CSVF Blog

Today’s was a packed edition of “Word to Life.”  We had a lot of material to cover — Halloween, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and next week’s Election Day.  Joining me to help put it all together were Kathryn Lopez, editor of National Review Online, and Fr. Chad Partain, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Mansura, LA.

A graduate of nearby Dominican Academy and Catholic University in Washington, Kathryn shared with us her thoughts about the upcoming election, as well as her more general insights into how faith and politics can come together in American life.  A model she looks to, somewhat naturally considering her job, is William F. Buckley, the recently deceased founder of National Review.  Buckley, a Catholic, wrote regularly on faith in the public square, including his famous God and Man at Yale and Nearer, My God.  During our conversation, Kathryn was at her best when describing how she grew up Catholic and conservative in Manhattan.

Meanwhile, over at National Review Online, Kathryn had this to say about All Saints Day.

Later in the show, Fr. Partain gave us an update on the shrine he is building to St. Philomena, which he said may be the largest dedicated to her in the United States.  He also explained a few of the traditions one can find connected to All Saints and All Souls celebrations in Louisiana, including grave blessings and Masses held in the area’s cemeteries.  

Click below for the full audio of today’s show.

 

 Word to Life - October 31, 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (16)

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On this All Hallows’ Eve, I link to two items that might interest you.

First, Fr. Augustine Thompson, OP, gives us a brief history of Halloween in a piece he penned a few years ago entitled “Surprise: Halloween’s Not a Pagan Festival After All.”  You can find the article posted here.  An excerpt:

It’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on October 31–as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Feast of All Saints, or “All Hallows,” falls on November 1. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to November 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland.

The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, “All Hallows Even,” or “Hallowe’en.” In those days Halloween didn’t have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans.

In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in southern France, added a celebration on November 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.

So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory. What about those in the other place? It seems Irish Catholic peasants wondered about the unfortunate souls in hell. After all, if the souls in hell are left out when we celebrate those in heaven and purgatory, they might be unhappy enough to cause trouble. So it became customary to bang pots and pans on All Hallows Even to let the damned know they were not forgotten. Thus, in Ireland at least, all the dead came to be remembered–even if the clergy were not terribly sympathetic to Halloween and never allowed All Damned Day into the church calendar.

But that still isn’t our celebration of Halloween. Our traditions on this holiday center on dressing up in fanciful costumes, which isn’t Irish at all. Rather, this custom arose in France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Late medieval Europe was hit by repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague–the Black Death–and it lost about half its population. It is not surprising that Catholics became more concerned about the afterlife.

Second, Joseph Pearce, author of the celebrated Literary Converts, has edited a new edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Click here for a radio interview Pearce recently gave in which he challenges the contemporary interpretation of the novel.  He sees in Shelley’s famous tale a principled rejection of atheistic dogmatism and the unfettered science it tends to advocate.  Behind this rejection, Pearce argues, lies Shelley’s defense of tradition and the family.

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Today the Dominican Order honors three of its “blessed” members: Blessed Benvenuta Bojani, Blessed Peter Higgins, and Blessed Terence O’Brien.

Blessed Benvenuta Bojani (1255-1292)

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Benvenuta was born on May 4, 1255, at Cividale del Friuli.  She became a member of the Sisters of Penance and devoted herself to a life of penance for the conversion of sinners.  Through the intercession of Saint Dominic she was healed of a serious illness and devoted the remainder of her life to prayer and even greater penance.  She died on October 30, 1292.

Lord,
you gave Blessed Benvenuta
the gifts of penance, prayer, and humility.
Through self-denial and contemplation on heavenly things
may we too live in the Spirit
and find rest and glory in you, the one God.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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On the weekend of October 17-19, the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer hosted George Gordon and Carolyn Rossi Copeland’s production of “The Jeweler’s Shop,” a play about love and marriage written by Pope John Paul II.  Funded in part by a generous grant from Kaufmann de Suisse Jewelers, the off-Broadway production was a big hit.

Enjoy the following shots taken at the Sunday afternoon performance.

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Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, Simon the Zealot and Jude Thaddeus.  They are usually listed as a pair, as for example in the Roman Canon. Their relics lie together in St. Peter’s in Rome.

History provides little reason for their close association in the tradition, although in the Middle Ages the two apostles were believed to be brothers, nephews of St. Joseph and therefore first cousins of the Lord.  This legend and the reason St. Jude is usually depicted with an image of Christ are recounted in the Golden Legend, a medieval collection of saints’ lives authored by the Dominican Jacob of Voragine.

Simon Cananean and Judas Thaddeus were brethren of James the Less and sons of Mary Cleophas, which was married to Alpheus.  And Jude was sent of Thomas to the king Abgarus of Edessa after the ascension of our Lord.  And it is read in the History Scholastic that the said Abgarus sent an epistle unto our Lord Jesus Christ in this manner.

Abgarus, the son of Euchania, to Jesus, blessed Saviour, which appeareth in the places of Jerusalem, sendeth salutation.  I have heard of thee, and that the healths and recoverings that thou makest and dost, be without medicines and herbs, and that thou makest the blind to see by thine only word, and the lame to go, the mesels to be cured and made whole, and the dead bodies to live again.  Which things heard of thee, I ween in my courage that thou art one of two, that is that thou art God that art descended from heaven for to do this, or that thou art the son of God that dost such things.  Wherefore I pray thee by writing that thou wilt travail so much as to come to me and heal me of my malady, of which I have long been vexed.  And I have heard say that the Jews murmur against thee and lie in await against thee.  Come therefore to me, for I have a little city, but it is honest, and shall shall well suffice to us both.

Our Lord Jesus answered him by writing in these words:

Blessed art thou that hast believed in me when thou hast not seen me.  It is written of me, that they that see me not shall believe in me, and they that see me shall not believe.  Of that thou hast written to me that I shall come to thee, me behoveth to accomplish that which I am sent for, and after to be received of him from whom I am sent.  When I am ascended, I shall send to thee one of my disciples to heal thee and quicken thee.

This is written in Historia Ecclesiastica.  And when Abgarus saw that he might not see God presently, after that it is said in an ancient history, as John Damascene witnesseth in his fourth book, he sent a painter unto Jesus Christ for to figure the image of our Lord, to the end that at least that he might see him by his image, whom he might not see in his visage.  And when the painter came, because of the great splendour and light that shone in the visage of our Lord Jesus Christ, he could not behold it, ne could not counterfeit it by no figure.  And when our Lord saw this thing he took from the painter a linen cloth and set it upon his visage, and emprinted the very phisiognomy of his visage therein, and sent it unto the king Abgarus which so much desired it.

[. . .]

Also it is read in the History Ecclesiastic that when our Lord was ascended into heaven, Thomas the apostle sent Thaddeus, that was Jude, unto the king Abgarus according to the promise of our Lord.  And when he was come to him, and had told to him that he was messenger of our Lord Jesus Christ, which had promised to send him one, then Abgarus saw in the visage of Thaddeus a marvellous and godly brightness.  And when he had seen it he was all abashed and afeared, and worshipped our Lord saying: “Verily, thou art the disciple of Jesus Christ, Son of God, which sent to me word that he would send to me some one of his disciples that should heal me and give to me life.” To whom Thaddeus said: “If thou believest in the Son of God thou shalt have all the desires of thine heart.”  And Abgarus said: “I believe on him, verily . . .”  And as it is read in some places and books, that Abgarus was leper, and Thaddeus took the epistle of our Saviour, and rubbed and frotted therewith the visage of Abgarus, and anon he received full health.

For the old Catholic Encyclopedia articles on Saints Simon and Jude, click here and here.

Father,
you revealed yourself to us
through the preaching of your apostles Simon and Jude.
By their prayers,
give your Church continued growth
and increase the number of those who believe in you.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The 43rd Annual Opera Gala is a fundraising event for Padre Pio’s Charitable Works in NYC.  The event will  take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, November 22, at St. Ignatius Loyola School/McKinnon Hall, 48 East 84th Street.   Semi-formal attire is required.  The event is for adults only.

The evening will consist of performances from the world of Broadway and opera. There will also be live music, dancing, raffle prizes, and hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets are on sale now at $30 per person. Please make checks payable to the “Office of the Devotees of Padre Pio” and mail them to Mario Bruschi at 245 East 63rd Street, #1205, NY, NY 10065.

For more information please email us at info(at)cspya(dot)org.

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Blessed Peter was born at Palermo in 1399 and attended the University of Bologna to pursue the study of law.  However, he gave up a promising legal career and entered the Order, making his profession in 1423 at Fiesole in the priory of San Domenico where Saint Antoninus was prior.  He himself served as prior in several houses and was a zealous promoter of regular observance, the life of study and the ministry of preaching.  Pope Eugene IV summoned him to serve at the Council of Constance in 1439.  He returned to Sicily where he continued to foster the reform of the Order and died there on March 3, 1452.  (Dominican Ordo)

Below is Sr. Mary Jean Dorcy’s entry (St. Dominic’s Family) on today’s Dominican blessed—a lawyer, diplomat, preacher, and patron of Palermo:

Peter Geremia was born in Palermo, in Sicily.  Unusually gifted, he was sent early to the University of Bologna, where he passed his studies brilliantly and attracted the attention and praise of all.  On the brink of a successful career as a lawyer, he was brought up short by and event which changed his life.

Having retired one night, he was pleasantly dreaming of the honors that would soon come to him in his work, when he heard a knock at the window.  As his room was on the third floor, and there was nothing for a human being to stand on outside his window, he sat up, in understandable fright, and asked who was there.  A hollow voice responded that he was a relative who had just died, a successful lawyer who had wanted human praise so badly that he had lied to win it, and now was eternally lost because of his pride.  Peter was terrified, and acted at once upon the suggestion to turn, while there was still time, from the vanity of public acclaim.  he went the next day to a locksmith and bought an iron chain, which he riveted tightly around him.  He began praying seriously to know his vocation.

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A message from the Sisters of Life:

Join with the Sisters of Life - be part of a new generation building a culture of life.

Sat, Nov 1st - All Saints Day
8am Mass at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC

Fr. Luke Sweeney will be the main celebrant. Come to all or part of the morning.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass begins our day in Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (the Sisters of Life will provide a Schola), Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament follows, and people can either remain in the Church to adore our Lord or attend the rosary procession to the local abortion clinic.

Upon return from the clinic (approx 10:15am) we will have a social (complete with coffee and bagels) with a short (10 mins) presentation by the Sisters of Life. You will hear of concrete ways to be of service, as Co-Workers, helping vulnerable pregnant women that are currently being served by the Sisters.

Promote this to your friends and keep the spiritual success of this effort for Life in your daily prayers.

God Bless You.
Sr. Lucy Marie

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From our friends at the Crossroads Cultural Center:

Crossroads is proud to announce a new collaboration with the highly acclaimed Metro Chamber Orchestra. Led by their Artistic Director, Philip Nuzzo, and comprised of thirty extremely gifted players, the orchestra has, for the past 6 seasons, created a buzz based on their high standard of performance and unique programming. Above is information about their November 15th concert.

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This afternoon I had the pleasure of discussing Sunday’s readings with Sr. Marie Pappas, a Resurrection Sister and one of the assistant superintendents of schools for the Archdiocese of New York.  Sr. Marie has her own show on The Catholic Channel, “Pathways of Learning,” which airs Tuesdays at 1:00 PM.  Listen below to hear Sr. Marie share her insights into this weekend’s readings, as well as tell the story of her congregation’s foundation.  As she explains, the Sisters of the Resurrection remains the only congregation in the Church co-founded by a mother and daughter.

I also spoke with Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, OP, from the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas in Zanesville, OH.  Fr. Pius shared with us the main points of his Sunday homily, which include this gem: loving neighbor and making ourselves lovable for neighbor are two sides of the same coin.  In both cases, love is given on our neighbor’s terms, not ours.

Listen and enjoy!

 

 Word to Life - October 24, 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (26)

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On October 15, the parish’s Hospitality Committee hosted a fall foliage excursion to Essex.  As these photos reveal, Connecticut’s beautiful scenery drew out equally beautiful New York smiles.

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“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace . . .”

St. Francis of Assisi is often remembered for his “Peace Prayer.”  The desires he expressed therein, which he also modeled by his way of life, have become the guiding principles of peace movements around the world.  Even St. Francis’ hometown has become associated with the struggle for peace.  Within the past few decades, for example, two major interreligious conferences have gathered there, each led by a pope, protesting the use of religious faith as a pretext for war. Compared to his hometown, however, the poverello himself remains the principal symbol nonviolence and fraternity.  Peace and prayer gardens abound worldwide that contain some image of St. Francis.  (His statue is often put in birdbaths, too, though arguably for different reasons.)

Considering St. Francis’ reputation as a man of peace, one might find it surprising that several of his sons stand out in history because of their military prowess.  It’s true.  A few Franciscans are remembered in Europe as military heroes.

One of these fighting Franciscans is Blessed Marco d’Aviano (1631-1699), who was beatified just a few years ago by Pope John Paul II.  Bl. Marco, a Capuchin friar and the reputed inventor of cappuccino, served as the spiritual advisor to the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I. As papal legate to the imperial court, he helped unify the ‘Holy League’ armies of Austria, Poland, Venice, and the Papal States, which under the direction of King Jan Sobieski of Poland defeated the Ottoman Turks at the famous Battle of Vienna. Continuing in his role as a military advisor, Bl. Marco was instrumental in the later liberations of Buda and Belgrade.

Another of these military sons of St. Francis is St. John of Capistrano, whose feast we celebrate today.

In his early life, John became a lawyer and politician.  His secular career, however, was short lived.  Suffering imprisonment while brokering peace between two warring parties led John to consider the religious life.  Having never consummated his marriage, John obtained a release from his vows and subsequently entered the Franciscan Order.  

John studied theology under St. Bernadine of Siena and became a renowned preacher and reformer all over central Europe.  The crowds that gathered to hear his preaching would often grew to tens of thousands of souls.  John was also an indefatigable opponent of heresy.  In his preaching he fought principally against the errors of the Hussites.

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Muslim armies began moving westward toward Vienna and Rome.  Christian cities lying in their path fell under their domination.  At the age of 70, John preached a crusade against the Muslim seige of Belgrade, and the soldiers who volunteered he personally led to victory. Together with the armies of John Hunyadi, John’s troops freed Belgrade from the Muslim threat.

Though he survived the fight, John contracted the plague while on the battlefield. He died three months later. John was canonized in 1724.

Lord, you raised up Saint John of Capistrano to give your people comfort in their trials.  May your Church enjoy unending peace and be secure in your protection.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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*(As they are released, the most recent statements from bishops from around the country will be linked at the bottom of this post.)

As the political debate leading up to the general election has become more rancorous, so too has the discussion among Catholics over how best to apply the moral principles set forth in the US Bishops’ pastoral letter “Faithful Citizenship.” 

To assist Catholics in their dioceses, several bishops have written their own pastoral letters explaining “Faithful Citizenship.”   Several of these letters are exceptional for their brevity and clarity.  The bishops of New York State have issued this statement.  

In addition to the pastoral letters of individual bishops, several Catholic intellectuals and writers have produced their own guides to “Faithful Citizenship,” to admittedly varying degrees of success.  Among some of these works there appear modes of moral reasoning that clearly diverge from the bishops’ original teaching.  The ensuing confusion among Catholics has prompted the bishops to offer yet another clarification of “Faithful Citizenship.”

To prevent further misinterpretation or misapplication of “Faithful Citizenship,” the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the USCCB issued late yesterday the following statement.

Joint Statement by
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities
and
Bishop William Murphy
Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
October 21, 2008

In Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (2007), the Catholic bishops of the United States urged Catholic voters to form their consciences in accord with the Church’s moral teaching. We emphasized that: ”Both opposing evil and doing good are essential obligations” (No. 24). Unfortunately, there seem to be efforts and voter education materials designed to persuade Catholics that they need only choose one approach: either opposing evil or doing good. This is not an authentically Catholic approach.

Some argue that we should not focus on policies that provide help for pregnant women, but just focus on the essential task of establishing legal protections for children in the womb. Others argue that providing life affirming support for pregnant women should be our only focus and this should take the place of efforts to establish legal protections for unborn children. We want to be clear that neither argument is consistent with Catholic teaching. Our faith requires us to oppose abortion on demand and to provide help to mothers facing challenging pregnancies.

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Join young adults for a series of lectures at Metro 53 Bar and Restaurant, 307 East 53rd Street, between 2nd and 1st Avenues.  The event is from 7pm-8:30pm. The fourth lecture of the Fall 2008 season is on October 27 by Monsignor William Smith, professor of moral theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary.   His topic this night will be “What Does the Church Really Teach About Contraception: The 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae.”  For more details, visit www.totnyc.org.

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The holy evangelists searched the wisdom of past ages.  Through their gospels they confirmed the words of the prophets.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, the only gospel writer known not to have met the Lord.  This is an interesting point to consider when pondering the fact that Luke is one of the more prolific evangelists.  He composed not only his Gospel but also the Acts of the Apostles.  

Because he is of Greek origin and a relative late-comer to the apostolic community, Luke, when he preaches Christ, feels compelled to tell more of the already traditional kerygma.  He must explain how from the very beginning Christ’s life and work bore the marks of a universal mission.  Only Christ’s universal focus could justify the fact that Luke, a gentile, would eventually come to share in the mission of the Apostles and serve the Church as an evangelist.  Luke is careful to emphasize this universality in his Gospel.  

To “incarnate” the point, Luke speaks not only of the universal ministry of Christ, but he also chronicles exactly how non-eyewitnesses and non-Jews like himself were brought into contact with the grace and truth of the Risen Christ.  Hence the Acts of the Apostles, in which Luke traces the sometimes crooked lines of grace that connect the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus to his conversion through the preaching of St. Paul.  Of course, Luke’s own conversion is not the only one that prompted his writing.  In the Acts of the Apostles Luke delights in the story of every conversion to Christ and the continuous building up of the Church.

Click here for more details of St. Luke’s life and an excellent introduction to his writings.

Father, you chose Luke the evangelist to reveal by preaching and writing the mystery of your love for the poor.  Unite in heart and spirit all who glory in your name, and let all nations come to see your salvation.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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In its October 9th edition, the Catholic New York published front page coverage of the “Humanae Vitae at 40″ conference held here at St. Vincent’s two weeks ago.  Click here for the excellent article by John Woods.

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The seven letters we have written by St. Ignatius of Antioch serve to link us to the Church’s apostolic age.  They were written by the holy bishop during his transport to Rome under imperial arrest.  As the last testaments of his faith, these letters provide us a candid look at the life of the Church at the end of the first century. Perhaps to our surprise, we find the Church described by Ignatius very similar to the Church that exists today.  Given, however, that the essentials of the faith cannot and do not change, this continuity shouldn’t be very surprising.

Tradition has it that, with St. Polycarp, St. Ignatius was a disciple of the elderly St. John, the Beloved Disciple.  Tradition also tells us that St. Peter himself designated Ignatius as his successor in Antioch.  We know that as bishop Ignatius excelled in preaching the faith and protecting his flock from persecution, though his early successes under Domitian were not repeated under Trajan.  The latter had Ignatius arrested and tried for his seemingly subversive activity.  Found guilty of atheism, Ignatius was sentenced to die in the arena, not in his native Syria but in Rome.  In transit to the imperial capital, Ignatius wrote letters to the Christian communities lining his route.  Seven of these letters survive.

LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

LETTER TO THE MAGNESIANS

LETTER TO THE TRALLIANS

LETTER TO THE ROMANS

LETTER TO THE PHILADELPHIANS

LETTER TO THE SMYRNAEANS

LETTER TO POLYCARP

For many readers, Ignatius’ letter to the Romans is the most poignant.  Part of it is included in today’s Office of Readings.  In the letter Ignatius discusses with the Roman Christians the looming bloody spectacle of his martyrdom, and he begs them not to intervene on his behalf.  He is ready to die for the faith.  More accurately, he is ready to conform himself to Christ’s cross by offering a “eucharistic” sacrifice of himself to the Father.

I am writing to all the churches to let it be known that I will gladly die for God if only you do not standin my way.  I plead with you: show me no untimely kindness.  Let me be food for the wild beasts, for they are my way to God.  I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread.  Pray to Christ for me that the animals will be the means of making me a sacrificial victim to God.

Later in the letter Ignatius reveals the source and inspiration of his desire for martyrdom.  It is the Eucharist.  In Ignatius, therefore, we witness a life spent celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s death now bearing its most precious fruit. He desires his life to end in a manner worthy of the sacrament.  He wants to die imitating the mystery it conveys.

No earthly pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way.  I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth . . . I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world.  I want only God’s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish. 

All-powerful and ever-living God, you ennoble your Church with the heroic witness of all who give their lives for Christ.  Grant that the victory of Saint Ignatius of Antioch may bring us your constant help as it brought him eternal glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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This weekend’s Gospel couldn’t be more timely.  At its conclusion, Christ avoids yet another trap of the Pharisees by commanding them: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”  Shocking in its own day, this command of the Lord continues to test certain positions defended by the political establishment.

Joining me on today’s “Word to Life” were Mary Halpine, Rita-May Rahme, and Kelly Schulz, the president and interns respectively of the World Youth Alliance, a non-governmental organization (NGO) attached to the United Nations.  With them I explored the challenge they have undertaken to render true justice to Caesar by promoting and protecting the dignity of the human person on the local, national, and international levels.  In their work, these three young women witness to the truth that the justice we owe to God is not in fact opposed to the justice we owe to the state, as it is commonly believed to be.  The two justices are necessarily compatible.  Note that this compatibility is what several bishops have recently defended by correcting the public statements of certain pro-choice Catholic politicians.

Also joining me on the show was Fr. Gabriel Gillen of St. Catherine of Siena Church.  He shared how he hopes to speak this weekend about Archbishop Charles Chaput’s new book, Render Unto Caesar.  Fr. Gabriel argues that in his book the archbishop offers Catholics an excellent explanation of their responsibilities as thinkers and believers in the public square.  Again, as the election approaches, the topic couldn’t be more timely.

Click below for the full audio of today’s show. 

 

 Word to Life - October 17, 2008: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (83)

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While the Protestant cries “Sola fide” and “Sola scriptura” were echoing throughout seventeenth-century Europe, a young nun in a French Visitation cloister was preparing to lead–or more accurately was being prepared to lead–a worldwide renewal in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The revelations given her by Christ served to respond directly to the increasing abstraction of his life and word from the mystery of the Incarnation.  Protestant groups everywhere were succeeding in their attempts to detach Holy Scripture from the Church and her sacraments.  Thus separated, the Word of God risked increasingly erroneous interpretation as it no longer enjoyed communication with its living source, the Risen Christ and the graced life shared by his members.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart returns faithful souls to appreciating the full implications of the Incarnation.  First among these implications is the fact that Christ has offered the Church not only a written account of his preaching, rightly treasured as it is by Protestants, but also his whole living body as the primary instrument of his salvific work.  Consequently, honoring the Sacred Heart reminds us Catholics that before the word was a text, it was spoken by the lips of Christ. And before Christ’s tongue could utter speech, the Eternal Word of God resonated in his heart, even from the first moment it began beating in Mary’s womb.  This heart, eventually pierced for us, remains the source of every good gift in the Church, including the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.  As a result, Christ’s words, spoken and written, point us always to the prior mysteries resting in his heart. The heart then, not the book, has become the chief symbol of God’s merciful love for humanity.  In fact, it is within the mystery of the Sacred Heart that the sacred book of scripture finds its full purpose and meaning.  In other words, it is the full communication we enjoy in the Church with the mysteries of Christ’s sacred humanity that prepares us to hear and interpret his word.  Devotion to the Sacred Heart, therefore, guarantees that the holy scriptures remain securely within the bosom of the Church, the mystical body of Christ, all the while forming and purifying his members.

The following is taken from a letter written by St. Margaret Mary.  In this excerpt we can see prefigurations of the devotion to the Divine Mercy.  More precisely, this doctrine of the Sacred Heart outlines the three stages of spiritual perfection.

It seems to me that our Lord’s earnest desire to have his sacred heart honored in a special way is directed toward renewing the effects of redemption in our souls.  For the sacred heart is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to his good pleasure.

From this divine heart three streams flow endlessly.  The first is the stream of mercy for sinners; it pours into their hearts sentiments of contrition and repentance.  The second is the stream of charity which helps all in need and especially aids those seeking perfection to find the means of surmounting their difficulties.  From the third stream flow love and light for the benefit of his friends who have attained perfection; these he wishes to unite to himself so that they may share his knowledge and commandments and in their individual ways, devote  themselves wholly to advancing his glory.

This divine heart is an abyss of all blessings, and into it the poor should submerge all their needs.  It is an abyss of joy in which all of us can immerse our sorrows.  It is an abyss of lowliness to counteract our foolishness, an abyss of mercy for the wretched, an abyss of love to meet our every need.

Lord, pour out on us the riches of the Spirit which you bestowed on Saint Margaret Mary.  May we come to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all human understanding, and be filled with the fullness of God.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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So many talks, so little time . . .

Yesterday I posted the announcement for next Monday’s health care lecture at St. Catherine’s.  It begins at 1:30.  

As it turns out, two other Dominican events will take place later in the day.  First, at 7:00 here at St. Vincent’s, we’ll have the second lecture of our new “Theology in the City” series.  The topic will be “The Meaning of Creation.”

And later in the evening up at Columbia University, the Columbia Catholic Ministry (run by Dominican friars from Poland) will hold its annual Merton Lecture.  This year’s speaker will be Dr. Eleonore Stump, an analytic Thomist philospher who teaches at St. Louis University.  Professor Stump will address “The Problem of Evil in the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.”  The lecture will begin at 8:30.

Let’s see . . . 1:30, 7:00, and 8:30.  Will anyone attend all three talks?

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Like many in the early Modern period, Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada entered religion after reading the works of the Church Fathers.  The letters of St. Jerome in particular, given to her by her uncle, prompted Teresa to choose what appeared to be the shortest and surest way to God.  She also chose what was closest, the Carmelite monastery in her hometown of Avila.  By today’s standards Teresa’s initial decision to become a nun might appear hastily made, but her subsequent cooperation with God’s grace contributed to the greatest monastic reform movement in modern times.  Teresa, with the assistance of St. John of the Cross, transformed the decadent Carmelite world of the sixteenth century into the rich treasure of contemplative prayer and spiritual teaching that still enriches the Church today.  For example, without St. Teresa, we would not enjoy the patronage of another Carmelite saint and doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux.  And as a devoté, I cannot fail to mention another modern saint of Carmel, Therese’s contemporary, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity.

Two years ago, Teresa Polk published this excellent post on “Blog by the Sea.”  It includes a biography of St. Teresa and a short bibliography.

When reading St. Teresa’s life, we learn that she sought assistance for her reform from many religious of other orders, including the Order of Preachers.  Teresa’s familiarity with the Dominicans began early in her life.  Her father was devoted to Dominican preaching in Avila, and one of her brothers joined the Order.  As a consequence, Dominicans served as Teresa’s earliest confessors, and she continued to seek their counsel until her death.

Throughout the entire history of the Discalced Carmelites one can trace its close connection to the Order of Preachers.  For instance, in the late nineteenth century, St. Therese and Bl. Elizabeth both had Dominican instructors.  And over the centuries the influence has been mutual.  Dominican catechesis on the spiritual life has been heavily shaped by the experience of Carmel.  Notable in this regard are the spiritual works of the famous Dominican theologian Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.  His books, especially The Three Ages of the Interior Life, describe Christian perfection from a recognizably Carmelite perspective.

Father, by your Spirit you raised up Saint Teresa of Avila to show your Church the way to perfection.  May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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The Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York of Saint Catherine of Siena Church and Priory

in celebration of

Pastoral Care Week 2008

cordially invite you to participate in the 

Annual Mass for Health Care Professions

Monday, October 20 - 12:00 Noon

and the

Third Annual Lecture in Health Care Ethics

“HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA: WHO DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT?”

presented by

Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, RN, MS

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States

1:30 PM - Church of St. Catherine of Siena

411 East 68th Street (between First and York Avenues)

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Popular podcasting priest and apologist Fr. Robert Barron has announced an ambitious project.  His Word on Fire Catholic Ministries plans to produce for TV and DVD a 10-part video series that presents the history and teaching of the Catholic Church “on our own terms.”  Fr. Barron is calling his new project simply “Catholicism.”  Still in production, this series is attracting a lot of positive attention.  George Weigel has this to say about it:

“‘Catholicism’ could well become one of the most significant efforts ever to advance what Pope John Paul II called ‘The New Evangelization.’ Truth, goodness, beauty — they’re all here, in a stimulating and compelling exploration of the spiritual, moral, and intellectual riches of the Catholic world. This is the Catholic story told from inside, with knowledge, sympathy, and passion, rooted in friendship with Jesus Christ.”

Check out the trailer below, and click here for the episode list.

Click here for Fr. Barron’s latest update on the project.

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The 2008-2009 St. Vincent Ferrer music season opens this evening with an organ recital by Dr. Mark Bani, the parish’s music director and organist.  Dr. Bani will perform works by Bach and Gigout, as well as the acclaimed Sonata on the 94th Psalm by Reubke.  The recital begins at 7:00 PM.  A free will offering will be requested.

Click here for a detailed description of the church’s famous 86-rank Schantz organ pipe organ.

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This weekend I’ll be attending the Magnificat “Pilgrimage of Hope” in Boston. As a result, blogging may be light through Tuesday.

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Today the Order of Preachers celebrates the feast of St. Louis Bertrand, patron of novice masters.  A distant relative of St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Louis served many years in his native Spain before dedicating himself to the missions of the New World. After preaching to great success in Colombia, Panama, and the Caribbean, St. Louis returned to Spain and resumed his work forming young Dominicans.  He died in 1581.

During his life, St. Louis maintained a friendship with St. Teresa of Avila.

Canonized just fifty years after his death, St. Louis is remembered for his simplicity of heart, fervent preaching, and zeal for souls, model virtues for every Dominican.

Almighty and merciful God, as you filled the heart of Saint Louis Bertrand with reverent fear for your name, inflame our hearts with that same divine fire.  With both love and reverence may we too serve you faithfully.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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