Nailing Christ to the Cross

Bridegroom Press ^ | Steve Kellmeyer

[skellmeyer]

It wasn’t a coincidence.

When Martin Luther decided to nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenburg Castle Church, he chose Halloween to do it. This Augustinian monk held fiercely to many grievous doctrinal errors, but he did understand one thing: the liturgical year of the Catholic Church.

The liturgical year is meant to do two things at once: through it, we cast our eyes back towards Christ’s life on earth and through it we simultaneously cast our eyes forward through the long history of mankind, a history which will be crowned in the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ. Luther understood this. That’s why he really had no choice. His attack on indulgences had to take place on All Hallow’s Eve. We moderns don’t realize the significance of the day because our seasons are confused.

For instance, we all know that America celebrates New Year’s Day on the wrong day. The new year doesn’t begin January 1st, it begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Advent, of course, is the season during which we meditate on man’s sinfulness and prepare for Christmas. At least, we used to.

[TotusTuus]

Excellent article! Thanks for posting it.

It contained some choice advice about obedience. There are many on this forum who could use it.

P.S. Welcome to Free Republic!

[GirlShortstop]

When you or I sin, we remove grace from our lives. Grace is power. It is the ability to live life in peace and joy. When we remove this power, we are unable to live life peacefully or with joy. So, no matter how secret my sin may be, because it removes from me the power to be peaceful and joyful, I will be rendered unhappy by my sin. Because I lack the grace of joy, I will inevitably lash out at you, with unhappy word or fist, as a direct consequence of my oh-so-secret sin. Because I am not at peace, each of you who meet me are tempted to relinquish your peace. If any of you do, you will pass the pain along to the people you meet. The effects of my secret, solitary, stone-hearted sin ripple inexorably out into the world, tearing apart more and more lives.

There is good news. When I go to confession, my sins are forgiven and the grace, the power, to be joyful and at peace is restored to me. All I have to do is live it.

There is bad news. Even though my ability to live peacefully is restored, the effects of my earlier sins are still rippling through the world. Others are still being tormented by the consequences of my sin.

There is astonishing news. God expects me to purify the world of these rippling consequences. He gives me the grace to do it through the works of indulgences.

An excellent article.  Thank you very much for writing it (?) and posting it.  Welcome to FR!

[ikka]

Grace is not metered through the hands of a human; this was part of what Luther was "rebelling" against.

[John Locke]

For instance, we all know that America celebrates New Year’s Day on the wrong day. The new year doesn’t begin January 1st, it begins on the first Sunday of Advent.

The New Year begins where it has always begun, namely where God himself put it with his own hands - on the first day after the Winter Solstice. All else is vanity.

And, by the way, the dead by dying pay the entire debt they owe to God.

[skellmeyer]

If grace is not metered through the hands of a human, then Timothy must be wrong about Jesus, himself human, eh? :)

We are images of Christ who take up our cross, follow Him, and make up what is lacking in the suffering of Christ for the sake of His Church (Col 1:24).

All the Scriptures are true - not just the parts we like.

[skellmeyer]

How do we know "And, by the way, the dead by dying pay the entire debt they owe to God"?

I don't remember seeing a Scripture that says this. The Old Testament talks about everyone going down into Sheol. The New talks about the dead being witnesses, but that's about it.

You're making stuff up.

[tjwmason]

For instance, we all know that America celebrates New Year’s Day on the wrong day. The new year doesn’t begin January 1st, it begins on the first Sunday of Advent.

Until recently England kept New Year's Day on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin - the day of the actual Incarnation.

Also, it's not just America which keeps 1st January, the Vatican and the Holy Father do too. On the evening of 31st December Vespers in S. Peter's are followed by the Te Deum with thanks for the year past, and intention for the year to come. This still carries an indulgence I believe.

[HarleyD]

"When you or I sin, we remove grace from our lives. Grace is power. It is the ability to live life in peace and joy. When we remove this power, we are unable to live life peacefully or with joy....There is good news. When I go to confession, my sins are forgiven and the grace, the power, to be joyful and at peace is restored to me. All I have to do is live it.

YIKES! What Pope came up with this idea?

[Convert from ECUSA]

"Up until World War II, every Christian treated Advent as a time of preparation and repentance. Stockings, ornaments, even Christmas trees, were not erected in any house until Christmas Eve. During Advent, everyone meditated on the world’s wickedness prior to God come in the flesh (past), and prepared themselves for the Last Day, when God comes as Judge (future). For centuries, Christmas was at once both a reminder of the Incarnation, the First Coming, and a reminder of Dooms-Day, Judgement Day, the Second Coming.

That’s why Christmas gifts were exchanged only during Christmas season (which doesn’t start until Christmas Eve). The exchange of gifts not only recalled the gifts of the magi to the Christ child (past), they also reminded us of the wonderful exchange of Divine Persons within the Trinity, the exchange we enter into in Heaven after Judgement Day (future).

World War II changed all that. Because it took six weeks to transport anything by ship over the ocean, Americans were told to buy their Christmas gifts for their sons overseas by Thanksgiving, or their sons would not receive those gifts during Christmas season. American businesses liked the extra income generated by the much longer and earlier selling season – six weeks beats twelve days hands down.

Sixty years of advertising broke two millenia of Christian practice. Halloween has now become the closest thing we have to an Advent season. Advent is now a four-week long Christmas season, and Christmas season is now Purgatory. The season during which we are supposed to celebrate our life in heaven with the Christ child is now the time we pay all the bills."

The quotes above especially struck me. Even when I was growing up in the late 1950s/early 1960s, the whole "Christmas" advertising/sales, etc., etc., etc., was kept under some control, it was the day after Thanksgiving when all the decorations, ads, etc. went up in the stores and so on. People could at least concentrate on celebrating Thanksgiving first before gearing themselves for the Christmas season. Now? Shoot, decorations and ads/displays start popping up before Halloween! Go into the local CVS or Rite Aid on an October Indian Summer day to get some toothpaste and some bath soap, and be prepared to be mugged a large Santa and reindeer display, plus accidently knocking over a display of Christmas candy when inadvertantly backing up to give another poor soul room to get by the over-crowded aisles! Oy.

This gem from the article: "Christmas season is now Purgatory." The author must have read my mind! For years now, I have dreaded the whole period from November 1 through January 1, indeed a time of Purgatory with extra traffic, crowds, overall insanity. The only thing that has any meaning of Christmas for me, and has for a good number of years, is Christmas Eve or Chistmas Day service (when I was Anglican)/Mass (now that I'm Catholic). If all the rest except Dec. 24/Dec. 25 Mass was done away with, I'd be happy and not miss all the hoo-ha at all.

That must mean I'm a "scrooge!" Oh well, scrooges of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your jangled and frazzled nerves!

[Cvengr]

I suspect the expression "we remove grace from our lives" might really depend upon the audience unto which it is rendered. If addressed to those who have sinned and not yet returned to God, it communicates a discernment between how we receive grace while in fellowship from how we understand it when we are out of fellowship with God.

I suspect there are some good arguments doctrinally which would also show that even while we are out of fellowship, His discipline of the sinner is also gracious, however our perspective is on the judgment side of that grace rather than the righteous side of grace. Accordingly, we might not view it as grace while out of fellowship.

[HarleyD]

Well, perhaps from the RCC perspective your correct although appartently grace was a controversial subject within the Catholic Church so, I suppose, I could be excused. See New Advent:Grace

[Cvengr]

For example, young Tommy didn't think Sister Agnes was very gracious when she rapped him on the knuckles with her golden rule at the Catholic gradeshool run by the nuns,...but Sister Agnes thought her discipline of young Tommy was much more full of grace than allowing young Tommy to run amuk. ;^)

[ArrogantBustard]

Kohl's in Herndon already has the Xmas (spelling deliberate) stuff out. Makes me wanna barf. IT'S NOT EVEN FREAKING HALLOWEEN YET!!!

[Convert from ECUSA]

You preach it, AB! Ugh! Not even October and the Xmas (also deliberate) schlock and dreak is coming out. The momzers may as well leave it up all year long! Feh! Like I said, for me, November 1-January 1 is my annual bout with earthly Purgatory - with the exception of Dec. 24 or Dec. 25 Mass. I'm going to Williamsburg in two weeks for vacation, and I recall from two previous visits in October that some of the stores there will also have Xmas mess out.......

I expect that we may soon see Santas riding on Thanksgiving turkeys behind a sled pulled by reindeer and Halloween pumpkins with wings! Or Santa's bag being filled with Halloween pumpkins which he drops on houses rather like a crazed B-17 during WW 2!

Here's some cyber-Pepto for your insides after the sight at Kohls, my brother! I know exactly how you feel!

[GirlShortstop]

IT'S NOT EVEN FREAKING HALLOWEEN YET!!!

Consumerism: A Subtle Corroder of Virtue

UNIONTOWN, Ohio, AUG. 30, 2004 (Zenit) - Jesus Christ spoke out against greed more than any other vice. But despite those warnings, Christians are still incredibly susceptible to the allure of a materialistic lifestyle, says a Catholic psychologist.

Dr. Ray Guarendi, author, radio host and father of 10, told us how Christians in the West are plagued by consumerism and what damage greed can do to Christian marriages, families and individuals. full article

[Convert from ECUSA]

Very timely article, GirlShortstop - thanks for posting!

[GirlShortstop]

Very timely article, GirlShortstop - thanks for posting!

You're welcome.  I'm glad to share it with FRiends, as is Arrogant Bustard here.  Pax.

[NYer]

Welcome to Free Republic!

No need to excerpt an article from Bridegroom Magazine ... here it is in all its glory! Excellent article - thank you for posting it.

* * * * *

Nailing Christ to the Cross

It wasn’t a coincidence.

When Martin Luther decided to nail his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenburg Castle Church, he chose Halloween to do it. This Augustinian monk held fiercely to many grievous doctrinal errors, but he did understand one thing: the liturgical year of the Catholic Church.

The liturgical year is meant to do two things at once: through it, we cast our eyes back towards Christ’s life on earth and through it we simultaneously cast our eyes forward through the long history of mankind, a history which will be crowned in the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ. Luther understood this. That’s why he really had no choice. His attack on indulgences had to take place on All Hallow’s Eve. We moderns don’t realize the significance of the day because our seasons are confused.

For instance, we all know that America celebrates New Year’s Day on the wrong day. The new year doesn’t begin January 1st, it begins on the first Sunday of Advent. Advent, of course, is the season during which we meditate on man’s sinfulness and prepare for Christmas. At least, we used to.

Up until World War II, every Christian treated Advent as a time of preparation and repentance. Stockings, ornaments, even Christmas trees, were not erected in any house until Christmas Eve. During Advent, everyone meditated on the world’s wickedness prior to God come in the flesh (past), and prepared themselves for the Last Day, when God comes as Judge (future). For centuries, Christmas was at once both a reminder of the Incarnation, the First Coming, and a reminder of Dooms-Day, Judgement Day, the Second Coming.

That’s why Christmas gifts were exchanged only during Christmas season (which doesn’t start until Christmas Eve). The exchange of gifts not only recalled the gifts of the magi to the Christ child (past), they also reminded us of the wonderful exchange of Divine Persons within the Trinity, the exchange we enter into in Heaven after Judgement Day (future).

World War II changed all that. Because it took six weeks to transport anything by ship over the ocean, Americans were told to buy their Christmas gifts for their sons overseas by Thanksgiving, or their sons would not receive those gifts during Christmas season. American businesses liked the extra income generated by the much longer and earlier selling season – six weeks beats twelve days hands down.

Sixty years of advertising broke two millenia of Christian practice. Halloween has now become the closest thing we have to an Advent season. Advent is now a four-week long Christmas season, and Christmas season is now Purgatory. The season during which we are supposed to celebrate our life in heaven with the Christ child is now the time we pay all the bills.

In Luther’s time, everything was still in its proper order: Death, Purgatory, Judgement Day. Death and Purgatory were recalled first through the commemoration of All Saints’ Day, emphasizing those who died and went straight to heaven, and all Souls’ Day, emphasizing those who died and still had more purification ahead of them.

Purgatory, of course, is not someplace any of us are supposed to end up. God calls each of us to purify our lives of every sin while we are still alive here on earth. Indeed, we are called not only to purify our lives of every sin, but to purify the universe of every consequence of every sin we may have committed. And make no mistake about it: every sin carries a consequence, not just a spiritual consequence, but a material consequence.

When you or I sin, we remove grace from our lives. Grace is power. It is the ability to live life in peace and joy. When we remove this power, we are unable to live life peacefully or with joy. So, no matter how secret my sin may be, because it removes from me the power to be peaceful and joyful, I will be rendered unhappy by my sin. Because I lack the grace of joy, I will inevitably lash out at you, with unhappy word or fist, as a direct consequence of my oh-so-secret sin. Because I am not at peace, each of you who meet me are tempted to relinquish your peace. If any of you do, you will pass the pain along to the people you meet. The effects of my secret, solitary, stone-hearted sin ripple inexorably out into the world, tearing apart more and more lives.

There is good news. When I go to confession, my sins are forgiven and the grace, the power, to be joyful and at peace is restored to me. All I have to do is live it.

There is bad news. Even though my ability to live peacefully is restored, the effects of my earlier sins are still rippling through the world. Others are still being tormented by the consequences of my sin.

There is astonishing news. God expects me to purify the world of these rippling consequences. He gives me the grace to do it through the works of indulgences.

An indulgence is the flood of grace brought into the world through my obedience to Christ and His Bride. It is a somewhat arbitrary obedience that answers for my earlier arbitrary disobedience. God does not owe me this grace, He gives it to me freely, for He knows I cannot clean up the mess I made unless I receive this assistance. The flood of grace from my repeated obediences slows or removes the negative consequences of my past disobediences.

Paul tells us that we are God’s co-workers (1 Cor 3:9). God’s work is the total eradication of sin and all its consequences. Thus, our work is likewise the total eradication of sin and all its consequences. He expects each of us to do our part.

We each learn obedience as Christ did, through suffering (Heb 5:8). Every living man must learn obedience, must clean up his own mess. I can only win the flood of grace, the indulgence, if I am first in a state of grace: my sins must first be forgiven in confession. I can win the flood of grace only for myself, or for those who can no longer obey in the flesh because they no longer have their flesh with them. That is, I can assist those who cannot easily help themselves – the dead.

Some people die in a state of grace, but have not finished cleaning up their mess. This poses a problem. There is only one way to cleanse the world: join in Christ’s suffering. But Christ suffered in His own body. When I am dead, I do not have a body until the Last Day. Because of this crippling lack, my spiritual suffering must do double-duty, for the part of me which is supposed to do the work of suffering, that is, my flesh, is not present to help out. This double-duty suffering is Purgatory.

When I, as a living man, offer indulgences for the dead, I acknowledge that 1 Corinthians 12 is correct: when one suffers, all share the pain. The pain of those in Purgatory is my pain, for the consequences of their sins still affects me – that’s part of the reason they are in Purgatory. But, when my assistance has helped a soul complete the necessary purification, 1 Corinthians 12 likewise applies: when one is honored, all share the glory.

In Luther’s time, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day were the pre-eminent days for Catholics to remember and apply 1 Corinthians 12. On those days, Catholics flocked to perform indulgences, for they wanted to purify the world of the consequences of sin, they wanted to purify themselves, they wanted to help those who had died complete their purifications.

The weeks between All Hallow’s Eve and the First Sunday of Advent corresponded to the end of the ages. In a few short weeks, the new age would be upon them! In this new age, Christmas-Parousia would be celebrated. Everyone had to prepare, all had to sweep their house clean of leaven, that is, the consequences of sin, and ready themselves for the heavenly banquet, where they would feast on the pure flesh of God.

Sadly, Luther’s badly-formed theology had no place for meaningful human suffering or men as divine co-workers. He rejected both indulgences and purgatory. So, he attacked indulgences at the crucial moment – the moment during the year when men began to prepare themselves to consciously live as divine co-workers.

His attack on Catholic theology may have begun with indulgences, but it ended by destroying the common understanding that God empowers man to sanctify everything, even time itself. Today, what Luther began on Halloween has reached full crescendo. He did attack it at the crucial moment, for the word “crucial” comes from the Latin “crux”, which means Cross. By nailing his attack on indulgences on that door, he crucified the idea that men should share Christ’s sufferings.

Now, especially in America, Christ suffers alone.

Do you want to change that?

Then take back the seasons.

Here's one way to do it. The Calendar of Indulgences is a simple appointment calendar that lists every indulgence Christ offers us through His Bride, the Church on a week-by-week basis. It explains what an indulgence is, how to do each one, and gives you an opportunity to consider each in turn over the course of the year, so that you can choose the ones which best suits your spiritual needs in each liturgical season. Historical notes are arranged chronologically throughout the months, showing how the doctrine of indulgences developed from apostolic times onward, while weekly reminders to fast and receive Confession help you order your spiritual life. In addition, the back of the calendar lists the Scriptural defence for one dozen different doctrines of the Church are provided and gives the full text of nearly two dozen indulgenced prayers. Use the calendar as you would any other calendar, and slowly allow yourself to be caught up in the prayerful rhythms of the liturgical year.

God gave us the liturgy so that we could learn to change our lives. We have to find some way to allow the liturgical year into our lives. This liturgical year, make a resolution to let Him change you.

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