It's Sunday Snippets-Catholic Carnival time again. Thanks to RAnn at
This That and The Other Thing for hosting as always.
Just one post for the week.
I had been pondering the idea of a personal relationship with Jesus and tried to think of when I heard about it specifically in the Church but only remember hearing other Christians talk about it. And then, of course after deciding I hadn't really heard Catholics talk about it and writing this post, I heard the term used two different times on EWTN radio. Not that it mattered because I'd say it is something Catholics experience but perhaps are just more reticent about it...
Understanding a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
I've heard other Christians use the phrase, "having a 'personal' relationship with Jesus Christ," but for some reason, I don't think I've heard a Catholic talk about it. I'm not sure why: Maybe there's another term we use instead. This isn't to say Catholics don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. For myself, after some time, I've come to discover my own "personal" relationship with Jesus. When reading the Saints, they seemed to have a very intimate relationship with our Lord. Early on in my conversion, I could see why Saints would have such a personal relationship with Him. They had merit and they had a strong sense of duty and set about to change the world. They knew what His Will was for them and they were obedient and did whatever He asked them to. So I could understand why Jesus would speak directly to them because He had a mission for them and chose them for something special.
5 comments:
"having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" sounds glib to most Catholics. I can't even imagine Peter or Paul or John saying "I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ;" not that they didn't have just that...but it sounds odd.
LOL, I really can't imagine them saying that. I think you're right. I used to cringe when I'd hear people say that they had a personal relationship with Jesus. Maybe it makes Him sound too "domesticated" as Fr. Barron mentioned in one of his video commentaries.
Catholic prayer is full of expressions of love and invitations to love. When God is right there, listening, loving and entering into your being in the Eucharist, you take for granted that it's personal.
I think "personal" is contrasted with "corporate" and that's not really a distinction that Catholics may fairly make. Our relationship with Christ is both personal and corporate. I would find it very difficult to have a personal relationship without a corporate one as well.
Catholics are more likely to speak of being in union with Christ (through baptism) than of relationship. Romans 6:5 says "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." (NRSV) To me, "union" sounds more intimate or permanent. Relationships can be fickle, even among blood relations.
My two cents. A good concept to mull over.
Hi Intostillness and Moonshadow. I think you make some great points. If you read the original blog post as this is just the snippet, I think I explore the corporate as well as personal but I just didn't think of the word corporate and now that makes total sense. We are part of a body and family so like you said Moonshadow, we have to have both the personal and corporate. And union is a much better way to describe what our relationship is like with God.
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