Yeshua Inc.

Let's try this again. My last attempt just got blitzed, and obviously the first draft will have been superior. I don't know why; to quote the Church Lady: "Could it be, hmmmm, SATAN?"

Anyways, about the veneration/worship stuff, let's look at it this way.

Imagine you work on the ground floor in an office building at an entry-level kind of position. You want a day off. You don't absolutely need it, you haven't necessarily earned it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Besides, your boss is a nice guy, so it won't hurt to ask. So, you send in your request. Here's the thing, though: there have been times that you've slacked off, and you know your boss knows. He hasn't yelled at you, he hasn't suspended you, nor has he fired you; like I said, he's a nice guy. Still, you've noticed that disappointed look in his eye, so you're not sure your request will be granted. As benevolent as your boss is, you know that at the end of the day, he is evaluating your work.

What do you do? Well, lucky for you, you know someone who is working higher up in the company. The boss trusts him/her, and even luckier for you, that someone has shown to treat you well. So you approach this person, and ask him or her to put in a good word for you. Of course, you're going to be nice; heck, you may even buy him or her a coke. No worries...s/he says s/he will help you out but reminds you that this is no guarantee. "That's ok," you say "I have a better shot with you backing me up. Please vouch for me." So off this person goes to intercede for you to the boss.

Now, let's say you have the fortune of meeting the boss' mom. She's a great lady; she'll bake cookies for all the employees just for the heck of it. She'll come around to see how you're doing, and if you have any problems or just need to talk, she'll listen. Like I said, great lady. So, you approach her and ask the same thing--if she can vouch for you. She does so gladly, but also warns that this is no guarantee. "That's ok," you say "with you vouching for me, I have an even better shot."

Even with the backing of both these people, none of this will help if you don't put in the official request to the boss. Still, you feel more confident in submitting this request because you have these people supporting you. Besides, it's easier to approach this someone and the boss' mom because, hey, they're not evaluating you. They can't do that to you; they wouldn't want to even if they could. The boss, on the other hand, does evaluate you. He may be a nice guy, but if you slack off too much, he can "suspend you without pay" or even fire you. At the same time, he is the only one that can grant your request.

That's basically the concept of latria, dulia, and hyperdulia; that's the difference between worship and veneration. You obey your boss; you work for him and give him you're best effort. You work with that higher-level co-worker, and at the most, you give him a coke; neither of you are crazy enough to think that you work for him/her.

Does one's spiritual life necessitate latria? Yes, in fact you don't have a spiritual life without it. Does it absolutely need dulia or hyperdulia? No, but it can come in handy. Can you get buy with only dulia and hyperdulia? No way, and that's a risky thing.

As an aside, about that whole Last Judgement thing, two things are always in a Catholic's mind: the Nicene Creed, and that parable of the talents.

Pax.
Iggy