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Paridiz (Paradise)

Originally denominated by a single noun meaning "a walled compound or garden", from "pairi" ("around") and "daeza" or "diz" ("wall", "brick", or "form"), philosopher and historian Xenophon of Athens borrowed the ancient Iranian *paridaiza(h), late ancient Iranian *pardēz (Avestan pairidaēza, old Persian *paridaida, late old Persian pardēd) into Greek as paradeisos. This term is used for the Garden of Eden in Greek translations of the Old Testament.

The essential plan of a paradise garden is a four-part layout, or four rivers (Charbagh), with a lake or fountain at the center. The rectangular or linear design is typically divided by water channels using the ancient Qanat system (a type of aqueduct, Persian technology).

It was in this paradisiacal configuration, somewhere in Mesopotamia, in immemorial times (which I believe to be at some historical point perceived since the last Ice Age, between 10,000 BC and 4,000 BC), that the first human couple, a red man and his wife, were divinely created as immortal souls.

In this paradise, the apple event occurred, similar to an explosion in all perceived spheres (spiritual, psychological, and physical) by man. Its effects are perceived both backward in historical time and subsequently.

For this reason, it is so difficult to pinpoint an exact historical date for the Fall of Man event. This event affected not only human nature but all animals and the entire inanimate universe. The inanimate universe became subject to entropic decay, and animals became subject to scientifically perceived predator-prey evolution.

The Resurrection was the solution to the apple event, and just as the Fall affected the past and future, the Resurrection also retroacts in time, since the first Eucharistic Transubstantiation at the Last Supper occurred in historical time before the Resurrection, as well as the Immaculate Conception and possibly the Transubstantiation present in Melchizedek's Sacrifice.

In the Final Judgment, those who stand on the right side of the King will be rewarded with an eternal paradise on Earth and throughout the transfigured universe, with the Great Golden Cube as its center, and those who stand on the left side of the King (the vast majority) will be condemned to GEHENNA, or the Lake of Fire, eternally and absolutely irreversibly.

Creatio ex Nihilo

Ex Opere Operato

Charbagh layout at Jahangir's Tomb in Lahore

I was really nervous but the priest was really patient and gentle with me. He helped me go through it and after that i feel like I was gonna cry but I managed to keep myself together.

It was comforting when he told me that my sins doesn't matter as long as I seek forgiveness and repentance.

It was nice.

I feel the need to focus on praying for all priests and bishops, living and deceased. Please, if you can, give me the names of all of the priests you know or who need prayers :)

i have a question about idolatry. im 22f and i have borderline personality disorder. with that - i find i have super intense relationships with my boyfriends, maybe it’s because i see them in a way as like a father figure sometimes i just have a very strong connection with men. (please don’t judge me) but i find that sometimes i worship my boyfriend like he is a God and i feel like i see Jesus in him so much and because he’s a man i feel like he’s closer to God than me. Is that considered idolatry?

Before I ask my question, I want to give a little bit of context since it might change the answer I get. I'm definitely a bad Catholic, but I do believe everything the Church teaches. I'm a single man that has been considering where to put my roots. Currently my home is in a very hostile place to the faith in practice, though not by name. Not martyr levels of danger, but I wouldn't be surprised if things went in that direction. Because of this, I've been thinking of moving to a place that is more receptive to the true faith. By this I don't mean an uber Catholic land, such a place exists only in Heaven, but a place were at least I can feel like I'm not the black sheep of the nation. Also, I'm not sure if I'll ever have a family of my own, but if I do, I wouldn't want to put my family through dangers that I could've prevented if I just moved.

I will add that I truly love my home, and it breaks my heart how the vast majority, especially Catholics, go against everything Our Lord teaches. Not only that, just trying to live out the faith and trying to talk about it is taken by deaf ears, indifference, or contempt, which raises the question: Should I keep living in a place that constantly rejects the faith, or should I move to somewhere better, knowing that there is no perfect place outside of Heaven?

I know this is a hard question to answer since there could be no clear and definite answer, but I would like to know others opinion. Moving is not an action that's free from sacrifices, but I'm willing to do it if it is the better choice.

I'm fully aware of Matthew 22:30 and our Church's teaching, but I see a contradiction with Matthew 18:18 and I'm confused. How come marital bond doesn't bind in heaven?

I’m just trying to learn more about my religion. I’m learning about the hierarchy of the church and learning how priests are appointed. So I was just wondering if the priests in local towns need to be approved by bishops connected to the Vatican or if they can just call themselves priests.

What is the process of being a priest on a local level?

Hello everyone, I’m not sure if anyone will read this, but I hope someone can relate to what I’m going through.

For my entire life (I’m 28), I have believed in God and the teachings of the Catholic Church. My family is Catholic, but many of us haven’t been as committed as I think we should be. Recently, our family has faced a lot of issues, mainly due to money, resentment, and small rivalries. I believe this has affected our faith.

As a child, I was baptized but never completed my communion and confirmation. I’m currently working on that. Over the last four years, I’ve been getting closer to God and trying to fully embrace our Catholic faith.

My mother and sisters support me, and they are also trying to deepen their faith. However, I struggle with my cousins, who were not really taught about Catholicism. They are either non-believers or indifferent to religion.

Connecting with them has been tough. Our conversations feel boring. They seem immature, and when a few of them visited recently, they asked about my catechism. I shared that I love attending; it feels healing and uplifting. It’s one of the best parts of my week.

I can’t remember how we got on the topic, but I mentioned Proverbs 9:10-12:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

Most of them laughed and questioned me, asking if I really think God will give me more years. I said yes, I do. Then one of them said, "What if you get into a car accident on your way to mass and die?" I was shocked they would say that. I told him, that that is not God's doing, but the world's.

It was quite depressing, but I won't let it shake my faith in God. I will always believe in Him and just keep praying for my cousins.

What do you think is the best way to live my life when some of my closest friends and family are turning away from faith or denying it completely?

For those who are searching for this information: I’ve devoted a significant section of my blog to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in the Philippines: https://epistlesph.com/latin-masses-in-the-philippines/. My experience of the TLM in Singapore was so profound that I felt compelled to share it. I urge Catholic to experience it while they're still available.

I still have a hard time accepting the luminous mysteries, and I want to stick with the original 15 decades. Is it fine that I only pray the first 15 decades of the rosary?

I have been encountering trolls on some of my posts. I have seen that one user in particular has been trolling this subreddit. At first, I talked to this user, hoping to have a good faith discussion on Catholicism, but he went rambling about how the Catholic church is the false end times counter church, and how we worship devils. I tried to show him evidence on why the Catholic church is the one true Church, but he went on spewing non sense and ignoring my conversation which I tried to have in good faith. Should I just block this user?

As part of my work (hotel event management), we recently hosted a three day event for a women’s retreat for a Pentecostal church. They were the kindest, joyful, most pure people I have ever met. I am a born and raised Roman Catholic (not church going anymore) woman. I felt so drawn to these women and their joy and kinship. I actually researched what it means to be Pentecostal and it is not for me, I am just not that pure (love wearing makeup, jewelry, and I drink and smoke). I also do love Jesus. So I reached out to a friend about this and he advised me to try the church he goes to here. It is wildly popular and they appear as non denominational, although internet research tells me they are Baptist. I just want to get right with God again- but is this the wrong path?

OK, this is kind of silly, but it has been bugging me for years.

You know that part of the Mass where the celebrant says "... we pray for Francis our Pope, Robert our Bishop, and all the...."

When the Pope says Mass, does he say "... Me our Pope...."? "... Me the Pope"?

" ... Francis our Pope"? or just "... our Pope" or maybe "the Pope" ?

How do yall think this looks? Can you tell it’s a peach or does it look like an orange? 😭

Hi, I’m making this post for general help. I feel like I’m going to hell every single day because of the way I act, the things I do such as cheat on my homework and I feel like I’m disobeying or disappointing God somehow and that he isn’t going to love me or forgive me anymore because I disappointed him so much..

Specifically,

Hello everyone,

I am currently in the process of OCIA but I would appreciate getting additional assistance and resources centered on the existence of God and evidence showing that the Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus Christ.

Context: I was technically born/baptized as a Catholic but my parents converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses and raised me as one throughout my childhood. I became disillusioned with JWs and became an atheist throughtout high school and early college. I then decided to look into Catholicism after talking with Catholic friends/family and listening to Catholic apologetics like Trent Horn. I am trying to rebuild my faith in Jesus Christ and unlearn the heretical beliefs imposed on me but I still do not have a solid understanding of the faith to properly understand it.

I am a doctor, I work in intensive care and emergencies, and for several years now I have been noticing things happening, strange "misfortunes", repeating patterns, sometimes even gross but with great dangers, subtle but perceptible, events that make me think that there is something bad (meaning unnatural) that is trying to hinder my work and that of my colleagues. What can I do or who can I turn to? There are already several of us who think that we need to bring a priest into the room to bless it, unfortunately my boss is against it.

I lost my grandma recently as she passed away in my arms after taking care of her for 6 years. She is my best friend, her voice is home. I haven’t felt the love she gave me everyday since. It’s brought me down a path of mental depression. My brain/thoughts is just eating its self on questions that nobody has answers for until it's your time to experience death. As if there was a god; would the world be what it is around you? I just believe not one person would say if they were god they would create cancer and genocide and death and suffering As the Bible says God is good and all knowing. It feels like if I were to give my kid a knife knowing he was gonna kill someone but still gave him the knife. People who believe God believe the bad in the world is the devil but god made the devil let alone is the devil as why would anyone want a world where you are guaranteed to die the day you are born.

P.S. My beliefs are as strong as yours as there is no fact or scientific evidence. As people call me crazy my beliefs appear more true if you see what’s around you in this world, suffering

Can anyone recommend a book about the modern governance system of the Vatican? Preferably, it doesn't have an additional religious component (although I understand it provides authority and rationale for the system).

If not a book, how can I understand it more?

My family was giving away my late grandmother's jewelery and I got this. Would love to know if anyone can make out what this means. Thank you in advance!!

Hello. I am an adult convert to catholicism, however one of the things I did in my wayward protestant youth, was lead a Bible study among my friends. As such, I have about 10, some what damaged, ESV protestant Study bibles, that have been sitting in a corner of my room for years now. I am wondering what the proper way to handle that is.

I've read online that there isn't a truly definitive answer for disposing of even catholic bibles, though burial or burning is fitting, especially if they are blessed. However I'm not sure what to do with unblessed, protestant, study bibles. I'd considered giving them away, but I'm not sure if the theology in them is sound(infact I'm nearly certain it is not, if for no other reason than that they lack some of the cannon like tobit and maccabee's) and I would not want to promote any more error than I already have.

On a personal level, which I'm also unsure what to do about, these are also the bibles which eventually lead me to my catholic faith, as they lead me to realize I quite vehemently disagreed with the church which I was attending and the way they interpeted scripture. I think I might keep on bible from the era as a token of that alone, but even there I am unsure.

I would appreciate any advice you have.

recently started receiving christ again and i feel like ive been doing it wrong. are we supposed to say amen before we receive? i usually just go up and kneel and then stick my tongue out and then cross. idk if this is irreverent. helpppppp

What are your favorite Catholic movies or shows? Ideally I mean where Catholic values and culture are at the forefront, or it at least doesn't misrepresent us. My library currently only consists of The Chosen, and The Rite. I would love to expand my repertoire.

I recently felt inspired to volunteer my time and advocate for pro-life. There don't seem to be many groups in my town, so I decided to start with my local parish by joining a small group of elders who meet once a month to hold up signs at an intersection. The group leader was open to any suggestions since they aren't very active, and this is their main way of raising awareness. Naturally, I thought of proposing a screening at the church to help increase awareness and attract like-minded parishioners to the cause.

Unfortunately, when I spoke to my parish Priest, he expressed that, given the current political climate, he couldn't permit such an event on church property. He mentioned that he'd received complaints about discussing abortion in a previous sermon, and the Bishop had subtly advised him to maintain a low profile and avoid conflict. You could tell he personally supported the cause but felt constrained by the situation.

I was genuinely taken aback because I really thought it wouldn't be an issue. It makes me wonder: if a church can't even advocate for our most innocent due to fear of backlash, what are we meant to do? Isn't opposing abortion part of the church's teachings? I'm surprised that church members are treating the Priest this way. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I was hoping for a different response and feel disheartened by the situation.

I’m going through a certain health situation for the last couple of years. And I recognize it’s good to talk about it with others however I can’t bring myself to do it.

I read a lot about people speaking with god when they’re emotional. Regardless of what that emotion is, I keep reading about finding a friend in god.

Now granted I’m religious, but I haven’t truly done this before. I do pray, more so as a kid than now. And when I pray I speak with god at the very end just to thank him for everything and ask to keep my family Healthy and safe. But that’s not really “speaking” with god…

How do YOU do it? Do you just tell him what’s on your mind? Do you actually talk like he’s there?