Day 12: Receiving Dogmas

 

There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith... "It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls." CCC 89 & 95

Today's section briefly covers dogmas and their relation to Scripture, Tradition, & the Magisterium. I like how the Catechism refers to them as "lights along the path" or as the Catechism in a Year Vol I companion book puts it, "dogmas are especially bright lights that keep us from stumbling along the journey of faith" (p. 29). For me, I'm thinking of the Christological dogmas that tore the early Church apart in several heresies, along with justification that made the Protestants bolt. With the former, we see a brilliant man like William Lane Craig fall into the ancient heresy of Monothelitism through his reading of Scripture and his own reasoning. I freely admit that my own far less brilliant thinking in this area isn't very deep and I accept much on faith where my reasoning fails to fully understand. I'm reminded of the story of St. Augustine and the boy (angel) on the beach. The boy when asked what he was doing, said that he was trying to fit the ocean into a tiny hole on the beach. An absurdity of course, which the good saint essentially told the boy. His reply is pretty much how I view many of the Christological & Trinitarian dogmas: “And you could never possibly understand the Holy Trinity.” These are things I should look into more to develop a deeper understanding, but their mystery isn't a barrier to my faith. Indeed, they help me appreciate the truth found in the Church.