of Ki is disrupted, the physical organs and tissues will be adversely affected. Therefore, it is a disruption in the flow of Ki that is the main cause of illness.

An important attribute of Ki is that it responds to ones thoughts and feelings. Ki will flow more strongly or be weakened in its action depending on the quality of ones thoughts and feelings. It is our negative thoughts and feelings that are the main cause of restriction in the flow of Ki. All negative or dis-harmonious thoughts or feelings will cause a disruption in the flow of Ki. Even Western medicine recognizes the role played by the mind in creating illness and some Western doctors state that as much as 98% of illness is caused directly or indirectly by the mind.

It must be understood that the mind exists not only in the brain, but also through-out the body. The nervous system extends to every organ and tissue in the body and so the mind exists here also. It is also known that the mind even extends outside the body in a subtle energy field 2 to 3 feet thick called the aura. Because of this, it is more appropriate to call our mind a mind/body as the mind and body are so closely linked."  (See Reiki.org; Emphasis mine). This nonsense has ZERO scientific/medicinal confirmation aside from anecdotal claims. 

It involves a pantheistic worldview (i.e., the heretical belief that "god" and the world are one) and everything is united by energy to the "Universal Intelligence" as Nelson calls "God." However, aren't Mormons polytheistic and not pantheistic? Yes, but Nelson sees everything as part of the divine, his own derivation of "polytheism." The founder of Mormonism was himself into the occult, and Joseph Smith would have no problem putting an occult spin on his teachings.

Applied Kinesiology and Witchcraft

Unlike reiki, Nelson's brand of energy healing involves applied kinesiology. This should not be confused with kinesiology which is the scientific study of human movement, and completely scientific.

Applied kinesiology is totally occult. Who uses it? Nelson's practitioners, occultists, pagans, and in particular---Wiccans (witches). 

 

Notice what was stated above: Practitioners (of the emotion code--yes, you can get a certificate and make money! See discoverhealing.com/certification) ask a series of questions to determine the specific emotion, when it occurred, and where it is lodged in the body. Once identified, the emotion is released using a magnet passed over the governing meridian.

Let's break it down. 1. Asking a series of questions (yes or no questions) to determine where an "emotion is trapped in the body." 

How does it work? [applied kinesiology]

You can test different muscles, but commonly the shoulder is used, especially for beginners.

Holding one arm straight out to the side from your shoulder, it sort of locks in place. Having someone standing in front (or behind) your arm -- not your body -- they test by saying "yes," and then pushing lightly down on your wrist with two fingers. The arm will remain strong and in position. (If it does not, it indicates that clearing or recalibration are needed. Then try again.) Then the person tests by saying "no," and again pressing down on your wrist. The arm will fall away from the pressure. (If not, ditto.)...

The muscles remain strong in the presence of a "yes" answer, and collapse without strength in the presence of a "no" answer. The same is true in the presence of something healthful and something not good for the body. You can use this to as a divination tool to test for yes-or-no answers, just as you would use a pendulum. (See Wiccan Spirituality at  wicca-spirituality.com/applied-kinesiology.html; Emphasis mine). 

2. The emotion code practitioner passes a magnet over the "meridian." Why? The following source explains what I read in The Emotion Code very well:

Your body naturally has magnetic and electric fields. All your molecules have a small amount of magnetic energy in them. The thought behind magnetic field therapy is that certain problems happen because your magnetic fields are out of balance. If you put a magnetic field near your body, it's believed things will go back to normal.

Ions like calcium and potassium help your cells send signals. In tests, scientists have seen magnets change how these ions act. However, so far, there isn’t evidence that magnets have the same effect on cells when they’re in your body.

Magnets emit pure energy and are powerful tools we can use to fix imbalances that are in your energy field, and therefore cannot see. Virtually any magnet can be used when doing The Emotion Code. Using magnets in therapy can have profound effects on people's bodies. 

You are a being of pure energy. (pg.94) Your existence stretches further than you can see, because of your energy field. Each of us has an electromagnetic field. The EMF field of your heart is proven to stretch 8-12ft from your body in all directions...

In acupuncture, there are lines through your body known as meridians. These can be thought of as small rivers of energy that flow just beneath the skin. They follow very precise tracks that do not vary from person to person, just like each person has the same muscles in the same spots. Along meridians there are acupoints that can be treated for specific purposes. These acupoints often match up to where trigger points are in the body as well. 

The governing meridian is a meridian that serves as a reservoir of energy, which connects with and supplies all other acupuncture meridians. This is perhaps the most important meridian in the body. Because of its connection to all of the other meridians, it serves as the ideal pathway for our intention when releasing trapped emotions. A trapped emotion is energy, and to get rid of a trapped emotion, we need to overcome it with another form of energy. The governing meridian is the perfect window into the body for this purpose. 

As soon as you find a trapped emotion, you can release it. While holding the intention to release the found trapped emotion in your mind, simply pass a magnet over the governing meridian. 

(See encompasstm.com/blog/stuck-emotions-pain; Emphasis mine). 

It is evident that The Emotion Code is a mix of "good old fashioned witchcraft" through applied kinesiology and pagan/occult energy healing similar to reiki. (To be fair, other occultists and pagans use applied kinesiology, not just witches). As if this were not bad enough, it gets worse. 

Bradley Nelson: Practicing Spiritism

The video below is disturbing. It depicts Nelson doing his occult-based "emotion releasing" on a middle-aged woman in 2012. It begins with him asking the woman if her mother is alive or deceased. She says she is alive. He then asks about those relatives prior to her mother. They are all dead. Nelson does Muscle Testing, asking if the woman’s dead ancestors are present in the room, effectively an action that summons spirits, because he wants them to be there. According to Nelson they are present because "what else do they have to do" he asks as the room erupts into laughter. He apparently believes one can have emotions from ancestors in their body that need to be released. (Interestingly, he "cures" the woman using---wait for it---a refrigerator magnet).

He tells the story of how his daughter was using the emotion code on him, and she found a trapped emotion that originated with an ancestor 22 generations prior. She then felt the presence of the ancestor standing next to her. (These references to "spirits" are really about demons). 

Spiritism is contact with spirits through methods such as summoning, channeling, evoking or invoking, using a spirit guide, or various rituals. Nelson is clearly engaging in spiritism. Some spiritists may channel a spirit; that is, they give their bodies over to a spirit to speak through them or write though them (the latter is called automatic writing). This occult practice of giving yourself over to  spirit (i.e., a demon) is called channeling.

Here is the video: youtube.com/watch?v=1G5-0hwHeFA

Church Teaching on Occult Practices

The clear teaching of the Church can't be stated enough.

 "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you." (See Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Emphasis mine.) 

According to theologian Jone, "Spiritism claims to be able to communicate with the spirit world and endeavors to establish such commerce with it. Although spiritism is for the most part fraud, still the intention alone to enter into communication with spirits is gravely sinful. Therefore, it is mortally sinful to conduct a spiritistic seance or to act as a medium." (See Moral Theology,[1961] pg. 100; Emphasis mine). 

While "spiritism is for the most part fraud," it sometimes is not. When Fr. Jone's theology manual was published in 1961, the Great Apostasy had not yet occurred. Most of spiritism at that time consisted of old ladies reading palms and pretending to contact spirits (or souls of the dead) for extra money; it was a fraud. Since Vatican II there has been an occult and pagan explosion world-wide, such that Fr. Jone couldn't comprehend at the time of his writing. While some spiritism is still fraudulent, I dare to say much--if not most---is real today. The direct and deliberate calling upon "spirits" (i.e., demons) to enter your life will rarely go unheeded.

Conclusion

The Emotion Code  is pure occult claptrap written by a Mormon spiritist. He has written several other similar books, and offers "certification" to become a "practitioner" of the occult "code." The book is endorsed by Tony Robbins, a  man who is also involved in the occult and making money off of it (he might be the subject of a future post). I emailed my colleague to warn her of the occult nature of the book. She never responded. Our work relationship remains cordial, but she is not as friendly towards me. Our job as Traditionalists is to warn others, even if they don't heed the warning or become upset with us.

Nelson's "code" is yet another example of the occult all around us. This should not surprise us. An Occult Invasion during a time of Great Apostasy makes perfect sense. Be on guard and pray. 

The Sufferings Of Our Lord And The Virtue Of Charity

 

To My Readers: This week, John Gregory writes about the Passion of Our Lord and the supreme importance of the virtue of charity. Please pray for John and his family; he has been sick. Feel free to comment as usual. If you have  a specific comment or question for me, I will respond as always, but it may take me a bit longer to do so this week.

God bless you all, my dear readers---Introibo

The Sufferings of Our Lord and the Virtue of Charity

By John Gregory

Then Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be accomplished which were written by the prophets concerning the son of man.  For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spit upon: and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death; the third day he shall rise again (St. Luke 18: 31, 33).

 

“SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED”

 

IMPORTANCE OF THIS ARTICLE

 

How necessary is a knowledge of this Article, and how assiduous the pastor should be in stirring up in the minds of the faithful the frequent recollection of our Lord’s Passion, we learn from the Apostle when he says that he knows nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2: 2) The pastor, therefore, should exercise the greatest care and pains in giving a thorough explanation of this subject, in order that the faithful, being moved by the remembrance of so great a benefit, may give themselves entirely to the contemplation of the goodness and love of God towards us.

 

First Part of this Article:

“Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified”

 

The first part of this Article proposes for our belief that when Pontius Pilate governed the province of Judea, under Tiberius Caesar, Christ the Lord was nailed to a cross.  Having been seized, mocked, outraged and tortured in various forms, He was finally crucified.

 

“Suffered”

 

It cannot be a matter of doubt that His soul, as to its inferior part, was sensible of these torments; for as He really assumed human nature, it is a necessary consequence that He really, and in His soul, experienced a most acute sense of pain.  Hence these words of the Saviour: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. (Matthew 26: 38; Mark 14: 34) Although human nature was united to the Divine Person, He felt the bitterness of His Passion as acutely as if no such union had existed, because in the one Person of Jesus Christ were preserved the properties of both natures, human and divine; and therefore what was passible and mortal remained passible and mortal; while what was impassible and immortal, that is, His Divine Nature, continued impassible and immortal. (COT p. 50 – 51)

 

Patience and Joy under Continued Affliction

 

We must remember that if by prayers and supplications we are not delivered from evil, we should endure our afflictions with patience, convinced that it is the will of God that we should so endure them.  If, therefore, God hear not our prayers, we are not to yield to feelings of peevishness or discontent; we must submit in all things to the divine will and pleasure, regarding as useful and salutary to us that which happens in accordance with the will of God, not that which is agreeable to our own wishes.

 

During our mortal career we should be prepared to meet every kind of affliction and calamity, not only with patience, but even with joy.  For it is written: All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; (2 Timothy 3: 12) and again: Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God; (Acts 14: 21) and further: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so enter into his glory? (Luke 24: 26) A servant should not be greater than his master; and Saint Bernard says: “Delicate members do not become a head crowned with thorns.”  The glorious example of Urias challenges our imitation.  When urged by David to remain at home, he replied: The ark of God, and Isreal, and Juda, dwell in tents; and shall I go into my house? (2 Kings 11: 11)

 

If to prayer we bring with us these reflections and these dispositions, although surrounded by menaces and encompassed by evils on every side, we shall, like the three children who passed unhurt amidst the flames, be preserved uninjured; or at least, like the Machabees, we shall bear up against adverse fortune with firmness and fortitude.

 

In the midst of contumelies and tortures we should imitate the blessed Apostles, who, after they had been scourged, rejoiced exceedingly that they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for Christ Jesus. (Acts 5: 4) Filled with such sentiments, we shall sing in transports of joy: Princes have persecuted me without cause; and my heart hath been in awe of thy words; I will rejoice at thy words, as one that hath found great spoil. (Psalm 118: 161)

 

THE VIRTUE OF CHARITY

 

Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely: . . . is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil, . . . beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 8)

 

Who can behold the riches of God’s goodness and love, which He lavishes on us, and not love Him?  Hence the exordium and the conclusion used by God in Scripture when giving His commands: I, the Lord. (Catechism Of Trent [COT] p. 368)

 

PRAYER INCREASES CHARITY

 

In recognizing God as the author of every blessing and of every good, we are led to cling to Him with the most devoted love.  And as those who cherish a mutual affection become more ardently attached by frequent interviews and conversations, so the oftener the soul prays devoutly and implores the divine mercy, thus holding converse with God, the more exquisite is the sense of delight which she experiences in each prayer, and the more ardently is she inflamed to love and adore him. (COT p. 482)

 

ENEMIES AND THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

 

The Lord has also commanded us, to pray for those that persecute and calumniate us. (Matthew 5: 44) The practice of praying for those who are not within the pale of the Church, is, as we know on the authority of Saint Augustine, of Apostolic origin.  We pray that the faith may be made known to infidels; that idolaters may be rescued from the error of their impiety; that the Jews, emerging from the darkness with which they are encompassed, may arrive at the light of truth; that heretics, returning to soundness of mind, may be instructed in the Catholic faith; and that schismatics may be united in the bond of true charity and may return to the communion of their holy mother, the Church, from which they have separated. 

 

Many examples prove that prayers for such as these are very efficacious when offered from the heart.  Instances occur every day in which God rescues individuals of e every condition of life from the powers of darkness, and transfers them into the kingdom of His Beloved Son, from vessels of wrath making them vessels of mercy.  That the prayers of the pious have very great influence in bringing about this result no one can reasonably doubt. (COT p. 389 – 390)

 

FRATERNAL CHARITY

 

In order, however, that our prayers may have this power of obtaining all things from God, we must forget injuries, cherish sentiments of good will, and practice kindness towards our neighbor. (COT p. 496)

 

“God listens willingly to the Christian who prays not only for himself but for others; because to pray for ourselves is an inspiration of nature; but to pray for others is an inspiration of grace; necessity compels us to pray for ourselves, whereas fraternal charity calls on us to pray for others.  That prayer which is inspired by fraternal charity is more agreeable to God than that which is dictated by necessity.” (Saint Chrysostom)

 

In connection with the important subject of salutary prayer, the pastor should be careful to remind and exhort all the faithful of every age, condition and rank, never to forget the bonds of universal brotherhood that bind them, and consequently ever to treat each other as friends and brothers, and never to seek arrogantly to raise themselves above their neighbors.

 

Though there are in the Church of God various gradations of office, yet this diversity of dignity and position in no way destroys the bond of fraternal union; just as in the human body the various uses and different functions of our organs in no way cause this or that part of the body to lose the name or office of an organ of the body. (COT p. 509)

 

FROM A COMPANION TO THE SUMMA

 

Sharing the Divine Life

 

The unquestionably accepted axion, “friendship is rare,” would be a terrible indictment of the human race, if it were true.  But of course it is not.  Friendship is not nearly so rare as is appreciation of it.  These gloomy axioms furnish us with fine excuses when we run short of material for self pity, especially at times when our mouth is watering for a dreary session with ourselves.  Friendship is not rare among human beings because unselfishness is not rare among them; and unselfish love is the one fundamental for true friendship that might be come at with difficulty.

 

The nature of friendship

 

Surely the amateur burglar, striking up an acquaintance with an expert in his line, cannot be said to have true friendship.  He hopes to get something out of it, at least some expertness in burglary.  The girl who is an official fascinator, looking out for material comfort for the future, is certainly not a true friend of her men friends.  Neither of these is true friendship because neither of them is based on unselfish love.

 

Mutual benevolent love, on a common ground

 

Unselfish love means no more than the constant, effective desire to do good to another.  Briefly, it means that we have identified ourselves with another; his will is our will so that his good is our good, his happiness our happiness.  But unselfish love is not necessarily a guarantee of friendship, it is not the whole story.  The charming girl student may feel ever so kindly towards her professor of Ancient History and still fail resoundingly whenever he has anything to do with her examinations.  For friendship there must also be a common ground upon which two can walk; a requirement not at all difficult to meet.  We have common ground enough with men and women about us: we also worry about bills at the first of the month, we too are thrilled at football games; we have our secret, unrealized hopes, our sorrows, sacrifices, little triumphs.  In any one of these fields we can meet countless other men and women.  The difficulty is, can we meet them unselfishly?  Can we see in them our other selves?  Can we attain to that mutual, benevolent, unselfish love on this common ground and so be assured of real friendship?

 

The friendship of men: Its strength

 

Friendship would certainly seem to be worth having.  It means, at the very least, that through it we live, not one narrow life, rather we live two lives. A door is thrown open and we are admitted to regions that are proper to God alone, for by friendship we stroll into the soul of another.  It offers us completion for our incomplete, lonely human hearts, a fulfillment that is sought by every man from the beginning of his existence.  If friendship brought no more than this to a man, it might quite reasonably be foregone. An unlimited amount of cosmetics will not beautify an ugly face; it will merely hide its ugliness; nor will a football suit change the puny physique of a man. These additions are extrinsic to the face and the physique; and it is always true that only the intrinsic additions to man really perfect him.  In other words, the important thing about friendship is what it does to the individuals involved.  It brings out the best in every man, rather paradoxically it is true, by making him forget himself.  It opens up to him possibilities of sacrifice that he has formerly associated with heroism, with the sublime in the efforts of man.  Understand, now, by friendship is meant all human love: whether between man and man, woman and woman, man and woman—indeed all human love that escapes the taint of selfishness.

 

While friendship is a great comfort, it is not to be pictured in terms of dim lights, quiet corners and intimate whispers.  Rather it scans wide horizons with deep wisdom and is a source of enormous strength.  It shows us, for example, the stupidity of gloomy sacrifice; it tears away the veil of mystery from the cheerfulness, even eagerness, of love’s embrace of hardships.  Perhaps when we say that friendship is rare, we are really apologizing for ourselves, explaining that we are not strong.  At least, as soon as we make self basic, we have begun to corrupt sacrifice and coddle cowardice; we have begun to tear out something from the depths  of the human heart; for men have always looked, perhaps at times only wistfully, to sacrifice as the fullest expression of a generous heart.

 

Its frailty

 

For all its strength, comfort, sublimity, human friendship has about it the frail delicacy of old lace.  It is frail because its truth can never be clearly seen but must always be taken on faith, and because its task of surrender can never be fully accomplished. In a word, human friendship is never a rugged thing because of our inability to share our inner self.  The closest we come to sharing the truth of friendship is in our clumsy symbols of it; perhaps the closest we come to accomplishing its task is in the physical generation of children.  In neither case can we give ourselves utterly to another.  Fundamentally, the reason is obvious: we cannot give ourselves away utterly because we do not belong completely to ourselves. (A Companion of the Summa, p. 55 – 57)

 

FROM A TOUR OF THE SUMMA

 

The Virtue of Charity

 

1. Charity as a supernatural virtue is the friendship of man and God.  On God’s part, it is love, benevolence, and communication of benefits and graces; on man’s part charity involves devotion and service to God.  It was in charity that our Lord said to his apostles (John 15: 15): “I will not now call you servants . . . but friends.”

 

2. Charity is in a person as a determinate, supernatural, habitual power, added to the natural power of the soul, which inclines the will to act with ease and delight in the exercise of loving friendship with God.

 

3. Saint Augustine says: “Charity is a virtue which, when our affections are perfectly ordered, unites us to God; for it is by charity that we love him.”

 

4. Charity is not a general virtue, nor an overlapping of virtues; it is a special virtue in its own nature; it is on a level with the other theological virtues (faith and hope), and is distinct from these virtues.

 

5. And charity is one virtue, it is not divided into different species or essential kinds.

 

6. Charity is the most excellent of all virtues.  Faith knows truth about God; hope aspires to good in God; charity attains God himself simply, and not as having something to gain from him.

 

7. All true virtue directs a man to God, his ultimate good, his last end.  Hence, charity, which embraces the ultimate good simply, must be in the soul that has any true and living virtue.  No true supernatural virtue is possible without charity.

 

8. Charity therefore directs the acts of all the other virtues, making these serve to get man onward to his last end.  And thus charity gives to these virtues their determinate being as effective instruments.  Thus charity is said to be the “form” of the other virtues.

 

The Subject of Charity

 

1. Charity as a supernatural virtue resides in man’s soul, specifically, it resides in the appetitive part of man’s soul, that is, in man’s will.  For the object towards which the will tends is the good, and charity is the virtue which, above all others, tends to and actually embraces the ultimate good of man.  Charity lays hold on God himself.

 

2. This charity is not in us by our nature; it is supernatural. Hence, we cannot acquire charity by our natural powers.  Charity is in us by divine infusion, by in-pouring.  Saint Paul (Romans 5: 5) says: “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us.”

 

3. Our natural gifts and capacities have no part in determining the quantity, so to speak, of charity in us.  For (John 3: 8), “the Spirit breatheth where he will”; and (1 Corinthians 12: 11), “all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to everyone according as he will.” Thus the measure of charity is not our capacity, but the will of God.

 

4. Charity can increase in us while we are in this life, on the way to God; that is, while we are wayfarers. If charity did not increase, we could make no progress along the way to God.

 

5. Charity increases not by having new elements added to it, but by growing more intense.

 

6. Not every act of charity increases the virtue of charity.  It is possible that an act of charity, done imperfectly, should mean no increase at all in the person who performs the act.  But each act of charity, rightly performed, leads to another, and ultimately to a favor of action which increases charity.

 

7. Charity may go on increasing and increasing; it is not possible to fix limits to this increase while earthly life endures.

 

8. A perfection of charity (which in no way marks a stay of limit to its increase) is found in those who give their whole hearts habitually to God, not thinking or desiring anything contrary to his love.

 

9. We may distinguish three steps or degrees in charity; it has its beginning, its progress, and its (nonlimiting) perfection.

 

10. Charity cannot decrease.  It is altogether lost by mortal sin, but it cannot be merely lessened in the soul.  Human friendship may grow weak and be diminished through the negligence of friends and their forgetfulness.  But charity is divine friendship; it depends on God, the infinitely perfect friend, who never grows negligent or forgetful; hence, charity does not decrease.  However, to neglect acts of charity and to commit venial sins, may be to dispose ourselves to lose charity entirely through mortal sin; only in this extrinsic way may charity be said to suffer decrease.

 

11. Once we have charity, we have with it no guarantee that, during this life, we shall not lose it.  The charity of the blessed in heaven (comprehensors) cannot be lost; the charity of men on earth (wayfarers) can be lost.

 

12. Charity is lost by mortal sin.  For whoever has charity is deserving of eternal life; a man who commits mortal sin is deserving of eternal death, that is, of everlasting punishment.  It is therefore impossible for a person to have charity and, at the same time, to be in the state of mortal sin.  One mortal sin drives out charity.

 

The Object of Charity

 

1. The object of charity, that towards which the act of charity is directed, is God, and our fellowmen in God. Says Saint John (1 John 4: 21): “This commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.”

 

2. Charity is love and friendship.  We have charity when we love God and neighbor, and wish for our neighbor the good of God’s friendship.  Thus, out of charity, we love charity itself.

 

3. We cannot wish to creatures less than man, that is, to irrational creatures, the “fellowship of everlasting happiness.” There we cannot love such creatures out of charity.

 

4. We are to love ourselves out of true charity.  For our love of ourselves is the standard of the sort of love we must have for others.  Says Holy Scripture (Leviticus 19: 18): “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

5. Even our body is to be loved out of charity, for it is God’s creature to be used by reason in man’s service of God.  “Saint Paul says (Romans 6: 13): “Present . . . your members as instruments of justice unto God.”  We are not, however, to love the disorder of bodily tendencies which are the result in us of the primal fall.

 

6. We are to love our neighbor out of charity, even if he be a sinner.  We must hate sin, yet we must love the person who sins, wishing him repentance, pardon, and eternal life, for God’s sake.

 

7. Sinners do not love themselves truly.  They love only an apparent good in themselves, and they love external and creatural goods as things worth having for their own sake. And thus sinners miss the goal of charity which is endless happiness in God.  Sinners, therefore, do not love themselves, for, as Holy Writ tells us (Psalm 10): “He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul.”

 

8. We have the direct command of our Lord that we are to love our enemies.  In Saint Matthew (5: 44) we read: “Love your enemies do good to them that hate you: pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.”

 

9. We must, therefore, love our enemies in general, and we must also be ready, if God wills to put opportunity in our way, to show them, as individuals, the signs and offices of love.

 

10. We are to love God’s angels out of charity, for we hope to share with them “the fellowship of everlasting happiness”; this expectation is an element in the friendship called charity.

 

11. The fallen angels, that is, the demons in hell, cannot share the “fellowship of everlasting happiness,” and therefore they are outside the scope of charity.

 

12. Saint Augustine says: “There are four things to be loved: one is above us, God; another is ourselves; a third is near us, our neighbor, a fourth is below us, our body.

 

The Order of Charity

 

1. There is an order in charity, and God is the principle of that order.  God is to be loved out of charity, before all others.  The other beings that are to be loved out of charity are, so to speak, lined up in their proper places, subordinate to God.

 

2. Charity is active friendship and love.  It is therefore something more than good will, which is the condition and the beginning of friendship.

 

3. God is loved out of charity for his own sake, not on account of anything other than himself.  Yet in one way we can love God out of charity, and still have something else in view, as when we love God for the favors we receive or expect, but in such a way that these very favors are loved because they dispose us to love God the more.

 

4. Even in this life, in which we are wayfarers, we can have an immediate love of God, that is, love without a medium between lover and beloved.  We know God through the medium of created things; love moves the other way, for we love God first and then love created things for the love of God.

 

5. We can love God wholly according to our own creatural wholeness, but not according to the infinite wholeness of God.  For we are finite, and cannot compass infinity.

 

6. We need no test or mode or measure in our love for God.  Saint Augustine says we need only go on measurelessly loving God.

 

7. It is, in itself, more meritorious to love a friend than to love an enemy, just as it is worse to hate a friend than to hate an enemy.  But, considering that the love of a friend is likely to be less purely the effect of love of God, and also considering the distaste and difficulty that one must overcome to love an enemy, we see that it can be more meritorious to love an enemy than to love a friend.

 

8. To love God is more meritorious than to love one’s neighbor.  Indeed, to love one’s neighbor is a meritorious act only when we live him for the sake of God. (A Tour of the Summa, p. 201- 206)

 

Conclusion

Hopefully we have gained some idea on what the theological virtue of charity it.  It is a virtue which we receive from God and is directed towards Him.  The theological virtue of charity is absolutely necessary for salvation.  Charity is linked with, and impossible to obtain, apart from the theological virtues of faith and hope.  It is the love of friendship with God and must follow from or be infused with the theological virtues of faith and hope.  Selflessness is a quality of charity.  The loving of God above all things, and your neighbor as yourself for love of God.  True love seeks the good of the other, ahead of one’s own worldly needs.  It wills the genuine and especially the eternal good of the other.   Charity denies oneself for the salvation of the other when the opportunity arises.  It seeks not “what can I get out of this friendship” but “how can I help my friend”.  It is not a “me first”, but rather an “after you”.  It is also the love of one’s soul above the love of the body.  That is the stuff martyrs are made of. 

Faith, in part, is the knowing of God, hope is hoping for the eternal reward.  Most Protestants, if pressed on the issue, will nod their heads in agreement, that we must love God for salvation to be possible, but immediately thereafter teach faith alone.  Please pray for Protestants of good will that they seek and find the Truth; and pray for the Protestants of bad will that they become good willed before they die, so in eternity we may rejoice with them forever as authentic Christians that will be filled with love for the true God, the true Faith, themselves, and the Catholics and the Catholic Faith they formerly despised, forever.