Doing well how about you do pretty well thanks let me hear that we're going to lead off today with a couple of texts that we could not get to from yesterday's show they came in kind of toward the end so we're going to tackle those right away at the top here James was watching us yesterday on You Tube James says in the final judgment when we did or did not do it to another we did so to guide you know the reference there what guidelines of responsibility are there for when we must and when we when we are not required to Ok thanks appreciate the question. Is referring to Matthew $25.00 and the account of the final judgment on rice as that is if we if we give food to the hungry thirsty drink to the thirsty close the naked shelter the most visitors that are secular present that it's as if we had done these things to Christ and our failure to do those things is like we didn't do them to Christ will be held accountable. Sam we understand the narrative of a single human life because let's face it there are a lot of people who for whatever reason to local psychological or otherwise may never have the opportunity to actually perform Corporal works of mercy think about the child who dies before he's a year old for instance right now we understand the salvation of someone that for whatever reason is deprived of that opportunity to engage in physical to participate in a couple acts of mercy Well of course we don't write those people off the Catholic faith teaches that the baby who comes out of the baptismal font having never done anything good or bad but has the grace of God in his or her Soul because the grace a baptism has already fully met the demands of the law Ok And they're the wrong way to think about this is as if God is you know sitting up there in heaven and he's got this you know yellow powder ledger and he's met all food. You know kick the dog minus him in a minute in the time he sort of weighs up the balance and good deeds where you're bad you're in good shape don't work that well. That's that's the way the Egyptian god of the dead handle you know they would weigh your heart in a father in Egyptian mythology and if your if your heart weighed more than a feather you got to come and so I kind of mathematical proportionality pretty big feathers they have an 8 I would that's not the way it works in the Catholic faith is not the way you know another good illustration of this think about say dismiss a thief on the cross Ok some people say well he didn't do any good works well that's not true he did lie good works guy what kind of good works that the same Does Mr Well they confess Christ a bore witness so he willingly surrendered to divine providence he affirmed the justice the judicial justice executed against him he says I'm getting my deeds deserved he cried out for mercy he admonished the center he told the other guy shut up already we did what we deserved this guy had anything wrong Ok so I did a lot of good deeds all right did a lot of good but didn't perform any of the corporal works of mercy from the cross he did some of the spiritual works of mercy and yet cry said today you'll be with me in paradise right so this gives us a fuller understanding I think of. The other hand we have the example of somebody like Zacchaeus right who says I give half Oh he to the poor crisis today salvation is come to this to the south so what we have to have is we have to have with of the love of God and neighbor in our hearts right that's what unites us to God that we be united to have a charity and of course that love needs to be expressed tangibly and in real ways right otherwise it's a fake St James says if we say hey go and be well fed Take care yourself out of seminary professor he said the real prayer there is God. If we don't do anything to alleviate our brother's neighbor then our love is it's really you know it's a fake it's a fiction. But God he does judge the quality of our moral life but not with this kind of mathematical proportionality as if he had a you know balance and scales really and in for that matter even a single act of charity a single good work. Done with extraordinary charity is worth more then $10000.00 works benevolence that are done without charity that's what Saint Paul says right presently it's 13 he says if I give all that I possess to the bookstore and surrender my body to the flames and have not love I gain nothing right so you gain more by one good work done with great grace and charity than 10000 good works on without grace and charity All right I want is to say how do you make a judgment about when and when you should give or not well this is where the virtue of prudence comes in Ok You know I had a guy come up to me this is years ago even long for a Catholic and he said Can you give me some money for some tomatoes I said I'll do you one better I'll give you some tomatoes make a long story short the gentleman I ended up having a very long debate about whether or not I was actually going to give him to me and he kept asking for the cash and I kept offering the tomatoes and finally he said I said look you wanted to meet us here the tomatoes take the tremendous threw his hands up and walked away he went to me. Well my presence at that point hey I was willing to do it you know I was willing to walk down the street bad to get into I realized you know but I've had other guys take me up on the to matters I've had people say can I have money for food now so let's go get some food all you want better you know and that's just fun right so you don't have time to do that you know you maybe you can't walk on the street by the tomatoes she's pregnant you know sure I know that my wife who does not normally carry cash she does have a glove compartment full of granola bars there you go so when somebody comes up and asks for something she says look I don't have any cash but I do have this they will accept you know what I tried to give out red beans and rice and I also had paid about crackers It was amazing how fast the peanut butter crackers went along it took me to get rid of the red beans and rice. When I come back from our quick break we'll get to a few more techs here and we'll also get to the phones we have several ready to. Go here Joseph in Findlay Ohio has called and were waiting for your call 180585939 sex 180585939 sex this is called a communion here on e.w.t.n. . The fullness of the term think going to be $99.00 This is called the. Dance is a little on the e.w.t.n. Global Catholic Radio Network. This is Bishop John fold of the diocese of Fargo this is Raymond Arroyo host of the world over this is Monsignor trolls pulled Morning Glory got the Council thanks for listening to. More to Life with Dr Craig at least the parts for the life is about living the Catholic difference in our marriages our families the way we approach life in general it's about celebrating and I kept my faith in discovering the way God wants to play. And help us be a blessing to motel life with Dr play at least. 10 am Eastern 8 at the a.t.m. A.t.m. . Missing can't a great deal in your area no heed to God's call to get involved and started can think radio station contact Jack Williams 2 will 57955756 or e-mail Jay Williams at e.w.t.n. Dot com living the beatitudes that other Bjorn said are those who are persecuted all right it's nice for there is the kingdom of heaven if you're on a football team you don't want to just run up and down the field holding the bag and never cross into the end zone to get attached to you on the occasion you want to drive all the way to our land I never enter into the Magic Kingdom if you want to reach our goal but there are a lot of obstacles discouragement and challenges along the way Jesus is place is the one calling us to say yes to him to live the life that he's calling us to lead . We have to choose one way or the other choose him or not but if we choose him we'll be opposed we're going to have people challenge you to believe crazy but you know it doesn't just say Come follow me a beatitude he's going to be like Himself is that the attitude it isn't just a do what I say he says Come is with us every step of the way transforming our weakness and history that are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake theirs is the kingdom of the w.c. . Truth live can feel like. Stopping. Coming into play this is cultic communion with Dr Doolittle. If you're reading now let's get to the phones at 180589396 we began with Joseph in Finley Ohio listening online e.w.t.n. Dot com l.-a by Joseph what's on your mind today. I was recently going my wife's family over the holidays. You know we ended up getting some discussion about. Of course. Like my wife converted. When. My life family is still products. Once they've always. Been one of the members brought up an analogy that I've not heard before so I was just curious what you thought of this analogy that they were using to find. Out what your savior a child of God and if you're a child of God then you can only become a child of God similar to. Your child or your son is always your son. Want to be your son anymore I can't undo your son take yours when you. Yeah thanks Joseph I appreciate the question Well let me ask you a question is that analogy a biblical one so does discussion actually description make that argument in the way in which your relatives made the argument does it ever say that because if you once become a child of God that you can never lose that state of grace so that assurance of salvation that there's no chance that she can be lost to scripture actually teach that. It's mentioned that we become like adopted members of God's name which is you're absolutely right yeah absolutely right it is a Biblical teaching that 3 faiths in the sacraments were adopted into God's family that's where the metaphor ends right because the Scripture does not go along to make the case as your relatives do therefore we're out of mortal danger right on the contrary the Scriptures teach precisely the opposite and what came to my mind when I was actually reading your question before I got on the air was Matthew 25 Jesus uses a different metaphor of social relations namely that of the master. The servants and the servants are given a charge right namely to invest the master's money and to make a return to give back to him and of course 3 servants do a good job and one buries it in the ground and Jesus says you awake good servant you wicked servant you could at least have put the money on on learn with the bankers and got an interest but you didn't and then he says for to everyone who has more will be given he who has abundance but from Him who has not even what he has will be taken away cast that worthless servant in the outer darkness and there men will weep and lash their teeth based on language had only Jesus and of course it's Christ he says many will come to me on the last day and say Lord Lord now stay away from me I never knew you because you didn't practice the corporal works of mercy right in St Paul in its principle in Paul's letters that we found a metaphor of adoption used to describe our relationship to God faith in Christ turns around and warns the those who have been adopted into God's family that unless they cooperate with grace and bear fruit in the spirit that they will be cut off to live it is what women sign to a lot and as a warning he says you know yes you've been graph this is another metaphor you've been grafted in to the olive branch to me to Olive Tree a branch you know that was in the Gentiles have been grafted in but but take care lest you fall if God didn't spare the natural branches he won't spare you either and of course in reading the 8 and in Galatians chapter 5 Saint Paul speaking to people who have been adopted who have the Spirit of God who have given evidence that they have a spirit of God He says I warn you if you and he gives a less he says if you do things such as adultery fornication factions hatred jealousy disobedience to parents this is if you live like this you will not inherit the kingdom of God. So Through faith we are adopted into God's family were given the grace of his spirit were enabled to cooperate with that grace to do good works in Christ for which he will reward. What he's promised are worthless but if we if we don't participate in the grace of Christ if we don't bear good fruit if we turn again back to the worthless deeds of darkness from which we were saved the Scriptures St Paul and the Lord Jesus tell us will be cast out in the outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth Joseph we hope that's helpful for you and for your family as well thank you so much for your call that opens up a line for you now 180-585-9396 if you have a question for Dr David Enders 180-585-9396 let's go to Karen now in southeast Missouri listening to us on covenant radio Hello Karen what's on your mind today. That you're very. Well maybe. You're thinking about what what. Kind of. Never said that never said sorry I mean interrupt you care and he absolutely was a time went for sounds the word atonement is a Catholic word it was 1st used by St Thomas More in the 16th century and entered into the English language through the writings of a Catholic saint and it reflects a course of Biblical teaching that Christ's death was a sacrifice of a time an appreciation propitiate or sacrifice 3 teaches that 2nd. Teaches that Christ himself speaks of his death as a ransom and if you trace that time out and in the Septuagint you find that it has a time and sacrificial overtone So absolutely the Catholic Church believes that Christ's death was a sacrifice of atonement when I what I said was that it was not a pivotal substitution. Right the Protestant understanding of the death of Christ of the atonement of the death of Christ is that Christ unites us to God by bearing a punishment inflicted on him by God that He does not deserve but that we do that Christ takes our punishment in our stead and that God having gotten it out of his system if you will is then able to show clemency and mercy to those that objectively deserve punishment but he forgot the punishment All right so when the the Protestant scheme God punishes an innocent person in order to acquit the guilty right Catholic looks that scratches his head says that's not a just God a man who punishes the innocent in order to acquit the guilty we would we'd never vote for a judge like that in civil society all right the Catholic understanding is this that that the death of Christ is a sacrifice but it's not a penal substitution right Christ does something he doesn't have to do right he give it he gives up his own body and blood he surrenders himself to the hands of unjust ungodly men he turns the other cheek right he follows his own Divine Command which is the best of those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake that's what he does someone strikes you on the left cheek turned on the other Also he does this thing right how does absolve even to death on a cross in Paul says I'm flippin stay because of that it's not God pointing out wrath and punishment on Jesus God is pleased with Christ Self sacrifice is his martyrdom for in the in the cause of virtue and honor and glory and therefore he rewards Christ is not a punishment God rewards Christ by raising him from the dead elevating him to the right hand of God and pouring out on him and those that are joined to him the gift of the Holy Spirit and of grace so that the dynamic the dynamism of the cross is entirely different from a Catholic point of view it is a sacrifice it is an atoning sacrifice but the mechanism if you will is by way of merit not by way of punishment Christ a righteous man doing something that's super Aga Tory that means above and beyond there it's reward from God and that merit that reward is employed and. On Christ's Body the Church to bring us to God by forgiving our sounds and infusing the life of righteousness within us so absolutely Catholics believe me a time out of the death of Christ but we conceive of that a time but after the manner of sacred scripture All right the tells us that is a sacrifice of a time but not a penal substitution that a Calvinist invention makes sense you can hear but I'm not a Calvinist and I still don't understand. And. Appreciate. Ok Great thank you appreciate that I know that I cannot have for you so so when because of the death of Christ when you believe Christ and become a member of his body right Catholic faith teaches that you are objectively changed right now that the standard Protestant line is that your forgiven and the righteousness of Christ is imperative to you but the low quality of your life this is the typical promise of even up to your opinion as a standard Protestant line the moral quality of the Believers Life is not changed significantly sufficiently to actually merit salvation and maybe change has not changed enough to merit salvation on the Catholic view when we believe Christ and our cooperated into his body our lives are radically transformed inside out in a supernatural way so that we truly love God and love neighbor right the that's what sanctifying grace does to the soul unites us to God in love right now that the soul that's united to God in love that's that's what reconciliation looks like you know alienated from my spouse and I say I'm sorry and she says I forgive you our love is restored more united to one another in charity in love right so in the moment when we receive grace through faith in Christ God forgives us our sins and in fact not just in fiction but in fact really does unite us to maturity so that the relationship we have with him is one of loving union fight. In that moment there's no punishment for certain left me punish the punishment of hell is the punishment of being a really unaided from God being separate from our from our from our true and eternal end but if I'm reconciled to God Well that's that's incompatible with being a United from God. For sure Karen thank you so much for your call this is called a communion Hirani w.t. At our phone number 1805859396180585939 sex let's go to Kim now in Glastonbury Connecticut watching us right now on Facebook Live Hey there Ken what's on your mind today. I don't like you for taking my call Sure. I want to have actually and. Oh well even 3. And gave them the power to. And I'm paraphrasing here I believe that you know whatever they forgave and it will be forgiven and have I'm. Hearing or shall be retained in heaven and I have to be like you and today I mean. What I mean. Yes thank you there are 2 circumstances under which a priest would retain a confessed son one of them would be if the Penitence was not penitent and he was not contrite this happens more often than you might think someone comes into a priest and says well you know I robbed a bank and murdered my neighbor and stole his dog and blasphemy and both false witness. And I'm sorry for 8 out of town. But 2 of these things I'm pretty sure I'm going to do again all right I do not make a firm purpose of amendment right away and in this you know take one example this happens not infrequently in cases of their whole life difficulties in marital life where someone might say they've left their wife and child. Teaches Us We have a battle of Legation not to leave our wife a child. But look he can be family stuff is tough you know and I big I maybe he's taken up with the secretary and he really do want to go back to his wife right that would that would entail an awful lot of suffering he don't do that says well you know I love my wife but really not interested reconciling and I'm going to keep on with the secretary priest's going to say well I can't absolve your son's. Because you're objectively in a state of adultery right now and it may be difficult but you've got to do the hard thing right that's one case when a priest would not be able to absolve the end of th