Food for Thought

Jul 23, 2015

Beliefs that defy earthly explanation are part of the spiritual DNA of a Catholic. From the Resurrection to the Holy Trinity and even the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven, faith helps us to understand what is sometimes difficult to explain using reason.

In No. 659 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we see that "Christ's body was glorified at the moment of his resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys."

In August 2011, Pope Benedict XVI, celebrating the assumption of Mary, said she was "taken, body and soul, into heaven," and said this "great mystery" was reason for hope and joy for those who believe.

While the church celebrates some of the "mysteries" that help deepen our faith, it also warns about such things that can't be understood, namely the occult and superstition. The catechism says in No. 2138 that superstition is "a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic."