QUESTIONS FROM A SOMASCAN SEMINARIAN ON ATONEMENT AND MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES

The Multiplication of the Loaves

Mark Candiasan

Nobyembre 11, 2010 nang 5:44 AM

Subject: Apologetic Questions

Dear Fr. Abe,

Greetings of Peace!

I just want to clarify some questions that arise from my personal readings about purgatory. I read different articles about this topic and in particular, this topic will soon be discussed in our Theology class regarding Eschatology this second semester.

If Christ saved us already, was not the mercy and forgiveness of Christ on the cross more than sufficient for atonement and reparation for sin? It is Christ alone who saves and it is we who receive by faith and this takes place during our lifetime. There are no further need then for atonement and satisfaction for sin after death.

My source: Peace at the Last A Christian Theology of the Last Things.(c) 2009 by Fr. Colm Mckeating, Claretian Publications

Secondly, I was been asked and how shall I answer the Protestant claim regarding the Catholic interpretation on Mt. 14:13-21, Mk 6:32-44, Lk 9: 10-17 and Jn 6: 1-13 regarding the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. For them they are insisting that the Catholic Church is wrong. Instead of the Miracle of Multiplication, it should be the Miracle of Sharing?

Thank you so much.

In Christ,
Mark Ceasar M. Candiasan

RESPONSE:

[Dear Fr. Abe,

Greetings of Peace!

I just want to clarify some questions that arise from my personal readings about purgatory. I read different articles about this topic and in particular, this topic will soon be discussed in our Theology class regarding Eschatology this second semester.]

FIRST AND FOREMOST SEM. MARK PLEASE SEND MY REGARDS TO THE FATHERS AND BROTHERS WHO ARE WITH YOU IN THE SEMINARY AND CASA MIANI.. SECOND, PLEASE SEND MY GREETINGS TO MY KABAYAN SEM. YVES, AND TO SEM. PAUL WHO RECENTLY VISITED US HERE IN SORSOGON. OF COURSE, PLEASE EXTEND ALSO MY GREETINGS TO OUR SORSOGANON SEMINARIANS: ROBERT AND COMPANY.

I’M GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APOLOGETICS. I HOPE I CAN GIVE YOU AN APOLOGETIC SEMINAR IN LUBAO IF YOUR SUPERIOR WILL APPROVE. I ALREADY DELIVERED APOLOGETIC TALKS OR SEMINARS IN SEVERAL SEMINARIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY EXCEPT IN MY VERY OWN.

YOUR QUESTIONS ARE QUITE SENSITIVE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT ONLY TOUCH THE ISSUE OF PURGATORY BUT ALSO OF SALVATION, JUSTIFICATION, GRACE, ATONEMENT AND SANCTIFICATION.

[If Christ saved us already, was not the mercy and forgiveness of Christ on the cross more than sufficient for atonement and reparation for sin?]

THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST IS PERFECT AND THEREFORE IT IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO ATONE FOR THE SINS OF ALL. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE HERE IS NOT THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST BUT THE SINFULNESS OF HUMAN PERSONS. FOR INSTANCE, EVEN IF CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS IF THE ADULTERER DOES NOT WANT TO ABANDON HIS SEXUAL IMMORALITY THEN THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST WILL NOT BE EFFICACIOUS ON HIM BECAUSE THE MAN REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE SALVATION OFFERED BY CHRIST FOR HIS OWN SANCTIFICATION.

IT IS JUST LIKE A DOCTOR WHO OFFERS THE BEST MEDICINE TO CURE DRUG ADDICTION, BUT THE PATIENT DOES NOT WANT TO DRINK THE MEDICINE BECAUSE HE IS ENJOYING THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS. SO, IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF THE MEDICINE BEING IMPERFECT BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY PERFECT… IT IS THE BEST. BUT STILL INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE THE RECIPIENT REFUSED IT AND THE HEALING IT BRINGS.

THE IMPERFECTION IS ATTRIBUTED ON THE SINNERS NOT ON THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST. HAVING FREEDOM AND WILL THE HUMAN PERSON CAN REJECT THE GRACE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. IN FACT, EVEN JESUS AS A PERSON WAS REJECTED, HOW MUCH MORE HIS ATONEMENT. THAT IS WHY THERE IS A DAMNATION OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ULTIMATELY REJECT GOD.

[It is Christ alone who saves]

DEFINITELY.

IT IS CHRIST ALONE WHO SAVES. THAT IS OUR CATHOLIC TEACHING. JESUS IS THE ONLY LORD AND SAVIOR. THAT IS CLEAR FOR US IN THE HOLY MASS WHEREIN WE SING: “You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord. You alone are the Most High Jesus Christ…” [cf. Gloria in Excelsis Deo]

[and it is we who receive by faith and this takes place during our lifetime.]

YES. THIS IS ALSO THE TEACHING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS IS NOT INCOMPATIBLE WITH OUR FAITH. THE PROTESTANTS ARE SIMPLY IGNORANT OF OUR CATHOLIC THEOLOGY OF PURGATORY. WHY? BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE SOULS IN PURGATORY ARE ALREADY SAVED. THEY ARE ALREADY SURE OF HEAVEN BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN CHRIST HERE IN EARTH AND THEY LIVED GOOD LIVES. IT SO HAPPENED THAT THEY DIED WITH SOME REMAINING SINS AND THEREFORE THEY MUST BE CLEANSED OF THOSE SINS BEFORE THEY COULD ENTER HEAVEN BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THAT NO UNCLEAN OR IMPURE SHALL ENTER HEAVEN. THAT IS WHY THERE IS A NEED OF PURIFICATION:

Revelation 21:27 [New International Version] “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

NO IMPURE SHALL ENTER HEAVEN. WHY? BECAUSE HEAVEN IS RESERVED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY SANCTIFIED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. THE SOULS IN HEAVEN ARE SPIRITS OF THE JUST MEN MADE PERFECT:

Hebrews 12:22-24 [NIV] “22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. ”

SEE, IN THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM… THE CHURCH IN HEAVEN OR WHAT WE CALL THE TRIUPHANT CHURCH THE SOULS PRESENT THEREIN ARE RIGHTEOUS SPIRITS OF MEN… THEY ARE MADE PERFECT. THUS, ANY IMPERFECTION, SINFULNESS AND WRONGDOINGS MUST BE CLEANSED, PURIFIED, SANCTIFIED FIRST BEFORE THEY CAN ENTER HEAVEN.

THOSE WHO ARE BEING SENT TO HELL ARE THE SOULS OF THE DAMNED AND THE DEMONS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DIED IN THE STATE OF MORTAL SIN OR TOTAL REJECTION OF GOD BY THEIR REFUSAL TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER OF SALVATION:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 [NIV] “9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ”

AGAIN, THE WICKED AND THE EVIL DOERS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM. THAT IS VERY CLEAR BECAUSE ST. PAUL IS SUPPORTING ST. JOHN IN REV. 21:27.

NOW, GO TO v. 11. THERE ST. PAUL IS TELLING THE CORINTHIANS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WASHED [It refers to Baptism], SANCTIFIED AND JUSTIFIED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. IT MEANS THAT WHEN WE BECAME CHRISTIANS BY BAPTISM WE WERE MADE CLEAN FROM OUR SINS. SOME REMAINS UNDER THAT STATE OF GRACE AND THEY DIE AS HOLY AND SANCTIFIED PEOPLE LIKE THE MARTYRS AND THE SAINTS. BUT OTHERS ARE NOT. MANY ARE DYING WITH UNFORGIVEN, UNCLEANSED SINS. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE IN NEED OF PURIFICATION OR PURGATION CALLED PURGATORY.

[There are no further need then for atonement and satisfaction for sin after death.]

O NO, NO, NO… WHERE IS THAT IN THE BIBLE? CHAPTER AND VERSE PLEASE. THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST OR HIS ATONEMENT IS ‘ONCE AND FOR ALL’:

Hebrews 10:10 [NIV] “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

THE BODY OF JESUS WAS OFFERED ON THE CROSS ONCE, ONLY ONCE. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOES NOT CRUCIFY JESUS AGAIN BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES WHO ORDERED THAT CRUCIFIXION BE STOPPED AND PROHIBITED FROM THEN ON… NOT THE PROTESTANTS.

HOWEVER, THERE IS ANOTHER SACRIFICE OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS WHICH IS GIVEN TO ALL CHRISTIANS FOR ALL TIME. THE LORD JESUS COMMANDED THE CHRISTIANS TO REPEAT IT AND DO IT AGAIN:

1 Corinthians 11:23-27 [NIV] “23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”

THE COMMAND “DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME” IS ‘TOUTO POIEITE’ IN GREEK. IT IS A VERB ACTIVE-IMPERATIVE. IT SIGNIFY A COMMAND THAT MUST BE CONTINUOUSLY BE FULFILLED. IT IS NOT A ONE TIME EVENT BUT A DYNAMIC COMMAND TO BE FULFILLED BY ALL CHRISTIANS OF ALL TIME.

THIS IS THE SACRIFICE THAT WE REPEATEDLY OFFER FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEAD AND THIS IS THE SACRIFICE WE ARE DOING DAILY AND EVERY SUNDAY. THIS IS COMMANDED BY THE LORD JESUS TO BE REPEATED AND TO BE DONE AGAIN AND AGAIN. BY REMEMBERING THE CROSS OF JESUS WE ARE REMINED OF HIS ONE AND ONLY SACRIFICE ON CALVARY AND WHEN WE DO THE EUCHARISTIC SACRIFICE WE BEHOLD HIS ‘BODY’ AND ‘BLOOD’ AS A ETERNAL OFFERING THAT THE DIVINE MASTER HAS LEFT US AS A GIFT.

THE BIBLE AND THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AGREE THAT THE GRACE OF GOD IS ACTIVE NOT ONLY IN OUR LIFE ON EARTH BUT ALSO AFTER DEATH:

Ruth 2:20 [NIV] “"The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."”

YOU SEE, “GOD HAS NOT STOPPED SHOWING HIS KINDNESS TO THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.” THAT IS WHY THE SAINTS ARE IN HEAVEN BECAUSE EVEN IF THEY ARE DEAD THEY ARE BEING GLORIFIED IN HEAVEN.

THAT IS WHY FROM OLD TESTAMENT IT IS ALREADY CLEAR TO THE BELEIVERS OF THE TRUE GOD THAT FASTING OR SACRIFICES CAN BE OFFERED FOR THE DEAD:

2 Samuel 1:12 [NIV] “They mourned and wept and FASTED till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.”

ACTUALLY, EARLIER IN 1 SAMUEL 31:13 THE FASTING FOR THE KILLED KING DAVID, HIS SON JONATHAN AND THE SOLDIERS OF ISRAEL LASTED ONE WEEK [7 DAYS].

OFFERING SACRIFICES FOR THE DEAD WAS COMMON IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THIS IS ALL THE MORE INTENSIFIED AMONG CHRISTIANS BECAUSE THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT THAT THERE IS A FORGIVENESS OF SINS NOT ONLY IN THIS LIFE BUT ALSO IN THE NEXT:

Matthew 12:32 [NIV] “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

THERE IS A FORGIVENESS OF SIN NOT ONLY IN THIS WORLD BUT IN THE WORLD TO COME; NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE BUT IN THE AGE TO COME; NOT ONLY IN THIS LIFE BUT IN THE LIFE TO COME. GOD IS THE JUDGE NOT ONLY OF THE LIVING BUT ALSO OF THE DEATH, THUS THE APOSTLES CREED STATES: “He will come again to judge the LIVING and the DEAD.”

[My source: Peace at the Last A Christian Theology of the Last Things.(c) 2009 by Fr. Colm Mckeating, Claretian Publications]

I DON’T WANT TO JUDGE THE BOOK AND THE AUTHOR AS ERRONEOUS BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE A COPY OF IT AND AT THE SAME TIME I HAVE NOT READ IT. MOST PROBABLY HE WAS EXPLAINING ON THAT PART THE PROTESTANT OBJECTIONS TO PURGATORY.

[Secondly, I was been asked and how shall I answer the Protestant claim regarding the Catholic interpretation on Mt. 14:13-21, Mk 6:32-44, Lk 9: 10-17 and Jn 6: 1-13 regarding the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. For them they are insisting that the Catholic Church is wrong. Instead of the Miracle of Multiplication, it should be the Miracle of Sharing?]

THAT IS A VERY SIMPLE MATTER TO REFUTE.

READ THE TEXTS CAREFULLY, LINE BY LINE, WORD FOR WORD. THERE IS NO IOTA OF SUPPORT THERE THAT THE PEOPLE ONLY SHARED THEIR HIDDEN FOOD. NO, NO, NO… NOTHING AT ALL! IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN THERE WILL BE NO MIRACLE BECAUSE SHARING IS NOT A MIRACLE BUT A NORMAL CHANGE OF ATTITUDE.

IT IS VERY CLEAR FROM THE TEXTS THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE AND THE LORD MULTIPLIED THE FOOD OUT OF LIMITED QUANTITY OF BREAD AND FISH. THAT MULTIPLICATION OF BREAD AND FISH IS WELL ESTABLISHED IN THE TEXT.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MIRACLE OF SHARING. OTHERWISE IT IS STUPID FOR THE APOSTLES TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD AROUND. THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THAT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES WILL PASS THE FOOD TO ONE ANOTHER. INSTEAD, THEY GOT THEIR MEAL FROM THE APOSTLES CARRYING THE FOOD ON BASKETS PERSONALLY BLESSED BY JESUS… FROM THESE FEW LOAVES THERE WERE LEFT OVERS GREATER IN NUMBER THAN THE ORIGINAL QUANTITY BLESSED PRIOR TO THE MIRACLE.

IF THE LORD JESUS DIDN’T MULTIPLY THE BREAD THEN IT IS IDIOTIC TO RECORD THE EVENT. PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AS AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT. BECAUSE THERE IS NO MIRACLE, IT WOULD BE PRESUMPTOUS FOR THE APOSTLES CLAIM THAT JESUS IS A SPECIAL ‘MASTER’ OR AN EXTRAORDINARY PROPHET. INSTEAD, BOTH THE PEOPLE AND THE APOSTLES NARRATED THOSE STORIES NOT AS AN ORDINARY NARRATION OF PERSUATION BUT AS MIRACLE WHICH IS A MANIFESTATION OF THE DIVINE POWER OF THE MESSIAH.

THE ‘SHARING THEORY’ IS AN INSULT TO THE BIBLICAL TEXTS AND AN INSULT TO HUMAN REASONING. BESIDE, THAT IS A NEW INVENTION BY ATHEISTS, AGNOSTICS AND LIBERAL THEOLOGIANS. THE PEOPLE OF ANCIENT TIMES WERE TRULY CONVINCED THAT THOSE WERE MIRACLES OF JESUS AS THE DIVINE SON OF GOD.

THE DENIAL OF THOSE MIRACLES IS DENIAL OF THE ALMIGHTY POWER OF CHRIST.

[Thank you so much.

In Christ,

Mark Ceasar M. Candiasan]

YOU ARE WELCOME SEM. MARK. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR BATCH.