Right. Exactly. You've got it.
That's the answer.
When I was a child in Catholic school, I was always frustrated when I asked this type of question. The nuns always had an answer. The answers were in three categories:
1. An actual answer to the question. For example, "What is an indulgence?" The simple answer: Time taken off your Purgatory 'sentence'.
2. "Go look it up." I have come to understand that his is nun "code" for "I don't know the answer to that question. But, in the nuns' defense, it's a great educational tool to let young people know that they kind find some answers for themselves.
3. "It's a Sacred Mystery."
Your question falls into category THREE. "Sacred Mystery" is Catholic code for "just let it go".
How did Jesus fly bodily into Heaven? Heaven is also outside time and space. Did He fly somewhere like the space shuttle or an ground to air missile? It's a Sacred Mystery.
See how that works?
There is so much going on in God's universe that we can never understand. Just let it go. Because God made us. He knew that there were things that the brains he gave us would never understand. He's okay with it. He made it that way.
I do believe that sometimes when saints have 'ecstasies' they sometimes are being given the understanding of some of these mysteries. Not that it does the rest of us any good, since they can't really explain it to our pea brains.
We have enough on our plates just trying to do as Jesus commanded and turn the other cheek and forgive those who wronged us. There is a LOT to forgive out there. The compassion needed is colossally heavy lifting. I need all my pea brain power for that.
3 comments:
St. Stanislaus.
Still can't arrange it in feet.
My understanding of the time involved in an indulgence -- and I am sure I was taught this somewhere along the line -- is that a 30 days indulgence (for example) is not 30 days off the purgatory sentence, but the equivalent of 30 days of penance in sackcloth and ashes.
I look at it the same as when I'm asked by a,non believer how can I believe (**** insert question***).
My answer is simple, faith.
Thank you for answering my question :-) and thank you, katney, because your answer makes sense to me.
I've used the "human brain vs infinite knowledge" 'card' myself; though I don't really think it's a 'card', just the truth. Especially when asked questions like 'how come God didn't stop Adam Lanza' a LDS gentleman asked me that (it's truly scary what they believe)
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