Lent, Salvation, and Economics?

Lent is here! The time when the paradox of experiencing joy through suffering is building momentum for its culmination at Good Friday. Why all this suffering? Why spread ashes across our foreheads, put on sackcloth, and for forty days pick up an ascetic practice? Of course our answer is "Because Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days so we try to imitate Him." But another question seems to arise. Why would Jesus do these things?


Throughout all of Sacred Scripture Jesus performs miracles, gives phenomenal sermons, and made such an impact on humanity that it still has huge waves (not ripples) in the ocean of history. But the most intriguing and confusing thing is that He ever did was became Incarnate so that he could die.


The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that sin "wounds the nature of man" (CCC1849). The effects we receive from sin are a darkened intellect, weakened will, and disordered passions. Our first parents were created in a state of complete Justice and Innocence, completely free! What happened? Sin happened, and we all know what that event was called. . .THE FALL.


Why the fall? The Bible doesn't give a stories of Eve being clumsy, or Adam losing his grip while climbing a tree, but it does give account of a key event that caused a rupture in Man's Justice with his Creator. In the book of Genesis it says we are created in the "Image and likeness of God" (Gen. 1:26). How are we in the image and likeness of God? This could go on for hours and hours but the bottom line is. . .WE ARE PERSONS! How did we fall? The word Justice holds the same meaning as equity, or equal. When we sin it causes us to fall from our image and likeness to God in that we choose not to love, it wounds our nature and ability to love.


So why did Jesus come? Why choose to be one of us? Because of sin and the darkened intellect, man has forgotten his nature.
"From dust you came, and to dust you shall return."
But we weren't simply made from dust. God formed Man and then breathed into him the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) He gave us a soul so we could be like Him, separate from the animals.


Christ being the perfect man came to teach us how to be human. He came to give all so that we could be elevated to original justice with the Creator. More Questions?
Why us? Why die and give everything?


Simple supply and demand economic theory is defined as the science of distribution of limited goods and services. We live in a limited creation, nothing new is ever created, other than new souls ;). As Catholics we also believe that everything created has inherit good value. Our creation was infused with desire for things that are true good and beautiful. Our human nature is to commune, bond, and be attracted to truth, goodness, and beauty. How do we know things have truth, goodness, and beauty? Our desires!
We desire goodness so much that there is literally an invisible force that pulls us to things we perceive as good!


In trying to make things short. We make economic decisions based on our perception of goods and services. Grocery shopping for food, searching for a reliable vehicle, choosing friends that will help us grow in holiness, reading a book to learn new perspectives, all of these things are based in economic theory in choosing from a market of like goods of limited availability, choosing what is good. Also the more limited a good is available, the more valuable it becomes. The reason name brand products cost more is because there is less available and it is considered a better product, both factors contribute to a higher perceived value.

Some are thinking "What does this have to do with Christ? Why would you use shopping as a analogy? That is kind of impersonal."


Reflect on this. . .
of the more than seven-billion people on Earth, there is only one of YOU. No store brand you, no generic brand you, you have a name. There is only one, which means your value is immeasurable. God is not going to write a check, use a coupon, swipe a card. There is nothing He can give that would equal our value, so what does He do? He gives Himself. Remember the Pearl of great price? (Matthew 13:45-46) How the merchant sold everything he owned to attain the pearl? Or the man who stumbled upon the treasure in a field and sold all he had to purchase the field?! (Matthew 13:44)


Christ came and spent everything because He knew we are worth more than anything.


So why do we go through a season of lent? To be like Jesus in the desert, duh! But in small ways we seek to give of ourself so as to be with Christ. We spend money on food, we spend time with people.


If eternal life with Christ is the most valuable thing we can attain, how much are we willing to spend of ourself to attain that most valuable good?

The Daily Portion

So I have always wanted to blog, to actually take the time and share the things that happen in my life. There are so many amazing people, places, and events to share this human experience that even a complete life blog would never be enough. So for now, I'll just settle with a daily portion.


I might not post every day, maybe even forget a week, but please know that when I do that it is a response to something significant, even phenomenal.
When searching for a title I thought about something to do with a journey, like the "Journer's Journal" or something cheesy like that, but one word really seemed to jump and impact my being. Diurnum. Simply in latin is a form of the word "day." The special thing about this word is that is was always tied with travel, to sojourn, or to "spend a day", and it got me start thinking.


Everyone's life is a journey in which we are headed somewhere. Some have more clarity to where they are going, how they are getting there. Others have no clue what direction they are going. The great thing is that what we all have in common is that we are all on a journey, and that is something to share.


The chalice in the background represents that a daily portion is enough. We don't have to dwell on the past or fret about the future, but if we take the time to enjoy what is there right in front of us, we have all we need to make us happy.


There will be posts of art, events, random thoughts about Love & Responsibility and Theology of the Body.


It started when I woke up this morning after returning from a course at the Theology of the Body Institute. Reflecting on Karol Wojtyla's Love & Responsibility is indescribable, but most importantly that no matter what we seek to fill our human appetites, nothing satisfies but the love of God.

Sexual expressions of love, eating a good meal, having a great conversation with friends can be great ways of receiving consolation. But these desires come and go, grow and lessen depending upon where we are in our daily journey. This image of St. Francis helps to start the conversation I'm willing to enter into, so just sit back and contemplate on how, when, and why God wants to draw you closer to His most Sacred Heart, and just listen to how it beats for you.