Mercy and Merits

The understanding I have of merit in Catholic teaching I've discovered so far is this:

1. The works are meritous because they are works of Christ through us (The body of Christ) just as his work on the cross is the meritorious cause of our salvation (Council of Trent)

2. The works are meritous because of the overwhelming mercy of God, in that as a loving father he judges them valuable despite their littleness.

"My merit comes from his mercy; for I do not lack merit so long as he does not lack pity. And if the Lord's mercies are many, then I am rich in merits. For even if I am aware of many sins, what does it matter? Where sin abounded grace has overflowed. And if the Lord's mercies are from all ages for ever, I too will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever. Will I not sing of my own righteousness? No, Lord, I shall be mindful only of your justice. Yet that too is my own; for God has made you my righteousness." - St. Bernard of Clairvaux

The ending "you my righteousness" will probably spark claims of proto-protestantism but the Catholic Encyclopedia reminds us: "It is a defined article of the Catholic Faith that man before, in, and after justification derives his whole capability of meriting and satisfying, as well as his actual merits and satisfactions, solely from the infinite treasure of merits which Christ gained for us on the Cross (cf. Council of Trent, Sess. VI, cap. xvi; Sess. XIV, cap. viii)."

Likewise in Pope John XXIII's writings he says: "The sense of my own littleness and nothingness has always been my good companion, keeping me humble and calm, and making me employ myself to the best of my ability in a constant exercise of obedience and charity for souls and for the interests of the Kingdom of Jesus, my Lord and my all. To Him be all glory; for me and for my merit. His mercy. This alone is enough for me."

St. Thomas More in his dialogue on comfort also says:

"Like as we grant them (Protestants) that no good work of man is rewardable in heaven of his own nature, but through the goodness of God, that list to set so high a price upon so poor a thing, and that this price God setteth through Christ's passion, and for that also they be his own works with us (for good works to God-ward worketh no man, without God work in him); and as we grant them also that no man may be proud of his works for his own imperfect working; and for that in all that man may do he can do no good, but is a servant unprofitable and doth but his bare duty..." [St. Thomas More, A DIALOGUE OF COMFORT, I, 12]

The Divide:

Some reading might think, well isn't this pretty much the same as Protestantism? Not really, it is similar to Wesleyanism but traditional Protestant Theology denies the ability of man to cooperate in any meritous way with God's grace. This is the Protestant idea known as Monergism (God does everything we do nothing), the Catholic idea is Synergism (God does everything we assent to it or cooperate with it). Thus there is a divide.

Conclusion:

So while we can really merit because of what Christ has done on the Cross and is doing in our lives, let us not forget to trust humbly in his mercy rather than in our efforts. His mercies make our merits.

Penitential Psalms (part 2) - Psalm 32

I've been dreading this post.... because that red alert word is used in it "imputes" and "covered", it's like admitting defeat. But I don't really want to get into a huge debate about justification, I'll simply say that maybe the Roman Catholic Church needs to re-read this Psalm, it's the one infamously quoted by St. Paul in Romans 4 and by Protestants everywhere as the imputation proof text, which the text actually seems to support.

But I'll note this, it's not the imputation of sin to Christ that Trent anathema'd (I'm pretty sure), we can believe that, it's the imputation of Christ's active obedience/righteousness to us which they excommunicated.

There's a big difference saying 'Jesus' blood covered my sins', and saying 'when God looks at me, he sees Christ's active obedience and allows my sinful unregenerate nature to enter Heaven, without any personal transformation'. I think that's the difference. Our sin is removed "imputed" to Christ at our baptism/moment of sola fide, then we are increasingly justified as the grace of the Holy Spirit is infused into us and we are transformed into the image of Christ.

And I think that's what the Psalm basically teaches, blessed are those who God doesn't consider sinful, but rather have a right spirit and act righteously and fear God.

Anyway, here's the Psalm.

Psalm 32

The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
"Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
Selah

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah

Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you; at a time of distress,
the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
Selah

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.

Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart."

I love the lines about God being our hiding place, this idea is more creepily illustrated in the Catholic prayer "Jesus hide me in your wounds" (which I think sounds weird)

I like that David describes the righteous (those who trust in the Lord) as almost in a tornado of love. It surrounds them, and they shout for joy. What a gift and encouragement the scriptures are.

Calvin's Heaven

I'm not attempting to be mean-spirited about this blog, I'm just responding to all the readings I've done from the Reformed blogosphere, and writing tongue-in-cheek about their grandiose anathemas to traditional/pre-Reformation christendom.

I was reading John Piper's blog/Desiring God for some reason - another Reformed blog linked me there, and every Reformed Christian I heard writing said "Roman Catholics are not going to heaven because they don't believe the proper biblical doctrine of justification" .

I've fought about this issue ad infinitum, with peace of mind and clarity of conscience I've chosen to side with St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Council of Trent, and N.T. Wright in disagreeing with Luther. I wrote a blog the other day (http://theologyofandrew.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-good-enough-for-dr-alister-mcgrath.html) with extensive quotes from one of my favourite Evangelical Anglicans - Dr. Alister McGrath, showing how clearly the Reformation strayed from Augustinian justification systems, and basically Luther was a pioneer when it came to sola fide (theoretically excepting St. Paul). Now McGrath still sides with Luther and believes that all the early Christians were wrong, but he at least gives us papists a fair defense, namely, that we're only following the false doctrines of the early church.

I also find it hillarious that our "heresies" like the real presence, sacrifice of the mass, hierarchical episcopacy, Petrine supremacy, and more were all being taught and expounded while St. John the Evangelist's corpse was still warm.

Then I actually thought for a second about the argument of the Reformation Christians. They honestly believe that God has predestined 16 centuries of apostate Christians (including Augustine, Aquinas, and all the Church Fathers remember) to Hell. And not only that, but the Calvinists I read, say that Arminians as well are going to Hell, because they attach a work -human choice- to grace. So, sitting next to St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Irenaeus, Mother Teresa etc, will be C.S. Lewis (believed in purgatory, denied Protestant view of Atonement) in Hell will possibly be John Wesley, and Rick Warren and Billy Graham (when they die).

So then I kept on thinking, the (Eastern) Orthodox who do not hold a Protestant view of justification also must stand condemned. In my mind the next people to take chairs beside Billy Graham, were Bishop Timothy Kallistos Ware, Frank Schaeffer, and Jaroslav Pelikan.

So here we have it, throughout all of history only those born after the 1550s (approximately), and only those with full rational capacity (Mentally handicapped, take a seat next to Pelikan, because you can't logically adhere to the correct theology), and only those who properly understood Justification by faith alone - and only those who by Justification mean Christ's extrinsic and alien imputed righteousness, indelibly applied to the believer at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone - not a decision or choice for Jesus.

I've heard Dr. R.C. Sproul's passionate and fairly reasoned defense of such views, hey at least the Calvinists are honest about their heritage. But I just have to say that even though I'm going to Hell, maybe it won't be bad with some of the most charitable, loving, and Christ-centred reprobates I've ever read about (but it's not like I chose to go to Hell, it's God's fault for predestining me this way, and not providing me with irresistible grace, so I guess I shouldn't feel as guilty about it).

Well, Augustine, Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Mother Teresa, and John Wesley (maybe), save me a seat by the fire!

"For God so predestined the world, that whosoever believeth in Calvin's Dogma of Justification, shall not perish, but have eternal life" -I think that's how the ESV will translate it for future generations.

... of course there's also the other argument provided by that trouble-making, pelagian, reprobate Peter...

"Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." - Acts 10:34-35