Building the City of God

Thoughts and opinions are already flying about in regard to the impending motu proprio document from Pope Benedict XVI that will allow expanded use of the “old Latin Mass,” also known as the Tridentine Rite. Without a doubt, more thoughts and opinions will be elicited and proclaimed after the document (along with a letter of explanation) is made public. Thus, this particular column may get lost in the shuffle of all the other ruminations on the subject.

Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor-in-chief of Inside the Vatican Magizine, wrote an excellent article that covers the topic. In the following passage, Moynihan reminded readers of the central issue(s) behind the publication of this document and its obvious effects.

Some would see the Holy Father’s interest in the old Mass as a matter of cultural taste. His desire for a wider use of the old rite in Latin is seen as something comparable to his interest in classical music. For these people, the issue is often reduced to a question of practicality: the old rite, in Latin, is “impractical” in the 21st century, and so, these people say, it would be unwise to expand its use.

But this is a serious misunderstanding of Benedict’s motivation. He is not concerned with Latin in itself. His respect for the “old Mass” is not a nostalgic cultural attachment to an ancient language. No, Benedict is concerned about the essence of the Mass itself.

And what is that essence? The right worship of God.

Certainly there is something to be said, in practical terms, for the use in a worldwide Church of a single liturgical language. And certainly, Latin is in some ways a good candidate to be that universal language. It was the language of the Empire under which Jesus lived and died. It has been used for almost 20 centuries. And translations could make the language “accessible” to all even today — and even in times to come.

But that is not the point. It isn’t about the Latin. (And the Latin Mass is, in any case, not the Latin Mass at all; that is a misnomer; it is, rather, “the Latin, Greek and Aramaic Mass,” with “Kyrie eleison” in Greek and “Amen” and “Alleluia” in Aramaic.) And those who think Latin is at the core of this matter do not see fully what is at stake here.

And what is at stake is not a trivial matter. If it were, the Pope wouldn’t have given two years of attention to it, or 25 years as a cardinal to stating repeatedly that there needs to be a “reform of the reform.” Rather, it is an important matter. In fact, the most important one. For the Mass is celebrated for a single reason: for the Eucharist. And the Eucharist is one thing only: Christ with us. And Christ with us is the sole reason for the Church’s being.

So in dealing with the Mass, the Pope is not dealing with a marginal, a peripheral matter. The liturgy is not a “side issue.” It is a central one; indeed, the central one. It is the little matter (and the Orthodox rightly stress this) of… the divinization of man! A reality which brought Padre Pio to tears.

Moynihan could not be more correct! Our Church’s teaching is phrased in similar words: “The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows” (CCC 1074). Could it be more clear? The Liturgy, especially the Mass, is the apex of all Christian activity–past, present, or future. Therefore, every Catholic ought to have a healthy understanding and appreciation of the Church’s primary act of worship.

There is one problem, however, with the idea that people can gain such understanding and appreciation from a broader availability of the Tridentine Mass. People will almost certainly be confused about the proper nature of the Church’s worship. Thus, the “reform of the reform” that is (quite obviously) necessry should not be one that could imply a reversion to something “older.” Rather, it should be a clear, authoritative teaching about the Vatican II Mass; about its deep roots and its recognition of Christ’s presence in various and powerful ways.

These thoughts should not be misconstrued as coming from a man who dislikes the Tridentine Mass. Such is not the case. Instead, they should be read in a light that greatly appreciates the efforts of the Church fathers at the Second Vatican Council to lead the faithful (obviously, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit) into right worship. After all, that is one implication of resourcement and aggiornamento.

God Bless.

St. Cyril of Alexandria was born in the last quarter of the fourth century (probably A.D. 376) in a suburb of Alexandria, Egypt. His uncle, Theophilus, was the archbishop of that city and ordained Cyril to the priesthood. And, from A.D. 403, when he participated in the synod that deposed St. John Chrysostom, he remained in the public eye until he passed on to his eternal reward in A.D. 444.

The historical record has shown St. Cyril in both critical and benevolent lights. Some patristics scholars and Church historians remember him as the forceful young priest and theologian who maintained and overt bias against St. John Chrysostom. Some remember him as an archbishop characterized by a “forcefulness that at times became overbearing.” Some remember him as the cleric who closed Novation churches in Alexandria and “drove all the Jews” from that same place.” Most remember him as the primary actor in the drama that emerged between the Catholic Church and Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, in the 420s and 430s. Many fewer remember him as the pastor who wrote that he loved peace above all things; who desired to have Nestorius reconciled to the Church; and who grew “more mellow and prudent” with age.

Regardless of the image he has garnered over the past fifteen and one-half centuries, there are two things of which readers of St. Cyril’s letters and sermons can be sure. The first is that the Faith–the teachings of the Catholic Church–were of the utmost importance in his personal and professional life. “I am ready to endure with tranquillity all blame, all humiliations, all injuries, provided that the Faith is not endangered.” He continued in the same letter: “when the Faith is attacked, we must not hesitate to sacrifice our life itself….”

The second thing that is abundantly clear is St. Cyril’s devout belief in the Incarnation of the Son of God. Unending devotion to that sacred mystery led to his primary role in the defense of the Church’s teaching about Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer in Greek). It also created within this would-be Doctor of the Church, a special appreciation for the Eucharist.

With brevity and clarity, St. Cyril penned words that still reverberate in the minds and hearts of faithful Christians throughout the centuries. Using a metaphor, he portrayed a profound image: “If into melted wax other wax is poured, the two are certain to get thoroughly mixed, on with the other. In the same way, he who received the Body and Blood of the Lord is so united with Him that he is in Christ and Christ in him.” In thanksgiving for the great gift of Christ’s sacrifice made present at the altar, Cyril wrote: “O tremendous mystery, O ineffable decision of the divine counsel, O humility which the mind cannot comprehend! O goodness that cannot be investigated! The maker offers Himself to the good pleasure of His work. Life Itself gives Itself to mortals to eat and drink.”

Finally, those who wish to understand St. Cyril’s zeal in defense of Christ’s humanity as well as his thanksgiving for the gift of the Eucharist need only read the following passage. Through his words, readers understand perfectly that humanity could not have been redeemed if Christ were anything other than fully human and fully divine at the same time.

“Only if it is one and the same Christ who is consubstantial with the Father and with men can he save us, for the meeting ground between God and man is the flesh of Christ. Only if this is God’s own flesh can man come into contact with Christ’s divinity through his humanity. Because of our kinship with the Word made flesh we are sons of God. The Eucharist consummates our kinship with the word, our communion with the Father, our sharing in the divine nature–there is very real contact between our body and that of the Word.”**

St. Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us.

God Bless.

* The preceeding post was written one year ago, while I maintained a different blog. It is reproduced identically.

** The passage quoted here is borrowed from the “Saint of the Day” article on American Catholic.org. All other quotes and ideas are borrowed from the chapter on St. Cyril of Alexandria in Fr. Christopher Rengers’ book, The 33 Doctors of the Church. The photograph is borrowed from a short bio of St. Cyril at The Crossroads Initiative.

On Sunday, which happened to be my first Father’s Day, I remarked to my wife that I never believed I could love someone so much as I love my newborn son. As I walked away, though, another though came to me. No doubt it was the power of the Holy Spirit.

I realized that I must love someone more than I love my son, even if I do not know how that might be possible. That Someone is Jesus, the Eternal Son. Without giving all of myself to Him, I will find little “success” or happiness as a new father (or an old father). As much as I love my five-day-old son and his beautiful mother, I recognize that I will only find joy in my earthly fatherhood if I remember my spiritual childhood and the Father who adopted me through Baptism.

Please continue to pray for my young son who (other than Christ) is the light of my life, my wife as she continues to recover, and me.

God Bless.

This month’s word is inspired by a recent event in my own walk with Christ. On Sunday, I was blessed with an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Why was it such a blessing? Because I had not received the graces from that Sacrament in three or four weeks (so long, I forgot how long it had been). With nearly a month’s worth of spiritual funk to clean, I confessed my sins to the priest, and he provided me with one of humanity’s greatest blessings, about which I write today.

The Catholic Word of the Month for June is ABSOLUTION.

In Catholic Beliefs from A to Z, Fr. Alfred McBride says the following: “After the confession of sins in the sacrament of reconciliation, the penitent hears the priest [speaking in the person of Christ] recite the words of absolution from sins. Through the ministry of the priest, divine forgiveness enfolds the penitent, bringing freedom from sin and new graces to help the person continue the journey to salvation with renewed strength and enthusiasm.”

There really are few things more beautiful in this world than hearing that your [my] sins are forgiven! No doubt should be left in any penitent’s mind that God has welcomed him/her back into His royal kingdom, just as the loving father welcomed the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke.

Before I conclude this post, I would like to offer a challenge, an opportunity, really. If there is anyone reading this site who has not been to confession in several weeks, months, or years, avail yourself of that grace. Put aside your anxieties, fears, and stubborn pride. Let Jesus Christ reconcile you to Himself, to the Church, and to your fellow Christians.

God Bless.

I just had to share what I believe is a phenomenal statistic. In recent months, the bishop of our diocese has been hard at work completing the Christian initiation of nearly 900 teenagers. That’s right, 858 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Memphis this year!

I pray that these young people will avail themselves of the grace that God offers them in this most wonderful sacrament. I pray that they will also recognize that their formation in Christ does not end once they receive the sacrament; that they will not view it as a “Catholic graduation” of sorts. I pray that these youth will become humble workers in the Lord’s vineyard, and I will be glad to work alongside them.

God Bless.

Earlier this week, while I was engaged in The Great Adventure Bible Study, a question was posed to the facilitator. The question, which was quite valid, was one of those that makes you shake and/or scratch your head. So intriguing was it that the classmates spent ten to fifteen minutes discussing the possible answers; and it inspired me to write this reflection.

What was this valid, intriguing, and debatable question? Why did God create a male and female of each animal species (obviously, the Creator knew the necessity of procreation) but only create Adam initially? Given the necessity of procreation, why would God not create man and woman at the same moment in time? It is a fascinating thing to ponder!

As soon as the question was posed, our class was on a quest for Truth. Surely God had something to reveal other than the chronological patterns of His creation. Surely He did not mean for people to believe that one sex is superior to the other because of the order of creation. What, then, does it mean for our salvation that God chose to do it this way?

The first reactions were grand exhibits of the first theological virtue, faith. Said one participant: “He’s God. He can do whatever He wants!” Indeed, He can. However, such an answer, as true and faithful as it is, does not always satisfy the enquiring minds of some (like me!). People who are naturally skeptical need more proof.

After several more minutes of theological banter, and continued reflection on the fact that God does not make mistakes, another participant formed a rational conclusion. She posited that God’s choice to create Eve after Adam was an avenue to show the latter that he was in need of relationship, something intimate he would never be able to find with any or all of the “lesser” creatures. Thus, God used His omnipotence to reveal to Adam, and to subsequent generations, the necessary benefits of human interaction.

At that point, my mind immediately shifted from inter-human relationships to our relationship with the Heavenly Father. It is true that we need other humans. But, how much more true is it that we need a friendship with the Lord? In the end, then, God’s choice to create Eve after Adam was meant to reveal our need for Him, the Creator.

How does this all fit together? Quite nicely! God allowed Adam to look around at all the creatures of the earth and name them. When Adam had completed that copious task, he still had found no creature who was “fit for him.” Only then was Eve created, the helper who would satiate Adam’s needs.

Surely, though, there is another, deeper meaning to this story of creation. After all, the Bible is a book about our salvation, not about human sociology (although there could be many interesting case studies found in the Great Book). Because we know this is true, we can logically conclude that God intends for the story to point toward our relationship with Him.

God has granted us access to all of his creation: dirt and rocks, birds and fish, creatures that crawl and walk, material goods, and other human beings. Yet, there is nothing among the whole of creation that will satiate our deepest desires. Once we begin to recognize and humbly acknowlege to God that we cannot find happiness on our own, He will begin to change us and create for us something better than we could ever have imagined. Just as Adam was put to sleep and awoke to a new phenomenon (woman), we can be lulled out of the world and awakened to the most magnificent phenomenon in the universe, a personal relationship with the Supreme Architecht who makes no mistakes.

It truly is inspiring to watch, recognize, and understand when the Holy Spirit is doing what He does best. The story above is just one account (although it is the first one recognizable to me) of how He is fulfilling Jesus’ promise to lead the Church into all Truth. The story above, and the work of the Holy Spirit within that context, is why I am inspired to remain an active participant in the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church.

God Bless.