Is it right to pray to the dead? Pure monotheism says: pray only to God. Dominic Flandry asks his murdered fiancee to give him a sign that she still exists but does not believe that he receives it. However, her fellow Dennitzan Orthochristans later canonize Kossara Vymezal. This makes Flandry the first person to pray to St. Kossara, even before her canonization.
While withdrawing from Avalon, Admiral Cajal addresses prayers in three directions. He asks Christ who forgave the soldiers to help him forgive himself and the saints to stand by him till his work is done. Thirdly:
"Before everyone, you, Elena, who in Heaven must love me yet, since none were ever too lowly for your love, Elena, watch over me. Hold my hand." (p. 547)
There is no agreed belief or practice in such matters. What is right according to one tradition is wrong according to others. (Someone who came into our meditation group was shocked to see people sitting for meditation with their backs to the Buddha.) Cajal addresses:
9 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The Catholic Church does not take an either X or Y attitude on these matters. Rather, it is both X and Y. That is, we should pray both TO God and FOR others. And we can pray to the saints to intercede either for us or the souls in Purgatory.
Ad astra! Sean
As I had Mary say to a character, who was having a vision of her father in Purgatory: "My Son offers all men nourishment. Many come to it through me."
But not all. She recognizes diversity.
The 19th century Hindu saint, Ramakrishna, saw Christ embracing "the Divine Mother." (It is thought that this "Divine Mother" was Mary, not Kali!)
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: I remember that incident, and I think I was surprised. That character in Purgatory did not strike me, while alive, to be likely to repent of his sins. But, of course real people are often surprising!
Paul: If a Hindu talked like that to me, as politely as possible I would feel compelled to correct him (if he meant the BVM, of course). Our Lady is not divine or a goddess, but a uniquely favored human woman whom God asked to become His Mother.
I've seen too many attacks by anti-Catholics falsely accusing us of worshiping the BVM as a goddess.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Of course. Ramakrishna's perceptions and visions were fundamentally Hindu even when incorporating some Christian elements.
Paul.
Sean: he was facing a death-duel and knew it, so he made his confession immediately before it.
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Then that would be an example of syncretism on Ramkrishna's part, of him taking in or adopting some Christian ideas or beliefs, even if ways an orthodox Christian would have to object to.
Again, I'm reminded of Stirling's THE PESHAWAR LANCERS, where one chapter mentions a synod of the Anglican Church of India debating whether to adopt some Hindu beliefs. And, by contrast, we see a Catholic character politely but firmly refusing any such succumbing to what I have to call errors.
Mr. Stirling: Good, very bad tho that character was, I am glad he made that confession and set his spiritual affairs in order. I wish no man's damnation. Not even monsters like Lenin or Stalin.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: well, given the doctrine of Original Sin, we're all damned without Grace.
By that time, Norman Arminger was no longer playing at being a very traditional type of Catholic; he really believe it. How sincere he'd been in the beginning is uncertain, even to him!
But most human beings, if they consistently -act- as if they believe something, eventually will come to do so in fact.
This is why compelling the outward forms of belief often actually works.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Since I believe Catholic Christianity is TRUE, I'm glad, for Norman Arminger's sake.
I have to agree, re the compelling of forms of belief often working. With notable exceptions, like the stubbornness of most of the Irish in refusing to become Protestants, despite the brutality of the Penal Laws.
I do wonder how well or often that kind of compulsion can work, tho. Here I'm thinking of how the USSR made belief in Marxism compulsory, if people wanted to advance or simply to survive. How much did people BELIEVE in the Marxist canon, despite decades of indoctrination in the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin?
Ad astra! Sean
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