The Creator’s design is incredible and has complex elements that must be explained unaltered to all generations and to every individual no matter what their level of education, comprehension, and available resources in time, place, language, and culture. The Creator’s design has elements of evidence, but has more elements of faith; thus the credibility of the witness is important. In a court of law credible evidence and the testimony of witnesses are important, especially when the punishment is a life sentence. However, it is not admissible and has no merit to enter into court the entire population’s interpretation of the story of the crime as written in books or as discussed on the media. These story readers are not reliable witnesses. Rather, the only witnesses considered in court are those who either saw or heard first-hand or who were told about the crime and discussed it with those first witnesses. In other words, the witnesses must be either first-hand or witness of the witness – authorized genealogical witnesses of the original witnesses. Non-Catholics, if they truly have great love for Christ and His salvation design, should realize that they are interpreting and reporting the written news in the most important court because permanent death of thousands of years more than any earthly life sentence could result if erroneous witness interpretation of the written story is allowed. Personal interpretation of the Scripture resembles an interpretation of the written story that is somewhat similar to all citizens interpreting a written crime and love story – that would definitely be unacceptable in court unless it were checked by authoritative teaching body.
I wrote in my second book that Adam made the correct choice in a very tough situation and that Satan would wish that Adam did not eat the forbidden apple. You may expect that many would find my explanation contrary to truth and Scripture. My explanation of the story of Adam came about after many years of reflection. Nevertheless, it would disappoint and offend me when I was criticized over my statement by those whom I find did not thoroughly understand my reflection. However, I found in my explanation of Adam's story so much hidden beauty beyond my superficial blame that Eve made the wrong choice and I found that Adam turned a bad situation into greatness and obedience. Those who understood my reflection on the story can criticize it if they choose and that would be constructive and pleasant for me to hear. Furthermore, those who sincerely understood my explanation and explained it with honesty as I did, would prompt me to commission them to explain my reflection in a trusting manner. Thereafter, those whom I commissioned to explain my point in an acceptable manner likewise become authoritative and honest in the teaching of my reflection. My point is that the one bonded family Catholic Church lead by Peter and successive Popes (fathers) is critically needed to explain for the generations the witnessed teaching of Christ and to guard against misunderstandings.
If the Holy Catholic Church took a stand against my explanation of the story of Adam and ruled against it, I would instantly abandon it permanently. It would be pride for anyone to hold onto his or her explanations of the Scripture when they were ruled contrary to the explanation of the Catholic Church, especially in matters that are critical to salvation. I find it so comforting to have my trust in the Holy Catholic Church to guard me from my own potential erroneous interpretation of the Sacred Scripture. I am encouraged to reflect on Sacred Scripture as long as my interpretation and reflection do not become a stumbling block for anyone and myself, “But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Corinthians 8: 9).
Non-Catholics may find it constraining to have the highest interpretation authority of the Scripture in the hands of the Pope and authorized Bishops. But I find it so comforting and supporting to have the motherly and fatherly love and guidance of the Church because Her utmost concern is that Her children to grow to become spiritually healthy as Christ commanded, “Be Perfect.” (Matthew 5: 48). In 2009, I sent my first book to a few Catholic Church shepherds for their input and guidance. In 2010, to my joyous surprise the Catholic Melkite Antioch Church Patriarch Gregory III wrote me back and offered me gentle criticism. Since then, I have divided my first book into three parts and paid attention to the criticized points. An important point is that before I wrote my reflections, I was immersed in many of the rich beautiful teachings that the Catholic Church uses to guide and enrich Her children. I find the Catholic Church teachings so beautiful and so rich beyond any earthly wealth. Yet, I am saddened that non-Catholics, when exposed to some of the Catholic teachings, misunderstand them or find them objectionable. The key is that one needs faith not only in Christ the Head, but also in Christ the Body which is the Holy Catholic Church and must apply the teaching of Christ (as explained by His Body the Church) to our choices and responses. Therefore, believing in the one Holy Catholic Church, I find to be a vital condition to begin to understand the depth of Christ and the fullness of Truth.
Entering into the Catholic Church in union with Christ privileges us with certain similarities to Christ's persona as the Son of God. Although Christ in His humanity was birthed by the Virgin Mary, Christ as God created the virgin Mary as she proclaimed, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the LORD.” (Luke 1: 38). But, for Mary to birth Christ in His sinless humanity, Mary must become sinless because Light comes from Life, “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1: 35). Likewise, the moment we are born again in baptismal union with Christ, we too become sinless – the original sin and all prior sins are wiped away as a requirement to unite with Christ. Thus, our new baptismal birth is “A new Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) of a sinless Mother Mary and a sinless Father God. Indeed, the Catholic Church incredibly understood and taught that the Virgin Mary remains virgin and sinless before birthing Christ, during birthing Christ, and after birthing Christ because that is also a requirement to birth us in Baptism sinless from a sinless Mother and Father. Additionally, birthing us as “a New Creation” in union with Christ requires that our new mother must be alive at every moment which is what the Catholic Church believes and teaches about Mary the Immaculate Conception and Assumption into Heaven which are indeed vital components of the Salvation Design.
This is unbelievably exciting, to say the least; and for me, being a Catholic is the most honor and fortune I could ever imagine that my parents could have gifted me. Therefore, awakening and becoming aware of the incredible heavenly treasure one has in union with Christ, is like the discovery of a very expensive piece of property that may have been neglected previously, but then is treasured more than any other possible possession. I just wish that I and everyone else immersed in this teaching could realize who we can become early on in life so that we can treasure this gift and make choices and responses to celebrate, “Be Perfect” (Matthew 5: 48) because we have the union power with Christ to live up to that standard of our reality.
Could Christ fend off addictions, culture standards and manipulations, pessimism, depression, loneliness, sexual promiscuity, pain of divorce and betrayal, deception, suffering, or the urge to chase vane glory? Indeed Christ can and so can anyone in union with Christ who is gravitating to live as “a new Creation” and to “be perfect..” Choosing to be baptized – to be born-again as a new creation – is a struggle between living as the human prior to Baptism or living as a new creation human in union with Christ. The treasure and the struggle are not obvious to onlookers. But fortunately Christ gifted us the sacrament of Reconciliation to help us on our journey toward an individual union with Christ and toward a union with the entire Church united with Christ “until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13). If some individuals die in the stains of sins and in imperfect union with Christ, they may lose heaven because “nothing unclean will enter it” (Revelation 21:27). However, we hope such a prodigal brother or sister would not be permanently imprisoned and separated but would be temporarily in purgatory, as the Church's teaches, and hopefully would reach the full stature until worthy to unite with the Holy Body of Christ in Heaven, “you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Luke 12:59). Thus, we ought to think, choose, and respond in a manner appropriate to God even though we live in the world but “do not belong to the world.” (John 15:19).
It is so foolish to resist belonging wholeheartedly to the one holy catholic family genealogical lineage of Christ on earth – that is life as a prodigal son. Additionally, it is blindness, deafness, and death that began here on earth to separate from the union of Christ. Commission of sins for separating the body from the source of life causes an agonizing pain that cries a loud, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Matthew 26: 46). I believe that this pain cries aloud not just to Christ, but as well cries to her parents and any influential and trusted figure that may discourage a person from joining the one Holy Catholic Church. For every flesh that is not in union with the fullness of truth cries a loud, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 26: 46). Likewise, the LORD perhaps cries aloud to every prodigal son, “My Image, my Image, why do you choose not to unite with Me!”
If you are curious about the spiritual point I found in my explanation of Adam's story, it is that if one offers oneself totally and sacrificially to uphold the Creator's design, then one can move Heaven to the incredible point that the Creator would gift Himself and more. Thus, I regret every choice I made that fell below my total willingness to offer myself to the LORD. I regret any choice I ever made that sought my happiness or safety as a priority rather than upholding the Creator's design in my thoughts, choices, and responses. I found that Adam voluntarily chose the punishment of death as a gift that prompted God to gift us Himself the Sacred Sacrifice and that prompted much more gifting to unite us with Christ in an incredible design of utmost sacrificial marital love. Furthermore, the Creator’s design is for one flesh permanently, as expressed by Adam, “Bones of my bones, flesh of my flesh...one flesh.” In fact there can only be one Church, one earthly adopted father (the Holy Pope) and one earthly Mother Mary (who is now in Heaven), and the Holy Catholic Church (that is our earthly Mother) with Christ sealing the design on both ends.
Even though You may not spare me earthly suffering, I shall follow You LORD.
Even though You may not spare me earthly suffering, I shall love You LORD
Even though You may not spare me earthly suffering, I shall marry You LORD
Even though You may not spare me earthly suffering, I shall abide by You LORD