Building the City of God

Today is a most blessed day in the liturgical year.  It is the day that all of humanity’s salvation was put on its right path.  Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation (also known as the celebration of the Incarnation of Our Lord).

It is appropriate, then, to reach for a deeper understanding of how and why the Second Person of the Trinity became fully human while remaining fully divine.  It is necessary for faithful Christians to grasp this concept because perfect humanity could be the only vehicle for the salvation of fallen humanity.

Read and pray the words of St. Cyril of Alexandria:

The only-begotten Son proceeds from the very substance of God the Father, possessing all of His Begetter in His own nature.  He became flesh, according to the Scripture, blending Himself, as it were, with our nature by an inexpressible combination and union with this earthly body.  Thus He who is God by nature became, and is truly, a Man from heaven.  He was not merely “inspired,” as some people imagine, who do not rightly understand the depth of the mystery.  He is, rather, simultaneously God and Man.  He unites in Himself things that are naturally opposed to one another and unable to be fused together.  And thus He enables man to share and partake in God’s nature.

It is Christ who took on our sinful human condition and perfected what had been ruined in our first parents.  Only by that perfection are we able to enter Eternity.

It would be most prudent, then, to take some time during this day to offer fitting praise and adoration to our God who would not leave us in our sinful state, and who continually calls us to be like Christ, the Perfect Man.

God bless!

If my readers have tendencies similar to my own, then they stay engaged in the politics despite disappointment in the overall political culture and especially the methodologies employed.  My stance on politics has not changed (I wish we could find a way to do away with the whole system), but I have been intrigued in recent days by the stories being reported about Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Senator Barack Obama’s pastor (click here or here).  In fact, this latest mega-story has cemented my opinions even further.

My concern for this story, however, has been based less on politics than on historical on logical inaccuracies, as well as the theological downfalls.  After having listened to a few of his tirades, it is clear that his arguments are appeal solely to the emotions of his listeners rather than to solid historical fact, the theological tenets of his professed faith, or simple logic.  Indeed, statements of gross error and misleading “facts” were the norm in such sermons.

This man, now squarely in the public eye, will not serve to bring about the unification of the Body of Christ (expressed clearly in the Gospel of John) if his words and temperament do not change.  Moreover, such words and temperament could do serious damage to a politician’s campaign and general social relations in and around his community.

I pray that this reverend might recognize the error of his ways; that his congregation, such notable politicians, and adherents of history, theology, and logic will use all reasonable methods to prevent him from brokering more hate and intolerance within American society.

God bless!

In his most recent general audience, Pope Benedict XVI taught those who were gathered about St. Leo the Great, an early Church Father and a Doctor of the Catholic Church.  The pope’s catechesis, however, was not focused on common historical details.  Instead, the current pope reminded listeners that St. Leo earned the moniker after his name primarily because he was a good steward of the power invested in him.

The fifth-century pontiff was one who exercised his authority decisively, humbly, and pastorally.  He brought unity to the Church in difficult situations, but he never compromised the deposit of faith.  Without a doubt, he earned the title “Great” because he was focused on protecting and proclaiming the faith of the Apostles.

On caveat: Pope Benedict seems to have nearly identical qualities to those he described about Pope St. Leo the Great.

As I remarked in another post, I am co-teaching a course on the Second Vatican Council this semester for my diocese’s catechesis curriculm.  In the spirit of being a good Church historian and catechist, I decided that the best way to prepare for that course would be to READ THE DOCUMENTS OF THE COUNCIL.  What a novel idea!

In my short time as a Catholic, I have been in conversation with people who have never read any portion of the Council’s teaching, but certainly can offer their opinions about the way the Church ought to operate in this modern age.  In my humblest academic opinion, that is bad scholarship.

 And so I continue my efforts to read the very words of the Council Fathers who were certainly guided by the Holy Spirit.  I am overwhelmed each time I turn a page and find countless phrases that offer ripe material for prayer, meditation, and expanded teaching.  I do not know how I will ever be able to teach Gaudium et Spes in two hours!

Please pray for the “success” of this course: that participants will come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of what this Council said and intended.  Pray that the so-called “Spirit of Vatican II” will be replaced by the authentic teaching of Vatican II.

(And, if you’re interested in bringing this course to your parish, please let me know via the comments page.)

God bless!

St. Peter Chrysologus (a name which means “Golden-Worded”) was a bishop in Ravenna (modern-day Italy) just before the fall of the Roman Empire. His sermons, which he used to teach the faithful, were his most famous attribute. Indeed, the sermons that have survived still provide enthralling reading in modernity.

One such sermon treated an important sequence in Our Lord’s earthly life: His Incarnation, Nativity, and the Epiphany. Its verbiage and imagery left this reader enchanted for a lengthy period.

In choosing to be born for us, God chose to be known by us. He therefore reveals himself in this way, in order tha this great sacrament of his love may not be an occasion for us of great misunderstanding.

Today the Magi find, crying in a manger, the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. Today the Magi see clearly, in swaddling clothes, the one they have long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars.

Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth, earth in heaven, man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look, they believe and do not question, as their symbolic gifts bear witness: incense for God, gold for a king, myrrh for one who is to die.

The preceding passage must have provided an epiphany of its own to those who listened. Those words likely (and certainly did, in my case) provided a subject for intense, extended meditation; they surely brought people closer to the Almighty God, Who lay in the manger in Bethlehem.

God Bless.

Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI gave his annual address to the group of diplomats who serve their respective countries as envoys to the Vatican City State. This “state of the world” address was not only an update on issues of critical importance. It was also an exhortation by his Holiness regarding critical issues in the year to come.

I pray that those diplomats who heard his address will take the message back to their own countries and engage in critical dialogue, and work to build a foundation of morality based on the natural law. If such measures are taken, we citizens of the world might see a change in the current course of history.

Click here to read the synopsis of the Pope’s address by Catholic World News.

Click here to read the full orignal text of the address.

St. John Damscene (or St. John of Damascus, whose feast day is today) was one of the most brilliant catechists in our Church’s history. He is most famous for his role in the Iconoclasm controversy that racked the eastern portion of the Church in the eighth and ninth centuries. His catechetical abilities were put to use while he defended the Church against a deeply heretical belief: that God frowns on the use of statues and sacred art in worship. St. John reminded the faithful all creation is from God and, thus, is inherently good. He affirmed the centuries-old belief and practice of using those objects and images to lead a person deeper into the mysteries of the one, true God.

However, his teachings were not limited to this aspect of Church doctrine alone. In fact, he wrote one of his most poignant passages on his own journey toward ministry, on submitting to the will of the Lord. That passage, written in The Statement of Faith, was meant to remind readers that God will provide nourishment for every believer’s spiritual journey; to let them know that God intended them to grow into specific ministerial roles.

“You nursed me with the spiritual milk of your divine utterances. You kept me alive with the solid food of the body of Jesus Christ, your only-begotten Son and our God, and you let me drink from the chalice of his life-giving blood, poured out to save the whole world for us.

“You loved us, O Lord, and gave up your only-begotten Son for our redemption. And he undertook the task willingly and did not shrink from it. … Now you have called me, Lord…to minister to your people. I do not know why you have done so, for you alone know that. … When I open my mouth, tell me what I should say. By the fiery tongue of your Spirit make my own tongue ready. Stay with me always and keep me in your sight.”

This author has experienced exactly what is written above! God calls people into His Church and nourishes their spiritual growth, especially through the sacraments. That nourishment is meant to strengthen them for whichever ministry to which they are called; and it continues to nourish them while they serve in that ministry.

God is so good, because He never abandons His faithful servants. He always sends His Spirit to guide them “along the straight path,” in the words of St. John Damascene. With our eyes focused on Him, and while receiving the grace contained in the sacraments, we will never go astray!

God Bless.

On this Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, I am praying for her intercession. In recent months, I have discerned that I am not very good at being aware of the subtle ways that that God comes to me. Instead of seeing God in others, or in my mundane daily works, I seem to spend more time trying to find communion with Him through meditative and contemplative prayer, through worship, or through spiritual reading.

While all of those things are wonderful ways to find that communion after which I long, I am trying to learn that I must seek Him in other, subtler ways. After all, it is near impossible to maintain all of those regular practices and be present to my family or my ministry. So, my prayer to God, through the intercession of St. Therese, is that I can “do little things with great love;” that I can find communion with Him while accomplishing the daily work to which He has called me.

Please pray for me while I learn, and pray that you might become more aware of God’s subtle presence in your life as well.

God Bless.

At his weekly audience this morning, Pope Benedict XVI continued to teach pilgrims about the teachers of the early Church. This week’s message focused on St. Gregory of Nyssa, a fourth-century bishop who lived in the region of the eastern banks of the Mediterranean Sea.

Pope Benedict’s words revealed to hearers that St. Gregory was a man who taught on the “innate dignity of every man and woman,” and that growth in the Spirit is a daily struggle, never to be taken for granted. Moreover, St. Gregory taught that Jesus Christ provided the perfect model of holiness for all Christians, and that they ought to seek to pray like Him.

On a personal note, I a favorite quote from St. Gregory of Nyssa: “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.” Thus, I strive daily to grow in virtue, because I want to spend eternity in Heaven.

God Bless.

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates one of its best examples of the winding path toward holiness; one of its most learned men; one of its most revered teachers; and my patron saint. Few, if any, have had more influence on the doctrine of the Church over its existence of two millennia. None have had a greater impact on this author’s search for sanctity, and his work in the area of Church History.

Because St. Augustine has been devoted to praying for this sinner in search of redemption, it is appropriate to offer a devotion to God through him. I pray that each of you will receive multiple blessings by praying for St. Augustine’s intercession.

Great Augustine, our father and teacher, knowledgeable in the luminous ways of God and also in the tortuous paths of men; we admire the wonders that divine grace wrought in you, making you a passionate witness of truth and goodness, at the service of brothers.

At the beginning of the new millennium marked by the cross of Christ, teach us to read history in the light of Divine Providence, which guides events toward the definitive encounter with the Father. Direct us toward peaceful ends, nourishing in our hearts your own longing for those values on which it is possible to build, with the strength that comes from God, the ‘city’ made to the measure of man.

May the profound doctrine, that with loving and patient study you drew from the ever living sources of Scripture, enlighten all those tempted today by alienating illusions.

Give them the courage to undertake the path toward that ‘interior man’ where the One awaits who alone can give peace to our restless hearts.

Many of our contemporaries seem to have lost the hope of being able to reach–amind the numerous opposing ideologies–the truth, of which their innermost being still keeps a burning nostalgia.

Teach them to never cease in their search, in the certainty that, in the end, their effort will be rewarded by the satisfying encounter with the supreme Truth who is source of all created truth.

Finally, St. Augustine, transmit to us also a spark of that ardent love for the Church, the Catholic Mother of the Saints, which sustained and animated the toils of your long ministry.

Have us, walking together under the guidance of legitimate Pastors, reach the glory of the heavenly Homeland, where, with all the saints, we will be able to join the new canticle of the everalsting alleluia. Amen.

St. Augustine, pray for us!

God Bless.

(This prayer was composed by Pope John Paul II in 2004 upon his reception of the relics of St. Augustine at the Vatican.)