Lessons from the saints - the Immaculate Conception of the blessed virgin Mary

This is the next installment in my ongoing series known as "why Tim is a heretic".  This post very well may honk you off.  You've been warned.

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrating the infallible dogma that Christ followed in his mother's footsteps and was born free from the taint of Original Sin. Well, sorta.  You see, the idea that Christ was born without sin is not, in fact,  infallible doctrine via the Roman Church. The idea that Mary was born without sin is.

In any event, discussion the state of the Blessed Virgin's soul becomes a topic of some discussion in the 8th century, primarily in the Eastern Catholic faiths, and the feast of the Immaculate Conception is first celebrated in the Roman Catholic church in the 11th century (after the Roman Catholics split with the Eastern Catholics).  The growth of Mariology in the middle ages increased the prominence of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception until Pius IX declared the dogma to be infallible on December 8, 1854 (only one of two times the infallible card has been used).

I would note that there is no Scriptural basis for above mentioned dogma, though there is substantive Tradition which supports the idea that Mary was bathed in some form of Grace (the exact nature of which is debated) which caused her to be free from the taint of sin.

and.....this is where I get off the bus.  It is not that I disbelieve in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.  In fact, it is really just the opposite.  I will explain.

You see, as I have stated much earlier in this blog, I do not hold the concept of Original Sin as being valid.     We are all made in Her image and carry within us the spark of the Divine.  We are the ones who walk away from God, not He from us.

If all mortal children are born without the taint of Original Sin, then the disposition of Mary's soul (and the soul of her firstborn son) at the moment of her conception and/or birth has not changed.  What has changed is underlying assumption that Mary (or the child) was born differently than you or I.  For Christ to be born without sin and yet be 'fully human', it would follow that we must also be born without sin. 

What happens after that is, fundamentally, our responsibility.



P.S. - These are things which I believe, but I am but me, a mortal man who can but barely see things physical in the here and now.  If you have reasons to believe differently, then express them.

Pax,

Tim

Getting back to things

This weekend's gospel reading was from Mat. 3, wherein John the Baptist has some words for the priests.

"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Mat. 3:7b-10)

There's a rant or three in there for the current hierarchy of most every christian denomination.  A tougher nut to crack is what our pastor mentioned on Saturday, which is a more general exhortation which is important for us all.  Nice thoughts don't feed bellies and the best of intentions won't keep someone warm at night.  This is the core of James' faith/works argument.  This is what Christ is going on about in Mat. 7 when he talks about building a house on sand or on bedrock.  If you hear and don't do, then the house is built on sand.  If you hear and do, then the house will stand.

Don't pontificate platitudes or dictate dogma about what should or should not be done, how people should or shouldn't act or any of that. 

Produce the good fruit or meet the axe. 

It's that simple.

Do!

An unexpected turn

I was going to say something today about the feast of St. Eligius, which honours the merovingian goldsmith and artisan whose skill in metal was only excelled by his devotion to the poor and love of God. 

Well I was.

Then I got linked to the video below and cried like a soppy sheila.

It's the first week of advent.

Great and wondrous things are coming.

Hallelujah!