Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Does it work? Is it strange?
Message: 12
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 23:40:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard
Subject: Cardinal Newman: commandments as types
Hi,
"...the prescriptions of the Law...were abolished because they were types
and because Christ their atintiype is come. True then as far as they are
types they are abolisehd, but not as far as they are religious services
and principles and elemnts of religius worship." (Cardinal Newman, Sermon
15)
From an historical and theological point of view, Christ has come, but
certainly there remains the continual effort to grow closer to him. And
there are times when he may not seem to be there at all (and even from an
historical point of view, something of his presence awaits the second
coming). Even if the type (the figure) has been superceded by the reality
from an historical point of view, from the point of the of the individual,
the reality is still elusive enough, it seems, to justify holding on to
the figure. The statues and pictures of Jesus that adorn Churches and
privates homes are also figures. They would be pointless in the presence
of Jesus. But they are important, even now, even though Jesus has come,
because few people can feel his presence as concretely and persistenatly
as they can feel it through those figures. The same goes for the
commandments. They are figures, but even now, after the Incarnation and
the Crucifixion, there is still a place for figures.
All the best,
Richard
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 23:40:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: Richard
Subject: Cardinal Newman: commandments as types
Hi,
"...the prescriptions of the Law...were abolished because they were types
and because Christ their atintiype is come. True then as far as they are
types they are abolisehd, but not as far as they are religious services
and principles and elemnts of religius worship." (Cardinal Newman, Sermon
15)
From an historical and theological point of view, Christ has come, but
certainly there remains the continual effort to grow closer to him. And
there are times when he may not seem to be there at all (and even from an
historical point of view, something of his presence awaits the second
coming). Even if the type (the figure) has been superceded by the reality
from an historical point of view, from the point of the of the individual,
the reality is still elusive enough, it seems, to justify holding on to
the figure. The statues and pictures of Jesus that adorn Churches and
privates homes are also figures. They would be pointless in the presence
of Jesus. But they are important, even now, even though Jesus has come,
because few people can feel his presence as concretely and persistenatly
as they can feel it through those figures. The same goes for the
commandments. They are figures, but even now, after the Incarnation and
the Crucifixion, there is still a place for figures.
All the best,
Richard
