She Went By Gently

1.) A gift of Baptism is the ability to love others as God loves us. How is this ability seen in the woman's treatment of the girl?

This ability to love others as God loves us is showcased in the Woman's treatment of the girl because constantly is able to see passed her faults and sins that she once committed. The women was able to open her heart and love the girl as if she was her own. Her value of love and compassion lead her to get out of bed at the middle of the night to help this girl, despite what her husband had to say about it. The woman is able to portray someone who believes strongly in the holy spirit and how is deeply connects to the spirit of God. 

2.) At the end of the story the woman says in regard to the infant, “I saved him." What does she mean by that statement?

When the woman says " I saved him" she is talking about a spiritual or sacramental saving. When she used the oil to cover the child in she baptized them allowing the hold begin new life and a personal relationship with God. The woman was able to save the child from sin. The woman ultimately gives the child the opportunity to live life truly. 

3.) The author describes the journey of the woman to her own home. What is the purpose of this section of the story? What is he trying to convey about the woman through his descriptions?

The author uses the description of the woman's journey to symbolize the process of baptism to its fullness. Going through her journey to her home she remains faithful in God regardless off the complications that occurred. The symbolism such as the rose-tinted windows can portray how she looks at reality. And when she leaves she is able to look forward to a new day. Through baptism we gain a new life and Moreover giving us a clearer insight on life.

Distance learning # 3

1.) Ludwig's problem is that he does not understand how grace is imparted through sacraments.

2.) When it comes to "sacramentality", the church is not think that the sacraments take away from God's universal love, and his will to save. They also do not think that people who have not been baptized are not able to receive salvation.

3.) When it comes to "sacramentality" the church thinks that God's will to save is universal in scope, and that all the church's sacraments are extensions of God's power and work in the world.

4.) God reveals and gives to each individual human being his universally offered grace "when the Word became flesh a dealt among us." He also comes to us through as a lover impacts love through a physical kiss.

5.) The christian doctrine that is the foundation for sacraments is that all the church's sacraments are extensions God's power and work in the world.

6.) The gobs of modern "spirituality" tell us that they say the christian God should become a physical object to communicate his life and power to us.

7.)The christian repudiation of this snobbery states that these are primitive symbols used by the ignorant because they are incapable of grasping true spirituality.

8.) No, It was so he could rise form the dead bodily. It means that we will not only lives agin but as human beings.

9.) The sacramental worldview sees more than just a symbol in a sacrament because he can impact sacramental grace to those who are disposed to it yet do not have the opportunity to receive the sacraments themselves.

10.) Though God's grace is universal it must be focused in the lens of sacrament, not to limit God but to kindle us.

11.) Instead of God trying to talk to us from a far grace allows God to come to us person to person, face to face, that he might touch us.

Distance Learning # 2

Sacraments- Introduction- Fulton Sheen
   In this article the main topic of discussion is the "divine sense of humor."And in this article they say that a "divine sense of humor" is when you are able to "see through things." The article brings into play many examples of those who possess a "divine sense of humor" but the main example he uses is the incarnate Lord, Jesus. The only things that the Incarnate Lord took seriously was the soul. Our Lord has a divine sense of humor because he revealed to us that the world is sacramental and a sacrament includes two things: something that can seen, touched or tasted and something that cannot be seen by the flesh. But the problem with us today is that we have losses our "divine sense of humor". Because of this we can no longer understand the natural world. This is because we have committed two major errors. The first one being that we cut ourselves off from the almighty God and when we do that we can not identify the simple things such as a snowflake being a reflection of the glory of God. The second error is that we have mushed God in with other "Idyllic" characters, causing God's existence to be lessened. Ultimately when we do things like this we become soulless.

Sacraments- Bible is a Sacramental- Fulton Sheen
   In this article talks about how the bible is a sacrament. This is because it has a foreground and a background. This meaning that that on the foreground the bible consists of many stories, characters and objects but as we take a look at the background it is all centered around God. Sacrament is also known to mean "mystery", and through the bible the mystery of God is shown. If men were pure spirits there would be no need for christ using human natures or material things for the communication of the divine. But because they are Jesus uses sacraments to reveal to us.

Sacraments-Seven Conditions of Life and efficacy of the Sacraments - Fulton Sheen 
  Seven Conditions of Life
  In this article it talks about how the physical or the natural life requires seven conditions, five of which refer to the person as an individual, and the other two as a member of society. The five conditions of leading an individual life are: (1) to be born; (2) to nourish himself  (3) must grow to maturity (4) In case where the person is wounded, they must have their wounds bound and healed; and (5) In case they have a disease the traces of the disease must be driven out. As a member of society two further conditions are required: (1) He must live under government and justice in human relationships, and (2) He is called to cultivate the human species.

   Over the human life, there is the divine Christ-life. The seven conditions of leading a personal Christ-life are the following: (1) We must be spiritually born to it, and we do this through the Sacrament of Baptism; (2) We must nourish the divine life in the soul, which is the Eucharist; (3) We must grow to spiritual maturity and assume full responsibilities as members of the spiritual.army of the Church, which is Confirmation; (4) We must heal the wounds of sin, which is Penance; (5) We must drive out the traces of the diseases of sin, which is the Anointing of the Sick; (6) We must live under the spiritual government of the Church, which is Holy Orders; (7) We must prolong and cultivate the Kingdom of God on earth, which is Matrimony.

   Every sacrament has an outward or visible sign. But the sacrament also has a form. Three things then are absolutely required for a sacrament: (1) Its institution by Christ; (2) An outward sign; and (3) The power of conferring the grace or divine life purchased for us by the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. 

The Power and Efficacy of the Sacraments
   The sacraments derive their power and efficacy from the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord. Blood sacrifice is required to bring us the seven- fold sanctification. This is because blood is the life of man: when man gives up his blood, he gives up his life.

The Application to the Sacraments
    Calvary is like a reservoir of divine life or grace. From it, there flow seven different kinds of sanctification for man in different stages of his spiritual existence. Each of these seven channels is a sacrament by which the power of the Risen Christ is granted on souls by a spiritual and effective contact. This divine life comes into the soul when we receive the sacraments, unless we put an obstacle. The sacraments do not confer grace as magical signs; they communicate it only because they are in contact with the Risen Christ.

   What makes the difference between the sacraments is how each is applied to us. The Christ-life affects us in a different way at different points of time. And because of this the blood of Christ applied at different moments of life results in a different kind of power.

     

Wonder

1.) I believe that wonder is something that elicits or arouses me to ask a question or trying to arrive at some sense of meaning, looking at something small and seeing the bigger meaning. I also see it as allowing things to impact you or looking at reality in a different way.

2.) I believe if I was younger I would be more open and willing.

3.) I believe we are less capable of imagination and wonder as we get older because of reality. I say this because as we get older reality sets in and impacts us to the point that  we begin to become more reasonable and therefore take everything into account which in return clogs the part of us that wants to question things. Where as, as a child your naive and in your own bubble and reality has not impacted you yet.

4.) I think this quote means that ideas are things that are greatly admired but those who can let those ideas impact them know what they truly mean. I believe that this statement is true because people and recognize that a particular idea is good but until they try to experience that I dead they cannot truly identify with it.

The Man Without a Face

          After watching the movie "the Man without a Face" I observed and took in many valuable morals and lessons. Today we are surrounded with people who are strong believers of pre- judgement. However, in this movie it showcases that people should not judge others strictly upon what they see on the exterior. Both Norstadt and McLeod took valuable lessons from their friendship with each other. Norstadt learned that it is worthwhile to get to know someone before making judgments and misconceptions about them. McLeod also learned how to remove those barriers he had and eventually open up so others could get to know him regardless of his past.Due to their flourishing relationship they both learned more about each but more importantly learned more about themselves and because this they became better people in the end. 

            Despite all the accusations that Charles heard that were placed on McLeod he still went through with it and was able to truly trust McLeod. I believe this was because of Charles Moral Certainty. Moral Certainty comes from knowledge learned from personal experience. And in order to arrive at moral certainty you must spend time with one another and that is exactly what the two of them did. Charles was guarded off from McLeod in the beginning of the movie but as time progressed he was able to look passed the rumors. At the end of the movie the times spent with McLeod was enough for him. Enough for him in a sense that those times they shared were enough for him to be sure that those rumors were completely false. In the movie there was one point where Charles said he couldn’t even see the scares anymore referring to McLeod's face. Once again charles showed he was past the little things. Ultimately, they both got time to share life together. This includes the big things and the little things. When you are able to do that you can't help but to formulate a strong bond with that person. 

            McLeod doesn't want Charles to cheat with his decision on whether to trust him or not because he wanted Charles to remain with his freedom. And freedom is what allows you to be yourself. He wanted Charles to make a decision that could stand as something that he decided and he wanted to do not and not anyone else. In this sense McLeod reveals to us his role as a good teacher for Charles. A good teacher meaning he cares about charles destiny and also serves as a companion to his destiny. He wants charles to flourish, and helps him to be reasonable. McLeod serves as an authority because he can see more that Charles sees. In the movie their is a scene where McLeod makes Charles dig the hole. In this scene he shows charles that knowledge is not cheap and it requires work. Through this movie I learned that every relationship has a level of risk and vulnerability that each person shows to each other. And the more you do this the more the relationship grows. Still after this movie I question how do you know for sure when you have reached moral certainty and if moral certainty can work in all situations.

 

Distance Learning # 1

1987
"If i Baptize you, you'll be able to go to the Kingdom of Christ. You'll be washed in the river of suffering, son, and you'll go by the deep river of life." (pg. 7)

1988
"You won't be the same again." (pg.7)

1989
"This old red river is good to Baptize in, good to lay your faith in, good to lay your pain in, but it aint't this muddy water here that saves you." (pg. 6)

1990
"He plunged under once and this time, the waiting current caught him like a long gentle hand and pulled him swiftly forward and down. For an instant he was moving quickly and knew that he was getting somewhere, all his fury and fear left him." (pg. 11)

1991
"He plunged under once and this time, the waiting current caught him like a long gentle hand and pulled him swiftly forward and down. For an instant he was moving quickly and knew that he was getting somewhere, all his fury and fear left him." (pg. 11)

1992
"Their ain't but one river and that's the River of Life, made out of Jesus' blood. That's the river you have to lay your pain in, in the River of faith, in the river of life, in the river of love, in the rich red river of Jesus' blood, you people!" (pg. 6)

1993
"Believe Jesus or the devil!" "Testify to one or the other!" (pg. 7)

1994
"If it's the River of Life you want to lay your pain in, then come up" "and lay your sorrow here. But don't be thinking this is the last of it because this old red river don't end here. This old red suffering stream goes on, you people, slow to the kingdom of christ." (pg. 6)

1995
"Their ain't but one river and that's the River of Life, made out of Jesus' blood. That's the river you have to lay your pain in, in the River of faith, in the river of life, in the river of love, in the rich red river of Jesus' blood, you people!" (pg. 6)

1996
"The same blood that makes this River red, made that Leper clean, made that blind man stare, made that dead man leap!, You people with trouble" " lay it in that River of Blood, lat it on that River of Pain, and watch it move away toward the Kingdom of Christ" (pg. 6)

1997
"He plunged under once and this time, the waiting current caught him like a long gentle hand and pulled him swiftly forward and down. For an instant he was moving quickly and knew that he was getting somewhere, all his fury and fear left him." (pg. 11)

1998
"He shut his eye and heard her voice from a long way away, as if he were under the river and she on top of it." (pg. 9)

1999

"If i Baptize you, you'll be able to go to the Kingdom of Christ. You'll be washed in the river of suffering, son, and you'll go by the deep river of life." (pg. 7)

2000

"Bevel didn't see him at all. He only saw the river, shimmering reddish yellow, and bounded into it with his shoes and his coat on and took a gulp." (pg. 11)

2001

"This old red river is good to Baptize in, good to lay your faith in, good to lay your pain in, but it aint't this muddy water here that saves you." (pg. 6)

2002

"He plunged under once and this time, the waiting current caught him like a long gentle hand and pulled him swiftly forward and down. For an instant he was moving quickly and knew that he was getting somewhere, all his fury and fear left him." (pg. 11)

2003

"The same blood that makes this River red, made that Leper clean, made that blind man stare, made that dead man leap!, You people with trouble" " lay it in that River of Blood, lat it on that River of Pain, and watch it move away toward the Kingdom of Christ" (pg. 6)

2004

"If it's the River of Life you want to lay your pain in, then come up" "and lay your sorrow here. But don't be thinking this is the last of it because this old red river don't end here. This old red suffering stream goes on, you people, slow to the kingdom of christ." (pg. 6)

2005

"In a second he began to gasp and sputter and his head reappeared on the surface; he started under again and the same thing happened. The River would't have him.