“GOD
IS NOT the author of confusion, but of peace…” (I Cor. 14:33, King James
Version). This is according to Apostle Paul in his first
epistle to Corithians.
If
the Roman Catholic Church was truly established by our Lord Jesus Christ and is
therefore of God, then it should be devoid of doctrines that are confusing.
Otherwise, the Catholic Church is neither of God nor of Christ.
The
Mass is the heart of Catholic worship. Catholics taught that it was instituted
by our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, it is of God. If such a claim is true,
then the Mass should not be confusing to Catholics laymen, especially to
Catholic teachers.
But
what does the Catholic Church say regarding the Mass? “…you cannot be a mere spectator at mass. You cannot simply
watch the mass being offered. You must offer God to God and be offered by God
to God in ‘Christ Jesus”.
“The
last point is the crucial point: you are offered to God even as you offer God
to God. For mass is what ‘for God. But you also place yourself in God’s hand to
be offered by God to God. That is mass.” (This Is Love. p. 138). wondrous
exchange’. God places himself in your hands so that you may have a fit offering
Catholics
should not be mere spectators of the Catholic Mass. They should offer God to
God, even as they are offered by God to God.
How
is God offered to God, and how are Catholics offered by God to God? It seems
that “God places himself “in the hands of the Catholics attending Mass.
Simultaneously, Catholics place themselves in God’s says “That is Mass.” This
is nonetheless confusing: What makes the Mass confusing?
“The
words of commemoration, four bold, hard words which rage against the senses,
are insignificant…There is something terrible in the words, something fearful
beyond seeming contradiction between what I say with my mouth and what I see
with my eyes. On that day it was though I had bent over a piece of bread and
had told a lie, a monumental lie…
“I
did not fully understand what I did as I said Mass that day. I did not fully understand
the power that is mine, I do not understand it now. It is a mystery…
“’The
priest does not understand himself; if he did, he would die’…” (The Restless Christian, pp. 170-171)
This
is quite a frank confession! The priest is utterly bewildered-he does not
understand what he does during Mass, nay he does not even understand himself.
What he says during Mass, the “four fold, hard words” (This is My Body”) rage
against his senses. There is a “seeming contradiction” between what he says
with his mouth and what he sees with his eyes. Hence, the priest could not
understand, he could not comprehend. He is utterly confused.
If
a learned Roman Catholic priests are utterly confused regarding the Catholic
Mass, how much more are ordinary Catholics?
ANTOHER FRANK AFFIRMATION BY A CATHOLIC PRIEST
“The
word of consecration by themselves really do have the power to put Christ to
death and should be conceived as really trying to do so. However, this effect
is impeded by the miracle which has been worked upon Christ’s body which is now
glorified and so cannot suffer…
“This
theory is ingenious, but it is open to serious objections.
“First,
as unsuccessful attempt at destruction is no destruction at all. Since these
theologians deny that the symbolic death is considered independently of its aim
(physical death), suffice for the sacrifice even though it contains no
immolation at all…
“Second,
it is hard to believe and cannot be proved that God conferred upon the words of
commemoration and inherent powers which they can never carry into effect. This
would seems to be irrational procedure on God’s part…
“Hence
the actual death of Christ on Calvary is, in some mysterious and supernatural
way brought to the altar. The redemptive mystery of the cross emerges into time
at each Mass. Each Mass is an image containing, nor merely reflecting, the
exemplar, Calvary.
“This
theory has the merits of reminding us that the sacrifice of the Mass is a
profound mystery which we shall never completely understand.” (Sacramental Theology, pp. 219-220)
The
Mass is a profound mystery which Roman Catholics, including their learned
mentors, will never come to understand. So many theories were advanced by
Catholic theologians regarding the ‘mystic death’ or 'unbloody immolation' made
allegedly by Christ in the sacrifice of the Mass. No unity or agreement was
achieved for the simple reason that the theories advanced contradict logical
reasons. To wit: “…it is hard to believe and cannot be proved that God
conferred upon the words of consecration and inherent powers which they can
never carry into effect…”
RELATED MYSTERY DOGMAS
“The
Incarnation although revealed, remains a mystery….The Blessed Trinity and the
Incarnation are connected mysteries. In some sense they are identical. The
Blessed Trinity teaches us that in God there is one divine nature, yet three
persons. The Incarnation speaks of two natures, one divine and one human, but
divine person, that of the God the Son. It is through the Incarnation that God
has revealed unto us the Blessed Trinity.” (Whom Do You Say - ?, p. 42)
The
study of the works and person of Christ is known as Christology.
“The
Blessed Trinity”, “The Incarnation”, and the “Deity of Jesus Christ” are
interrelated or so closely related to each other that the falsity of any of
the three unavoidably pulls down the other two from their alleged truthfulness
to scripture to being false or man-made doctrines! To support their contention
that the above mentioned dogmas or doctrines are interrelated, they say that,
“It is through Incarnation that God has revealed unto us the Blessed Trinity”.
The alleged deity of Christ is “revealed” in the “Incarnation” in the sense
that Christ allegedly has a dual nature, one divine and one human, yet they
are not two person but one. This one person, a divine one, is allegedly
Christ, “God the Son”.
Is
this dogma of the “Blessed Trinity” capable of being understood?
“The
trinity is a wonderful mystery. No one understands it. The most learned
theologian, the holiest Pope, the greatest saint, all are mystified by it as a
child of seven.” (God and Myself,
p. 118)
The
dogma of Trinity is incapable of being understood even by the most learned
theologian of the Roman Catholics Church, not even by the holiest Pope, nay
even by their greatest saint. The reason is that the Trinity is a mystery.
How
about the dogma of Incarnation? What do Catholic authorities reveal regarding
this dogma? J.P. Arendzen, D.D.,Ph.D., M.A., Author of Who Do You Say - ? has
this to say:
“The
doctrine of the Incarnation rests on the distinction between nature and person.
In Christ there are two natures, the divine and the human, but only one person,
that of God the Son, the second of the Blessed Trinity. The explanation of the
mystery is beyond the greatest intellect, but the meaning of mystery is
intelligible to the simplest child.”
(p. 59)
Since
the dogma of the Trinity and the Incarnation are interrelated and are
classified as mystery doctrines, could Roman Catholic teachers explain how
Christ is God? Let us read again J.P. Andrezen. Says he:
“The
Incarnation must for us always remain unintelligible;…in the sense that our
human intelligence can never see and therefore never explain how Christ is
God.: (Ibid.,p.51)
The dogma of the
Trinity, of Incarnation, and of the Deity of Christ are all incapable of being
understood or explained, they being classified as mysteries, yet Catholic
authors assert that the meaning of the mysteries is intelligible to the
simplest child. How can this be? Oftentimes, a careful explanation of a certain
belief is being made yet some could not comprehend its meaning, how then could
the dogma of the Blessed Trinity, of the Incarnation, of the Deity of Christ be
understood by the simplest child if even the greatest intellect among Catholics
cannot explain them?
These
mystery dogmas are also confusing or baffling:
“The
Chalcedon divines were enable, by carefully observing it, to combine all the
Scripture data relating to the Incarnation, into a form of statement that has
been accepted by the church universal ever since, and beyond which it is
probable the human mind is unable to go, in the endeavor to unfold the mystery
of Christ’s complex Person, which in some of its aspects is even more baffling
than the mystery of the Trinity.”
(History of Christian Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 408)
The
Trinity dogma is baffling but in some aspects the dogma of the Incarnation is
more baffling! Remember the mystery dogmas are interrelated. Hence, the mystery
of Christ’s complex Person is related to the Incarnation which is “more baffling
than the mystery of the Trinty”.
The
Mass, The Trinity, The Incarnation, and the Deity of Christ are all classified
as mysteries and are all beyond their comprehension. Apostle Paul is absolutely
right in describing those who teach doctrines resulting in confusion:
“Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they
say, nor whereof they affirm.” (I
Tim. 1:7)
Roman
Catholic authors desiring to be teachers of the law do not understand what they
say and what they affirm. They are according to Christ:
“blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind both shall
fall into the ditch.” (Mt. 15:15)
“Woe unto you, ye blind guides…” (Mt. 23:16)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arendzen, J. P. Who Do You Say - ?
New York: Sheed & Ward, 1941
McDonnel, Kilian. The Restless Christian
New York: Peter W. Bartholome, Sheed & Ward, 1957
McAuliffe, Clarence. Sacramental Theology
New York: Vail Ballou Press, 1958
Raymond, M. This is Love.
Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1964
Scott, Martin J. God and Myself
P.J. Kennedy & Sons, 1917
Shedd, William G.T. A History of Christian Doctrine
Vol. I, Minnesota: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, 1978
Ton, Peter; James D. Spiceland. One God in Trinity
Illinois: Cornerstone Books, n.d.