The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraphs 390-393

390   The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents.

391  Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."

392  Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".

393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death.”

A Letter from Father Christian

Dear Faithful,

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Mt. Olivet cemetery with the 7th grade class of the St. Joseph Catholic Academy. I spoke to them about how cemeteries are places of hope. This was surprising to
them. But this is in fact, the view of the Catholic Church. I share with you a prayer that is prayed when I do committal services at the graveside:

Lord Jesus Christ,
by your own three days in the tomb,
you hallowed the graves of all who believe in you
and so made the grave a sign of hope
that promises resurrection
even as it claims our mortal bodies.

This speaks to the truth that Jesus himself entered into the tomb or grave . . . But it was precisely from the grave that He rose to new life. From the tomb, he literally blew up sin and death. The faithful
departed share in this reality by virtue of their baptism into Christ The graves and tombs of our faithful departed foreshadow their future resurrection. This is why since time immemorial that
Christians have always interred or buried the remains of the departed. The grave is a sign of hope!

Peace and God Bless,
Fr. Christian


"Feed My Sheep" by Young Sung Kim