Learn by Topic: Omniscience

Man’s Quest for Knowledge

Man has always been on a quest for knowledge.  Ever since Adam and Eve’s fall to Satan’s temptation to “know good and evil” and to be “wise” (Gen 3), the knowledge quest has drawn men into sin.  The Enlightenment failed because it sought to build knowledge through rational thought and the rejection of God.  More recently, Marx (economics), Nietzsche (power) and Freud (sex) all proposed new knowledge that would bring man fulfillment.  The dismal post-modern idea that there is no sure knowledge, seeks to deconstruct civilization into an atheistic, pluralistic and relativistic pool of confusion.  The Internet has provided easy access to most human knowledge and experience including the promotion of darkest human perversion, just a click away.  Politicians, media kings/queens and activists promote hyper-partisan opinions, gaining power/wealth,­­­ while dividing people into armed camps.  Man’s use of the exploding levels of secular knowledge has not led to peace or joy.

The Powerful Knowledge of Jesus Christ

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In today’s Gospel from the Mass (Luke 9:22-25), Jesus discloses that He is living in the Shadow of the Cross (more…)

Today’s Gospel from the Mass (Mark 6:45-52) is remarkable, for it gives insight as to how the persistence of Jesus as He softens the hard-hearted.  Mark writes:

[45] Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa’ida, while he dismissed the crowd.  [46] And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.  [47] And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.  [48] And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,  [49] but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out;  [50] for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.”  [51] And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,  [52] for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (more…)

To grow in faith, Man must grow in awe of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Every thing that Jesus does is “awesome”; if we don’t realize the awesomeness of Jesus in some detail of the Incarnation, we are missing something.  Each event in Christ’s life can be meditated upon; and each yields great insight into the awesomeness of Jesus Christ.

For example, the Gospels give us details about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.  Why?  We find that details matter!

Did Jesus choose to be born in Bethlehem?  If so, why Bethlehem?

Father Ryan Erlenbush offers a compelling answer to these questions which point to the awesomeness of Jesus.  

Father Jonathan Kelly taught at CatholicManNight on April 20, 2012.  Here is an outline of Father’s address on the Knowledge of Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ speaks from who He is and what He knows, not from what He has learned or what He believes.

Hypostatic union

• In the history of the Church, counsels arise to determine answers to what is being questioned at the time.
  • First heresy was that Jesus only appeared human because of the amazing things He did.  It is called – Docetism (from the Greek word meaning “appear.”
  • Then the pendulum swung the other way, Arius said that Jesus Christ was created by the Father.  “Was not before he was.”
  • Council of Nicaea in 325 settles it:
    • Jesus Christ is of the same essence of the Father, co-eternal, begotten not made (our Creed comes from Nicaea)
    • Fully God and fully man, true God from true God
    • Next question was, how is He both God and man?
    • Council of Chalcedon in 451 answered, “Without mixture, without confusion.”
    • Divine nature penetrates the human nature without changing it

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