First of two parts
WHY do people commit suicide? Why are there serial killers, rapists and crooks? Reading banner stories of daily tabloids, peace-loving citizens could not help but ponder: Why are there so many despicable incidents in the world—screaming headlines of man’s inhumanity to others?
Christians searching for answers in the remaking of a world much better than they were born into say the end of the world is near. But is this the only plausible answer?
Some sinners in atonement of their sins pray: “Punish me not for my sins…nor for those of my forefathers” (Tobit 3:3).
We share but one world, but we are different in looks, educational training, financial status, health conditions and cultural ethos. Only one factor describes our progency: We all inherit some consequences of the sins of our ancestors.
“There is no surer process of healing the family tree than together break the bread that provides the medicine of immorality, the antidote for death and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ,” the Cathechism of Catholic Church says. In an age where medical and psychological remedies are available, the last reason most people look for as the cause of unwanted behavior and sinful habits are intergenerational sins.
‘Generational blood guilt’
The consequences of the sins of our family lineage predispose us to damages in body, mind and spirit.
The body is the material form of our humanity, the mind is our intellectual and emotional dimensions, and the spirit relates to our efforts to participate in the sacraments, works of penance, charity and prayer life.
We have seen or heard of generations which suffered identical ailments, committed the same crimes, or subjected to similar indignities and misfortunes. While we commiserate with them, others say they are cursed or under the spell of evil forces.
Worst, they may be totally ignorant that they are suffering from the effects of the sins of their ancestors, just as other people are unaware of the benefits they still reap from God’s special blessings for the virtues of their forebears.
So powerful are these “unresolved pains” that they gush into the bloodline of specific families for generations.
Buried alive, some of the transgressions against God are locked up unhealed and will surface if not spiritually healed, avoided, or stopped with strong will.
It is not surprising then that the spiritual wounds and their undesirable effects can be much older than the persons carrying the unwanted effects and the burden.
What to look for
If the sufferings and pains due to sins are passed on to family members, what are the potential defects one should be aware of?
Fr. John H. Hampsch, CMF, in his book Healing Your Family Tree: A God-designated Solution for Difficult Problems narrates:
Potentially, there are thousands of kinds of defects that one could look for. Generally, these can be classified into groups of disorders:
a. Inherited spiritual defects—Anything from prayerlessness to Atheism.
b. Inherited physical defects—Anything from dandruff to diabetes.
c. Inherited emotional defects—Anything from shyness to suicide tendencies.
d. Inherited psychosocial defects—Anything from poor interspouse communication to psychopathic murder.
e. Inherited societal defects—Anything from in-law aloofness to mafia families.
These are defects common to entire families and even nations or ethnic groups, Hampsch said.
The Bible also describes repercussions for specific sins. “But the children of adulterers will remain without issue, and the progeny of an unlawful bed will disappear,” according to Wisdom 3:16.
“I will rise up against them and cut off from Babylon, name and remnant, progency and offspring,” Isaiah 14:22 says. The offsprings of adulterers are often infertile or die young.
For disobedience, they will “waste away… the Lord will bring a pestilence upon you that will persist until He has exterminated you…strike you with wasting and fever, with scorching fiery drought, with blight and searing wind until you perish,” according to Deuteronomy 21:22.
Hampsch stated that “wasting disease destroys sight and drains away life. With wasting and fever to dim the eyes and sap the life.”
Another Bible citation of “wasting” is in Leviticus 26:16, “I will punish you with terrible woes—with wasting and fever to dim the eyes and sap the life.” To be concluded
Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris College in Laguna.