Christian Spiritual Counseling

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Christian Counseling Certification Article on the 7 Mansions of St Teresa of Avilla

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

We have numerous blog posts on this topic and I encourage anyone type in the search button to find posts regarding St Teresa and the Interior Castle.  This blog serves as a brief introduction to the famous work.  Written in 1588, St Teresa wished to help souls find their way to God.  The Castle serves as a metaphor of the interior soul and the mansions are the various rooms within the castle.   The duty of the soul is to know God more perfectly entering more deeply into the castle.   God is always present in the castle and near, but the soul must overcome the trials, distractions and sin of the world to find God.  Many never find the ultimate mansion until the next life, and even so, this union is imperfect due to temporal reality, but it is the closest taste of Heaven possible for souls who do complete such saintly levels on earth.

One can find deeper union with Christ as one progresses through the mansions of the soul. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

Most human beings of good nature may struggle through the first 3 mansions, and few may enter into the 4th and 5th.  We should all strive though our very best to become as close to God as possible.  St Teresa illustrates the soul as a silk worm who must eventually build its own cocoon to become a beautiful butterfly.  The longer it crawls, the longer it must wait to become re-born.  For those who never enter into the mansions, they are paralyzed by sin, hypnotized by the illusions of the world.

The soul must acknowledge the presence of God, its own imperfections, seek forgiveness and enter into prayer and meditation to enter the first mansion.  The first three mansions are purgative in that they break the soul of earthly attachments.  Many spend their life teetering between mansions.  Falling back and forth to the world and then back to God.

The First Mansion is an invitation to prayer.  It is an acknowledgement of sin and one’s own true self.  It forces one to accept humility in one’s state before the throne of God.  The soul though is tempted by many worldly things.  In fact, as the soul advances, it is barraged more and more by the enemy in an attempt to prevent spiritual growth.

In the Second Mansion, the soul has grown in holiness.  It prays, it seeks good company and holier books and things regarding the faith.  It pushes the soul to seek God in times of tribulation due to the constant warfare waged by the enemy.  In active mental prayer, the soul seeks God.  It looks to withdraw oneself from outward senses and look inside towards God.

In the Third Mansion, the soul has overcome many of the initial difficulties of change.  The soul sincerely wishes not offend God but is not ready to fully surrender to the will of God.  The soul must overcome aridity and perceived absences of God’s presence.  The soul is tried and pushed to greater limits to see God through pure love not necessarily a warm presence.

The Fourth Mansion invites the soul to illumination and perception of greater mysteries.  The soul enters into a prayer that is passive in recollection.  This pure gift from God presents itself and the soul involuntarily closes off to the world.  In addition of the Prayer of the Quiet, the soul experiences more peace.  Unlike active recollection in prayer which is like a aqueduct to the ocean, passive recollection is with the source of the ocean itself.  It is with the Divine.  The soul has opened itself to these gifts.

The Fifth Mansion continues the love for the Divine in prayer.  The Prayer of Union pushes the soul further from the world and makes it fall asleep to it.  The soul appears to withdraw from the body.  In this deeper love, the soul seeks greater penance.   The soul, as the analogy of silk worm, begins to create its cocoon and seeks a deeper union.

The Sixth Mansion can be likened to Engagement to the Divine.  The soul is deeply in love and shares with God deep raptures, visions, locutions, flights of spirit, ecstasies and tears of separation in this fallen world from the Divine.  However with this deeper union comes equal trials of persecution, illness, and hardships.

Final union occurs in the Seventh Mansion.  In this mansion, the soul has awoken to the true reality of God.  There is a spiritual marriage between the soul and the Divine.  The soul ceases to experience aridity, but only a tender love for God and neighbor.  Crosses exist and are welcomed, but they cease to unsettle the soul.  The soul loses fear and experiences a peace of constant presence of the Divine.  The soul however despites its great desire to pass into the Beatific Vision, accepts it place on earth and shares the love of the Divine with one’s neighbor.

Christ’s human nature experienced a perfect union with the Divine infusion of the Blessed Trinity via the Son. However of course, although two natures, there was one Person in the Hypostatic Union and this union was complete from the moment of the conception of Christ.   The Blessed Virgin Mary also experienced this deep union, not merely through grace but the Incarnation itself, and her womb being a vessel of the Divine itself.

Most Christian Counselors will deal with individuals struggling with the first three mansions, especially the first.  Christian Counselors can help individuals find greater union with God by mapping the path set by St Teresa and helping individuals deal with the trials they will experience as they go deeper into union with God

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor.

 

Christian Counseling Certification Video on the Occult

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Christian Counselors face difficult times when dealing with the Occult and individuals facing possession.  It is imperative they help the person find the spiritual and sometimes physical safety they need.  It is essential that Christian Counselors work with appropriate mental health care providers and church professionals if they suspect demonic activity within a person.  Such spiritual warfare is extremely dangerous.  Faith in Christ is essential.

Please also review the video below and also AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor

Christian Counseling Certification Article on Modernism

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Modernism is a late 19th to early 20th Century heresy of Christianity that has continued to exist well into the 21st Century.  Its ideals and thoughts were reactionary to the scientific revolution and its more atheistic shades.  When the empiricism and the scientific method emerged, ideas of faith and miracles were questioned.  Empiricists such as Locke and Hume denounced religion as superstitious and un-scientific.  Further atheistic movements within the scientific community such as Positivism and Pragmatism emerged in the 20th Century that looked to denounce all forms of faith as useless.  Positivism looked to even remove any value of the words associated with God or faith from a linguistic view.

The modernist looked to build a bridge between Christianity and Empiricism.  It looked to find ways faith could still have meaning.  It looked to salvage a belief in God and allow Christians to be believers but also rationalists.  With such a compromise, the faith was eroded.  Miracles were dismissed, Scripture reduced to fables, and the idea of unchangeable dogma were denied.  This watered down version of Christianity presented Christ as a mere person and not God and the Bible as uninspired and written by only by holy men.

The Modernists looked to remove all unexplained elements of Christianity and replace it with rational thought.  In doing so, Scripture and Christ, were seen as noble things.  Scripture was seen as a good book that helps form good conscience and Christ was seen as a historical figure who possessed the spirt of God, but was not God.   Like Scripture, Jesus was a guide to holiness and morality but nothing more.

The Modernist denies the infallibility of Scripture. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Program

 

The problem with Christianity was its past superstitious beliefs, according to the Modernist.   The Modernist pointed out that Scripture was an important spiritual book and its inner message needed heeded but this message was distracted by literalism in belief of miracles.   Instead, Modernists looked to find the real meaning behind the myths of Scripture.  From Adam and Eve, to the parting of the Red Sea, to the Resurrection of Christ, all miracles were examined and dismissed, but the message behind them was sought.  Understanding the true message of these miracles and what the authors meant to express in mythical language was the key, according to Modernists.

With the idea that miracles cannot happen, Modernists rejected the idea that God acts directly in human matters.  God, as a being, or a state of being, communicates to creation through Vital Immanence.  Through Immanence, humankind can hear the voice of God.  Hence God communicates to humanity through the quiet of the heart.  Ideas and new movements and development of humanity are generated at a global level through this whisper of God.  Hence, God only speaks in the quiet, not through a divinely inspired book, or through miracles, or through Jesus Christ as God, but through oneself and through other people.

Jesus plays a central role in Modernism.  He is a paradigm of humanity. He teaches humanity how to treat others but also reached a state of Christ consciousness.  God spoke so powerfully through Jesus that he remains a central element of their heretical creed.  This is how the Modernist hides behind the false mask as Christian yet still denounces Christ’s divinity.

The Modernist hence declares him or herself a believer, but also a rationalist, a student of history, and a student of science, while still being a Christian.  While these sciences can never contradict truth of Christianity, the Modernist has twisted the Christian faith so much that it no longer is the Christian faith.  It becomes more an agnostic faith based loosely on historical man Jesus and moral values that change with the needs of the Church.

There are both Catholic and Protestant Modernists but regardless of faith, Modernists teach an indifferentism towards salvation.  Salvation is through any faith, not just Christ, but any faith that adheres to morality and the call and whisper of God via Vital Immanence.  A Modernist merely utilizes a certain heritage of faith that best fits his or her needs in meeting the call of God.   In this way, any route to heaven is equally true, and any dogma is non binding, as certain ones are able to evolve as the call of God demands.

In addition, the Modernist can be both be Theist or Pantheist.  Some Modernists believe God is a state of being that is infused throughout the cosmos, while others believe God is a being, but a being that is bound by the laws of physics that he created.  Hence many Modernists believe God and time are co-equal and that God does not exist outside of the realm of time.

Some notable Catholic Modernists are Fr. George Tyrell and  Fr. Alfred Loisy of the early 20th Century. St Pope Pius X condemned their writings and imposed a strict oath against Modernism for all clergy.  Catholic Modernism would re-emerge during Vatican II and attempt to water down the faith.  Notable heretics include Fr. Pierre Chardin and Hans Kung.

Protestant Modernists included Rudolf Bultmann who worked to great lengths to demytholize Scripture and find the historic Jesus.  Paul Tillich is also a notable Protestant Modernist theologian who looked to find value in myth over literal belief in Scripture.

Today Modernism can be found at the pulpit or in the classroom.  It flourishes most in academia and can be a threat to young unexpecting Christians not strong in the faith.

If you would like to learn more about Modernism, please refer to St Pope Pius X, Pascendi, and also the Syllabus of Errors on the Modernist.  Pius was one of the first Christians to identify this heresy and dismantle its ideas and expose this synthesis of all heresies.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor.

 

Related articles

Pascendi by Pope Pius X.  Click here

 

 

 

Christian Counseling Certification Video on Spiritual Discernment

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Knowing what God wants you to do in life or even making basic decisions in moral life are important to discipleship.  Christians need to hear God and follow His will but it is not always clear.  Fortunately, Christians throughout the ages have laid groundwork in defining right and wrong, or proper paths.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals.

 

Please review the video below on Spiritual Discernment

Christian Counseling Program Video on Christian Mentoring

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Discipleship and mentoring future disciples is an important part of Christianity.  We see this in the Paul-Timothy relationship and how Paul taught Timothy and educated him in the faith.  Christian mentors can help others become better disciples.  The relationship is very much vocational and only certain individuals are called to help form Christians.

If you are a pastor, priest, minister or someone helping youth in Christian formation, then consider becoming a spiritual advisor or mentor to them.  Help them form their faith and guide them through scripture.  AIHCP offers a four year Christian Counseling Program for qualified professionals.  The program is online and independent study.  If interested please review and see if it meets your academic and professional goals.

Please review the video below

Christian Counseling Certification Program article on Religious Fanaticism

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

A serious threat to any religion is fanaticism.  One likes to think his or her faith is safe from it, but the reality is many utilize faith and religion for other motives of propaganda.  In the meantime, they radicalize the base of believers to push forth very unreligious ideals.

To many non religious this is one of the most unattractive elements of religion.  While it may be a bad quality of misused faith, it definitely does not dismiss faith and religion on the whole.  Instead it shows the dangers of corruption of anything, not just faith.  When extremist views enter into any philosophy, politics, religion or ideals, then the chance of corruption exists.  Hence it is important especially in faith to protect it from radicalism.  Radicalism itself is much a sin against faith than non belief itself.

Religious piety and love of Christ is different than religious fanaticism.

 

In this short blog, we will look how radicalization and fanaticism can in particular harm the Christian faith and the individual believer.

The first element of fanaticism is pride.  Pride in one’s faith at the expense of charity and humility.  Christians have pride in Christ.  They boast Christ.  However, when Christians boast Christ in spite of personal humility and unworthiness, then Satan easily twists faith into pride and corrupts it.  Like the Pharisees of old, pride corrupts them and blinds them to the need of others and places themselves on a pedestal above others.

Fanaticism in addition to corrupting faith with pride, creates division instead of unity.  It no longer places others as those in need of the Gospel but those in contradiction to the Gospel.  It dehumanizes those who are not of the same faith.  It creates a City on the Hill that sees itself as better and deserving of special graces.  It looks to condemn others instead of forgive others and creates a “us” vs “them”

Fanaticism over emphasizes certain dogmas and places them over other ideals.  Due to this poor interpretation, it collects a cult of believers within a certain faith that become schismatics.  Hence fanaticism is also a cult within a religious cloak.  It distorts dogma, over-emphasizes certain points, and refuses to discuss compromise on interpretation.

Religious radicalism also militarizes believers.  It places within the heart of believers a do or die feeling of impending doom.  This is how it galvanizes believers to the point of looking beyond one’s neighbor and only seeing the dogma.  In this, they are willing to die for concepts at the expense of other people.

Ironically, our faith does call for certain things similar to radicalized faith.  It does call for a certainty.  It does condemn religious indifferentism.  It does preach a radical ideal of spreading the Gospel and putting Christ in our all aspects of our life but these ideals are properly weighed with reason, obedience and most importantly charity.

We are called to love Christ at the highest level.  We are called to be religiously zealous in our life.  But when that love is distorted by dogmatism, hate, division and pride, then the fruit becomes corrupt.  So being openly religious is not fanaticism in itself.  We are called to be active Christians, but retaining the term Christian is the key.  Pride, war in the name of religion, fear, division, and condemnation of others is not what Christianity is.

Christ Himself was religious but He was no fanatic.  He was fanatic about the faith, but His actions were not fanatic in thought and deed.  Instead, He insisted upon love and mercy and humility.  These ideals call for practical action to love one’s neighbor. He yet balanced this love of neighbor also with strong faith.  He did not deviate from the truth but promoted it.

Being a religious person hence is very different than being a religious fanatic.  Fanatics may share some elements of a religious person, but they are distorted by pride, hate, judgement, dogmatism, disobedience and division.  While a religious person strongly holds to their beliefs, a fanatic takes it a step farther, and finds superiority in faith and any lack of conformity a threat.

So in our faith, we need to define what extreme is?  Can our love of Christ ever be too extreme?  Certainly not.  We are called to love God with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole self, but in that love, that very extreme love, we are also called to love our neighbor.  Extreme love of neighbor entails remaining strong to the truth, but it also entails love and communication when we disagree.

This is the true nature of ecumenism.  Ecumenism is how we spread the Gospel in a Christ like way not a fanatic way.  Ecumenism is about dialogue and discussion of faith. It is about seeing the beauty of God in all faiths, but also clearly defining differences but in a loving way.  It does not condemn others but it looks to define what the faith teaches and why.  False ecumenism looks to indifferentism and is equally a sin against faith as fanaticism.  The fanatic will condemn and create division while the false ecumenist will create a false unity and deny the faith ultimately for the sake of fake communion.

One can be true to the faith without being a radical. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

Hence again is the balance of a true religious person.  One who is steadfast but not ready to bargain away the faith for false unity, but neither one who will judge and condemn others in the name of God for personal pride and promotion of a creed over others.

Christ did not force conversion nor did He water down the truth.  While religions in the past have committed horrible atrocities, if we follow the model of Christ, then we can truly be fanatic about our faith without being radical.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor.

 

Related Articles

Fanatics, Extremists, and Religion by Charles Sullivan

 

 

 

Christian Counseling Certification Article on Meditation Is More Than Health

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Eastern Meditation stripped of its religious connotations has numerous health benefits but to substitute this type of meditation for Christian meditation in regards to spiritual life is an error.  For purposes of physical health, breathing and various positions void of religious intent have health benefits, but for spiritual benefits, one must turn to the classical Christian meditation that looks not for relaxation but spiritual connection with God through the Scripture and Christ.

Christian meditation is Christo-centric and finds its basis in God’s presence through the quiet of Scripture and Christ.  Christ leads one to the Father and helps one reflect on one’s spiritual life with God.  Deeper contemplation can lead to deeper unions with God but all leads one back to the current world and its current situation instead of attempting to escape it.

 

Christian meditation is about a closer union with God. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

Meditation is prayer and it is important that Christians remember this and not allow secular definitions of it to water its true nature down.  The purpose is not to merely refresh the mind, de-stress, or find calm, but to connect with God.

The article, “Meditation Isn’t Mere Therapy — It’s a Living Relationship With Almighty God” by Anna Abbott reminds us of the true spiritual and prayerful nature of meditation.  She states,

“In the case of Christian meditation, it is an active quest to live the life of Christ, which was anything but passive. Our Lord sought baptism from his cousin to begin his life of teaching. He called the Twelve Apostles. He actively healed, preached and performed miracles. He repeatedly told Sts. Peter, James and John that the endpoint of his mission was crucifixion, death and resurrection. He endured heroically, not passively. His mission is the foundational “quest.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Going beyond this secular definition of meditation and realizing this active quest to find God is key in Christian meditation.  Christian meditation is not to escape the world but to understand it with all its suffering and distraught but to Christianize it.  Meditation brings the Christian closer to God to deal with the issues of the world.  In this way, Christian meditation is far more different than secular notions of meditation that find there roots in Eastern themes.

While these techniques have physical health value they cannot replace spiritual meditation.   Also bear in mind as Christians, these techniques themselves need to be utilized carefully since their ultimate design is based to create mental states that are associated with Eastern theology which is far from Christian.  The ultimate end of Christian meditation is union with God, not to become a god.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches one’s academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor.

Christian Counseling Certification Article on Mentoring

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Making disciples of all nations and fulfilling Christ’s mandate involves sometimes more than preaching but also sometimes working with others and helping develop their spirituality.  Individuals in positions of authority or experience sometimes find themselves helping others perfect their trade.  This is not only true of the professional world, but also within the spiritual world.  Numerous pastors, elders and spiritually developed Christians help others find Christ and also to grow in Christ.

Mentorship hence is a vital role within the Church.  It involves the Spiritual Works of Mercy that include instructing the ignorant, admonishing the sinful, counseling the doubtful and praying for their development.  Spiritual parents play large roles in this development.  Whether a pastor, minister, spiritual advisor, mentor or God parent, one is thrust into a spiritual position to help their spiritual children grow in Christ.  This spiritual promise is an important one that comes from God.  It is a very solemn duty to to not only guide but teach by good example.

 

Christ selected 12 Apostles to proclaim the Gospel. Spiritual Mentorship follows the paradigm of Christ in selecting and cultivating spiritual growth

 

This is why it is so scandalous when Church authority is abused.   When trust in authority is broken, many can be lost to the faith.  Many lash out against the faith.  Sexual abuse, corruption and bad example are all great sins before God and those in authority who mentor and teach the young, will answer in the most harsh ways.   It is important to shower one’s spiritual children with guidance and charity of the Holy Spirit through example and teaching.

Many look to the Paul Timothy relationship.  In it, St Paul guides St Timothy through the process of instruction and guidance.  St Paul educates but also encourages St Timothy in his spiritual formation.  Like St Paul, spiritual mentors are called to help cultivate religious vocations through example, teaching and encouragement. A spiritual mentor is a teacher, a coach,  and a counselor to his spiritual child and can help cultivate vocation through these positions of authority.

In doing so, like Christ, they give to their disciples a service of servanthood, as Christ did to the twelve but also an accountability.  An accountability to be spiritually present in their lives.  Also in any relationship their must be boundaries.  Overt dependency upon each other can cause damage to the growth of the spiritual child, as well as the spiritual parent.  The spiritual parent may also fear to let their spiritual child go.  So it is important to have important boundaries that are rooted firmly in Christ and faith.  It is hence important to discuss spiritual expectations and moral behavior in life, and when needed, the acknowledgement to seek outside help when needed.

It is also important to follow the Jesus Model.  Larry Kreider speaks about this model as a key way to help mentor and spiritually form young Christians.

Jesus just did not send out his disciples to the world without training or knowledge.  He chose them intentionally and took time to know them and cultivate their talents.  He taught not only by His words, but also by example.  The disciples learned the power of Christ on earth through His miracles and sermons.  In turn, Christ prepared them to proclaim the Gospel, but it was only until the Holy Spirit came upon them were they truly prepared.

He chose simply individuals.  He did not choose the rich or powerful but simple fisherman, Peter, James and John.  He chose a tax collector in Matthew, as well as numerous other outcasts.  He chose Andrew, Philip, James the Less, Simon, Bartholomew, and knowing those who would doubt Him, in Thomas, and those who would deny Him, in Judas.  Yet Christ, still accepted them all in their imperfections and status.  He gave them His full attention and charity and took them in as His own spiritual children.

Spiritual Mentors will also follow this model of Christ.  They will look to help develop the spirituality of the least of their brethren and allow their spiritual talents to become tools for the Church.  Like Christ, mentors need to initiate and take the first steps to help develop their spiritual children’s gifts.  They can reveal to them the good news of the Gospel and inspire in them a sense of awe regarding God. Through example and good deeds, they can inspire them.

They must also continue to build and cultivate the seed of faith within their spiritual children.  They must encourage spiritual life, reading of scripture, attendance of Church, and working within it.  They must cultivate that potential and push the faith into action.

Finally, eventually as Christ released the twelve, a mentor must be ready to release their spiritual children.  This does not mean, he or she abandons them or no longer offers his or her ear, but it does mean they trust in the abilities and faith of their children to spread the Gospel and themselves become spiritual parents.  The apostles went to the corners of the world and carried out their Master’s command even unto death.

 

We can help our spiritual children and help them grow in faith. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

If God is calling one to spiritual parenthood or to be a spiritual advisor, it is important to allow the Holy Spirit to guide it.  Prayer and fasting and discernment are extremely important.  One should not let insecurities or fear prevent one from fulfilling one’s duty to the Church.  The call to spiritual mentoring dismisses fear and insecurities, as well as ignorance, or apathy, or even impatience when one does not meet one’s standards.   It is a vocational call and it is a special relationship.

If you would like to learn more about AIHCP’s  Christian Counseling  Certification or would like to become a certified Christian Counselor to aid in your own spiritual mentorship of others, then please review the program and see if it meets your professional academic and spiritual goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Christian Counseling.

 

Christian Counseling Program Article on the Four Gospels

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

 

This is a quick crash course in textual review of the Gospels and where they came from.  Obviously, we all know they came from the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, who inspired human beings in the collecting various of stories and also directly inspiring the writers themselves, whether the writers were direct witnesses or collectors of the information.  Despite this inspiration, there still was a massive human cooperation with God that gave us the collection of the Four Gospels.  It is important as Christian Counselors, ministers, priests, and chaplains to have a good foundation in what the Gospels are and where they came from.

Preaching the Gospel is a standard phrase for those in ministry but what are the Gospels themselves?  Obviously the term to preach the Gospel extends beyond just the teachings found in the Four Gospels but are expounded throughout the entire Bible, but the ideal of the Gospel, the story of Jesus Christ and what He meant for salvation is the core concept found in the Gospels.  The previous books prepare the Christian for the encounter with Christ as found in the Gospels, while the Epistles explain them in greater detail.

The Four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They form the basis for inspired writings on the life of Christ and the story of salvation

 

Hence the message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is both God and man and came to Earth to redeem humanity from the sin of Adam.  In Christ, everything is made perfect.  In Christ, is the perfect sacrifice and bridge to God.  Without Christ, no salvation is possible and it is essential to accept Christ via Baptism to apply the blood of His redemption on the cross.   This is why it is was so critical a command to preach this message to all corners of the world.

The Gospels hence paint a picture of who Christ is and why He came.  They form the cornerstone of Christ’s teaching and set the basis for the Church.  It was hence critical for the Church to enshrine them as part of the foundational structures of the faith and all Christian theology.   The Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark. Luke and John were all formally written before the end of the 1st century.  In fact, most findings dictate that the Epistles of Paul outdate the Gospels.  It shows that the ideas of the Gospels had not been written yet by their namesakes, or at least collected together into one volume after the preaching of Paul.   Historic and literary criticisms of the text show that Mark was the first book written of the Four Gospels and Mark’s Gospel collected data from various sources.  These sources are known as the Que source which had accumulated various stories about the life of Christ handed down verbally and also in some cases documented.  Unfortunately, this common source of data about Christ has never been collected but the very fact most Gospels share common stories, illustrates a common source regarding the life of Christ as handed down by the Apostles.

The Gospels were stories of Christ that were collected from eye witness accounts or contain parts written directly as witnessed by the observer.  Historical authorship traditionally is applied to the namesakes of the Gospels themselves, the Apostles John and Matthew and the Disciples Mark and Luke.   Some contend that these historic figures only are of the name of the book and not the actual author or redactor.  Others contend that the eye witnesses themselves wrote the book.  Hence in John and Matthew, we see apostles who witnessed the life of Christ.  While Mark and Luke would have depended more on eye witness accounts as well as other source materials.

Despite only having only Four Gospels, the Church existed within the first three centuries under persecution and it would not be until the Fourth Century that it was able to canonize the books as inspired.  Many other books were classified as uninspired and left out of the canon.  Such books as the Gospel of Thomas or the Infancy Narratives were considered non canonical.   Some other books were considered heretical while others were considered pious but not inspired.

Hence the Church canonized the New Testament and accepted only the four we see today.  The first three are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels, while the Gospel of John stands on its own as a unique Gospel that has a higher Christological value.  While all the Gospels show Christ is both God and Man, the Gospel of John emphasizes the Divinity of Christ at a higher level.  This differences in emphasis is important to the whole story of Christ.

The Gospels were written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was a divine and human endeavor that worked side by side in giving us the life of Christ.  Textual criticism and authorship debates should not be seen as a way to lessen the Divine Source of  Scripture but to understand the human element and how it was constructed and compiled under the guidance of the Holy Spirit

 

The Synoptic Gospels while sharing similarities, nonetheless also differ in audience.   Matthew’s audience is more towards the Jewish population.  Matthew wished to show how Jesus was a good Jew and came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it, while Luke engages more with the Greek world, showing that Christ has also come to save  all of humanity, not just the Jewish people.  If these namesakes of these Gospels are indeed the historical individuals, then Matthew would have an indepth knowledge of Christ as well as the Jewish law.   Luke who writes much on the infancy of Christ, according to tradition, also knew the Virgin Mary well and is said to have written the first icon of the Mother of God.  This would tie to the indepth amount of the infancy stories found in Luke.

Regardless, the Gospels are written and inspired and share their namesakes actual hand or spirit.  The accounts compliment and supplement each other.  Where others look to find contradictions or minor variations, the Church sees the many stories of Christ and their diversity shared in the Gospels.  In fact, as John points out, not even all the books of the world could contain the many stories of Christ.  The Church is grateful to possess four accurate accounts that supplement different audiences but share the same inspired story of Christ, God and Man, and also Redeemer for all audiences.

While various criticisms exist for Scripture, they should not be seen as critiques but instead research into the history, literary aim, and textual development to better understand the individual book.  These are important tools that if used reverently can be used to help us better appreciate the Word of God and message of salvation.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals

 

The stories and accounts are reliable because one can see the full story of Christ find form.  While only in oral form for the longest time, they found parchment and permanency through the Holy Spirit and His divinely inspired writers.  These same witnesses would later forfeit their lives for the stories found in to cement their authenticity with their own blood.

This is why we believe and this is why we share the Four Gospels.

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.

 

Christian Counseling Certification Article on Ignatian Spirituality and Loss

Posted on by Dominick Flarey

Ignatian spirituality is an excellent way of experiencing God and prayer in one’s daily life.  In essence it is very intellectual and Christo-centric.  Christ is the center of all and service is essential to the church and community.  Meditation within the tradition is also Christo-centric and focuses on visualization on the life of Christ.  This focus on Christ helps many through various therapies, especially in grief.  The steps within Ignatian review of conscience can be important in helping individuals analyze their life itself

Ignatian spirituality makes one look deeper at self. It can help with various cognitive therapies through this exercise. Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification

 

The article, “How Ignatian spirituality enhanced my cognitive behavioral therapy” by Sue Do looks closer at the cognitive benefits of Ignatian spirituality and meditation on recovering from loss and grief.  The article states,

“In the five steps of the Examen prayer of St. Ignatius, I found the “reviewing of my day” to be a crucial part of my resilience and recovery. Facing my struggles and talking about it to God through journaling is similar to confronting my distorted thoughts in cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Positive affirmations are similar to the awareness of one’s needs and asking for graces in Ignatian spirituality.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Ignatian spirituality is a very disciplined and precise spirituality that looks to find Christ but also helps to better oneself in deeper analyzation to find weakness within the soul.  His exercises and meditation all help lead to a stronger Christian life

Please also review AIHCP’s Christian Counseling Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Christian Counselor.