Arc of Existence

By H. M. Hyra

Often, a circle is considered a symbolic way to express the fullness of God's essence. Human existence has a connection with God and his will. The Arc of Existence presents the part of the circle that deals with human existence from beginning to one's eternal presence in God's eternal kingdom.

Our transcendent God has revealed himself as the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created man out of nothing, sustains our existence with the immanent power of caring for our eternal welfare.

The reader is welcome to join the author's view of the will of God, where nine components are presented with the intention of joining the spiritual essence of God with man's real-world experiences.

From the use of sacred tradition, scripture, and the magisterium, the text explores man's journey from conception to natural death. The reader will learn about creation; the human condition; and how reason, faith, and revelation shape our culture and society.

The reader will explore the fullness of our Creator in terms of God being three persons, distinct yet one in nature. Of course, the Bible is the covenant which reveals truths that reason cannot guide in a significant way.

Jesus and Mary's real-world exploits give a significant claim that the real world and the spiritual world join where the Catholic Church forms the foundation of man's attempt to live according to God's will.

Finally, the reader will be exposed to why Jesus came to do the will of the Father that all souls with freewill choices can obtain eternal salvation. Careful consideration of the nine components in comparison with secular world criteria will prompt one to accept the grace of salvation, a gift with eternal consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638747147

Book preview

cover.jpg

Arc of Existence

H.M. Hyra

Copyright © 2021 by H.M. Hyra

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Roman Catholic Church

Culture and Society

The Garden

Human Condition

Reason, Faith, and Revelation

The Bible

Jesus and Mary

Eternity

For those individuals who seek God with a sincere and pure heart, knowing that his Divine Providence expresses an eternal love that conquers fear and promotes human happiness. May the joys and sorrows of this life be a reflection of the use of free will to promote genuine concern for the will of God.

Amen.

Divine Providence is the plan that God has set forth, where human experience expresses the depth of love that our Creator manages for the fullness of life lived from our earthly existence to our final resting place.

Introduction

The answers to man’s present-day problems lie in return to God’s Divine Providence, where his eternal will beckons to all of his creation to make freewill choices that are proper expressions of his eternal love.

This text will present an answer to the chaos and uncertainty that exist because of human insistence that man can be the measure of all things.

This Catholic perspective does not deny people of other faiths from joining in communion with the Church in fostering a return to the proper use of reason, faith, and revelation, as man’s journey to God’s eternal kingdom is once again the proper concern for all humankind.

Wake-Up Call

If you are a practicing Catholic as of now, your faith is being tested every day in some way or another. If you are an American, a once-proud nation based on a Judea-Christian ethic has been replaced by the separation of church and state.

It seems that small mistakes made at the time of creation have become magnified in our present age, such that the Catholic Church is being persecuted throughout the world.

Man’s fallen nature seems to need a face-lift, one which recognizes sin for what it is—a desire for a complete secularization of our once proud culture and society. The American society needs a moral revolution where immutable norms are followed, and man does not assume he is the measure of all things.

The Arc of Existence will expose the reader to Divine Providence—that is, the true plan that God has for all of his creation.

A transcendent God has founded the creation of man on the premise that free will is part of his essential nature. Man, being created in the image and likeness of God, has been given the privilege of making decisions that help to determine the course of one’s life. However, freedom has its duties, and responsibility for God is the ultimate ruler whose structure is contained in his Divine Providence.

From man’s beginning to his final end, our present world is but a very small part of the plan that God has for those who love him. The Arc of Existence presents Divine Providence in a way that reveals God’s concern for the true destiny of humankind.

Scripture attests to the Jews that Christ is a stumbling block, for the Jewish are still waiting for a Messiah to provide for their much-needed security. To the Christian, Jesus is the second person of the Trinity—God incarnate who came to save the world from Satan and his followers. To the Gentile (other religions and nonbelievers), Christianity is foolishness. The grace needed for belief is absent, and man is caught in relying on the reason for their survival.

Using a Catholic perspective, the joys and sorrows of this life for those who accept God’s gifts will become joy and glory in the life to come.

In the Old Testament, God’s covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David are all subservient to the final covenant with our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament has hidden what God has found acceptable in the New Testament. The writers of the Bible had a literal meaning to their inspired words, yet God included meanings beyond what they could comprehend.

In the New Testament, the Son of God Incarnate is the way, the truth, and the life. Without Jesus, man’s journey on earth harkens back to the Old Testament where an eye for an eye made man’s life one of constant warfare.

The world at the time of Christ and at the time of the early Church was not unlike the contemporary society of this era. Divorce was commonplace; in fact, the marriage rate was very low as people did not want the responsibility that would ensue. In addition, abortion, infanticide, contraception, and homosexuality were commonplace.

Jesus came to do the will of the Father and therefore make changes in communion with Divine Providence. From all eternity, God was aware that creating man in his image and likeness would bring suffering and pain to a world that would reject the sharing of the gift of eternal life.

Jesus became the object of the Catholic faith. He was the Lamb of God who, through the blood of the cross, would redeem man from his sins. He was the Good Shepherd, the Suffering Servant who established the foundation of his Church.

The Incarnation, one of the mysteries of the Catholic Church, defined Jesus as having a human and divine nature. He was like us in all things but sin. The Father designated Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as Co-redeemer of all of humankind.

Man’s fallen nature marred the goodness of creation by permitting free will where man had the choice of choosing good or evil. The Arc of Existence will reveal that God, in his infinite mercy, provides opportunities for man that will lead him to make choices commensurate with God’s will.

Hope

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.

Choose life, then that you and your descendants may live.

—Deuteronomy 30:18

The Cross

In presenting a Catholic perspective, one must be aware that modern society has tried to eliminate pain and suffering from the human agenda. Yet the Church teaches that man suffers as a result of his sinful nature.

The Catholic Church proclaims to be the universal representative of all humankind. The world is much smaller now that technology has reduced the amount of time and effort that it takes to discern problems that can cause havoc at home and abroad.

But the world has changed, and over two billion Christians in the world have been reduced by the inactivity of the members to follow the Christian message. The once accepted pronouncement that God comes to man through both…

Joy—Sorrow

It has been deemed unacceptable by a vast number of people who seek instant gratification where economic security and earthly security are the number one concern. The Catholic Church—through reason, faith, and revelation—pursues the eternal objective but recognizes that because of man’s fallen nature, the inevitability of and polarization of both perspectives.

Joy—Glory

Man’s final destination, as willed by the eternal plan of God, finds his glory in his Creator. Man has always sought happiness and the joy associated with the elimination of pain and suffering. The joy of everlasting life in God is beyond man’s imagination.

Man’s limitations are enhanced by the crosses that he must face daily. Jesus, the savior of the world, died for man upon the cross. His model for all of humankind stands as a tribute to God’s eternal love, where man’s proper choices make it possible to experience eternal life.

However, it is through man’s crosses that he can pursue perfection and eventually gain his rightful place in the kingdom of God.

The Good Shepherd

In the Gospel of John chapter 10, scripture speaks of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Jesus is seen as a gatekeeper, making the point that the sheep that enter are safe from harm’s way. This, of course, is a reference to Satan who roams throughout the world seeking the destruction of souls.

Jesus has come so that man might have a good life and have it more abundantly. Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Being the Good Shepherd, he knows those of his flock, and they know him.

Jesus makes reference to other sheep, which can be those who do not yet know him. Eventually, he predicts that there will be one flock.

The Good Shepherd

Jesus, being a model for all facets of life, may not be desired in terms of the cross, but his affective responses to people and his caring nature is an attribute that is enduring to most people. Of course, people, in general, seem to take to those who show concern for their joys and sorrows that life exhibits on a daily basis.

In chapter 10 of the book of John, the story of the Good Shepherd is the consummate proclamation of Christ’s intimate concern for his flock. Referred to as the gatekeeper, and the analogy of the sheep entering through the gate and that they know the keeper and he knows them has many interpretations. The reference to thieves and robbers has a significant meaning as Satan is constantly on the move with a purpose opposed to God’s will.

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep as Jesus has done for all of his creation.

In contemporary society, the thieves and robbers come in many wrappers, and it is wise for the faithful to be on the alert, for Satan is at work 24–7. Modern society has expanded beyond man’s ability to handle all conditions that might lead one into temptation and even sin.

The story of the Good Shepherd is interpreted by the Jews as if Jesus was possessed and out of his mind. In contemporary society, the actions of those who seek to lay down their lives for others seems not in communion with the self-interest that permeates a culture that stresses self-reliance and protection of one’s own interest.

Are their self-donating people in our modern society? Of course, there are, but the majority of people see no value in helping the poor and destitute. The rich more and more find it inconvenient and bothersome to provide for the many that need their help desperately.

Scripture says, The greatest thing one can do is to give up their life for another. Jesus is the model for such activity!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who invites humanity to serve the needs of others. We are also asked to help provide opportunity for those whose plight is not always of their own making.

The Holy Family

The fundamental base of any society is the strength of the family. The Christian model for the family is Joseph, Mary, and Joseph.

A true family presents a cooperative and creative effort, of those involved, where basic needs are met in an economic sense, where love and a proper attitude toward freedom are instrumental in promoting mature growth in all its members.

Christian family seeks the kingdom of God first. The highest priority is the salvation of the individual soul through a proper respect for self and other.

The Holy Family

Whenever our failing society speaks of the demise of our culture, one of the paramount reasons that is brought forward is the disintegration of the family. However, the secular humanist states the obvious but does not get to the heart of the matter.

In order for the family to function as intended then, first priority must be the reestablishment of God as the structure that the family must be based upon. The modern version of the separation of church and state has flawed the true relationship that must exist for the family to survive and prosper as God intended.

The model for the ideal family is Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus.

Joseph was the protector of the family, a hardworking man who silently took his place in preparing for the ministry of Jesus. The fleeing of the sacred family to Egypt and the family’s return to Nazareth was all instituted by dreams that Joseph had as he faithfully carried out his role as willed by God.

If the faithful go to Joseph, he has the power to help us at the hour of our death or in the area of helping man to be a strong and capable father.

Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, played her role without fanfare and without doubting what God had intended for her. Conceived without sin, Mary is a role model for all women who have conceived a child. It seems the modern world needs a role model seeing women have lost their sense of their importance, taking on a secular view where the importance of paternity has become a second-rate issue in the politics of the day.

After Jesus was found by Mary and Joseph in the temple, where he astounded the scribes with knowledge way beyond his years, he obediently grew in wisdom and knowledge in the part of his life called the missing years. Jesus, being both human and divine, obeyed his parents as he prepared for his ministry at the age of thirty.

The destruction of the family in the modern age, where division and a lack of two parents has weakened the essential bond establish in the book of Genesis.

Putting One’s Soul in Jeopardy

The Catholic Church acknowledges and teaches that the human soul together with a glorified body will live an everlasting life. The world we live in is passing away, and man’s mortality is ever present from moment to moment. Time waits for no one, and its measurement is determined to some extent.

As scripture attests to, Those who have been given more, more will be expected. In the beginning, it has been revealed through the book of Genesis that man’s fallen nature has resulted over a long period of time to a modern-day equivalent of Sodom and Gomorra. Of course, the difference is that the world does contain a remnant of people who seek the will of God. Therefore, one may speculate that God’s wrath is being withheld, for God’s patience and mercy is boundless.

In the Catholic Church, salvation is an individual decision, although it has repercussions in the way man treats and fosters goodness through others.

When man separates and alienates himself from such behavior, it is referred to by the Church as being sinful. God knew through eternity that man would never be able to devise a plan for repentance. So the Father sent his only begotten son as the savior of the world. Jesus, as a model, dies on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. However, God’s justice demands that man is responsible for his transgressions, and therefore, atonement must be made.

God’s will desires man to be with him after his earthy death, but scripture is explicit concerning the need to be purified before entering what Catholics refer to as a heavenly state.

Therefore, the Arc of Existence in the final analysis demonstrates that man puts his soul in jeopardy by living life contrary to God’s Divine Providence. Jeopardy includes the possibility of spending eternity in hell and a consequence that man will suffer pain and loss in the state of purgatory. The Arc of Existence discerns that many people do not believe in the temporary state of purgatory so the text makes the Catholic case for its existence.

In the book of Genesis, God gave man free will, where acting as a steward, man was to manage and care for the gifts received.

The church teaches about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Life is a precious gift from God who has created the world and is Lord over all that he has fashioned out of love.

In contemporary times, as John Paul II stated, there is a culture of death battling with the culture of life. Satan and his disciples have convinced many that free will means one does not have to conform to the dictates of spiritual faith.

But God has created man in his image and likeness where freedom means conforming to his will. The evidence is not just obtained through reason but by following the teachings involving his will.

Now believers salute the message, and nonbelievers call for an absolute proof despite their inability to confirm the value and meaning of their own existence.

Man’s Relationship to God:

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

A Christian would do well to establish a faithful and loving relationship with his Creator. A person can become dependent upon other people, especially family and close friends. Many use the angels and the saints, and traditions like the rosary substituting many good features of the faith instead of searching for the ideal relationship between man and his God. The Catholic faith stresses that man and God are 24–7 companions. The good Lord would never permit one who truly believes to be lost in a chaotic world where instant gratification and economic security are the rules of the day.

Scripture attests to God’s yoke as being easy and his burden light. It is man and his fallen nature that has made things complicated. The Arc of Existence