Warren

you wrote:

And, in judging the sinner, can we not be blaspheming the Spirit in our unseemly, prohibited and uncharitable judgment?

Amen, amen.

Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get (NRSV, Mt 7:1,2).

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things (NRSV, Rom 2:1).

We are members of a holy Church made up of unholy people.

I wish you every blessing in 2008.

God bless,


NoelFitz.
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In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.
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and a Jewish perspective...

Remember, the Sun is always shining!

I have read this Psalm in three different versions now.  NAB, RSV, and the New Jerusalem Bible.  And I have read commentary's on this Psalm.  It is getting a little clearer but I must admit I'm still a bit confused with the intent and meaning.  I understand that this Psalm is a "question and answer" process about entering the Temple.  From the answers portion of the passage I feel it is telling me that a person a may enter the temple (Heaven) by walking a path (living my life) with no fault.  If don't speak ill of my neighbor than I shouldn't do any harm to anyone.  (Treating everyone as my neighbor?).  For those wicked (sinners) I should treat them with disdain.  (My NAB uses disdain).  But I should honor all those who love the Lord.

I go on here verse by verse but that would just delay my question.  Many of you on here are much more learned about our Holy Scripture than I am.  (I would barely rate myself a novice.) So just how far off the 'mark' am I in trying to understand this passage?

bhokuto you commented "can we despise the sin and love the sinner?
".  I think that we can love the sinner as Jesus told us to love one another.  But I must admit that this is not always easy.  It is too easy to say "I don't care" or "I hate that person"  or even ignore someone totally for what they have done.  I think when Christ told us to love one another it was a command as much as it was a challenge to live our lives by.  But can we really forgive or be ready to forgive a sinner if we don't love them?

Warren's post here and the comments following really makes me think about sin, forgiveness, and love.  And when I read the passage it actually made me start evaluating my own life with closer scrutiny. 

So here on the first day of this new year I'm already checking my calendar to attend confession and perhaps even ask my priest to hear my confession before the weekly scheduled times.

tarheel

Tarheel,

One of the most beautiful elements of Scripture is that the Holy Spirit says exactly what He wants you to hear. Hearing and understanding, at times, require more in depth analysis. At other times, it reads exactly as it is suppose to. I am also reminded of Jesus telling those present, today, in your hearing, this prophecy has been fulfilled.

On the surface, without commentary, Psalm 15 asks God who can dwell in your presence, what kind of man would that be. Attributes are then associated with this man; God-fearing, blameless and beyond reproach. The answer is provided so as to provide a means to the end. Simple enough, until one questions what man is capable of being blameless. If we look to original sin, we immediately falter. Washed away as it is by baptism, the concupiscence of man to sin remains unless one is provided an abundant amount of grace. Also, we have the perspective of the Church which teaches to love the sinner and despise the sin. Clearly, the Psalm speaks of despising the reprobate. 

So, if we dig deeper, one could draw a relationship between Jesus and the man in the psalm. We have an understanding, as Catholics, that Jesus was born of woman, begotten of God, without sin. Only God can search the heart of man and know the contents. Here, it is interesting to point out the Jewish term from which reprobate is derived; base.

The base man is synonymous with being servile, or, meanly and cravenly submissive. Who can know the heart of a man and despise the same except God? What man, understanding love and charity for the sinner, as the Church rightfully teaches, can righteously look at any man with disdain? I submit that the only man who fits the bill is Jesus. All of Scripture points us to this revelation, I see no reason why Psalm 15 should be any different.

Now, according to David, all is lost. For if only Jesus can dwell in the House of the Lord, then we are all destined to hell; life without God. However, as Catholics, we understand the redemptive nature of the Cross and thank God endlessly for the sacrifice His Son made so that we could be reconciled from our sinfulness and washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb.

Psalm 15 could also be used to help guide the Church in its teaching on Purgatory. If nothing clean can enter heaven and only those beyond reproach will dwell in the kingdom of God, then we must all be cleansed that we may not falter forever.

To answer your question, as a layman, you are on track and headed in the right direction.

In Christ,

Remember, the Sun is always shining!