The language of love differs from the language of theology. They are both given as a single twine of string, split, so as to wrap a package, meeting again as one string in a knot that ties the gift of mankind together. What distills theology into philosophy and ideology is the lack of charity; the lack not only to speak but to express through all senses the language of love. This expression of altruism is the dogmatic core of all belief. Without this, the fountain of compassion, we are nihilistic, primordials with no aversion to hedonism, but only stirring self-loving hegemony.
People have come and gone, asking the secular world, and even myself on the sole premise that I’m Catholic, “are you sure of your salvation?” or “do you know without a doubt you are saved by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and will go to heaven.” My answer is simply no. Does this sound appalling? It wouldn’t if we understood what the Bible says about salvation. People seem to overlook that salvation is guaranteed only to exist, but it is not guaranteed to us. When St. Paul states that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, give it some thought. We are told before we do not have assurance but hope in our salvation. St. Paul just said faith is assurance [in things hoped for] but not to have assurance [faith] in personal salvation, but hope. Why? Because we are to have assurance that salvation 100% exists, but it isn’t guaranteed to apply to us, therefore we are to have hope in receiving it. Following are the Bible verses that have to do with salvation and the assurance of.
In the Nicene-Constantinople we say that Christ, “for our sake”, came down from heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say, “By embracing in his human heart the Father’s love for men, Jesus ‘loved them to the end,’ for ‘greater love has no man than this, that a man may may down his life for his friends,” CCC #608. Christs death was no accident, neither did he want to die. His death was the divine plan of the Father, and he accepted the will of the Father. His death was entirely selfless, much like His act of creation. Christ’s death at our hands was intended to be the act of reconciliation that would allow us, those who put Him to death, to be saved. Christ’s entire ministry was “for our sake” according to the Creed, “For our sake and our salvation he came down from heaven.” So it wasn’t just his redemptive act that was for our sake, but even his birth. He came down to earth as a human to reveal to us the Father. He did this so that we could have a more personal relationship with Him. He sought nothing but a relationship with us, and that is why his death and resurrection was for “our sake.”
“The fool in his heart has said, ‘there is no God’” Psalms 14:2, 53:1.
To some, this sounds like a rather harsh statement. But what is it that makes this harsh? To begin, we shall venture into varying topics to help us respond to this statement.
Philosophy
We brethren in Christ unite in an ecumenical vocation; to love one another as Christ loved us. By doing so, we pass through the threshold of virtues and continually and daily encourage one another to work patiently and diligently, being as servants to God our Father. Through unification and daily devotion, we progress further into the works of our Lord.
Life and Morality is based on the ways in which we may continually conduct ourselves for the better of our lives and the coming to the fulfillment of our calling. For there was no greater love than He Who laid down His life for His friend.
Why is it that we have a desire to reach beyond that which we can attain? is it some deep seeded desire to disappoint ourselves? Are we generally so self deluded as to think that we are capable of truly anything? Why is it that we don’t just accept that which is given to us? Perhaps it is those who have gone before us and shown us that for some it is truly possible to be remarkable. But were they really that remarkable, or did they happen to be the people who were where they were. If given a chance to shine would not most people step forward. If this is the case than shining is not truly remarkable and no one can take credit for being extraordinary. If this is the case the credit must entirely go to God. For is it not He that puts us in the places that we are? Is it not Him who sets each of us in our own direction? I ask these question to remedy an answer to one bigger question I have asked all my life. Am I special? And I don’t simply mean special in that I am of God’s chosen people, whom are those of the species of man. No. I wonder if among men, am I somehow potentially above most. Though I know I am a broken man and am no where near perfect, the question still stands as this has nothing to do with perfection. This has to do with a level of self awareness and understanding.
Where to go from here?
This is a question which we ask ourselves many times in our lives. We often sit and ask ourselves this question after something happens in our lives, or when something doesn’t happen in our lives. But how often do we ask this question after we have contemplated an idea or fact in our lives? Not very often I would venture to say.
“But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak – the unborn child – must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for.” Mother Teresa.
