What is honor and how should it be maintained?

[fakename]

That is, what makes a thing honorable?

And how should we honor it?

For instance, are there positions, times, or places that are more honorable to someone or something?

Are we to arrange objects or persons in circumstances and surroundings that are more honorable?

How much honor is becoming to something?

 

[GratefulFred]

Honor is defined in part as:
**1. **to respect greatly; regard highly; esteem
**2. **to show great respect or high regard for; treat with deference and courtesy
**3. **to worship (a deity)
**4. **to do or give something in honor of
**5. **to carry out the terms of [to *honor a treaty obligation]

**SYN.- **HONOR, as compared here, implies popular acknowledgment of a person’s right to great respect as well as any expression of such respect **in honor of the martyred dead ];
HOMAGE suggests great esteem shown in praise, tributes, or obeisance **to pay homage to the genius of Milton ];
REVERENCE implies deep respect together with love **he held her memory in reverence];
DEFERENCE suggests a display of courteous regard for a superior, or for one to whom respect is due, by yielding to the person’s status, claims, or wishes **in deference to his age ]

There are many things, places, times, and people that are honored by Law, by tradition, by certain groups we belong to. I am sure that each of us also have our own private list of people, places, things, and times we honor.

When in doubt, render Honor. Honor is one way to express LOVE and Love is the greatest Commandment.

 

[thistle]

That is, what makes a thing honorable?

And how should we honor it?

For instance, are there positions, times, or places that are more honorable to someone or something?

Are we to arrange objects or persons in circumstances and surroundings that are more honorable?

How much honor is becoming to something?

Modern Catholic Dictionary:

HONOR. Reverence and respect given to some being, whether God or a creature, because of its recognized excellence. So, too, the reverence shown to anything because of its relation to a person who is honored.

 

[fakename]

I sometimes wonder if the reverence I show to spiritual books/things like “Examination’s of Conscience” or rosary is over-much or superstitious.

For instance, honor or reverence is due to things which are connected with the excellent. But God is excellent so rosaries and such should be honored.

And since honor should be given in proportion to the virtue, and since God’s virtue is infinite, it follows that infinite honor should be bestowed on these objects. And since God’s virtue is above a king’s then clearly rosaries should be honored above kings. So rosaries should be decked in more gold and lauded and defended with more effort than one would apply to a king. And yet I don’t see this type of honor being bestowed to these objects so I wonder, what is wrong with my reasoning?

Is it too much also, to physically put these objects above more mundane objects or to treat them more delicately, or to be physically clean before using them? The dignity of their connection seems to imply it?

 

[GratefulFred]

I do not think God expects us to have the most expensive Rosary decked in gold that we can afford and then have an equally expensive place to display it when we are not using it as a way to show we Honor God.

I think God expects us to Honor Him with a humble and contrite heart and daily efforts to do His Will here on Earth.

 

[fakename]

Why? Is it because the soul’s sacrifice is a greater honor than material things?

But the soul often goes through great sacrifice by giving material honor (sacrificing your income must be very straining for instance).

 

[fakename]

user "fakename":

Why? Is it because the soul’s sacrifice is a greater honor than material things?

But the soul often goes through great sacrifice by giving material honor (sacrificing your income must be very straining for instance).

any takers (old thread but needed question for me)?

I’m basically saying that if God is pleased with purely spiritual worship, then how much better would it be to dedicate jewels, money, etc. in giving honor/worshiping?

And again, if kings are less than God and they are honored with palaces and jewels, then those things which are even more connected to God than kings like rosaries, etc. should have bigger palaces. But no one lavishes such attention on relics or rosaries etc. so where am I wrong in the reasoning?

 

[St_Francis]

I sometimes wonder if the reverence I show to spiritual books/things like “Examination’s of Conscience” or rosary is over-much or superstitious.

For instance, honor or reverence is due to things which are connected with the excellent. But God is excellent so rosaries and such should be honored.

And since honor should be given in proportion to the virtue, and since God’s virtue is infinite, it follows that infinite honor should be bestowed on these objects. And since God’s virtue is above a king’s then clearly rosaries should be honored above kings. So rosaries should be decked in more gold and lauded and defended with more effort than one would apply to a king. And yet I don’t see this type of honor being bestowed to these objects so I wonder, what is wrong with my reasoning?

Is it too much also, to physically put these objects above more mundane objects or to treat them more delicately, or to be physically clean before using them? The dignity of their connection seems to imply it?

You’re missing that while a Rosary is connected to God, it is still lower than God in the scale; in fact, a blessed Rosary should be treated better than an unblessed Rosary, but neither should receive infinite honor, which we actually cannot give.

God is most worthy of honor, and also of worship (which involves sacrifice). Man is higher in order than the angels, then I imagine that sacred objects would be next, but am not sure.

The thing to keep in mind is proportionality–we honor God more than people, angels, or things.