(Cont'd from Q&A 143)
A. Amazing isn't it!
Q. Ye!
But as amazing as it is, it doesn't answer why Catholics pray to idols.
A. Correct. This is merely an introduction... a brief background explanation as to why failure on this one topic, failure on identifying who the real God is, is fundamental failure.
Conversely, I hope it also shows why such characters of old like Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego whose story is narrated in the book of Daniel Chapter 3 or that of the Maccabee brothers narrated in 1st Maccabees, or so many martyrs in the last two centuries were so heroic in refusing to bend the knee to an idol.
Q. Right... But why do Catholics bend the knee to the idols?
A. OK. So firstly, we don't "bend the knee to the idol" - we don't worship statues and images.
Q. Really!? That's definitely not what it looks like from the outside... I mean, incense, bowing heads, genuflections, relics...
A. Ummm... OK. So to worship means to attribute to a person or a thing divine qualities. Catholics revere images, and statues and relics...
Q. What do you mean 'revere'?
A. Ummm... To show reverence or respect. In much the same way citizens revere the flag of their country or you show respect to the picture of your girlfriend in your wallet or the grave of your grandad.
Q. Those are different...
A. Are they? We bow before the nation's flag, you kiss your girlfriend's photo, you pause in front of your grandad's grave... What's so different?
Q. I dunno! It just seems different!
A. Do those specific examples of flag, photo and grave seem different?
Q. No.
A. Then?
Q. But God said no graven images!
A. OK. "Graven" means carved or engraved, so let's get that word out of the conundrum.
Q. I didn't actually know that by the way... Always thought it meant like foul or pagan...
A. Dictionaries are your friend
Q. Moving on...! Maybe my question is better phrased as why Catholics make images in the first place... A country's flag, my sweety's photo, my grandad's grave are understandable - those are not forbidden. You guys?
A. Ummm... Let's answer using the words of St. Paul himself: "He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God" (Col 1:15)
That is to say, the "problem" of always being wrong and inaccurate when of trying to put a material face to an immaterial God and subsequently being confused as to who the real God is, was solved when God became man. We now finally had something - or someone - material we could attribute divine characteristics to (e.g. forgiveness of sins as in Mk 2:7) and that we could make material representations of...
Q. ...because He is divinity itself...
A. Exactly.
However, even though God now has a face, it is God we worship not the representation of His face. When you kiss your sweety's photo you revere not the ink and the paper that make the photo but the person represented therein; when we salute or bow before the flag it is not the cloth and its patterns that demand our respect but the nation that piece of cloth represents; when you pause in front of your grandad's grave you revere his person and memory not the dust and ashes.
Q. So incense, bowing heads, genuflections, relics are all reverence not worship.
A. Correct.
We worship God alone. All other persons (such as Mary and the angels and the saints) and things (crucifixes and relics and statues and pictures and Rosaries) we reverence. To worship any of these would be idolatry pure and simple.
Curiously, the only 'thing' we worship in the Catholic Church is the Blessed Eucharist because we believe it is not a representation of Jesus, but Jesus Himself. And we genuflect (bend the knee) before the Blessed Eucharist.
The only other object I have heard or seen Catholics genuflect to is a real relic of the very Cross Christ was crucified to and died on. That one we don't just simply bow the head or tip the hat or incense - we genuflect because of its inestimable value having been drenched by the Blood of Christ 2000 years ago.
Q. Have to admit this topic and the answers have been particularly refreshing.
A. Thanks for asking the probing questions!
Cheers!
23rdMarch 2017