57. Man is not allowed to torture animals or to keep them in inhumane conditions.

Man is not allowed to torture animals or to keep them in inhumane conditions.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 57

Ave Maria series

57.  How should man treat animals and other fellow creatures?

Man should honor the Creator in other creatures and treat them carefully and responsibly.  Man, animals, and plants have the same Creator who called them into being out of love.  Therefore a love of animals is profoundly human.  [344, 354]

My granddaughter Emma sits quietly at a camp site allowing a whitetail deer to approach.  The animal had become accustomed to humans in this state park.  Emma had tossed a piece of an apple to the deer.  .....57

Although man is allowed to use and eat plants and animals, he is nevertheless not allowed to torture animals or to keep them in inhumane conditions.  That contradicts the dignity of creation just as much as exploiting the earth thoughtlessly out of greed.

“All creatures on earth feel as we do.  All creatures on earth love, suffer, and die as we do, and therefore they are equally with us works of the almighty Creator—our brethren.”  St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

344, 354

Heaven and Earth

THE VISIBLE WORLD

344 There is a solidarity among all creatures arising from the fact that all have the same Creator and are all ordered to his glory: May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day; he is beautiful, radiating great splendor, and offering us a symbol of you, the Most High. . .

May you be praised, my Lord, for sister water, who is very useful and humble, precious and chaste. . .
May you be praised, my Lord, for sister earth, our mother, who bears and feeds us, and produces the variety of fruits and dappled flowers and grasses. . .
Praise and bless my Lord, give thanks and serve him in all humility.(  St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures.)²¹² –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

IN BRIEF

354 Respect for laws inscribed in creation and the relations which derive from the nature of things is a principle of wisdom and a foundation for morality. --CCC

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Fifth Sunday of Easter, April 29, 2018
Lectionary: 53

Reading 1  ACTS of the Apostles 9:26-31

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.  Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.  He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.  He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him.
And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.  It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

Responsorial Psalm  PSalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32

R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
"May your hearts live forever!"

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust. 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

Reading 2  1 JohN 3:18-24

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.  Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.  Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.  Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,
and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.

Alleluia  JohN 15:4A, 5B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  JohN 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.  He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.  You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.  Remain in me, as I remain in you.  Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.  By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

56. "Man is the summit of the Creator's work.".

"Man is the summit of the Creator's work.".

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 56

Ave Maria series

56.  Does man have a special place in creation?

Yes.  Man is the summit of creation, because God created him in his image (Genesis 1:27).  [343-344, 353]

My son Don (pointing) explains a Michigan Upper Peninsula rock outcropping to his younger brother, Bill. ......56

The creation of man is clearly distinguished from the creation of other living things.  Man is a person, which means that through his understanding and will he can decide for or against love.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have established; what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet you have made him little less than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor.  Psalm 8:4-6

343-344, 353

THE VISIBLE WORLD

Man the Creature

343 Man is the summit of the Creator's work, as the inspired account expresses by clearly distinguishing the creation of man from that of the other creatures. (Compare Genesis 1-26.) .²¹¹ --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

344 There is a solidarity among all creatures arising from the fact that all have the same Creator and are all ordered to his glory: May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day; he is beautiful, radiating great splendor, and offering us a symbol of you, the Most High. . . .

May you be praised, my Lord, for sister water, who is very useful and humble, precious and chaste. . . 

May you be praised, my Lord, for sister earth, our mother, who bears and feeds us, and produces the variety of fruits and dappled flowers and grasses. . . 

Praise and bless my Lord, give thanks and serve him in all humility.( St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures.)²¹² --CCC

IN BRIEF

353 God willed the diversity of his creatures and their own particular goodness, their interdependence and their order. He destined all material creatures for the good of the human race. Man, and through him all creation, is destined for the glory of God. --CCC

55. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” St Basil the Great

“Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”  St Basil the Great

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 55

Ave Maria series

55.  Can we interact with angels?

Yes.  We can call on angels for help and ask them to intercede with God.  [334-336, 351-352]

Guardian Angel 1900. .....In Matthew 18:10, Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”.....55

This is the traditional Catholic prayer to one's guardian angel.

Angel of God, my guardian dear

to whom God's love commits me here.

Ever this day/night be at my side

to light, to guard, to rule and guide. Amen

Every person receives from God a guardian angel.  It is good and sensible to pray to one’s guardian angel for oneself and for others.  Angels can also make themselves noticeable in the life of a Christian, for example, as bearers of a message or as helpful guides.  Our faith has nothing to do with the false angels of New Age spirituality and other forms of esotericism.

 “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”  St Basil the Great (ca. 330-379, Father of the Church)

334-336, 351-352

351 The angels surround Christ their Lord. They serve him especially in the accomplishment of his saving mission to men. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition …..

The angels in the life of the Church

……334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.( Compare Acts of the Apostles 5:18-20; Acts 8:26-29; Acts 10:3-8; Acts 12:6-11; Acts 27:23-25.)²⁰¹ –CCC

335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels). –CCC

336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.( Compare Matthew 18:10;  Luke 16: 22; Psalm 34:8; Ps 91:10-13; Job 33:23-24; Zechariah 1:12; Tobit 12:12.)²⁰² "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life."( St. Basil, Adv. Eunomium III, I: Patrologia Graeca 29,656B.)²⁰³ Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God. –CCC

IN BRIEF

352  The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage and protect every human being. --CCC

54. Angels are servants and messengers of God.

Angels are servants and messengers of God.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 54

Ave Maria series

54.  What are angels?

Angels are pure spiritual creatures of God who have understanding and will.  They have no bodies, cannot die, and are usually not visible.  They live constantly in God’s presence and convey God’s will and God’s protection to men.  [328-333, 350-351]

Tobias is guided by the Angel. (Tobit 5:4) ....54

An angel, wrote Pope Benedict XVI, is “so to speak the personal thought with which God is turned toward me”.  At the same time the angels are turned completely toward their Creator.  They burn with love for him and serve him day and night.  Their song of praise is never-ending.  In Sacred Scripture the angels who have fallen away from God are called devils or demons.

For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.  On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  Psalm 91:11-12

328-333, 350-351

THE ANGELS

The existence of angels - a truth of faith

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

Who are they?

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'"(St. Augustine, En. in Psalm 103,1,15: Patrologia Latina 37,1348.)¹⁸⁸ With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word".(Matthew 18:10; Psalm 103:20.)¹⁸⁹ --CCC

330 As purely spiritual creatures angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendor of their glory bears witness.( Compare Pius XII, Humani Generis: Denzinger-Schonmetzer 3891; Luke 20:36; Daniel 10:9-12.)¹⁹⁰ --CCC

Christ "with all his angels"

331 Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . "(Matthew 25:31.)¹⁹¹They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him."( Colossians 1:16.)¹⁹² They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"( Hebrews 1:14.)¹⁹³ --CCC

332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples.( Compare Job 38:7 (where angels are called "sons of God"); Genesis 3:24; Gen 19; Gen21:17; Gen 22:11; Acts of the Apostles 7:53; Exodus 23:20-23; Judges 13; Judg 6:11-24; Isaiah 6:6; 1 Kings 19:5 .)¹⁹⁴ Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.( Compare Luke 1:11,26.)¹⁹⁵ --CCC

333 From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him.'"(Hebrews 1:6.)¹⁹⁶ Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!"( Luke 2:14.)¹⁹⁷ They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been.( Compare Matthew 1:20; Matt 2:13; Matt 4:11; Matt 26:53; Mark 1:13; Luke 22:43; 2 Maccabees 10:29-30; 2 Macc 11:8.)¹⁹⁸ Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection.( Compare Luke 2:8-14; Mark 16:5-7.)¹⁹⁹ They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.( Compare Acts of the Apostles 1:10-11; Matthew 13:41; Matt 24:31; Luke 12:8-9.)²⁰⁰ --CCC

IN BRIEF

350 Angels are spiritual creatures who glorify God without ceasing and who serve his saving plans for other creatures: "The angels work together for the benefit of us all" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I, 114, 3, ad 3). --CCC

351 The angels surround Christ their Lord. They serve him especially in the accomplishment of his saving mission to men. --CCC