Appreciating Advent

It is very easy to think of Advent as merely the beginning of the Christmas rush, the beginning of the Christmas season. This is especially true in a culture where Christmas music has been on the radio since mid-November, and Christmas movies are already flooding the cable channels, and Christmas sales and the shopping rush are in full swing at the malls and department stores. The intensive and even overwhelming focus on Christmas too often causes us to lose the appreciation of Advent qua Advent, in other words, as its own unique liturgical season.

Perhaps more than any other theme intrinsic to this season, the theme of "preparation" deserves the greatest focus. This theme takes on a dual character. We prepare for the memorial celebration of the nativity of our Lord. That aspect allows us especially to focus on the role of the Blessed Virgin in the economy of salvation. More than any other season this time of year turns our focus to her faith, her humility, her service to God's will. In this regard we see Mary as the perfect disciple, the model by which all of us must prepare for the coming of Christ into our own hearts. The Gospel of Luke especially portrays Mary as a woman of prayer, a woman who lovingly contemplated the mysteries of God. It is just this loving, prayerful contemplation that made her ever-ready to serve God's will, ever-ready for the coming of God, no matter how unexpected that coming might be. We never know when God will call us to service, or where we might find the Church, the people of God, in need of our own fiat. So this Advent should be for us a time to renew our lives of prayer, to refocus our souls in the loving contemplation of God's mysteries, so that we will always be attuned to the movements of the Spirit and the needs of God's people.

The second aspect of the theme of preparation is that during this season we focus on the return of Christ, the second coming of Jesus as Judge. It is a time to purify ourselves, to focus on those areas where we need improvement, those areas where we have not been faithful disciples, and to rededicate ourselves to that discipleship to which we are called. In that regard, Advent shares something in common with Lent. We tend not to focus on this aspect of Advent, but this is also an opportune time in the liturgical season to focus not only on prayer, but perhaps also on fasting or other means of purification. Perhaps this is especially true when there are so many temptations leading us away from what should be our real focus this time of year. It also could be an opportunity to offer reparation for the sins of our materialistic consumerism.

There is a difference, though, I think, between Lenten fasting and Advent fasting. Even though Lent ultimately leads up the celebration of the Resurrection, because to get there we must go through the Passion, Lent takes on a much more somber tone. At least that's my experience. Advent fasting, however, cannot help but be infused with joyful hope. That in large part is due to the liturgical readings for this time of year, which simply overflow with the joy of the Christian faith and the Christ-reality. I think sometimes fasting is actually easier during Advent because of that very reason, because it is not a somber, melancholy fast, but rather a joyful fast, an active preparation for the final coming of God's Kingdom.

On a personal note, this is my first community experience of a liturgical season outside of Ordinary Time, and so far it's been pretty awesome. Aside from decorating the chapel and going to the Latin Mass with my fellow prenovice, we are also adding Compline to our community prayer, in addition to Lauds and Vespers, which we already pray as a community. On top of which, we are also having, perhaps once a week, a community Holy Hour of Adoration. I especially love Adoration during Advent because of its eschatological character. The Eucharist is that gravitational force of the universe drawing all of creation towards the eschaton, towards resurrection. And so because that is a particular theme of Advent, joining Eucharistic Adoration to this season is a beautifully appropriate way to appreciate the salvation that we celebrate in the two comings of Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus Message for First Sunday of Advent

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 29, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address before praying the Angelus at midday with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

This Sunday we begin, by the grace of God, a new liturgical year, which opens naturally with Advent, a time of preparation for the Lord's nativity. In the constitution on the Liturgy, the Second Vatican Council states that the Church "presents in the annual cycle the whole mystery of Christ, from the incarnation and the nativity, to the ascension, the day of pentecost, and the expectation of the blessed hope and return of the Lord."

In this way, "recalling the mysteries of the redemption, it opens to the faithful the riches of the salvific actions and the merits of their Lord, so that they are present in some way in all times, so that the faithful can approach them and be filled with the grace of salvation" ("Sacrosantum Concilium," 102).

The council insists on the fact that Christ is the center of the liturgy. It is similar to the sun, around which rotate the planets. Around the liturgy rotate the Blessed Virgin Mary -- she is the closest -- and the martyrs and the other saints that "in heaven sing to God the perfect praise and intercede for us" (Ibidem, 104).

This is the reality of the liturgical year seen, so to speak, "from God's side." And from the side -- shall we say -- of man, of history and of society? What importance can it have? The answer is suggested properly by the advent journey, which we undertake today.

The contemporary world needs above all hope: It is needed by developing peoples, but also by those economically developed. We increasingly see that we are in the same boat and that we must all be saved together. Above all, seeing so many false securities crumble, we realize that we need a trustworthy hope, and this is found only in Christ, who, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, "is the same yesterday, today and always" (13:8).

The Lord Jesus came in the past, he comes in the present and will come in the future. He embraces all the dimensions of time, because he died and rose, he is "the Living One" and, sharing our human precariousness, remains forever and offers us God's very stability. He is "flesh" like us, and is "rock" like God.

Whoever desires liberty, justice and peace may now lift himself up, and raise his head, because in Christ liberation is close (cf. Luke 21:28) -- as we read in today's Gospel. Hence, we can affirm that Jesus Christ does not only look at Christians, or only at believers, but at all men, because he, who is the center of faith, is also the foundation of hope. He is the hope that every human being constantly needs.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Virgin Mary fully incarnates the humanity that lives in hope based on faith in the living God. She is the Virgin of Advent; she is well-rooted in the present, in the "today" of salvation; she keeps in her heart all the past promises; and they extend to future fulfillment. Let us enter her school, to truly enter this time of grace and to welcome, with joy and responsibility, the coming of God to our personal and social history.

Hitchcock in Real Life

The following story is right out of an Alfred Hitchcock storyline. This is one of the most horrifying stories I've ever heard, of a man who for 23 years was believed to be in a coma, but in reality was just paralyzed and perfectly conscious. Scary as HELL - literally! Read it at The Daily Mail.

The Catholic Church and Health Care Reform

One of the more fascinating developments of the current debate on how to achieve health care reform has been the unified, and thus powerful, voice with which the Catholic bishops have spoken and acted in setting out certain principles that they see as necessary to reform rooted in justice. The three main areas where they have flexed their muscle have been with regards to the exclusion of any federal money to pay for abortions, the protection of conscience clauses, and the just protection of immigrants, legal and illegal, in a way that respects their humanity. Politico just did an interesting article on this development, which can be found here.

This is the most united and most effective I have seen the bishops speak in a long time. I hope and pray that this is a sign that the Catholic Church in America is taking hold once again of her mission to speak with moral clarity on challenging issues of our time. In a world where religious voices are more and more shut out from political discussions, in a way that betrays our commitment to democracy and to the free exchange of ideas, it is reassuring to see that the voice of the Church has been heard and responded to in the public sphere in the way it has been in this health care debate. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend back towards a true inclusivity in public discourse, an inclusivity that recognizes all voices of reason, and does not reject an argument simply on the grounds that it comes from religious persons or that it is based on an epistemology of faith. When we move away from that sort of openness and acceptance, we move away from that which truly makes us free.

Humility as the Journey to God

The latest podcast is up, on the virtue of humility and its centrality to Augustinian spirituality. You can find it by clicking here.

The Christian Ideal of Marriage

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:21-33, RSV)

In this passage St. Paul provides for us the perfect image of the Christian marriage. It is also a passage frequently rejected because of how equally frequently it is misrepresented and misinterpreted. So how do we read this passage in a way that maintains what we know to be the equal dignity between man and woman, husband and wife?

It is helpful to remember that the husband is only head of his wife in the way that Christ is head of the Church. In other words, the husband's role is as leader of the family, but his leadership must be like that of Christ. And how was Christ leader? By being the humble yet strong servant. And so the husband can only be truly called head of the family if he plays the role of humble servant, whose singular loving purpose is for the salvation and sanctification of his family.

So when the wife is called to submit to her husband, truly what she is called to do is submit to his humility, not to some authority that he holds over her by virtue of his being a man. She submits to his humility by herself being equally humble, equally a servant, equally doing all she can to provide for the sanctification and salvation of her husband and the family.

When this model, which I propose is the Christian model, is followed, then it becomes not a matter of fitting into what we perceive to be typical masculine and feminine roles, but rather it becomes a partnership of oneness and equality, with both equally working towards each other's salvation, both emptying themselves fully for each other and their family in love, both serving each other with perfect humility. Only then can a marriage truly be what it is intended to be, which is a sacramental reminder of the marriage between Christ and the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI's Address to Artists

Today the Holy Father met in the Sistine Chapel with artists from around the world, and addressed to them words of encouragement, continuing with one of the themes of his pontificate, that of the recapturing of the sense of beauty in the world, especially the sense of sacred beauty as it applies to the path towards God. Following is the English translation from Vatican Information Services:

 

Dear Cardinals,
Brother Bishops and Priests,
Distinguished Artists,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

With great joy I welcome you to this solemn place, so rich in art and in history. I cordially greet each and every one of you and I thank you for accepting my invitation. At this gathering I wish to express and renew the Church's friendship with the world of art, a friendship that has been strengthened over time; indeed Christianity from its earliest days has recognized the value of the arts and has made wise use of their varied language to express her unvarying message of salvation. This friendship must be continually promoted and supported so that it may be authentic and fruitful, adapted to different historical periods and attentive to social and cultural variations. Indeed, this is the reason for our meeting here today. I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture and of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church, and likewise to his officials, for promoting and organizing this meeting, and I thank him for the words he has just addressed to me. I greet the Cardinals, the Bishops, the priests and the various distinguished personalities present. I also thank the Sistine Chapel Choir for their contribution to this gathering. Today's event is focused on you, dear and illustrious artists, from different countries, cultures and religions, some of you perhaps remote from the practice of religion, but interested nevertheless in maintaining communication with the Catholic Church, in not reducing the horizons of existence to mere material realities, to a reductive and trivializing vision. You represent the varied world of the arts and so, through you, I would like to convey to all artists my invitation to friendship, dialogue and cooperation.

Some significant anniversaries occur around this time. It is ten years since the Letter to Artists by my venerable Predecessor, the Servant of God Pope John Paul II. For the first time, on the eve of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Pope, who was an artist himself, wrote a Letter to artists, combining the solemnity of a pontifical document with the friendly tone of a conversation among all who, as we read in the initial salutation, "are passionately dedicated to the search for new 'epiphanies' of beauty". Twenty-five years ago the same Pope proclaimed Blessed Fra Angelico the patron of artists, presenting him as a model of perfect harmony between faith and art. I also recall how on 7 May 1964, forty-five years ago, in this very place, an historic event took place, at the express wish of Pope Paul VI, to confirm the friendship between the Church and the arts. The words that he spoke on that occasion resound once more today under the vault of the Sistine Chapel and touch our hearts and our minds. "We need you," he said. "We need your collaboration in order to carry out our ministry, which consists, as you know, in preaching and rendering accessible and comprehensible to the minds and hearts of our people the things of the spirit, the invisible, the ineffable, the things of God himself. And in this activity … you are masters. It is your task, your mission, and your art consists in grasping treasures from the heavenly realm of the spirit and clothing them in words, colours, forms – making them accessible." So great was Paul VI's esteem for artists that he was moved to use daring expressions. "And if we were deprived of your assistance," he added, "our ministry would become faltering and uncertain, and a special effort would be needed, one might say, to make it artistic, even prophetic. In order to scale the heights of lyrical expression of intuitive beauty, priesthood would have to coincide with art." On that occasion Paul VI made a commitment to "re-establish the friendship between the Church and artists", and he invited artists to make a similar, shared commitment, analyzing seriously and objectively the factors that disturbed this relationship, and assuming individual responsibility, courageously and passionately, for a newer and deeper journey in mutual acquaintance and dialogue in order to arrive at an authentic "renaissance" of art in the context of a new humanism.

That historic encounter, as I mentioned, took place here in this sanctuary of faith and human creativity. So it is not by chance that we come together in this place, esteemed for its architecture and its symbolism, and above all for the frescoes that make it unique, from the masterpieces of Perugino and Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, Luca Signorelli and others, to the Genesis scenes and the Last Judgement of Michelangelo Buonarroti, who has given us here one of the most extraordinary creations in the entire history of art. The universal language of music has often been heard here, thanks to the genius of great musicians who have placed their art at the service of the liturgy, assisting the spirit in its ascent towards God. At the same time, the Sistine Chapel is remarkably vibrant with history, since it is the solemn and austere setting of events that mark the history of the Church and of mankind. Here as you know, the College of Cardinals elects the Pope; here it was that I myself, with trepidation but also with absolute trust in the Lord, experienced the privileged moment of my election as Successor of the Apostle Peter.

Dear friends, let us allow these frescoes to speak to us today, drawing us towards the ultimate goal of human history. The Last Judgement, which you see behind me, reminds us that human history is movement and ascent, a continuing tension towards fullness, towards human happiness, towards a horizon that always transcends the present moment even as the two coincide. Yet the dramatic scene portrayed in this fresco also places before our eyes the risk of man's definitive fall, a risk that threatens to engulf him whenever he allows himself to be led astray by the forces of evil. So the fresco issues a strong prophetic cry against evil, against every form of injustice. For believers, though, the Risen Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. For his faithful followers, he is the Door through which we are brought to that "face-to-face" vision of God from which limitless, full and definitive happiness flows. Thus Michelangelo presents to our gaze the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of history, and he invites us to walk the path of life with joy, courage and hope. The dramatic beauty of Michelangelo's painting, its colours and forms, becomes a proclamation of hope, an invitation to raise our gaze to the ultimate horizon. The profound bond between beauty and hope was the essential content of the evocative Message that Paul VI addressed to artists at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council on 8 December 1965: "To all of you," he proclaimed solemnly, "the Church of the Council declares through our lips: if you are friends of true art, you are our friends!" And he added: "This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart, and is that precious fruit which resists the erosion of time, which unites generations and enables them to be one in admiration. And all this through the work of your hands . . . Remember that you are the custodians of beauty in the world."

Unfortunately, the present time is marked, not only by negative elements in the social and economic sphere, but also by a weakening of hope, by a certain lack of confidence in human relationships, which gives rise to increasing signs of resignation, aggression and despair. The world in which we live runs the risk of being altered beyond recognition because of unwise human actions which, instead of cultivating its beauty, unscrupulously exploit its resources for the advantage of a few and not infrequently disfigure the marvels of nature. What is capable of restoring enthusiasm and confidence, what can encourage the human spirit to rediscover its path, to raise its eyes to the horizon, to dream of a life worthy of its vocation – if not beauty? Dear friends, as artists you know well that the experience of beauty, beauty that is authentic, not merely transient or artificial, is by no means a supplementary or secondary factor in our search for meaning and happiness; the experience of beauty does not remove us from reality, on the contrary, it leads to a direct encounter with the daily reality of our lives, liberating it from darkness, transfiguring it, making it radiant and beautiful.

Indeed, an essential function of genuine beauty, as emphasized by Plato, is that it gives man a healthy "shock", it draws him out of himself, wrenches him away from resignation and from being content with the humdrum – it even makes him suffer, piercing him like a dart, but in so doing it "reawakens" him, opening afresh the eyes of his heart and mind, giving him wings, carrying him aloft. Dostoevsky's words that I am about to quote are bold and paradoxical, but they invite reflection. He says this: "Man can live without science, he can live without bread, but without beauty he could no longer live, because there would no longer be anything to do to the world. The whole secret is here, the whole of history is here." The painter Georges Braque echoes this sentiment: "Art is meant to disturb, science reassures." Beauty pulls us up short, but in so doing it reminds us of our final destiny, it sets us back on our path, fills us with new hope, gives us the courage to live to the full the unique gift of life. The quest for beauty that I am describing here is clearly not about escaping into the irrational or into mere aestheticism.

Too often, though, the beauty that is thrust upon us is illusory and deceitful, superficial and blinding, leaving the onlooker dazed; instead of bringing him out of himself and opening him up to horizons of true freedom as it draws him aloft, it imprisons him within himself and further enslaves him, depriving him of hope and joy. It is a seductive but hypocritical beauty that rekindles desire, the will to power, to possess, and to dominate others, it is a beauty which soon turns into its opposite, taking on the guise of indecency, transgression or gratuitous provocation. Authentic beauty, however, unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond. If we acknowledge that beauty touches us intimately, that it wounds us, that it opens our eyes, then we rediscover the joy of seeing, of being able to grasp the profound meaning of our existence, the Mystery of which we are part; from this Mystery we can draw fullness, happiness, the passion to engage with it every day. In this regard, Pope John Paul II, in his Letter to Artists, quotes the following verse from a Polish poet, Cyprian Norwid: "Beauty is to enthuse us for work, and work is to raise us up" (no. 3). And later he adds: "In so far as it seeks the beautiful, fruit of an imagination which rises above the everyday, art is by its nature a kind of appeal to the mystery. Even when they explore the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, the artist gives voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption" (no. 10). And in conclusion he states: "Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to transcendence" (no. 16).

These ideas impel us to take a further step in our reflection. Beauty, whether that of the natural universe or that expressed in art, precisely because it opens up and broadens the horizons of human awareness, pointing us beyond ourselves, bringing us face to face with the abyss of Infinity, can become a path towards the transcendent, towards the ultimate Mystery, towards God. Art, in all its forms, at the point where it encounters the great questions of our existence, the fundamental themes that give life its meaning, can take on a religious quality, thereby turning into a path of profound inner reflection and spirituality. This close proximity, this harmony between the journey of faith and the artist's path is attested by countless artworks that are based upon the personalities, the stories, the symbols of that immense deposit of "figures" – in the broad sense – namely the Bible, the Sacred Scriptures. The great biblical narratives, themes, images and parables have inspired innumerable masterpieces in every sector of the arts, just as they have spoken to the hearts of believers in every generation through the works of craftsmanship and folk art, that are no less eloquent and evocative.

In this regard, one may speak of a via pulchritudinis, a path of beauty which is at the same time an artistic and aesthetic journey, a journey of faith, of theological enquiry. The theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar begins his great work entitled The Glory of the Lord – a Theological Aesthetics with these telling observations: "Beauty is the word with which we shall begin. Beauty is the last word that the thinking intellect dares to speak, because it simply forms a halo, an untouchable crown around the double constellation of the true and the good and their inseparable relation to one another." He then adds: "Beauty is the disinterested one, without which the ancient world refused to understand itself, a word which both imperceptibly and yet unmistakably has bid farewell to our new world, a world of interests, leaving it to its own avarice and sadness. It is no longer loved or fostered even by religion." And he concludes: "We can be sure that whoever sneers at her name as if she were the ornament of a bourgeois past – whether he admits it or not – can no longer pray and soon will no longer be able to love." The way of beauty leads us, then, to grasp the Whole in the fragment, the Infinite in the finite, God in the history of humanity. Simone Weil wrote in this regard: "In all that awakens within us the pure and authentic sentiment of beauty, there, truly, is the presence of God. There is a kind of incarnation of God in the world, of which beauty is the sign. Beauty is the experimental proof that incarnation is possible. For this reason all art of the first order is, by its nature, religious." Hermann Hesse makes the point even more graphically: "Art means: revealing God in everything that exists." Echoing the words of Pope Paul VI, the Servant of God Pope John Paul II restated the Church's desire to renew dialogue and cooperation with artists: "In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art" (no. 12); but he immediately went on to ask: "Does art need the Church?" – thereby inviting artists to rediscover a source of fresh and well-founded inspiration in religious experience, in Christian revelation and in the "great codex" that is the Bible.

Dear artists, as I draw to a conclusion, I too would like to make a cordial, friendly and impassioned appeal to you, as did my Predecessor. You are the custodians of beauty: thanks to your talent, you have the opportunity to speak to the heart of humanity, to touch individual and collective sensibilities, to call forth dreams and hopes, to broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. Be grateful, then, for the gifts you have received and be fully conscious of your great responsibility to communicate beauty, to communicate in and through beauty! Through your art, you yourselves are to be heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity! And do not be afraid to approach the first and last source of beauty, to enter into dialogue with believers, with those who, like yourselves, consider that they are pilgrims in this world and in history towards infinite Beauty! Faith takes nothing away from your genius or your art: on the contrary, it exalts them and nourishes them, it encourages them to cross the threshold and to contemplate with fascination and emotion the ultimate and definitive goal, the sun that does not set, the sun that illumines this present moment and makes it beautiful.

Saint Augustine, who fell in love with beauty and sang its praises, wrote these words as he reflected on man's ultimate destiny, commenting almost ante litteram on the Judgement scene before your eyes today: "Therefore we are to see a certain vision, my brethren, that no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived: a vision surpassing all earthly beauty, whether it be that of gold and silver, woods and fields, sea and sky, sun and moon, or stars and angels. The reason is this: it is the source of all other beauty" (In 1 Ioannis, 4:5). My wish for all of you, dear artists, is that you may carry this vision in your eyes, in your hands, and in your heart, that it may bring you joy and continue to inspire your fine works. From my heart I bless you and, like Paul VI, I greet you with a single word: arrivederci!

Je suis heureux de saluer tous les artistes présents. Chers amis, je vous encourage à découvrir et à exprimer toujours mieux, à travers la beauté de vos œuvres, le mystère de Dieu et le mystère de l'homme. Que Dieu vous bénisse!

Dear friends, thank you for your presence here today. Let the beauty that you express by your God-given talents always direct the hearts of others to glorify the Creator, the source of all that is good. God's blessings upon you all!

Lessons in Humility

It's been a while since my last true update on my religious life journey.  The demands of the semester have been growing increasingly intense.  It's really been a challenging few weeks.  It's interesting, the increasing darkness of the physical days have coincided with an increased melancholy in my own spirit.  The intensity of the work load, the constant health battles (nothing serious, just persistent little things), and a few other things that I'll get into in a bit, just have made these last few weeks quite lacking in the joy department.  Fortunately Thanksgiving break is soon upon us, and then there are only three weeks left of school.  What a wonderful break it will be!

A while back I mentioned a little bit about the three vows that religious take, vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and how the first two I was already able to get a taste for, but I really had no exposure to the third vow, that of obedience.  While technically I do not take vows until the end of next year, during this prenovitiate year we nonetheless live according to the spirit of those vows, and I finally have had my first real test of what a confrontation with that vow might look like, even if only on a small scale.

This year for me there are really two factors of my life that are going on parallel to one another.  One is the beginning of my religious life as a friar, and the other is my senior year at Villanova.  The two are separate but related.  As to the beginnings of religious life, I can only express joy and confidence in my vocation, and everything about it has been truly a blessing, and a real confirmation that this is where I am called to be and where the heart of my happiness lies.  But as for my senior year at Villanova, the story has been quite different.  For the first three and a half years that I have been here, almost at every moment I have always been struck by this real sense of awe, this real sense of astonishment at the turn of events my life had finally taken, and how absolutely thrilling it was for me to be back in college, to be at Villanova of all places.  I have had so many wonderful opportunities here to really be connected to the life of the campus, which means a lot to all college students but is really heightened at Villanova because of the strong sense of community and family that is built in here.  My connections were often very tangible, with my involvement in Villanovans for Life, with Campus Ministry, with the Center for Peace and Justice, with Villanova Student Theatre, on top of just the great friendships that have developed.  This was all on top of the fact that for the most part I have loved all of my classes here.  All of this for me was so pronounced because of the fact that there was a time in my life when I thought none of this would ever happen, that I would never get back to school, that I would never have the college experience - the real college experience - that I had always longed for.  And so coming into this year I really had this duel sense of excitement - the excitement of the beginning of my life as an Augustinian, but perhaps even more pronounced than that, the excitement of being a senior in college, an excitement that for me goes along with a heightened sense of awareness that my own life experience has allowed me to develop.  I really have been looking forward to cherishing these moments of my senior year as the final pieces of a sort of resurrection experience for me, since that is really how I view my time here at Villanova.  It's my phoenix moment, my rising from the ashes of a broken life.

Unfortunately, that is not at all how it has played out so far.  While the Augustinian aspect of my year has been mostly great, as far as my college experience goes, it's been almost non-existent.  I am on campus just long enough to go to class.  I come home, I study, I read, I write papers, and that's it.  All of those previous connections, the campus ministry, the Villanovans for Life, the theatre, Peace and Justice, they have all been gone.  While I was already resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be participating in the typical senior activities, thinks like homecoming weekend and the Senior Dinner Dance and all of that, I at least expected to have the opportunity to cherish this last year of my involvement in those things that have mattered so much to me.  And when none of them were possible, it just caused a real sadness in me, not a depression, just a sort of existential sadness.  

But there was one hope that for a while had been in the back of my mind, and then had grown stronger and stronger.  I had really been hoping to do one more performance on stage before leaving for seminary.  The first show that was being offered interested me (Rumours by Neil Simon), but it wasn't quite the thing I was looking for.  But then I was talking with my friend Matt, who is directing Rumours, and I found out what we are putting on in the Spring, and immediately my heart began to race, and I knew that for the second year in a row the role of a lifetime would become available.  Villanova Student Theatre was once again bringing in a professional director, and we were going to put on To Kill a Mockingbird.  Long one of my favorite stories, the idea of playing Atticus Finch on stage excited me just as much, or at least close to as much, as the idea of playing Matt Poncelet in Dead Man Walking did last year.  For me, Mockingbird represents everything that I love about theater, how it provides the opportunity to touch people's hearts and bring about discussions of really difficult issues.  The more I thought about it, the more excited I began to get.  What's more, I kept hearing from people in the theater department about how either they really wanted me to play Atticus, and how much I could bring to the role, and so forth.  Now mind you, I am well aware of the great pool of talent in our theater department and I have no doubt that the show is going to be incredibly successful no matter what, but I'm just saying that for the first time this year I was once again feeling that intense, life affirming connection to Villanova.  It was exactly what I needed.

So about a month ago I was having my regular monthly meeting with the prior of my community, and he began to express real concerns about me taking on this responsibility.  He was concerned that I would wear myself too thin, that my commitments to the community would suffer, that I would be too run down.  I understood his concern, but at the same time, I knew deep down how much good this would do for me, and I knew with full confidence that it would actually have the exact opposite effect on me that he was fearing.  At that time he let me know that he was only expressing concerns, but that I was an adult and he would leave it to me.  I didn't like the feeling I had coming out of that meeting, but we agreed to leave it be until our next meeting a month later, which would take place shortly before auditions.

For a while I began to entertain that he might be right, and I spent a lot of time in prayer, asking God for guidance here.  But the more I resigned myself to not doing it, the more the sadness began to creep back.  And the more I read the play the more I felt as if this really is an opportunity to use my gifts in a way that is indeed very Augustinian, reflecting light on issues of justice relevant to our world and consistent with the Gospel.  It just felt like I was supposed to do this play, and the feeling really began to grow stronger and stronger.  On top of which, I kept getting the theater people more strongly urging me to come out, and that only seemed to confirm that it was exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.  At one point one of the girls, our assistant stage manager from Dead Man, actually asked me for my prior's e-mail address, and was seriously going to e-mail him practically begging him to let me audition.  

So today I had my meeting with him again.  Before going in to the meeting I stopped off at the chapel and offered a prayer, first that I might continue in the discerning spirit that has kept me open to God's will, and two that if it did not go as I hoped, that I would have the humility to deal with it.  I went in and simply asked for another opportunity to make my case, and as he is so gifted at doing, he listened with real sincerity and attentiveness.  In a sense, because of how sincerely he listens and how open he really is, it actually ended up making the disappointment that much stronger.  As I was making my case, the look on his face made me think that he really was going to leave it up to me and that even if he had a bad feeling about it, he would ultimately support my choice.  But that's not how it went, and he told me no.  Again, it's important to remember that his reasoning is primarily out of concern for me, and I believe him 100 percent when he says that.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn't crushed.

I tried so hard to hide the disappointment from my face, because more than anything I did not want him to feel badly about doing what he thought to be right.  I didn't agree with his decision, and I still don't, but I also know that he made it for the right reasons.  And the truth is that he has things on his plate right now so much more important than whether or not one of his prenovices gets to perform in one last stage production before he graduates, and so I really wanted to keep my feelings hidden.  But anyone who knows me knows that I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I have no doubt that my disappointment was visible.

And so it is, my first encounter with the challenges of the vow of obedience.  The truth is that I left there not only disappointed, but even angry.  I was angry at him.  Now, let me be abundantly clear about something - the fact that I was angry does not mean that I believe that my anger was justified.  But in matters of the spirit, sometimes to think about whether or not anger is justified is to miss the point entirely.  The important thing wasn't whether I was right to be angry, but rather the fact that my anger was a reality that needed to be dealt with.  If I didn't deal with the anger then I risked being blinded by it, and unable to learn the deeper lessons that God is hoping to teach me through the experience itself.  And blinded is a truly appropriate term, because that is what anger does - that is what sin itself does, it blinds us to the deeper spiritual truths and realities.

For all of my many, many faults and flaws in this life, one area where I know I am gifted is in the area of self-knowledge.  I spend lots of time in reflection on the state of my soul, and I have definitely developed a keen sense of self knowledge.  And so fortunately I was able to recognize the anger immediately, and recognize that I needed to find a healthy way to deal with it.  So I turned to the two most important spiritual tools that I know:  prayer and sacraments.  First I went over to the chapel on campus where every Monday, Wednesday and Friday they have Eucharistic Adoration, and so I spent some time there in prayer and in silence, allowing myself to experience the healing power of Christ.  Then, on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have on campus confession, and so I took my anger to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession).

One of the things that I mentioned to my confessor, and that he confirmed and expanded upon, is that my fear with my anger was that it would blind me to the real opportunity for humility that is built in to this vow of obedience.  And truly that is exactly the case.  These are moments when I have to learn to trust that God does not only work individually through me, but rather that I am part of something bigger than myself, and that God works not just through individuals, but often even moreso through the community.  In this case, perhaps there is some benefit to me, some hidden benefit, that will come result from this decision.  But perhaps even more than that, perhaps there is some greater area where I will be needed, an area where God might be calling me to be present at the service to the Church, that would otherwise have been blocked had I taken on this role.  And in order to see this and in order to truly be present to God and to the Church in this way, I need to grow in humility, and that is exactly what this act of obedience offers me.  And so now that will be my prayer, simply that God helps me to grow in humility, and that He raises my awareness of where He wishes me to be present so that I do not miss any opportunities to serve the Gospel each day.

Pope Benedict XVI on Beauty as a Path to God

I would like to comment on this at some point in the near future, but I can't promise that time will allow. But following is the English translation of the Holy Father's most recent General Audience, a continuation of his catechesis on Medieval developments in Catholic culture and tradition. Among the greatest points that he stresses here is a theme throughout Benedict XVI's pontificate, a theme that drives his desire to restore and renew Catholic liturgy. It is the idea of beauty as a path to God. But don't listen to me, but rather listen to the true teacher:

 

On Europe's Cathedrals

"Beauty Is a Privileged ... Way to Approach the Mystery of God"

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 18, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address today during the general audience, which was held in Paul VI Hall.

* * * 

Dear brothers and sisters,
 
In the catecheses of recent weeks I have presented some aspects of Medieval theology. However Christian faith, profoundly rooted in the men and women of those centuries, did not only give origin to masterpieces of theological literature, of thought and of faith. It also inspired one of the loftiest artistic creations of universal civilization: the cathedrals, true glory of the Christian Middle Ages. In fact, for almost three centuries, beginning in the 11th century, Europe witnessed an extraordinary artistic fervor. An ancient chronicler describes thus the enthusiasm and industry of that time: "It happened that the whole world, but especially in Italy and in Gaul, churches began to be reconstructed, although many, being in good conditions, had no need of this restoration. It was as though one village and another competed; it was as if the world, shaking off its old rags, wished to be clothed everywhere in the white garment of new churches. In sum, almost all the cathedral churches, a great number of monastic churches, and even village chapels, were then restored by the faithful" (Rodolfo el Glabro, Historiarum 3,4).
 
Several factors contributed to this rebirth of religious architecture. First of all, more favorable historical conditions, such as greater political security, accompanied by a constant increase in the population and the progressive development of cities, of exchanges and of wealth. Moreover, architects found increasingly elaborate technical solutions to increase the dimension of buildings, ensuring at the same time their firmness and majesty. However, it was thanks primarily to the spiritual ardor and zeal of monasticism then in full expansion that abbey churches were erected, where the liturgy could be celebrated with dignity and solemnity, and the faithful could remain in prayer, attracted by the veneration of the relics of the saints, object of countless pilgrimages. Thus the Romanesque churches and cathedrals were born, characterized by their longitudinal development along the naves to house numerous faithful; very solid churches, with thick walls, stone vaults and simple and essential lines. 

A novelty is represented by the introduction of sculptures. As Romanesque churches were the place of monastic prayer and the faithful's worship, the sculptors, rather than being concerned with technical perfection, took care above all of the educational end. It was necessary to arouse in souls strong impressions, feelings that could incite them to flee from vice and evil and practice virtue, goodness -- the recurrent theme was the representation of Christ as Universal Judge, surrounded by the personages of revelation. In general it is Romanesque facades that offer this representation, to underline that Christ is the door that leads to heaven. The faithful, crossing the threshold of the sacred building, entered a time and space that were different from those of ordinary life. Beyond the main door of the church, believers in the sovereign, just and merciful Christ could -- the artists hoped -- anticipate eternal happiness in the celebration of the liturgy and in acts of piety carried out inside the sacred building.
 
In the 12th and 13th centuries, beginning in the north of France, another type of architecture spread in the construction of sacred buildings: the Gothic. This style had two new characteristics as compared to the Romanesque: the vertical thrust and luminosity. Gothic cathedrals showed a synthesis of faith and art expressed harmoniously through the universal and fascinating language of beauty, which still today awakens wonder. Thanks to the introduction of pointed vaults, which were supported by robust pillars, it was possible to notably raise the height [of these churches]. The thrust to the sublime was an invitation to prayer and at the same time was a prayer. The Gothic cathedral thus wished to translate in its architectural lines souls longing for God. Moreover, with the new technical solutions, the perimeter walls could be penetrated and embellished by colorful stained glass windows. In other words, the windows were transformed into great luminous figures, very adapted to instructing the people in the faith. In them -- scene by scene -- were narrated the life of a saint, a parable or other biblical events. From the painted windows a cascade of light was shed on the faithful to narrate to them the history of salvation and to involve them in this history.
 
Another merit of the Gothic cathedrals was the fact that, in their construction and decoration, the Christian and civil community participated in a different but coordinated way; the poor and the powerful, the illiterate and the learned participated, because in this common house all believers were instructed in the faith. Gothic sculpture made of cathedrals a "Bible of stone," representing the episodes of the Gospel and illustrating the contents of the Liturgical Year, from Christmas to the Lord's glorification. Spreading ever more in those centuries, moreover, was the perception of the Lord's humanity, and the sufferings of his Passion were represented in a realistic way: The suffering Christ (Christus patiens) became an image loved by all, and able to inspire piety and repentance for sins. Not lacking were the personages of the Old Testament, whose history became familiar to the faithful in such a way that they frequented the cathedrals as part of the one, common history of salvation. With their faces full of beauty, tenderness, intelligence, Gothic sculpture of the 13th century reveals a happy and serene piety, which is pleased to emanate a heartfelt and filial devotion to the Mother of God, seen at times as a young, smiling and maternal woman, and represented primarily as the sovereign of heaven and earth, powerful and merciful. 

The faithful who filled the Gothic cathedrals wanted to find in them artistic expressions that recalled the saints, models of Christian life and intercessors before God. And there was no lack of "lay" manifestations of existence; hence there appeared here and there representations of work in the fields, in the sciences and in the arts. Everything was oriented and offered to God in the place where the liturgy was celebrated. We can understand better the meaning that was attributed to a Gothic cathedral, considering the text of an inscription on the main door of St. Denis in Paris: "Passer-by, you who want to praise the beauty of these doors, do not be dazzled either by the gold or the magnificence, but by the laborious work. Here shines a famous work, but may the heavens allow that this famous work which shines make spirits shine, so that with luminous truths they will walk toward the true light, where Christ is the true door."
 
Dear brothers and sisters, I now wish to underline two elements of Romanesque and Gothic art, which are also useful for us. 

The first: the works of art born in Europe in past centuries are incomprehensible if one does not take into account the religious soul that inspired them. Marc Chagall, an artist who has always given testimony of the encounter between aesthetics and faith, wrote that "for centuries painters have dyed their brush in that colored alphabet that is the Bible." When faith, celebrated in a particular way in the liturgy, encounters art, a profound synchrony is created, because both can and want to praise God, making the Invisible visible. I would like to share this in the meeting with artists on Nov. 21, renewing that proposal of friendship between Christian spirituality and art, desired by my venerated predecessors, in particular by the Servants of God Paul VI and John Paul II. 

The second element: the force of the Romanesque style and the splendor of the Gothic cathedrals remind us that the via pilchritudinis, the way of beauty, is a privileged and fascinating way to approach the Mystery of God. What is beauty, which writers, poets, musicians, and artists contemplate and translate into their language, if not the reflection of the splendor of the Eternal Word made flesh? St. Augustine states: "Ask the beauty of the earth, ask the beauty of the sea, ask the beauty of the ample and diffused air. Ask the beauty of heaven, ask the order of the stars, ask the sun, which with its splendor brightens the day; ask the moon, which with its clarity moderates the darkness of night. Ask the beasts that move in the water, that walk on the earth, that fly in the air: souls that hide, bodies that show themselves; the visible that lets itself be guided, the invisible that guides. Ask them! All will answer you: Look at us, we are beautiful! Their beauty makes them known. This mutable beauty, who has created it if not Immutable Beauty?" (Sermo CCXLI, 2: PL 38, 1134).
 
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord help us to rediscover the way of beauty as one of the ways, perhaps the most attractive and fascinating, to be able to find and love God.

[Translation by ZENIT]

The Mendicant Movement - Book Recommendation

Can anyone recommend any good books on the beginnings and history of the mendicant movement? Thanks!

You Search Me and You Know Me

The latest podcast is up, and can be found here. It is a reflection on Psalm 139, and the God who knows us better than we know ourselves. And again, you can subscribe to the feed here, or searching "Augustinian Spirituality" in iTunes and subscribing there.

The Podcast is on iTunes

My podcast on Augustinian Spirituality is finally up and running and searchable on iTunes. The link on iTunes can be found here. Some of the search terms that work from iTunes to guide you to my podcast are Augustine, Augustinian, discernment, prayer, vocation, Augustinian spirituality, Michael Hallman. May the prayers of Our Mother of Good Counsel, St. Augustine, St. Monica, St. Rita, and all the saints obtain blessing and grace that this ministry may be fruitful in building up the Kingdom of God.

Media Perceptions of Pope Benedict XVI

Forbes Magazine has just released its list of the 100 Most Powerful People in the world (see article at MSNBC.com), and Pope Benedict XVI ranked #11. That in and of itself is not newsworthy. He's the leader of the largest religious group in the world, so obviously he is going to be on the list. What I found interesting, and sadly consistent with the tone deaf media and their inability to comment accurately on religious matters, was their description of the Holy Father as "a staunch traditionalist, unbending on reproductive matters." Why is it that people whose jobs it is to report on the news are so incapable of understanding religion? By referring to the Pope as "unbending on reproductive matters," Forbes makes it seem as if the Pope gets to decide these sorts of things. The Pope is not a rule maker. He is a shepherd and stewards of the truth as taught by the apostolic Church for the past 2,000 years, truth that has been revealed by the Holy Spirit through Scripture and Tradition. Now certainly a secular journalist doesn't have to actually believe that the Spirit in fact guides the Church, but that's not the point. The point is, a journalist should at least understand how the Church works, and part of that is that the Church believes this to be true, that these truths are revealed by God. As such, it has nothing to do with whether or not a Pope is bending or unbending. A pope has no choice in the matter. Dogma is dogma, and cannot be changed. When will a journalist finally realize that in 2,000 years a dogmatic teaching has never, not even once, been changed? It's either media prejudice or sloppy journalism, or both.

Execution of John Allen Muhammed

The Mastermind behind the D.C. sniper attacks of several years ago has just been executed. John Allen Muhammed was a vicious murderer. Let's not diminish that fact. However, we as Christians have a responsibility to pray for the forgiveness of sinners. I know nothing at all about what the state of his heart was at the time of his death. I do know that a murderer died tonight, and is in need of our prayers. I ask all to join me this evening in praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the soul of John Allen Muhammed.

Bishop Tobin's Stand Against Patrick Kennedy

One of the most encouraging facets of the recent health care debate has been the strength and unity with which the Catholic Bishops have spoken, demanding protection for the unborn in any health care reform. This strength of voice has angered some politicians who choose to identify as Catholic, perhaps most notably Patrick Kennedy, the Congressman from Rhode Island. Kennedy, the son of the staunch abortion rights advocate Edward Kennedy (who in a better, more lucid time in his life was one of the strongest advocates of the right to life for the unborn), referred to the Catholic bishops defense of human life and refusal to accept a health care bill that provided federal funding for abortion a "red herring" that "fans the flames of discord." He went on, "If the church is pro-life, then they ought to be for health-care reform, because it's going to provide health care that are going to keep people alive."

I'm not entirely sure what possessed Rep. Kennedy to make such an absurd statement (and who knows, maybe "possessed" is indeed accurate), but absurd it was. The Church is a strong advocate of health care reform, and has been fighting for it for far longer than it has been a political issue with the sort of weight it carries today. But the Church also demands that health care reform adhere to certain principles, among them that abortion is not health care and has no business being covered by tax-payer funded insurance plans. The fact that Planned Parenthood has so vociferously and angrily denounced the pro-life victory in the Stupack-Pitts amendment is as clear an indication as we could have that the bill without the amendment indeed would cover such abortions, just as the USCCB has been claiming all along. This victory terrifies the slaves of the abortion industry, and they know the tide is turning against them, even if only slowly.

Rep. Kennedy publicly called out the bishops, and thus received a public response, both by his own bishop, Bishop Tobin, and even by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. Since then the exchange between Tobin and Kennedy has been quite public and well documented, finally leading up to a recent open letter by Bishop Tobin. The following is a perfect example of a bishop taking both his pastoral and his didactic responsibility most seriously, and is an excellent witness to the Gospel of Life that is intrinsic to our Catholic faith. And so I present the full text of Bishop Tobin's letter. May it be an inspiration to all Catholics concerned with the authentic living of our Catholic faith:

 

Dear Congressman Kennedy:

"The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic." (Congressman Patrick Kennedy)

Since our recent correspondence has been rather public, I hope you don't mind if I share a few reflections about your practice of the faith in this public forum. I usually wouldn't do that – that is speak about someone's faith in a public setting – but in our well-documented exchange of letters about health care and abortion, it has emerged as an issue. I also share these words publicly with the thought that they might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.

For the moment I'd like to set aside the discussion of health care reform, as important and relevant as it is, and focus on one statement contained in your letter of October 29, 2009, in which you write, "The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic." That sentence certainly caught my attention and deserves a public response, lest it go unchallenged and lead others to believe it's true. And it raises an important question: What does it mean to be a Catholic?

"The fact that I disagree with the hierarchy on some issues does not make me any less of a Catholic." Well, in fact, Congressman, in a way it does. Although I wouldn't choose those particular words, when someone rejects the teachings of the Church, especially on a grave matter, a life-and-death issue like abortion, it certainly does diminish their ecclesial communion, their unity with the Church. This principle is based on the Sacred Scripture and Tradition of the Church and is made more explicit in recent documents.

For example, the "Code of Canon Law" says, "Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine." (Canon 229, #1)

The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" says this: "Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles, 'He who hears you, hears me,' the faithful receive with docility the teaching and directives that their pastors give them in different forms." (#87)

Or consider this statement of the Church: "It would be a mistake to confuse the proper autonomy exercised by Catholics in political life with the claim of a principle that prescinds from the moral and social teaching of the Church." (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2002)

There's lots of canonical and theological verbiage there, Congressman, but what it means is that if you don't accept the teachings of the Church your communion with the Church is flawed, or in your own words, makes you "less of a Catholic."

But let's get down to a more practical question; let's approach it this way: What does it mean, really, to be a Catholic? After all, being a Catholic has to mean something, right?

Well, in simple terms – and here I refer only to those more visible, structural elements of Church membership – being a Catholic means that you're part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.

Congressman, I'm not sure whether or not you fulfill the basic requirements of being a Catholic, so let me ask: Do you accept the teachings of the Church on essential matters of faith and morals, including our stance on abortion? Do you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish? Do you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly? Do you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially?

In your letter you say that you "embrace your faith." Terrific. But if you don't fulfill the basic requirements of membership, what is it exactly that makes you a Catholic? Your baptism as an infant? Your family ties? Your cultural heritage?

Your letter also says that your faith "acknowledges the existence of an imperfect humanity." Absolutely true. But in confronting your rejection of the Church's teaching, we're not dealing just with "an imperfect humanity" – as we do when we wrestle with sins such as anger, pride, greed, impurity or dishonesty. We all struggle with those things, and often fail.

Your rejection of the Church's teaching on abortion falls into a different category – it's a deliberate and obstinate act of the will; a conscious decision that you've re-affirmed on many occasions. Sorry, you can't chalk it up to an "imperfect humanity." Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the Church.

Congressman Kennedy, I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That's ultimately between you and God. But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record, and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance. It's not too late for you to repair your relationship with the Church, redeem your public image, and emerge as an authentic "profile in courage," especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children. And if I can ever be of assistance as you travel the road of faith, I would be honored and happy to do so.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas J. Tobin

Bishop of Providence

50th Anniversay of Ordination of Fr. Benedict Groeschel

In this Year for Priests, what a beautiful anniversary of a man who has touched so many lives. Thanks to The American Papist for the heads up on this video. Enjoy this special tribute to Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR:

Euphemisms and the Manipulation of Truth

One of the destructive developments of American politics, one that I believe is strongly tied to our strict two party system, is the way in which every political issue is seen in terms of stark polarities. On any political position, one must either be for or against. This has led to a dramatic suffocation of political creativity and a handicapping of political discourse as a means of discovering what is true.

Slogans and euphemisms have always been a part of our political culture. Every child in the United States has grown up hearing about "No Taxation Without Representation." But it seems that the reliance on euphemisms as political/philosophical indicators has become a means not of indicating one's position, but rather of manipulating the truth. It accomplishes this by engaging fully in the polarity of political discourse, such that a euphemism is established for the purposes of defining not only oneself positively, but also setting up one's opponent on an issue as in a negative light vis-à-vis that euphemism.

This has been going on for some time, now, of course. One of the most effective - if not the singularly most effective - employers of euphemism manipulation has been the advocates of the right to abortion. From the very beginning they established themselves as "pro-choice," and in so doing have been able to label their opponents not for what they really are, which is defenders of the right to life of the unborn, but rather as the opposite of pro-choice, or "anti-choice." And to label someone as anti-choice is to label them as opposed to freedom, and thus thoroughly un-American.

Of course, those who do not recognize the existence of a right to intentionally kill an unborn child via abortion are not anti-choice or anti-freedom at all. In fact, we are indeed true defenders of freedom. Abortion is unjust violence against human life at its earliest stages, and it is itself the rejection of a most fundamental freedom - the freedom to live in peace. Those who defend the lives of the unborn are in fact defending their freedom. The denial of the existence of the right to abortion is no less a denial of freedom or of choice than taking away the right to kill a person walking down the street is the denial of one's freedom to shoot whomever one pleases.

Ultimately what it comes down to is understanding the true nature of freedom. Freedom is not found in the perceived right to do anything one pleases, or to follow any whim or any desire that might arise in the human heart. We know, if not by faith then simply by human experience, that our own hearts - meaning, our own desires, are subject to corruption, and as human beings we are certainly capable of harboring evil desires as we are good ones. Freedom does not require that license be given to follow any desire that springs in the human heart. People frequently have a desire to steal, but we are not limiting their freedom by not allowing them to steal. Some desires are much darker - we certainly understand that there are depraved human beings who possess the desire to rape. But far from denying their freedom by not allowing them to act on this desire, we are instead protecting the freedom of any potential victim by refusing to allow them to be raped. And so it is with abortion. It is true, certainly for psychologically complicated reasons (and that is an important factor as we discern how to compassionately engage someone considering abortion or who has already had one), that some people find within themselves the desire to kill, and in some cases to kill their own unborn child. But far from denying their freedom by not allowing this desire to be legally acted upon, we are instead protecting the unborn from unjust violence against them.

But again, euphemisms are powerfully effective at manipulating truth. But despite the implication of the "pro-choice" euphemism, it is those who advocate for a "right" to abortion that are the true deniers of freedom, and those who advocate on behalf of the rights of the unborn who are freedom's true defenders. The irony is that the latest euphemism is to refer to abortion "rights" as part of a "progressive" agenda, when in fact abortion is perhaps the greatest obstacle to human progress in existence today.

In this day and age, where people's attention spans struggle to exceed fifteen seconds, and where slogans and euphemisms pass off as legitimate arguments, developing an effective argument in favor of the freedom and rights of the unborn, and their protection against unjust violence, is exceedingly difficult. But in order for our real work to be accomplished and for our mission of freedom and dignity to succeed, we must find ways of tearing down the veil of ignorance that has been so effectively constructed by the enemies of dignity and life. We must find ways of bringing the subject of Truth itself back into the public discourse, for the manipulation built into "pro-choice progressive" cannot survive the piercing light of Truth. We know that Americans are beginning to see this light, as more and more find themselves identifying as pro-life. But there is great work to be done, and we must continue our quest to change the minds and hearts of those who do not recognize the fundamental freedom that comes from protecting innocent life. We must find ways of effectively identifying abortion for what it is: unjust violence against innocent human life that denies the most fundamental of freedom and the most basic of human rights.

Apostolic Constitution on Anglicans Desiring Full Communion with the Catholic Church

If anyone is interested, the full text of the Holy Father's Apostolic Constitution establishing personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church has been published. I love the opening two paragraphs, which I believe give a keen insight into the Holy Father's mindset here, and how this Pope of Christian Unity is acting in such a way as to most generously make possible for those who desire to be part of the Catholic faith to do just that. It begins:

In recent times the Holy Spirit has moved groups of Anglicans to petition repeatedly and insistently to be received into full Catholic communion individually as well as corporately. The Apostolic See has responded favorably to such petitions. Indeed, the successor of Peter, mandated by the Lord Jesus to guarantee the unity of the episcopate and to preside over and safeguard the universal communion of all the Churches,[1] could not fail to make available the means necessary to bring this holy desire to realization.

The Church, a people gathered into the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,[2]was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, as "a sacrament – a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all people."[3] Every division among the baptized in Jesus Christ wounds that which the Church is and that for which the Church exists; in fact, "such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages that most holy cause, the preaching the Gospel to every creature."[4] Precisely for this reason, before shedding his blood for the salvation of the world, the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father for the unity of his disciples.[5]

The full text is available at the Vatican's web site. The Traditional Anglican Communion has already indicated that they will accept Pope Benedict's offer. That was to be expected, since they petitioned Rome for such a measure. What will be interesting to me to see is how this plays out in longer term works towards unity. The great effect of this constitution may not be realized for quite some time. I know that many are looking at this as a reaching out towards conservative Anglicans opposed to gay marriage and female ordination, but I don't see it that way. Clearly that will be the initial effect, but by establishing the canonical structure as he has, I believe what this ultimately serves is a means by which any Anglican community desiring to profess the Catholic faith in communion with the See of Peter may do so. We have already heard from a mainstream senior Anglican Bishop in England who has said he is going to take this offer very seriously (Rt. Rev. John Hind, bishop of Chichester). So we will see how this plays out down the road. It is important to remember that the Church tends to look at time very differently than the world does. The impact of something like this is measured in decades and even centuries, not in any immediate reaction. And there is also to consider the implication and effect this could have on future talks with the Orthodox Churches, some of whom are ready for a speedy reunion with Rome, others of whom are nowhere near ready for such a reunion. But it seems clear that this now-released Apostolic Constitution could indeed have a profound impact on any such discussions in the future. Again, this Pope is the Pope of Christian Unity, and we are now seeing the real fruits of his efforts and his desires for such.

Vocation and Prayer Podcast

I've just uploaded my second podcast, on vocation and prayer. In it I discuss the discovery of vocation through interior desires, and how prayer reveals and nourishes a vocation. I reflect on some passages from Scripture, as well as some writings from Thomas Merton and St. Augustine. Listen to it here.

Podcasting

I wrote a little while back about possibly offering a weekly-ish podcast. Well, I’ve finally gotten started, and have the first one recorded. I’m still working on getting it submitted properly to iTunes so that it is searchable, but you can manually subscribe to it, either on iTunes or any other RSS feed. The RSS feed link is: http://augustinianheart.podbean.com/feed.

The first podcast is pretty bad, for a few reasons. One, I am not used to the digital recorder that I’m using, and it’s really sensitive. And so I had it held a bit too close to my mouth, and so you can hear me breathing just a little too much. So that’s one thing. But more importantly, it doesn’t sound like me. I don’t mean my voice – that’s what I sound like. I mean, it doesn’t sound natural. What happened is I basically wrote out everything I wanted to say, and then just read it aloud into a microphone. And so it ended up just being like a recorded blog post. Which is fine, and I suppose has some merit, but I think I can work on making it more natural, more me, in a way that hopefully will make it more effective and something that might help people and that people would want to listen to.

I’ve also added an audio player in the left side of the blog site here where you can listen to the podcasts right here, and I believe you can download them from the blog, too. Anyway, it’s still a work in progress. I may do a second one this weekend, perhaps even today. Mostly I imagine I’ll try to make it a once a week offering. We’ll see how it goes…

Sacred Language In Liturgical Celebrations

Currently the bishops of the United States are working to approve a new translation for the Catholic liturgy, a translation that is truer to the Latin text. The new translation is mandated by the Vatican due to the poor quality of the current translation, but the translation itself is up to the American church, though final approval resides with the Vatican. The translation is complete and now is prepared to be voted on in less than a month. Apparently the former chair of the USCCB Liturgy Committee is not happy with the translation because he fears that Catholics don't know words like "ineffable, incarnate, oblation, inviolate" and some others.

This really comes down to the heart of Liturgical philosophy. Is the Liturgy supposed to come down to us and be made profane (in the truest sense of the word), or should the Liturgy shape us and instill in us a true sense of the sacred? Sacred is a word that too often seems to be lost among Catholics today, a loss which permeates so many aspects of our Catholic culture - from the loss of sacred beauty in the architectural design of our churches and the artwork that dons the church, to a loss of the sense of the sacred in the music chosen for liturgical celebrations, to the many just downright banal "innovations" inserted into the liturgy by priests and liturgical directors who think they are making the Mass more contemporary and more accessible, but in fact are simply making it boring, often turning it into an awful parody of a mundane Protestant service.

The Holy Father has been working hard at restoring this sense of sacred beauty to our Catholic culture (see this excellent article from Sandro Magister at Chiesa), which, along with his tremendous work towards Christian unity will likely be one of his greatest legacies as Pope. His Marshall Plan will require time, but as he continues to put people in position to help him carry out this plan we will continue to see a greater move towards this vision of his, and hopefully a restoration and reinvigoration of the Catholic liturgy, and Catholic culture in general.

Regarding the changes to the American translation and the opposition from Bishop Trautman, I found the following article on Catholic Exchange, which I believe puts things into great perspective. One of the great fallacies of many modern arguments regarding Catholic liturgy rests in the constant appeal to the "Spirit of Vatican II," which as we will see here actually has no grounding whatsoever in Vatican II itself. Most arguments appealing to the Spirit of Vatican II tend to directly contradict what was called for by the Council. This article highlights a perfect case in point:

 

With the Fall Meeting of the USCCB less a month away, it was widely reported last week that Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, PA had taken his campaign against the proposed changes to the Roman Missal public.

Speaking at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., the former chair of the USCCB Liturgy Committee harshly criticized what he called "slavishly literal" English translations of the Latin text found in the typical edition (the authoritative version upon which all translations are based.)

The "sacred language" proposed by translators "tends to be elitist and remote from everyday speech and frequently not understandable," Bishop Trautman said ultimately concluding that moving forward could invite a "pastoral disaster."

Of particular concern is what Bishop Trautman called "vocabulary that is not readily understandable by the average Catholic," and he pointed specifically to the following words as examples: "ineffable, consubstantial, incarnate, inviolate, oblation, ignominy, precursor, suffused and unvanquished."

Getting to the heart of the matter, Bishop Trautman rightly suggested that the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,Sacrosanctum Concilium , is the compass that can point us in the right direction.

"The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy stipulated vernacular language, not sacred language," Bishop Trautman said.

Before taking a closer look at what the Council Fathers actually suggested, I would second Bishop Trautman's concern for clearly defining the words that we use.

Continue reading here

Will the Yankees Be Left Behind

A conversation just held at the monastery:

Fr. Jack: So Thursday is the absolute latest the World Series can end?

Me: Unless there's rain.

Fr. Joe: Or an earthquake.

Me: Or the rapture. In which case only the Yankees will be around to play.

Down Syndrome and Eugenics

Archbishop Chaput from Denver has written an excellent article in First Things titled Conscience, Courage and Children with Down Syndrome regarding the high rate of abortions among those diagnosed prenatally with Down Syndrome, and what this reflects on us as a society. It begins:

 

What kind of people are we becoming, and what we can do about it?

A number of my friends have children with disabilities. Their problems range from cerebral palsy to Turner's syndrome to Trisomy 18. But I want to focus on one fairly common genetic disability to make my point. I'm referring to Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome.

Down syndrome is not a disease. It's a genetic disorder with a variety of symptoms. People with Down syndrome have mild to moderate developmental delays. They have low to middling cognitive function. They also tend to have a uniquely Down syndrome "look"—a flat facial profile, almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, a short neck, thick stature, and a small mouth that often causes the tongue to protrude and interferes with clear speech. People with Down syndrome also tend to have low muscle tone. This can affect their posture, breathing, and speech.

Currently, about 5,000 children with Down syndrome are born in the United States each year. They join a national Down syndrome population of roughly 400,000 persons. But that population may soon dwindle. And the reason why it may decline illustrates, in a vivid way, a struggle within the American soul. That struggle will shape the character of our society in the decades to come.

Prenatal testing can now detect up to 95 percent of pregnancies with a strong risk of Down syndrome. The tests aren't conclusive, but they're pretty good. And the results of those tests are brutally practical. Studies show that more than 80 percent of unborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are now terminated in the womb. They're killed because of a flaw in one of their chromosomes—a flaw that's neither fatal nor contagious, merely undesirable.

The older a woman gets, the higher her risk of bearing a child with Down syndrome. In medical offices around the country, pregnant women now hear from doctors or genetic counselors that their baby has "an increased likelihood" of Down syndrome based on one or more prenatal tests. Some doctors deliver this information with sensitivity and great support for the woman. But too many others seem more concerned about avoiding lawsuits, or managing costs, or even, in a few ugly cases, cleaning up the gene pool.

We're witnessing a kind of schizophrenia in our culture's conscience. In Britain, the Guardian newspaper recently ran an article lamenting the faultiness of some of the prenatal tests that screen for Down syndrome. Women who receive positive results, the article noted, often demand an additional test, amniocentesis, which has a greater risk of miscarriage. Doctors quoted in the story complained about the high number of false positives for Down syndrome. "The result of [these false positives] is that babies are dying completely unnecessarily," one medical school professor said. "It's scandalous and disgraceful . . . and causing the death of normal babies." These words sound almost humane until we realize that, at least for that professor, killing "abnormal" babies such as those with Down syndrome is perfectly acceptable.

Continue reading here.

Fascinating Pro-Life Conversion

The following story comes from KBTX in Bryan, TX:

Planned Parenthood has been a part of Abby Johnson's life for the past eight years; that is until last month, when Abby resigned. Johnson said she realized she wanted to leave, after watching an ultrasound of an abortion procedure.

"I just thought I can't do this anymore, and it was just like a flash that hit me and I thought that's it," said Jonhson.

She handed in her resignation October 6. Johnson worked as the Bryan Planned Parenthood Director for two years.

According to Johnson, the non-profit was struggling under the weight of a tough economy, and changing it's business model from one that pushed prevention, to one that focused on abortion.

"It seemed like maybe that's not what a lot of people were believing any more because that's not where the money was. The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that," said Johnson.

Johnson said she was told to bring in more women who wanted abortions, something the Episcopalian church goer recently became convicted about.

"I feel so pure in heart (since leaving). I don't have this guilt, I don't have this burden on me anymore that's how I know this conversion was a spiritual conversion."

Johnson now supports the Coalition For Life, the pro-life group with a building down the street from Planned Parenthood. Coalition volunteers can regularly be seen praying on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood. Johnson has been meeting with the coalition's executive director, Shawn Carney, and has prayed with volunteers outside Planned Parenthood.

On Friday both Johnson and the Coalition For Life were issued temporary restraining orders filed by Planned Parenthood.

Rochelle Tafolla, a Planned Parenthood spokesperson issued the following statement: "We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff, however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary."

The temporary restraining order contends that Planned Parenthood would be irreparably harmed by the disclosure of certain information, but does not bar Johnson or Coalition For Life volunteers from the premises.

As of Sunday evening, neither Johnson nor Carney had seen the complaint filed against them that prompted the restraining order.

A hearing about the order has been set for November 10.

(Click here for video)

Let us continue to pray for this courageous woman, for her continued growth in the understanding of the value of human life, and that her example and the prayers of all the saints may lead to many more conversions like hers.