Today is Pentecost Sunday and as I read the Catechism referring to the Holy Spirit, I was struck again, by the description of the action of the Holy Spirit, in relation to the Word, and in relation to us.
An excerpt from the Catechism.
687: "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." Now God's Spirit, who reveals God, makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance, but the Spirit does not speak of himself. The Spirit who "has spoken through the prophets" makes us hear the Father's Word, but we do not hear the Spirit himself. We know him only in the movement by which he reveals the Word to us and disposes us to welcome him in faith. The Spirit of truth who "unveils" Christ to us "will not speak on his own." Such properly divine self-effacement explains why "the world cannot receive [him], because it neither sees him nor knows him," while those who believe in Christ know the Spirit because he dwells with them.
It is also a reminder of a wonderful book, In the School of the Holy Spirit by Rev. Jacques Philippe who:
“is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes, founded in France in 1973. Ordained in 1985 and a preacher of retreats in France and abroad, he has written several books of spiritual advice which have been translated from French.” (From the back cover)
This book provides guidance on learning from the Holy Spirit, and one section that was particularly moving to me is how to practice abandonment.
In its entirety.
“5. Practice Abandonment
“Finally, we shouldn’t forget the sort of obedience that may be the most important and the most overlooked: what might be called “obedience to events.”
“This notion obviously poses a difficult theological and existential problem. “Obedience to events” does not mean falling into fatalism or passivity, nor does it mean saying that everything that happens is God’s will. God does not will evil or sin. Many things happen that God does not will. But he still permits them, in his wisdom, and they remain a stumbling block or scandal to our minds. God asks us to do all we can to eliminate evil. But despite our efforts, there is always a whole set of circumstances which we can do nothing about, which are not necessarily willed by God but nevertheless are permitted by him, and which God invites us to consent to trustingly and peacefully, even if they make us suffer and cause us problems. We are not being asked to consent to evil, but to consent to the mysterious wisdom of god who permits evil. Our consent is not a compromise with evil but the expression of our trust that God is stronger than evil. This is a form of obedience that is painful but very fruitful. It means that after we have done everything in our power, we are invited, faced with what is still imposed on our will by events, to practice an attitude of abandonment and filial trust toward our Heavenly Father, in the faith that “for those who love God, everything works together for good.” (Romans 8:28) To give an example, God did not want the treachery of Judas or Pilate’s cowardice (God cannot want sin); but he permitted them, and he wanted Jesus to give filial consent to these events. And that is what he did—“Father, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” (Mark 14:36)
“The events of life are, after all, the surest expression of God’s will, because there is no danger of our interpreting them subjectively. If God sees that we are docile to events, able to consent peacefully and lovingly to what life’s happenings “impose” on us, in a spirit of filial trust and abandonment to his will, there can be no doubt that he will multiply personal expressions of his will for us through the action of his Spirit who speaks to our hearts.
“If, however, we always rebel and tense ourselves against difficulties, that kind of defiance of god will make it difficult for the holy Spirit to guide our lives.
“What most prevents us from becoming saints is undoubtedly the difficulty we have in consenting fully to everything that happens to us, not, as we have seen, in the sense of a fatalistic passivity, but in the sense of a trusting total abandonment into the hands of our Father God.
“What often happens is that, when we are confronted with painful occurrences, we either rebel, or endure them unwillingly, or resign ourselves to them passively.
“But God invites us to a much more positive and fruitful attitude: that of St. Therese of Lisieux, who, as a child, said: “I choose it all!” We can give this the meaning: I choose everything that God wants for me. I wont’ content myself with merely enduring, but by a free act of my will; I decide to choose what I have not chosen. St. Therese used the expression: “I want everything that causes me difficulties.” Externally, it doesn’t change anything about the situation, but interiorly it changes everything. This consent, inspired by love and trust, makes us free and active instead of passive, and enables God to draw good out of everything that happens to us whether good or bad.” (pp. 32-35)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Pray, Work, Study, Pray
Reaffirming the centrality of prayer in the life of the faithful, this article from Chiesa reminds us that of all the gifts of God that we may call upon to help us in our pilgrimage in the world, it is prayer that is the most powerful, the axis mundi of the faith.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 29, 2009 – On the visit he made to the abbey of Monte Cassino on Ascension Sunday, Benedict XVI revived the famous motto of the saint whose name he took: "Ora et labora et lege." Work and study, but first of all pray.
“And he linked this motto with the other one that the pope has repeatedly placed at the origin of all Western civilization: "quaerere Deum," to seek God.
“In the vision of Benedict XVI, praying to God is not a part, but rather the whole of man's vocation. The idea may appear daring in an age in which prayer is often trivialized, contested, put off limits. But it finds support in signs of renewed attention to this supreme act of Christian life, and that's not all.
“For example, at the same time as pope Joseph Ratzinger's visit to Monte Cassino, further to the north, in Bologna, one of the most secularized cities in Italy, the feast of the Madonna di San Luca saw a much larger crowd than in the past gather to pray. Just as a few weeks earlier, in the same city, the immense basilica of Saint Petronius was not large enough to hold the great mass of young people at a prayer vigil, who also filled the square in front of the church.
“Even further to the north, also a few days ago, in Piacenza on the banks of the Po, churchmen, theologians, philosophers and artists, believers and nonbelievers decided to discuss precisely this theme: "Prayer and experiences of God."
“The meeting, organized as a "Festival of theology," was begun on May 22 and concluded on May 24 with two "master lectures": the first by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and the second by the most famous of the German Evangelical theologians, Jürgen Moltmann.
“The speakers included Philippe Némo and Mario Botta, PierAngelo Sequeri and Elmar Salmann, Massimo Cacciari and Guido Ceronetti.
“Cardinal Ruini's lecture is reproduced below, with editorial subtitles.
“Of particular interest are the passages in which he analyzes
the objections that today's culture raises against prayer, and, conversely, the profound meaning of prayer as a "serious matter" on which the Christian faith stands or falls.”
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 29, 2009 – On the visit he made to the abbey of Monte Cassino on Ascension Sunday, Benedict XVI revived the famous motto of the saint whose name he took: "Ora et labora et lege." Work and study, but first of all pray.
“And he linked this motto with the other one that the pope has repeatedly placed at the origin of all Western civilization: "quaerere Deum," to seek God.
“In the vision of Benedict XVI, praying to God is not a part, but rather the whole of man's vocation. The idea may appear daring in an age in which prayer is often trivialized, contested, put off limits. But it finds support in signs of renewed attention to this supreme act of Christian life, and that's not all.
“For example, at the same time as pope Joseph Ratzinger's visit to Monte Cassino, further to the north, in Bologna, one of the most secularized cities in Italy, the feast of the Madonna di San Luca saw a much larger crowd than in the past gather to pray. Just as a few weeks earlier, in the same city, the immense basilica of Saint Petronius was not large enough to hold the great mass of young people at a prayer vigil, who also filled the square in front of the church.
“Even further to the north, also a few days ago, in Piacenza on the banks of the Po, churchmen, theologians, philosophers and artists, believers and nonbelievers decided to discuss precisely this theme: "Prayer and experiences of God."
“The meeting, organized as a "Festival of theology," was begun on May 22 and concluded on May 24 with two "master lectures": the first by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, and the second by the most famous of the German Evangelical theologians, Jürgen Moltmann.
“The speakers included Philippe Némo and Mario Botta, PierAngelo Sequeri and Elmar Salmann, Massimo Cacciari and Guido Ceronetti.
“Cardinal Ruini's lecture is reproduced below, with editorial subtitles.
“Of particular interest are the passages in which he analyzes
the objections that today's culture raises against prayer, and, conversely, the profound meaning of prayer as a "serious matter" on which the Christian faith stands or falls.”
Friday, May 29, 2009
Drugs & Criminals
In this story from USA Today, reporting on studies that show 50% of men arrested had drugs in their system will, unfortunately, continue the mistaken belief that if you can stop a person from using drugs, that person will then stop being a criminal; which sadly, is the type of thinking that drives the 70% recidivism rate.
Criminals don’t generally commit crimes because they use drugs; they use drugs because illegal drugs are a ubiquitous element within the criminal world—as legal alcohol is among the non-criminal world—a common facet that lubricates all of the social interactions with an additional function of social stratification.
While criminal justice practitioners and policy makers hope to find the silver bullet that can reduce crime, there is really only one that will work over time and with large populations—built upon the realization that criminals are largely independent agents—and that is a voluntary internal transformation.
An excerpt.
“Half of the men arrested in 10 U.S. cities test positive for some type of illegal drug, a federal study found.
“Not only do the findings show "a clear link between drugs and crime," they also highlight the need to provide drug treatment, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make the data public Thursday.
“Assessing offenders for drug and mental health problems and providing treatment is "important if you want to stop recidivism and recycling people through the system," says Kerlikowske, who supports drug courts that offer court-ordered drug treatment.
"There's an opportunity when someone is arrested to divert them to treatment if they need it," says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance Network, a group that supports legalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a public health issue. "But people shouldn't have to get arrested to get treatment."
“In 2008 researchers interviewed and obtained urine samples from 3,924 men arrested in 10 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Ore., Sacramento and Washington, D.C.”
Criminals don’t generally commit crimes because they use drugs; they use drugs because illegal drugs are a ubiquitous element within the criminal world—as legal alcohol is among the non-criminal world—a common facet that lubricates all of the social interactions with an additional function of social stratification.
While criminal justice practitioners and policy makers hope to find the silver bullet that can reduce crime, there is really only one that will work over time and with large populations—built upon the realization that criminals are largely independent agents—and that is a voluntary internal transformation.
An excerpt.
“Half of the men arrested in 10 U.S. cities test positive for some type of illegal drug, a federal study found.
“Not only do the findings show "a clear link between drugs and crime," they also highlight the need to provide drug treatment, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make the data public Thursday.
“Assessing offenders for drug and mental health problems and providing treatment is "important if you want to stop recidivism and recycling people through the system," says Kerlikowske, who supports drug courts that offer court-ordered drug treatment.
"There's an opportunity when someone is arrested to divert them to treatment if they need it," says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance Network, a group that supports legalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a public health issue. "But people shouldn't have to get arrested to get treatment."
“In 2008 researchers interviewed and obtained urine samples from 3,924 men arrested in 10 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Ore., Sacramento and Washington, D.C.”
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Just Wage
Workers being paid a just wage is a major element of the social teaching and is something that all Catholics need to understand and be supportive of as it is directly connected to the respect for human dignity that underlies all of the social teaching.
This article from Inside Catholic is a good examination of it.
An excerpt.
“…The Worker Deserves His Wage
“Since we've established that the state can intervene in the economy in order to promote the common good, the next question is, what is the teaching of the Church regarding the wages of workers? First, the Church observes biblical admonitions such as Deuteronomy 24:15:
“You shall pay him [the hired man or servant] each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.
“In view of this passage and others, such as James 5:4, the Church has taught that depriving a worker of his just wages, whether by withholding them or failing to pay a just wage, is gravely sinful (CCC 2434), and in fact has called it one of the four "sins that cry to heaven for vengeance." This is the case, as Leo XIII wrote, because "the laboring man is, as a rule, weak and unprotected, and because his slender means should in proportion to their scantiness be accounted sacred" (RN 20).
“Workers are due their wages as a matter of justice. The Catechism tells us that "a just wage is the legitimate fruit of work" (2434). But a just wage is not that which will merely provide sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. To live at a subsistence level is to live at the minimum condition of human dignity, and, as St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Summa Theologica, "No one is obliged to live unbecomingly."
“A just wage, then, should provide a worker with enough to live, and perhaps a little more, so as to enable him to live "becomingly." The Church has, therefore, always desired that the worker not remain trapped at a subsistence level, but be able to better his condition: The degree of independence the worker gains by doing so increases his dignity, which is part and parcel of living becomingly. To obtain property, then, whether in the form of real property or durable possessions, is a principal object of every worker. The worker, by living "sparingly, saves money, and, for greater security, invests his savings," and has the "hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life" (RN 5).
“Pope Pius XI, 40 years after Leo XIII, elaborated on this theme in his social encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, saying that by accumulating property, workers can emerge "from that hand-to-mouth uncertainty which is the lot of the proletarian. Thus they will not only be in a position to support life's changing fortunes, but will also have the reassuring confidence that when their lives are ended, some little provision will remain for those whom they leave behind them" (61). This principle led John Paul II to write that the accumulation of property is necessary "for the autonomy and development of the person" (CA 30).
“Apart from the worker's own dignity, though, there is another practical reason to pay the worker a decent wage, which even the most hard-nosed capitalist could embrace: By becoming more substantial citizens, people are no longer plagued by the feelings of hopelessness and dispossession that often characterize the lives of the poor. A man with property has a stake in his community; he is rooted, as it were. A man with property is more inclined to look to the future and make provision for it. It is well-known that stable neighborhoods of homeowners have far less crime and other social problems than those otherwise composed. Just wages, then, by promoting the dignity and independence of the worker, lead to greater stability and cohesion in society.”
This article from Inside Catholic is a good examination of it.
An excerpt.
“…The Worker Deserves His Wage
“Since we've established that the state can intervene in the economy in order to promote the common good, the next question is, what is the teaching of the Church regarding the wages of workers? First, the Church observes biblical admonitions such as Deuteronomy 24:15:
“You shall pay him [the hired man or servant] each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the Lord against you, and you will be held guilty.
“In view of this passage and others, such as James 5:4, the Church has taught that depriving a worker of his just wages, whether by withholding them or failing to pay a just wage, is gravely sinful (CCC 2434), and in fact has called it one of the four "sins that cry to heaven for vengeance." This is the case, as Leo XIII wrote, because "the laboring man is, as a rule, weak and unprotected, and because his slender means should in proportion to their scantiness be accounted sacred" (RN 20).
“Workers are due their wages as a matter of justice. The Catechism tells us that "a just wage is the legitimate fruit of work" (2434). But a just wage is not that which will merely provide sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. To live at a subsistence level is to live at the minimum condition of human dignity, and, as St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Summa Theologica, "No one is obliged to live unbecomingly."
“A just wage, then, should provide a worker with enough to live, and perhaps a little more, so as to enable him to live "becomingly." The Church has, therefore, always desired that the worker not remain trapped at a subsistence level, but be able to better his condition: The degree of independence the worker gains by doing so increases his dignity, which is part and parcel of living becomingly. To obtain property, then, whether in the form of real property or durable possessions, is a principal object of every worker. The worker, by living "sparingly, saves money, and, for greater security, invests his savings," and has the "hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life" (RN 5).
“Pope Pius XI, 40 years after Leo XIII, elaborated on this theme in his social encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, saying that by accumulating property, workers can emerge "from that hand-to-mouth uncertainty which is the lot of the proletarian. Thus they will not only be in a position to support life's changing fortunes, but will also have the reassuring confidence that when their lives are ended, some little provision will remain for those whom they leave behind them" (61). This principle led John Paul II to write that the accumulation of property is necessary "for the autonomy and development of the person" (CA 30).
“Apart from the worker's own dignity, though, there is another practical reason to pay the worker a decent wage, which even the most hard-nosed capitalist could embrace: By becoming more substantial citizens, people are no longer plagued by the feelings of hopelessness and dispossession that often characterize the lives of the poor. A man with property has a stake in his community; he is rooted, as it were. A man with property is more inclined to look to the future and make provision for it. It is well-known that stable neighborhoods of homeowners have far less crime and other social problems than those otherwise composed. Just wages, then, by promoting the dignity and independence of the worker, lead to greater stability and cohesion in society.”
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Notre Dame
The Church swirls in controversy eternally, as it should, being a sign of contradiction in the world, and even within the faithful arguments rage and, if possible, the opportunity for a great teaching moment should never be wasted.
One controversy—that over the awarding of the honorary doctorate to our president by Notre Dame, a teaching moment indeed—continues with no sign of abating and this article from Chiesa examines it.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 26, 2009 – The degree "honoris causa" given last week to President Barack Obama by the Catholic university of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, has produced a new spasm of protests.
“But it has also offered occasions for more tranquil reflection and action.
“The most drastic in their protests have been the standard-bearers of neoconservative Catholic thought: Michael Novak, George Weigel, Deal Hudson.
“Their protest has mainly been directed against the Vatican and "L'Osservatore Romano," accused of excessive indulgence toward Obama, despite his bioethical positions contrary to the Church's doctrine.
“Deal Hudson, on the site "Insidecatholic.com," of which he is the founder, called for the head of Giovanni Maria Vian, director of the newspaper of the Holy See, and urged his readers to demand his removal by writing to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
“On "National Review Online," George Weigel said that although "L'Osservatore Romano" does not automatically express the positions of the Holy See in every line, its statements on the matter nevertheless demonstrated the presence in the Vatican of a strong pro-Obama current, in addition to a "sorry ignorance of recent American history" and of the attack brought by the new president against the Church's teaching on life.
“Michael Novak, in a commentary in the Italian newspaper "Liberal," also accused "L'Osservatore Romano" of not understanding the American reality, with the result that "it has sided with the pro-abortion forces and against the marginalized minority of faithful practicing Catholics." It is as if the popes who defined abortion as an "intrinsic evil" had spoken in vain: "We asked Rome for bread, and 'L'Osservatore Romano' has given us stones."
“Neither Hudson, nor Weigel, nor Novak demonstrated any credence in Obama's offer of dialogue – in his speech on May 17 at the University of Notre Dame – with the defenders of unborn life. In their judgment, the new president stands firm on his pro-abortion positions. The "pro-life" forces, and they alone, are asked to compromise. Such that, in the end, what he calls dialogue "is only a request for unconditional surrender."
“There are also some bishops – among the more than seventy who before May 17 had criticized the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to honor the "pro-abortion" president – who have reacted negatively to the offer of dialogue issued by Obama in his speech at the award ceremony.
“The leadership of the United States bishops' conference, however, has identified positive elements in Obama's speech, while maintaining strong reservations on some of the president's decisions.
“In an official note released on May 22, the president of the conference, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago, thanked the president for the things he said about conscientious objection on the part of medical workers who are against abortion. He added that no one should be forced to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars. He asked the president to put into practice what he has promised, and confirmed that the bishops' conference looks forward to "working with the Administration and other policy makers" to reduce the number of abortions as much as possible.
“But on the same day, the secretary general of the bishops' conference, Monsignor David Malloy, again criticized the executive order with which, on March 9, Obama removed the ban on destroying embryos for research purposes: a decision in which "both science and ethics have been ignored."
One controversy—that over the awarding of the honorary doctorate to our president by Notre Dame, a teaching moment indeed—continues with no sign of abating and this article from Chiesa examines it.
An excerpt.
“ROME, May 26, 2009 – The degree "honoris causa" given last week to President Barack Obama by the Catholic university of Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana, has produced a new spasm of protests.
“But it has also offered occasions for more tranquil reflection and action.
“The most drastic in their protests have been the standard-bearers of neoconservative Catholic thought: Michael Novak, George Weigel, Deal Hudson.
“Their protest has mainly been directed against the Vatican and "L'Osservatore Romano," accused of excessive indulgence toward Obama, despite his bioethical positions contrary to the Church's doctrine.
“Deal Hudson, on the site "Insidecatholic.com," of which he is the founder, called for the head of Giovanni Maria Vian, director of the newspaper of the Holy See, and urged his readers to demand his removal by writing to the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
“On "National Review Online," George Weigel said that although "L'Osservatore Romano" does not automatically express the positions of the Holy See in every line, its statements on the matter nevertheless demonstrated the presence in the Vatican of a strong pro-Obama current, in addition to a "sorry ignorance of recent American history" and of the attack brought by the new president against the Church's teaching on life.
“Michael Novak, in a commentary in the Italian newspaper "Liberal," also accused "L'Osservatore Romano" of not understanding the American reality, with the result that "it has sided with the pro-abortion forces and against the marginalized minority of faithful practicing Catholics." It is as if the popes who defined abortion as an "intrinsic evil" had spoken in vain: "We asked Rome for bread, and 'L'Osservatore Romano' has given us stones."
“Neither Hudson, nor Weigel, nor Novak demonstrated any credence in Obama's offer of dialogue – in his speech on May 17 at the University of Notre Dame – with the defenders of unborn life. In their judgment, the new president stands firm on his pro-abortion positions. The "pro-life" forces, and they alone, are asked to compromise. Such that, in the end, what he calls dialogue "is only a request for unconditional surrender."
“There are also some bishops – among the more than seventy who before May 17 had criticized the decision of the Catholic university of Notre Dame to honor the "pro-abortion" president – who have reacted negatively to the offer of dialogue issued by Obama in his speech at the award ceremony.
“The leadership of the United States bishops' conference, however, has identified positive elements in Obama's speech, while maintaining strong reservations on some of the president's decisions.
“In an official note released on May 22, the president of the conference, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop of Chicago, thanked the president for the things he said about conscientious objection on the part of medical workers who are against abortion. He added that no one should be forced to subsidize abortion with their tax dollars. He asked the president to put into practice what he has promised, and confirmed that the bishops' conference looks forward to "working with the Administration and other policy makers" to reduce the number of abortions as much as possible.
“But on the same day, the secretary general of the bishops' conference, Monsignor David Malloy, again criticized the executive order with which, on March 9, Obama removed the ban on destroying embryos for research purposes: a decision in which "both science and ethics have been ignored."
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorial Day Remembered
Before it slips completely away, let us savor once more the great day that honored our military yesterday, and this wonderful reflection by a Catholic father as his son graduated from West Point on Saturday, is a profound remembrance.
An excerpt.
“The Cadet Prayer at West Point calls upon God, “Searcher of human hearts,” to help these future soldiers live above “the common level of life,” to chose “the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.”
“When you get to know cadets at the United States Military Academy, as I have had the privilege to do over the last four years, you are impressed by how thoroughly they take the prayer to heart, how dedicated they are to “Duty. Honor. Country.” (the academy’s motto), and how respectful they are of its blade-sharp honor code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
An excerpt.
“The Cadet Prayer at West Point calls upon God, “Searcher of human hearts,” to help these future soldiers live above “the common level of life,” to chose “the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice, and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.”
“When you get to know cadets at the United States Military Academy, as I have had the privilege to do over the last four years, you are impressed by how thoroughly they take the prayer to heart, how dedicated they are to “Duty. Honor. Country.” (the academy’s motto), and how respectful they are of its blade-sharp honor code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Saturday, May 23, 2009
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