Why Marriage Matters: Reaffirmation of DOMA

St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael: Pray for Us!

Today is the Feast of the Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.  As patronal feast day for my dad, who took the name of Raphael as his confirmation name, I am often reminded of the power of these holy beings, who stand before God, and reflect as "mirrors," his Power and Love to us.

In this particularly stress-filled time, when school work rages, the political monster is rearing its ugly head, and gloom is incroaching upon the remnants of summer, the words of the powerful Prayer to St. Michael come to mind:

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle;

Be our safeguard against the wikedness and snairs of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,

By the Power of God

Cast into hell Satan, and all the evil Spirits,

who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

With confidence we can look to the angels for guidance and aid.  Let us remember this today, and thank God for giving us the archangels as a means by which to come to know His Glory even more.

"The New Normal: Redefining Traditional"

"The New Normal:" a show on prime-time television that is "redefining traditional," as it regards the traditional family.  This show is based on the story of a gay couple in a commited relationship who has decided to have a child from a surrogate mother.  I won't even get into how this show debases women by seeing them simply as breeders, and children as nothing but a commodity.  No, I'm just sticking to the racial issue.

One of the lines here says: "I know somebody else from a non-tradtional family:a 'halfrican' American who was raised by a grandma... your definition of 'traditional' might need a refresh."

This line is meant to imply that the term "non-traditional family" should include gay couples.  As one who comes from a "non-traditional family" -- black step-father and white mother -- I resent this comparison.  This clip equates race with sexual orientation.

I am not a scientist, so I have no opinion on the "nature/nurture" debate; but to say that one's sexual orientation -- a characteristic that connotes action, in other words, one must choose to act upon one's sexual preference-- is the same in kind as the color of one's skin -- a thing that is unalterable by the act of the will -- cheapens the human understanding of sexuality and ethnicity. 

Sexuality must be actualized by the will, and because of this, is one of the most humanized actions we are capable of doing.  In other animals, it is simply instinct.  Whether or not one is born with homosexual tendencies does not take from him the ability to choose to act upon his sexuality.  He can choose to reject it, accept it, flaunt it, suppress it... etc.  Choice defines this aspect of our lives. 

But a person born of a certain ethnicity does not have the ability to choose anything about his race.  He simply is black, white, latino, asian... etc.  Sure, you can try to change things -- the way you dress, how you act, even cosmetic changes.  But you can't act upon your ethnicity.

On his blog, the Tall Seminarian recently posted about a great opportunity for the Catholic faithful to grow in the upcoming Year of Faith:

"DAILY YEAR OF FAITH READING:  By the end of the Year of Faith would you like to say you’ve read the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church?  A simple, effective say to do that is to receive a snippet of the Catechism in your email inbox each day from the beginning of the Year of Faith to its conclusion.  If that’s one way you’d like to participate in the Year of Faith, then you can register for the daily reading of the Catechism at:  www.flocknote.com/catechism."

Join us as we learn about the teachings of the Church!

"Living Jesus" Final Review Question

Question #3: Why must there be many gospel witnesses to Jesus?

There must be multiple witnesses to the person of Jesus so that there will be multiple “vantage points” (119) by which to capture the truth of Him.  This allows the Church to develop an interpretation of Jesus without being fettered by strictly biographical narration, thereby speaking to the holistic reality of Jesus (125).

When many are interested in “the facts” of Jesus, looking for points of congruency and rationales for discrepancy, the most important reality of Jesus is lost, namely the plural nature of the truth of Jesus (125).  By this is meant that the diversity or “multiplicity” of the Gospels speaks to more than a simply historical narrative.  It speaks of the living memory of the community that believes in Him (122) and, in so doing, speaks of the enduring experience of the nature of Jesus throughout history (127).  “Truth” in the Gospels is not simply factual information, but the witness of faith given by the evangelists that point to the incomprehensible reality of Jesus as God and Man (128).

Oklahoma Business Sues over HHS Mandate

Hobby Lobby is a national arts and crafts chain, headquartered in Oklahoma.  If the HHS mandate is not repealed, their business will be fined over $1,000,000 a day.  This is more than a Catholic issue, folks -- Hobby Lobby's founder, David Green, is an evangelical Protestant.  Follow this link to see the story: Hobby Lobby Sues over HHS Mandate

Widor: Organ Symphony No.6 -- Finale

THIS is what I want for the recessional for my ordination!! 

My Bishop and the Camino

Follow this link to CNA: Bishops recall 'Way of St. James' as chance to trust in God :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

"Living Jesus" Review Question 2

· 

      Question 2: Johnson evidently thinks that things named in the four subsections of this chapter, in addition to the Bible, are necessary in order to know Jesus.  Explain why he is right about this.

Johnson states that the Christian tradition can only be understood and expounded upon in the context of these fundamental aspects: a community of disciples, scripture, the creed, and the teaching authority of the Church (pg 26, 29).

The Church was established as an “ongoing community of disciples” who perpetuated the belief in Jesus by means of a union of belief and practice.  This union defined the community as being a living testimony to real relationship with Jesus (pg 27), and through the witness of each member, the community grew in its discernment of His teachings (pg 28).  This witness and discernment led to the development of three principle frameworks through which the tradition of Christianity was to be defined, preserved, and promoted. 

The Canon of Scripture was the first aspect to give cohesion to the Christian community.  Through the dissemination of various letters and manuscripts, Christians gave evidence of the “universal and normative nature” required in her holy writing (pg 29).  This gave the community a special continuity among its believers, not only in that time, but throughout history.  As Johnson states: “… through [Scripture], God could continue to speak to the church in every age and every place.” (Ibid)

The creed, or “rule of faith” has also played an integral part for the definition and maintenance of the Christian community.  Through the rule of the Church, specifically in its creedal formulas, the perpetuation of orthodoxy was assured (pg 33).  This creedal rule has come to be a means by which the reality of the Faith, as experienced by the community of believers, is safeguarded from distortion of interpretation by those within the community (Ibid.).  The creed identifies the nature of Christianity by being an “expression of conviction about God’s work in Jesus” (pg 34).

The linchpin for the definition, preservation and promotion of Christian tradition is the teaching authority of the Church. It is what gives both scripture and the rule of faith credence because it is the institutional testimony required to propel them forward.  As Johnson states: “… there can scarcely be tradition without institutional leadership” (pg 37).  It is this particular framework that gives cohesion and interpretation to scripture and creed.  And since it utilizes them to deliver itself to the body of believers, the teaching authority of the Church cannot be seen to exist without scripture or creed (pg 38).  Together, these three aspects form a framework by which the tradition of Christianity excels.

Surprises at the DNC

Wow...

"Barack Obama, Władysław Gomułka and the Attack on the Catholic Church" -- Crisis Magazine

 

I highly encourage you to read this article from Crisis Magazine concerning the travesties against religious freedom in the 1960's and 70's from the USSR, and how the Church, through her popes and bishops, met the challenge.  This article makes many parallels to our current situation in the US regarding the HHS mandate.  Blessed John Paul, pray for us!

"Living Jesus" Review Question 1

 
My Christology class is reading this very insightful book entitled "Living Jesus: Learning the Heart of the Gospel" by Luke Timothy Johnson.  Our class then gives a review of each chapter by answering a question proposed by our professor, Fr. Guy Mansini. OSB.  Throughout the semester, I hope to share with you my insights on this book as we work through the text.  Maybe it will peek an interest in reading this very approachable and thought-provoking book.

·         Question 1: Why is it difficult for critical historians to come to a genuine historical knowledge of Jesus?

According to Johnson, critical historians have difficulty coming to an historical understanding of Jesus because they seek to obtain knowledge of a strictly historical person, who lived and died in history, and nothing more.  As the very first sentence of the book states: “It makes a big difference whether we think someone is dead or alive.” (pg 3) 

The way in which Jesus is viewed either limits or frees his impact on history.  If considered to be dead, Jesus’ personal influence stops with his death.  He may have been influential in life, and subsequently may have spawned a movement to perpetuate his cause.  But with his demise comes the “passing of the baton” of his ideals, thereby allowing his influence to diminish with time.  His “echo from the past”(Ibid.) becomes exactly that.

If considered to be alive, however, Jesus’ personal impact throughout history is not only preserved but radically empowered.  One’s ability to learn about Jesus becomes intrinsically linked to learning from Him, because He is not simply an historical figure, but a present and active agent (pg 5).  Again, Johnson says it wonderfully: “If Jesus is dead, then his story is completed.  If he is alive, then his story continues” (Ibid.)

The primary source material by which there is knowledge of Jesus is another aspect that creates difficulty for critical historians.  Although historical documents are known to show biases, a unique phenomenon of Christian historical documentation is the persistence in the belief that Jesus was not dead (pg 7).  Techniques have been used to try to circumvent this in order to get at the historical substance of Jesus but have failed, in part because the claim – that Jesus is immortal -- is ultimately a theological one.

In the end, the problem of the critical historian lies in his inability to see the resurrection as a defining characteristic of the Christian claim (pg 10).  Attempts are made to justify the “Christian movement” by relegating it to a movement of “ideals or social principals” while ignoring or rationalizing the seemingly impossible idea of a man’s resurrection and persistence through history.

"We Are Catholics"