"Our Father..."

This is footage is of Pope Benedict's final blessing to a general audience as pontiff:

When I came into the Church, Pope John Paul II was in his final years.  Age, illness and the trials of his office had taken a toll on the once robust and athletic priest from Poland.  I only knew him as "the pope;" not really a father-figure per se.  It was not until coming to seminary that I came to realize his impact on my spirituality, particularly in his promotion of devotion to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  I came to see his vision for many other aspects of the Church as well: from social justice issues like the dignity of the human person, to continued renewal of the liturgy with his promulgation of Liturgicam Authenticam.  But I came to know these thing through the medium of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict.  

Benedict XVI is really the only pope I have come to know and to love as a practicing Catholic.  Sure, I can read about the orthodoxy of St. Pius V, the determination of Leo XIII, the rejuvenation of St. Pius X, the universal charity of Pius XII, and so on and so on... but I knew Benedict as my pope.  He spoke to me and my generation in terms that we needed to hear.  

The most important lesson he has taught me is his example of the adage "lex orandi lex credendi" -- "the law of prayer is the law of belief."  In the style of his name-sake, St. Benedict, he has shown us the necessity of living out our faith in terms of what we do and how we pray.  What greater example than to lay down his prestige to take up the task of prayer in a deeper way! 

Pope Benedict has shown us a way to love the Church in his resignation.  As he said so eloquently in his final public address: "Loving the Church also means having the courage to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the Church and not one’s own."

Can we follow our Holy  Father's example?  Can we lay down our lives of comfort, of power, of prominence, for the Glory of God and His Church?  

I leave you with Pope Benedict's blessing.  May we learn from the example given us from our Heavenly Shepherd through our earthly one:

"In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history. I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you!" 

My sincere thanks goes to you, Your Holiness.  May God's Peace and Strength continue to be with you for years to come!

 

Sarah Connolly sings: "Pie Jesu" from the "Requiem" by Maurice Duruflé

Legacy of Faith

They're Not Heretics... Even Augustine Says So!

 

For my Ecclesiology class, I am reading a great book entitled "The Church and the Human Quest for Truth," by Fr. Charles Morerod, O.P.

In Chapter 7 of the book, the question of how Catholics are to view their relation with non-Catholic Christians comes up.  Morerod brings up a great point for reflection:

"...faith as such implies receiving revelation and not simply following our own opinions on religious questions.  Most contemporary Protestant and Orthodox believers (and I stress "believers) would agree with that principle.  They can also have the clear will to receive divine revelation in their church, and not only on the basis of a private relationship with God.  If so, they could be in a situation of ignorance, perhaps invincible for them, and they cannot be accused of heresy." (pg 131)

In another passage, Morerod quotes St. Thomas Aquinas to clarify the necessity of concious choice against Church teaching for heresy:

"One does not go away from the faith of the Church, except the one who knows that that from which he is moving away belongs to the faith of the Church." (Aquinas, Commentary on the Sentences, Book IV, dist. 13, q. 2, a. 1, ad 6) (pg 130)

Morerod references  Charles Cardinal Journet, a 20th Century Swiss theologian, to give a summation of the sin of heresy and how it does or doesn't relate to non-Catholic Christians:

"Heresy is the personal sin of the man who rebels against the faith by deliberately rejecting any one of the revealed truths: a personal sin can never be inherited.  It is the consequences of a heresy, the legacy of a heresy, which are inherited, and which we must call a breaking away... 'He who defends his opinion,' says St. Augustine, 'however false and perverse, without stubborn ill-will... if he conscientiously seeks the truth, and is ready to submit to it when he knows it, should by no means be counted as a heretic.'"(The internal quotation of St. Augustine can be found in St. Thomas' Summa Theologiae [ST IIa IIae, q. 11, a. 2, ad 3].)

So you see, not everyone you disagree with may be a heretic... just "in error." (pg 124)

Ah, semantics... :-)

"Remember..."

"... that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return."  

Amen.

Taking the Lord's Hand

The Power of Prayer

If you have a half-hour, I would strongly encourage you to watch this. Helpful insights from Dr. Benjamin Carson, pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

"You Might Be an OKIE if..."

 (My favorite one is the last point... very true)

You might be an OKIE if:

1. You can properly pronounce Eufaula, Gotebo, Okemah, and Chickasha .

2. You think that people who complain about the wind in their states are sissies.
... 3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look
for a funnel.

4. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on
the highway.

5. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

6. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by
the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

7. Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.

8. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.

9. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

10. You measure distance in minutes. ("I'm about 5 minutes away.")

11. You refer to the capital of Oklahoma as "The City."

12. It doesn't bother you to use an airport named for a man who died in
an airplane crash.

13. Little smokies are something you serve only for special occasions.

14. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

15. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

16. You know cow-pies are not made of beef.

17. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding
date.

18. You have known someone who has had one belt buckle bigger than your
fist.

19. A bad traffic jam involves two cars staring each other at a four- way
stop, each determined to be the most polite and let the other go first.

20. You know in which state "Miam-uh" is and in which state "Miam-ee" is.

21. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and bait all in the same store.

22. Your "place at the lake" has wheels under it.

23. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F350 4x4 is.

24. You know everything goes better with Ranch.

25. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

26. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin" to send them to your
friends..

27. Finally, you are 100% Oklahoman if you have ever heard this
conversation:

"You wanna Coke?"
"Yeah."
"What kind?"

"Dr. Pepper."

"Come away... and rest for a while."

Today I had the privilege of being the acolyte for Mass here at St. Meinrad seminary.  I thought I would share with you my reflections:

Introduction

Today we are encouraged by the Church to allow ourselves to be led by our Lord to rest and fulfillment.  Let us recognize His guidance in our lives this day, that we may be able to come away with Him to rest in His peace.

Intercessions

·         For the Church, that she may worthily fulfill her call to bring souls to the verdant pastures and restful waters of Christ’s love, let us pray to the Lord

·         For all civic leaders, that they may enact and uphold laws that reflect the justice and mercy of the One Who has given them their charge, let us pray to the Lord

·         For this community, that we may willingly accept the guidance of the Good Shepherd found in our superiors, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves, let us pray to the Lord

·         For those who are suffering physically or mentally, that they may come to see and feel Christ’s presence even in the deserted places of their souls, let us pray to the Lord

·         For the dead, that they may finally enter the house of the Lord, where nothing is lacking, and no evil is feared, let us pray to the Lord

"Make your life worthy..."

This evening, St. Meinrad Seminary had it's annual installation of lectors and acolytes.  Over 40 men in formation were blessed by the archbishop of Indianapolis to serve the Church in the specific ministries of proclaiming the Word of God and assisting the priests and deacons at the altar, and I was one of those men.

This is such a great moment; a moment that brings me one step closer to ordination.  I will have the opportunity to serve as an acolyte this coming Saturday, so please keep me in your prayers.


I wanted to share with you a couple of things from the Rite of Installation to the Ministry of Acolyte.  The first is the blessing given by the bishop:
  

God of mercy
through your only Son
you entrusted the bread of life to your Church.
Bless + our brothers
who have been chosen for the ministry of acolyte.
Grant that they may be faithful
in the service of your altar
and in giving to others the bread of life;
may they grow always in faith and love,
and so build up your Church.

 Being an acolyte is more than simply being a glorified altar boy.  We will be close to the altar, so that we may learn the necessary liturgical steps and postures, and grow in a mentality of humility and service.  In addition, we will have the great responsibility and privilege to bring Holy Communion to the faithful and particularly the infirm.  It is through these privileges that Holy Mother Church has entrusted Christ to us in a particular way; a way that is preparing us to entrust ourselves to Her. 

The words that had the greatest impact for me were the words said by the bishop while we knelt to receive the paten from him:

Take this vessel with bread
for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Make your life worthy of your service
at the table of the Lord and of his Church.

"Make your life worthy;" worthy to serve your fellow men; worthy to sacrifice your time, talent and treasure; worthy to pour yourself out entirely, like a libation, before Almighty God.  It is our honor and our duty.  Praise be to God!