Grace and Justification

In this blog post I will be connecting articles of the Catechism to the short story, The River. In 1987, it tells us the grace of the Holy Spirit has the right to cleanse us from sins and save us through baptism. In the short story, Harry goes to the river so that he may baptize himself and be cleansed from his sins.

In 1988, it states that through the power of the Holy Spirit and similar to Christ our sinful selves die and we are resurrected to new life. In the story, Harry goes to baptize himself and dies. Through this action we see Harry leave the sinful world to be resurrected and have new life.

In 1989, the catechism says that the first work of grace is conversion. Harry’s life was confusing before he met Mrs. Connin. She took him to a preacher and Harry was baptized this led to Harry’s conversion.

In 1990, the article states that justification helps separate man from sin and purifies his heart. Baptism could be considered a form of justification and it help save Harry from sin.

In 1991, Justification is also seen as the acceptance of God’s righteousness. Harry accepted God’s righteousness when he wanted to baptize himself near the end of the story.

In 1992, Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is also conferred through baptism. Harry mirrored Jesus because he was baptized, his family was suffering because of sin and Harry died because he tried to save his family from this sin.

In 1993, Justification connects God’s grace with man’s freedom. Through God’s grace Harry was baptized and he became free of his family’s sins when he died.

In 1994, Justification is the work of God’s love manifested in Christ and granted by the Holy Spirit. Harry’s actions were because he wanted to save his family from sin and because of this he has done something that was greater than the creation of heaven and earth because these thing will pass but Harry saving his family will not.

In 1995, it states that the Holy Spirit is the master of interior life. Harry was inspired by the Holy Spirit to baptize himself and save his family. This shows that Harry became a new sanctified person.

In 1996, Grace is called favor. Favor is free and undeserved help that God gives us so we can become his children. Mrs. Connin was sent as a sign of grace to Harry so that he could get help and in return help his family.

In 1997, Grace is a participation in the life of God. Harry was baptized so he participated in Jesus’s life. Baptism in this story was a sign of grace.

In 1998, Vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It surpasses human intellect and will and depends on God. At the end of the story when Harry dies, it was God’s choice to keep him alive or not. Only God could control the river in which Harry baptized himself.

In 1999, it calls the grace of Christ a gift that God makes to us and it is infused with the Holy Spirit so that we maybe sanctified. When Harry was baptized he received this gift of grace and was sanctified.

In 2000, they explain the two types of grace. Sanctifying grace, which is a habitual gift that perfects a person soul so they may live with God. Habitual grace refers to God’s interventions so that people may live and act in keeping with God’s call. When his was baptized Harry received sanctifying grace. After his baptism he had habitual grace, which was shown through his action of having a second baptism.

In 2001, being prepared to receive grace is having grace because God is bringing to completion what he has begun. Harry was already on the track of becoming baptized since he had met Mrs. Connin. She was his preparation to receive grace.

In 2002, God’s has a free initiative that demands a free response from man. God created man in his image so that people can know and love him if they choose. He also gives man a longing for things only He can satisfy. Harry freely accepted to be baptized because he long for what the results of baptism would bring him.

In 2003, Grace is a gift but it also includes gifts from the Holy Spirit that grant us to associate with his work and help others join the body of Christ. Mrs. Connin had these gifts because she led Harry to be baptism and join the Body of Christ. 

In 2004, it says there are special graces called the graces of state that are with the exercise of the responsibilities of Christian life. Mrs. Connin receive the grace to lead others to God. Harry received the grace to help others.

In 2005, it say grace escapes our experience and it cannot be know unless we have faith. Harry being baptized didn’t justify that he was saved. Once he had faith he could see God’s grace around him.

Knowledge

To know something is to understand the qualities of it. You have to go deeper than the outer shell. If it is an object, you must know what it does or the use of it, and what it is made of. For people, you must understand who they are. What they like what they dislike, what they do, where they are from and what they plan to do. You can only know a person well if they pour out your heart and mind to you. If this hasn’t happened then you don’t truly know the person. Knowledge of people is also hard to understand because we as humans don’t fully know ourselves. Everyday we learn something different or something changes. One example is when I was younger I hated hot dogs and hamburgers. Now I love eating them especially if I get them from Five Guys or McNamara Athletics Concessions. We are all knowledgeable about some things because we go to school and we live life.      

Knowledge is hard to understand because no one can actually tell you the answer. Your knowledge of something or someone can change because people and things change. Technology now is nothing like it was in the past. We can do things that were just dreams to our ancestors. Knowledge, like time, is always moving or changing.  We can only get an understanding of something or someone at a certain time. That is why people might have a different knowledge about the same person or thing. 

Cathedral

Cathedral is a story about a blind man coming over to a couple’s house to stay for the night. The husband is jealous of the blind man because of the stories his wife has told him about the blind man. When the blind man arrives the husband tries to make his stay uncomfortable. The blind man later makes a seemingly uncomfortable time and learning experience so the husband can see how it is to be blind and the benefits of it.

1.     The narrator wasn’t happy that the blind man was coming because he heard stories from his wife about there past together. Because of these stories, the narrator is jealous or envious of the blind man.

2.     Robert touching the narrator’s wife’s face shows how he wanted to feel her presence. Poetry was the narrator’s wife’s way of describing her life. These poems helped others to see deeper into her as a person. Because she was always moving around, she couldn’t open up to people and have good relationships with them. She couldn’t be understood and this lead to her wanting to commit suicide.

3.     When you receive another’s friend you become open to them and accept them because they are friends of your friend.

4.     Robert “saw” Beulah on a deeper level than most people see their spouses. Since he couldn’t see her face he cared for her because of the way she talked and through what she told him. He was able to focus on personality and inward appearance instead of an outward appearance. They fell in love with each other through talking not by looks.   

5.     The main characters are smoking pot because it relieved their stress. The narrator was able to relax and became friendlier towards the blind man.

6.     Churches can reveal where God is and how he is apart of the service. In cathedrals God is seen as a grand spacious being, so the roofs are higher and everything seems to be open. Religion is deeply integrated in culture so the way their churches are can describe the people.

7.     The narrator can only describe the cathedral by what he sees. He probably has never been inside a cathedral to describe it properly. Through feeling the of the cathedral they drew he can use his imagination and actually see the cathedral.