Aug 16, 2019 Friday Motjari Meeting: Fr. Foeckler’s lecture note

[정하상성당]

+Ave Cor Mariae

Aug 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity)

On this day, Mary had been assumed in heaven in her body and soul.

Assumption is different from ascension. Assumption is passive, used when you are taken up by other force as it is used to Mary. Ascension if active, used when you rise with your own power, as it is used to Jesus.

Why was Mary taken up to heaven?

Because she is the best of all of the daughters of Eve. She was full of grace. She was the best friend of God as she could be. She was conceived without sin (immaculate conception, Dec 8th). God prevented her from receiving original sin. No sin, no stain of sin, not even a shadow of sin, because He wanted her to be mother of Jesus. She also had never made a personal sin, as Jesus said, “those who are good to God” ” they are brothers, sisters and mother (notice this is singular) to me.” Mary became the queen of heaven, because she is the mother of Jesus.

Pope Pius XII said, “she was taken by God in her body and soul”. The church didn’t decide if she had been died or not. Some says she died, some says she didn’t because she has no sin. But of course, at the same time, Jesus had to die even though he was the son of God.

Next Thursday (Aug 22) Feast day of the Queenship of Mary

Mary is the daughter of Eve. “I’m the slave girl to the Lord. Do to me whatever He wants” was Mary’s word to the angel. She was very obedient to God.

Original Sin

Original sin is the thing that gets washed away in baptism. However, what is this thing?

Devil: Concupiscence

Gospel for today, Matthew 19: 8 about marriage and divorce

19:8 He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” 10 [His] disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11. He answered, “Not all can accept [this] word, but only those to whom that is granted. 12 Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

Jesus is talking about Adam and Eve before the fall when everything is in harmony in the garden. Sin entered in , and their hearts got hardened.

In Genesis, in the beginning, Adam and Eve obeyed God. They were walking with God, which means they were friends with God. They had sanctifying grace. God gave Adam a good body then immortal and rational soul. No other creature had this. God also created Eve for him. Sanctifying grace means grace that makes us friends with God. Then Adam was 1. immune to death thus had immortality, 2. immune to pain thus had impassibility, 3. infused knowledge, so he was able to name animals according to their nature, and 4. had integrity, in other words, had immunity form experiencing emotions, and subject to reason. Those 4 things are gifts from God, preternatural gifts, which translated, beyond natural gifts.

Unfortunately, we don’t have those gifts. Without grace, immortality turns to death, impassibility turns to pain, infused knowledge turns to ignorance, integrity turns to concupiscence. Concupiscence means the disordered inclination of our senses to sanctify ourselves, tendency to sin.

Esau sold his birth right to a bowl of lentil stew. He had followed his feeling. If you are getting the temptation, are you sinning? No. Temptation is advertising. You know it’s there, but you don’t follow it.

Two advantages of concupiscence 

Please note, it is tendency, not a sin itself.

1. Arena of spiritual combat

The word “arena” came from Latin word which means “sand”. That is where gladiators fight. We fight our spiritual combat. Video game rating M means mature, that is mama says no thing, but kids get the temptation. Here comes your aid station, confession. You get hurts in this battle, go to confession, and get healed. The more you win, you get stronger. The more you lose, it weakens us. Every victory leads to another.

2. Occasion of merit

Medal of honor is given to the soldiers who act above and beyond on their duty. This battle we have is an opportunity for us to show God that we love Him. Follow your reason, not your animal instinct, and become God’s loving child.

Why did God allow Adam and Eve sinning? 

Two reasons.  God, in fact gave freedom at the moment, because He loves us, and He wants us to love Him and for greater good, by sending Jesus to save us. The redemption of Jesus Christ.

Note taker’s comment: Very belated update, sorry if anybody waited.

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