Exhortation Before Marriage

I recall this post from 2003 concerning the old Exhortatio Ante Matrimonium. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, this exhortation was typically read at weddings (actually before the marriage, hence the name). It is truly beautiful and sums things up quite nicely -- so well, in fact, that there isn't much more I can say other than it is something truly worth reflecting on. No harm in posting it again:

Dear friends in Christ: As you know, you are about to enter into a union which is most sacred and most serious, a union which was established by God Himself. By it, He gave to man a share in the greatest work of creation, the work of the continuation of the human race. And in this way He sanctified human love and enabled man and woman to help each other live as children of God, by sharing a common life under His fatherly care.

Because God Himself is thus its author, marriage is of its very nature a holy institution, requiring of those who enter into it a complete and unreserved giving of self. But Christ our Lord added to the holiness of marriage an even deeper meaning and a higher beauty. He referred to the love of marriage to describe His own love for His Church, that is, for the People of God whom He redeemed by His own blood. And so He gave to Christians a new vision of what married life ought to be, a life of self-sacrificing love like His own. It is for this reason that His Apostle, St Paul, clearly states that marriage is now and for all time to be considered a great mystery, intimately bound up with the supernatural union of Christ and the Church, which union is also to be its pattern.

This union is most serious, because it will bind you together for life in a relationship so close and so intimate, that it will profoundly influence your whole future. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its successes and failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life, and are to be expected in your own. And so, not knowing what is before you, you take each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death.

Truly, then, these words are most serious. It is a beautiful tribute to your undoubted faith in each other, that, recognizing their full import, you are nevertheless so willing and ready to pronounce them. And because these words involve such solemn obligations, it is most fitting that you rest the security of your wedded life upon the great principle of self-sacrifice. And so you begin your married life by the voluntary and complete surrender of your individual lives in the interest of that deeper and wider life which you are to have in common. Henceforth you belong entirely to each other; you will be one in mind, one in heart, and one in affections. And whatever sacrifices you may hereafter be required to make to preserve this common life, always make them generously. Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy; and perfect love can make it a joy. We are willing to give in proportion as we love. And when love is perfect, sacrifice is complete. God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son; and the Son so loved us that He gave Himself for our salvation. "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

No greater blessing can come to your married life than pure conjugal love, loyal and true to the end. May, then, this love with which you join your hands and hearts today, never fail, but grow deeper and stronger as the years go on. And if true love and the unselfish spirit of perfect sacrifice guide your every action, you can expect the greatest measure of earthly happiness that may be allotted to man in this vale of tears. The rest is in the hands of God. Nor will God be wanting to your needs; He will pledge you the life-long support of His graces in the Holy Sacrament which you are now going to receive.

As our late Holy Father Pope John Paul II was fond of saying, Laudetur Iesus Christus. Let Jesus Christ be praised.

Marriage and Mass

Really cool:

In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ. In the Eucharist the memorial of the New Covenant is realized, the New Covenant in which Christ has united himself for ever to the Church, his beloved bride for whom he gave himself up. It is therefore fitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist so that, communicating in the same Body and the same Blood of Christ, they may form but "one body" in Christ.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1621. Wow!

Not even the angels in Heaven can ...

My fiancée and I have our second marriage preparation meeting this weekend. We are looking forward to it! We really want to engage our preparation for marriage, not as a list of requirements to be checked off, but as a great mystery to be embraced. Yes, there are regular prep sessions, engaged encounter retreat, FOCCUS, NFP classes, witness forms, relationship biographies, etc... but these requirements reflect, for us, how intricate and significant married life really is. It spite of requirements, it seems marriage is something that is simply profound, or is that profoundly simple? But that's too easy to say...

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 1623 and 1624, says:

In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church... The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God's grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity.

I think there is a tendency in our culture to see marriage as our own... that is, it belongs solely to the couple (and to society at large, seeing fit to redefine marriage in whatever way). The Roman Catholic understanding holds that matrimony is a sacramental covenant, given by God, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and mutually conferred by the couple upon each other. What is a sacrament if not a means by which God gives grace for sanctification and holiness? So, then, marriage is a means through which God perfects a couple in holiness, both in their mutual self-giving and consent as well as in their self-giving to God as one flesh. It therefore seems that marriage cannot belong to the couple alone simply because such an understanding omits the essential element of God, since He gives grace in order to draw the couple closer to Him! The sacrament binds the couple together as one flesh, but it also binds the couple together to God in a sacramental bond.

This is quite profound, actually! As the Catechism paragraph above states, the sacrament is conferred by the couple on each other by expressing their consent before the Church. Consent is at the root of what makes a marriage valid and sacramental:

- Fidelity: Consent to be faithful to each other.
- Commitment: Consent to be faithful until death.
- Openness to new life: Consent to be fruitful by allowing love to grow and bear fruit, opening the relationship to children.

A marriage that includes the full consent of the couple to each other is, then, indissoluble until death. But these should not be taken just as formal requirements. If that is all they are, then it's difficult to expect them to be taken seriously. No, they are actually at the heart of marriage itself. In an era of quick divorce, fidelity until death is quite a challenge. The same can be said of the third requirement of openness to new life.

For couples that are biologically capable, welcoming children involves allowing the extension and expansion of an overflowing love to bear fruit in new life. As stated above, the ever available source of this love is the Holy Spirit. Yet, having children is, as you parents know, a great responsibility. Yet, it is inseparably linked to married life, which is also a great responsibility. This, of course, demonstrates something basic about our God: that love and life are inseparably linked to one another. Just as God's love bore fruit in the garden of Eden and in all creation, so does a married couple's love grow and bear fruit in new life. And, because of His love, God always gives of Himself, from Himself, (directed outwardly) for the good of His Creation, even so does married love also give of itself, from itself, not just the couple to each other (as one flesh), but also outwardly into creation. And, just as God sacrificed His only begotton Son, Jesus Christ, out of love for the entire world, so the couple must embrace sacrifice in subordination to each other. (remember St. Paul - husbands must love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself over for the Church's sanctification!) Where is this leading...?

The Second Vatican Council beautifully summed this up in Gaudium et Spes, by drawing upon Scripture:

Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day.

True married love enables a man and woman to become sacramental participants in God's divine love, as one flesh, and through this, they also become participants in God's act of creation as co-creators in the outpouring of God's love of the world.

As St. Paul said, this is indeed a great mystery to me. But what I understand is this. Not even the angels in Heaven can do what a couple does when it brings new life into the world, or what a woman does when she nurtures new life in her womb. We humans are of great value to God, and women, in particular, are richly gifted.

BBS: The Documentary

Ah, to be young again.

Check it out...

Long before the Internet escaped from the lab, connected the planet and redefined what it meant to use a computer...

....there was a brave and pioneering band of computer users who spent their time, money and sanity setting up their home computers and phone lines to welcome anyone who called. By using a modem, anyone else who knew the phone number of these computers could connect to them, leave messages, send and receive files.... and millions did.

They called these places "Bulletin Board Systems", or BBSes. And their collections of messages, rants, thoughts and dreams became the way that an entire generation learned about being online.

When the Internet grew in popularity in the early 1990s, the world of the BBS faded, changed, and became a part of the present networked world.. but it wasn't the same.

I ran a BBS for about one year in 1993-1994 in Santa Maria running programmer Roland de Graaf's The Virtual BBS software. I remember the software was cutting edge (in spite of having been written in Q-Basic), and it had this strange, ANSI pull-down menu option that was cool at first, but no users actually found it practical to use. I was fond of the VirtualNET network standard, also written by de Graaf, although I was particularly in love with the (now somewhat deficient) FidoNet standard of email. Okay, who out there knows what I am talking about here??? ;)

Aliud vinum, aliud ebrietas

Aliud vinum, aliud ebrietas (~Wine is one thing. Drunkenness is something else).

From Latin Proverb of the Day blog by Bob Patrick (via rogueclassicism):

This proverb has many expressions: balance in all things; avoid extremes; the middle way; vital balance; don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

A good lesson, more specifically, on how to enjoy alcohol without abusing it to the point of inebriation and sickness!

Hurricane Katrina: Donate!

Just like with the tsunami disaster, what can one say about all of this that hasn't already been said? For one thing, we should not cease to get the word out that we can help the survivors of this disaster. We may not be able to physically travel to the various locations, but just like for the victims of the tsunami, we can give of our possessions, our prayer, and of course, our money, at the very least -- this goes a long way. You've seen the images, and you've heard the stories. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be displaced in such a way from one's home, family, and other loved ones, but it happens.

There are many organizations through which we can donate, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has indicated that donations can be made to Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Extension Society. I plan to make a donation through Catholic Charities, which is collaborating with the American Red Cross and other organizations.

Predominant Faults

I could easily relate to Fr. Jim Tucker's post on Predominant Faults. As one who tries to confess monthly, I believe that my spiritual life has been aided immensely from the graces of this sacrament and a regular examination of conscience. It has helped me become more aware, for example, of myself deeply, as well as my faults, including my predominant faults. But we must allow God's grace to work its sanctification. I am thankful that I can look at myself and say, "I'm a sinful man! Have mercy on me!" without stepping over into an unhealthy scrupulosity which can, of course, be dangerous to one's spiritual growth. God asks us for daily conversion of heart and mind with the help of His grace.

Les Très Riches Heures



From wikipedia.org:

One of the early illustrated pages (Folio 2r) from the Très Riches Heures, one of the most richly decorated and most famous Book of Hours to have survived.

The book was written and illuminated sometime between 1412 and 1416 by Paul Limbourg and brothers, for their patron Jean, Duc de Berry.

This page follows the calendar for the month of January and illustrates the day for exchanging gifts which occurs in January. The figure in blue robes towards the right is the Duke himself, seated at the table in front of the fire place. Above the fire hangs his coat of arms with golden fleurs-de-lys on a blue ground.

In the middle of the illustration a number of guests are invited to approach the fire with their hands out stretched to the warmth. One of these with a white cap folded over his ear is possibly a self portrait by Paul Limbourg.

The History of Algebra

From the 1911 Encyclopedia, courtesy of About.com.

Various derivations of the word "algebra," which is of Arabian origin, have been given by different writers. The first mention of the word is to be found in the title of a work by Mahommed ben Musa al-Khwarizmi (Hovarezmi), who flourished about the beginning of the 9th century. The full title is "ilm al-jebr wa'l-muqabala", which contains the ideas of restitution and comparison, or opposition and comparison, or resolution and equation, "jebr" being derived from the verb "jabara", to reunite, and "muqabala", from "gabala", to make equal. (The root "jabara" is also met with in the word "algebrista", which means a "bone-setter," and is still in common use in Spain.)

Christian Witness Inspires Youth

I wish I would have been able to attend World Youth Day in Cologne this year!

Cardinal Mahony offers some reflections about his experience at WYD2005:

For everyone, the centrality of the Eucharist was so evident. Throughout their pilgrimages to Cologne the youth shared in the celebration of Mass each day - their lives nourished through this remarkable participation in the great gift of Jesus to us in the sacrifice of the Mass. Each of the three Catechetical Days concluded with a special Mass with a particular emphasis: the Holy Spirit, the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation was made available to our youth every day, and they readily took advantage of those graces. Several commented to me that going to confession while on their pilgrimage was an additional grace through which God's love and mercy were poured out upon them.

Pray for Paul

Just found out that another friend from high school has died. I guess he got mixed up in drugs a few years ago, and last night, an overdose took his life. It had been a number of years since I last corresponded with him.

Grant him eternal rest, O Lord. May your perpetual light shine upon him.

Famous Last Words...

Software developers will know what I mean. This was shown to me at work.

An article from the Washington Post written 10 years ago about the "upcoming release" of Windows 95. My favorite quotation:

"The extraordinarily extensive testing they did makes a show-stopping bug a pretty unlikely occurrence," said Chuck Stegman, a vice president at Dataquest Inc., a high-tech market research firm in California. "Someone would have stumbled on it already."

Sorry for the evil, ghoulish laugh, but... Muhahaha!

The Book Meme

I was tagged for this Book Meme by Brian at In Pectore, and I apologize if I missed anyone else who may have also tagged me!

1.) Total Number of Books I Own

I think I have collected around 200 books, either by purchasing them myself or by donation. Many pertain to Computer Science related topics (my profession and area of study at the university), others for French, Latin, Theology, Liturgy, and Church History -- (including a half-dozen bibles (from my pre- and post- Catholic days) as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church). A lot of my French and Latin books were given to me as gifts (most notably the Nova Vulgata [editio minor] in beautiful condition).

But don't let such a collection fool you. I am far from being one of the literati, and I struggle to discipline myself to read half the books I have collected over the last few years. My fiancée has an extensive collection of her own (but, unlike me, she's read all of her books!)

2.) The Last Book I Bought

Actually, I purchased two books during my last trip to Houston, both works by our present Holy Father, when he was still better known as Cardinal Ratzinger:

Many Religions, One Covenant

The Spirit of the Liturgy

3.) The Last Book I Read

"The Cloud of Unknowing" (Penguin Edition in Modern English), Author Unknown. I spotted this at a used book store in downtown Santa Barbara. Knowing that it is considered to be one of the foundational works of medieval mysticism, I decided that I would check it out. I'll post my thoughts eventually!

4.) Five Books That Mean a Lot to Me (in no particular order, not counting Scripture or official Church documents)

Well, before I do that, I will mention that the books that mean the most to me that are official Church documents are the Catechism of the Catholic Church, my bible (RSV - Catholic Edition), and Christian Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours).

Not counting official church documents? Okay...

- "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Harper Lee.
Would that I might never forget my Southern roots, both good and bad.

- "Candide", by Voltaire.
This book, along with Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", helped introduce me to the world of political and religious satire and the modern dilemma of relevance. I very strongly object to many of Voltaire's characterizations, but I am intrigued by his wit. I wonder if he would object to sitting down with me for a beer or two.

- "Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin", by John F. Collins.
I have been teaching myself ecclesiastical latin from this book, in addition to using supplemental material. I know that not everyone who studies latin prefers Collins, but thus far, I have been fine with it. Over the last two years, it has enabled me to drink centuries of knowledge the Church has passed down and developed -- directly from the source. (I'm still working on digesting it, though!)

- "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", by Victor Hugo.
This was the first book to spark my interest in medieval history about a year before I had any interest in learning more about the Catholic Church. I also thought this book best portrayed the dueling themes of the grotesque vs. the sublime. What is true beauty, and do humans have the capacity to recognize it by themselves?

- "The C Programming Language", by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie.
I'm a Computer Scientist. Where would I be without this book? Digging graves somewhere, perhaps. Maybe not.

5.) Tag five people, and have them do this on their blog.

If you haven't yet been tagged, consider yourself tagged now.

Salvation in the way God intends...

We comply with God's declared will whenever we accept what God shows us to be his plans -- when we believe what he teaches, trust in his promises, fear his threats, love his commands and counsels, and live by them... We must intend our own salvation in the way God intends it. God desires that we should be saved; we, too, need constantly to desire what God desires. God not only means us to be saved, but he actually gives us all we need to achieve salvation; so we are not to stop at merely desiring salvation, but go a step further and accept all the graces God has prepared for us, the graces he offers us. It is all very well to say, "I want to be saved." It is not much use merely saying, "I want to take the necessary steps." For that, we need to make the definite resolution to take and use the graces God holds out to us; our wills must be in tune with his. Since God wants us to be saved, we should want to be saved; we should also welcome the means to salvation that God intends for us to take.

St. Francis de Sales, from Finding God Wherever You Are.

Drool...

Biblia Sacra Vulgatæ editionis Sixti V. Pont. Max, from 1703 -- good condition!

NARAL caught in another lie...

From FactCheck.org:

NARAL Falsely Accuses Supreme Court Nominee Roberts

An abortion-rights group is running an attack ad accusing Supreme Court nominee John Roberts of filing legal papers "supporting... a convicted clinic bomber" and of having an ideology that "leads him to excuse violence against other Americans" It shows images of a bombed clinic in Birmingham, Alabama.

The ad is false.

And the ad misleads when it says Roberts supported a clinic bomber. It is true that Roberts sided with the bomber and many other defendants in a civil case, but the case didn't deal with bombing at all. Roberts argued that abortion clinics who brought the suit had no right use an 1871 federal anti-discrimination statute against anti-abortion protesters who tried to blockade clinics. Eventually a 6-3 majority of the Supreme Court agreed, too. Roberts argued that blockades were already illegal under state law.

This isn't surprising, since according to NARAL co-founder, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, NARAL was itself founded on a lie and has used lies to successfully exploit women and children since even before RoeVWade.

I'm back...

Hey everyone... I returned to Santa Barbara this evening after a very full trip to the San Diego area as well as Houston, TX (by way of planes, trains, and automobiles). All in all, the trip was very smooth and very productive, thanks be to God. Got to spend some time with my fiancée, Christina, and her family, as well as with Bill in Houston, and it was awesome being able to attend mass again at Our Lady of Walsingham, which is a Roman Catholic parish of the Anglican Use. Many thanks to Bill for the great suggestions (and for giving up so much of his time!) ;)

Summertime

O quam gloriosum est regnum in quo Christo gaudent omnes sancti!
Amicti stolis albis Agnum sequuntur quocumque ierit.

It's good to know that it's still summertime. This week, I'll be taking the train down to Oceanside, and then it's off to Houston for a few days. Then it's back to Southern California for a few more days. It'll be good to see my buddy, Bill, as well as visit Our Lady of Walsingham (paging Woody Jones...), among other things.

Wedding preparation is coming along! I will blog more about our reflections when I return.

The mouths of babes...

Saw this (and many others like it) posted at church a few months ago from children...



I couldn't resist sharing it!

Fargo diocese will require pre-marriage course in natural family planning

Alicia and Brian link to this story.

Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo has announced that engaged couples across the diocese will have to be instructed in the theology of the body and complete an approved course in natural family planning before they can marry in the Catholic Church... Bishop Aquila said the policy arose "out of a genuine concern for the right formation of conscience, the understanding of the truth, dignity and meaning of human sexuality and the responsibilities a couple accepts in married love."

This is excellent news. This isn't yet a part of every diocese curriculum, but, in my opinion, it should be -- or at least something like it, and maybe this will begin a trend. My only concern is for couples who, for legitimate reasons, may be unable to able to complete a full course together during their marriage preparation. Bishop Aquila continues:

"Through my personal experience in preparing couples for marriage and through discussions with priests, I have seen a great need for this instruction to help couples fully live the sacrament of marriage," he said.

"Young adults are bombarded with negative images of sexuality, with attitudes that demean the marital commitment and with lies about the so-called 'freedom' contraception provides," he added. "They need to know and they deserve to know the plan that God has for them regarding their sexuality and the conjugal love they will share as husband and wife."

Here is basically what the policy entails:

-- Couples preparing for marriage "shall receive an introduction to the church's teaching on conjugal love, modeled after (Pope) John Paul II's theology of the body during their interview with their parish priest, deacon or qualified married couple."

-- They will participate in a Marriage Preparation weekend that will include a presentation on natural family planning. It will also include at least a one-hour introduction to the theology of the body, which the late pope outlined in 129 general audience talks in the early years of his pontificate.

-- They must complete "a full course of instruction in a method of natural family planning" from an instructor approved by the diocese. A certificate of attendance is to be given to the parish priest, who is to place it in the couple's marriage file.

For couples entering a second marriage, past training and experience will be taken into account, the policy says. It says if they are still of childbearing years, the instruction in natural family planning is expected unless "previous equivalent training is already present."

Couples beyond childbearing years are to receive instruction in the theology of the body but need not learn natural family planning, it says.

Some couples may not like being forced to do this, but then it seems many couples come to the Church asking for marriage who only give lip-service to something the Church takes seriously. Other couples may have more legitimate reasons, like I said. We shall see. Perhaps the experience of the Fargo diocese over the next year or two will help other dioceses.

Toothless in Appalachia

Mobile dental clinics hope to brighten smiles

Maria Magdalena

Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. As I reflect on the meaning of this day, I can't help but recall how this special saint has been used to push forth so many misconceptions about church history. It seems "Da Vinci" mania is all the rage these days, but it didn't start there (understandably, since Dan Brown got a lot of his ideas from previous works, most particularly Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent and friends). Marcellino D'Ambrosio sends over some useful articles:

- Art historian Elizabeth Lev explains why Dan Brown's assertion that it is Mary, not John, who is seated next to Christ in Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper is silly to anyone who knows basic art history.

- Catholic author Amy Welborn (also of the Open Book blog) explains why it is important for Catholics to educate themselves about church history and why Dan Brown's mischaracterizations shouldn't be taken lightly.

Considering that more than a few Catholics base their understandings about the Catholic Church from books like "The Da Vinci Code" as well as the mainstream media alone, I can understand the significance. Personally, I am thankful for the many resources we have available where we can study the writings of the early church (both before and after Constantine). One such resource is the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. I can't count the number of hours I have spent reading this tome over the years.

Like music on the waters...

There be none of Beauty's daughters
With a magic like Thee;
And like music on the waters
Is thy sweet voice to me:
When, as if its sound were causing
The charmèd ocean's pausing,
The waves lie still and gleaming,
And the lull'd winds seem dreaming:
And the midnight moon is weaving
Her bright chain o'er the deep,
Whose breast is gently heaving
As an infant's asleep:
So the spirit bows before thee
To listen and adore thee;
With a full but soft emotion,
Like the swell of Summer's ocean.

George Gordon Byron (1788 - 1824)

Bad Blog Latin?

Yes, I suppose Fr. Jim Tucker has a point:

At least once a week, usually more often, I cringe with pain upon reading horribly elementary Latin errors in the learned pages of good Catholics who are quite knowledgeable about other things. I'm particularly amazed by clergy who do this. As Latin is again becoming the badge of a good and thinking Catholic, people are a bit too hasty in throwing the language around.

... only because I plead guil-diddly-ilty to this myself. As my regular readers know, I like to use this blog to practice my rudimentary Latin skills from time to time, so I expect it to be bad, even though I am quite anal about trying to do it correctly. I don't want anybody to be embarrassed as a Catholic when I use Latin poorly. Rather, I want to try it out a bit in an open venue and be educated so that I don't continue to make the mistakes I make. I also appreciate those who engage me in Latin in the comments (I do read them! I don't often respond, though, but I will try!) And if any of my poorly constructed Latin causes you to cringe, then, by all means, let me know! I'm a student of the language, and I always want to be humble enough to learn from my mistakes.

You will also find me posting Scripture in Latin from time to time as well (particularly from the Nova Vulgata), because I love, appreciate, and enjoy the translation and rendering of the original Greek, which far surpasses English.

I announce a great joy!

My girlfriend, Christina, and I are now engaged to be married! On Saturday, I took her to a nice dinner on the waterfront in Carlsbad, CA (just south of Oceanside), and afterward, we went for a nice walk along the beach. After a while, we sat down on a bench overlooking the ocean, and I proposed!

We are looking forward to embracing the profound sacrament of matrimony and the ultimate gift of mutual love for God and for each other, which our Catechism describes as that which "becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man." A magnificent vocation! Please pray for us and for our preparation for this sacrament.

We haven't decided upon an actual date for the marriage ceremony, but we are looking toward next summer. I would like to use this blog as a place to reflect upon the sacrament of matrimony and our marriage preparation as we get closer! For those of you who are married, this may probably be nothing new; but then I would appreciate reading your reflections as well!

I want to start by posting the great challenge of St. Paul to husbands from his letter to the Church at Ephesus (Ch. 5:25-32):

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." (Genesis 2:24)

This mystery is a profound one, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Marriage is indeed a profound mystery, and what more challenge is there than to love your wife even as Christ loved the Church!

Feast of St. Irenaeus

Today is the feast day of St. Irenaeus, 2nd century defender of the early Catholic faith. I am often fond of citing one of my favorite readings from his work "Against Heresies", Book III, Ch. 22 which portrays Mary as the New Eve:

In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise "they were both naked, and were not ashamed," inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race. And on this account does the law term a woman betrothed to a man, the wife of him who had betrothed her, although she was as yet a virgin; thus indicating the back-reference from Mary to Eve, because what is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter, that the latter may set the former again at liberty...

And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.

While Eve was made the cause of death to the entire human race, Mary became the cause of salvation to the whole human race. Through her obedience to God, she freely and willfully bore the Savior of the world in her womb.

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (the Wonderworker)

There is an interesting pious legend concerning what is said to be one of the first recorded visits of the Blessed Mother to an earthly man. Apparently, the account records the divine vision of John the Evangelist together with the Blessed Mother to St. Gregory Thaumaturgus, 3rd century Bishop of Caesarea. Such a vision was said to have helped Gregory elucidate the truth of the Trinitarian God, equipping him with the confidence and grace necessary to go forth and preach.

The account of the visit is recorded by St. Gregory of Nyssa in his work, "The Life of Gregory the Wonderworker."

At night he beheld the foundation of the faith. Various thoughts troubled him, for certain people perverted true teaching and often obscured it through persuasive, clever attempts.

As he laid awake, there appeared to him in a vision an aged person in human form adorned with solemn raiment and whose countenance was striking by great virtue and kindness in addition to the integrity his form... After quieting his fear, [the aged man] said in a soft voice that a divine order bade him to appear, the reasons of which were obscure to [Gregory], in order to reveal the truth of correct belief and to encourage him to speak while gazing upon him with both joy and respect. Then the old man suddenly extended his hand and with his finger pointed to something which appeared near him which was a splendid female form instead of a male one... Not only was [Gregory] revered with regard to true knowledge of faith but recognized the names of each man who appeared when they called each other by their respective names. It is claimed that this vision of a female form told [Gregory] that the evangelist John was exhorted to manifest the mystery of truth to a young man, saying that she was chosen to be the mother of the Lord whom she cherished. He also said that this fitting vision had vanished again from his sight. He was immediately ordered to write down this divine revelation and later proclaim it in the church. In this way it became for others a divinely given legacy through which the people might repulse any evil of heresy. The words of that revelation are as follows:

There is One God, Father of the living Word (who consists of wisdom, power and who is the eternal pattern), perfect Begetter of who is perfect, Father of the Only Begotten Son.

There is One Lord alone from him who is alone, God from God, pattern and image of the divinity, mighty Word, wisdom which encompasses everything, true Son of true Father, unseen [Son] of the unseen [Father], immortal [Son] of the immortal [Father], and eternal [Son] of the eternal [Father].

There is One Holy Spirit whose life is from God and who was made manifest through the Son (as well as to men), perfect image of the perfect Son, living source of those who are alive, holy provider of sanctity in whom God the Father appeared who is above all and in all, and God the Son who is in all.

A Perfect Trinity to whom belongs glory, eternity and kingship which can never change. (Thus the Trinity is not created, has anything else which claims to be first, nor is there anything which exists that can be introduced later. Similarly, the Son neither lacks the Father nor does the Spirit lack the Son; rather, the Trinity forever remains immutable and constant.)

...After that vision had filled him with confidence and courage, much like an athlete who competes in a contest after having acquired stamina from a trainer, he strips himself for the stadium and prepares for the struggle. In similar fashion, so does [Gregory] exercise himself and the assistance of grace which appeared to him anoints his soul and makes it worthy to undergo the contest... After leaving his solitude, [Gregory] at once hastened to the city where he felt obliged to establish a church for God.

Of course, the authenticity of the account is questionable, but I find it an interesting record nonetheless... a private revelation from God, given through the Blessed Mother and John the Evangelist, so that an essential truth, revealed by God in the person of Jesus Christ, might be articulated more fully.

RIP Jack Kilby



As a TIer, I could not go without mentioning this. Jack Kilby passed away yesterday. The modern world owes a great deal to him. But who is he?

His invention of the monolithic integrated circuit - the microchip - some 45 years ago at Texas Instruments (TI) laid the conceptual and technical foundation for the entire field of modern microelectronics. It was this breakthrough that made possible the sophisticated high-speed computers and large-capacity semiconductor memories of today's information age.

Requiescat in pace.

27 years ago today...

I came forth from the womb...

Prince of Peace Abbey



While I was visiting Christina and her family in the Oceanside, CA area about a week and a half ago, I took the opportunity to visit the Prince of Peace Benedictine Abbey. It was certainly peaceful up there, although it was windy that day. The place was remarkably vacant, not that I would have expected it to be bursting with activity. I did see one or two people milling around, and I did have a brief conversation with the porter after I tried to get into the gift shop, which was closed at that time (through the window, I did spy a fairly good selection of Pope Benedict XVI's works laid out). After exploring a little bit, I spent some time in the chapel with the Blessed Sacrament, walked the Stations of the Cross prayer walk along the outside of the abbey, and after that, I went to the library to read some periodicals and study their book collection. It might be nice to come back and make a retreat.

Apparently the abbey has been in existence in the Oceanside area for about 50 years, after it was founded by monks from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana in the 1950s. The abbey church wasn't constructed until the 1980s. It was nice, though the architecture was decidedly more modern than what I am used to seeing -- but then I haven't been to many places like this. Have any of you been to Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside before?

One of the cool things...

This is one of the cool things about studying at UC Santa Barbara...

UCSB's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics is pretty world renowned. Even the fellow whose name is shown in the picture linked to above visits frequently for colloquia, events, and various other research activities. When he visits, he can sometimes be spied lecturing a group of young physics minds at the University Center during lunch. Alas, though, I never saw him.

Reflecting on Sen. Gordon Smith's Mormon Theology of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

This week's debate about embryonic stem cell research has given me pause to reflect on when, 3 years ago, President Bush made his first decision about the subject. Of course, I felt his decision was too much of a compromise, seeing as how the existing stem-cell lines would eventually become insufficient, leaving demands for more lines years later. And not only that, that more Republicans, many of whom claim to be "pro-life", would be demanding funding for this research. That got me thinking about this article by Drew Clark, published in MSN Slate in 2001.

The Mormon Stem-Cell Choir

In the article, Clark basically outlines a Mormon theology of stem-cells by first noting, of course, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official position on embryonic stem-cell research, or when life begins, and other relevant topics in modern bioethics. But he then proceeds to give the moral and theological opinion of Sen. Gordon Smith and Orrin Hatch:

While pundits chatter on about the role of Catholic leaders in the stem-cell debate, the influence of Mormons (—members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) goes almost unnoticed. [Orrin] Hatch and [Gordon] Smith have become the leaders of a movement within the Republican Party to urge President Bush to fund embryonic stem-cell research. All five Mormon senators (the others are Sens. Robert Bennett, R-Utah; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; and Harry Reid, D-Nev.) have come out for such funding. They have helped move the debate away from right-to-life absolutism without sacrificing pro-life theology. The LDS Church, not the Vatican, is playing the pivotal role in the struggle over stem cells.

You'll see in a minute why this argument is absurd. Clark continues...

In an audience last week with Bush, Pope John Paul II restated the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion and "related evils" such as euthanasia, infanticide, and the destruction of human embryos through stem-cell research. That statement drew upon the pope's 1995 encyclical, Evangelium Vitae and his 1987 encyclical, Donum Vitae (Gift of Life). Both documents elaborate on the Catholic position that life begins at conception, equating abortion and [embryonic] stem-cell research with murder... Leaders of the LDS Church have been far more circumspect about both subjects. The church released a statement of neutrality on stem-cell research in July. What the LDS Church didn't issue, —and what its statements on abortion similarly avoid, is any statement about when life begins, and hence whether embryos constitute human life.

It seems to me that without such a statement, the LDS Church is not able to engage the subject from a scholarly or theological level at all. As Clark goes on to note, the position is vague:

Rather than referring to the Biblical commandment "Thou shalt not kill," the church's 1991 statement on abortion cited a scripture from The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of revelations received by Joseph Smith, whom the church regards as its first prophet. The scripture reads, "Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it." The phrase "like unto it" suggests that while most abortions are sinful, they are not quite the same as murder.

This is where it gets strange. Such a vague statement, which seems deliberate, of course, leaves the door open for a wide array of interpretation. And so we get into the theology proposed by Sen. Smith, buttressed by his understanding of Mormon teaching.

Mormon doctrine holds that each person lived as a spirit child of God prior to being born and receiving a physical body on Earth. From this point of view, it makes no sense to say that life begins at conception. Instead, Mormons would say that life on earth begins when the spirit and body are united.

But why doesn't it make sense to say that? Of course, as Catholics, we reject the notion of the pre-existence of the soul, but why is it impossible to say that the soul, regardless of whether it pre-existed or whether it is created at that moment, joins the body at the moment of conception? Sen. Smith offers an alternative:

In his testimony, Sen. Smith made this very point. Without calling attention to his Mormon beliefs, he cited Genesis 2:7, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Smith went on to explain, "This allegory of creation describes a two-step process to life, one of the flesh, the other of the spirit." He compared stem cells to "the dust of the earth, —they are essential to life, but standing alone, will never constitute life." As Smith portrayed it, the onset of life, the union of spirit and body, takes place when the embryo is implanted in a womb.

Aha! At last.... but wha..? I think what Sen. Smith means to say is that human embryos, from which stem-cells are harvested, do not constitute life by themselves. That's quite a bold statement. Sen. Smith goes from that to say that the union of spirit and body must occur, not at conception, but at implantation. This line of reasoning seems like a stretch. Of course, given that we know that an embryo, which is formed at the instant of conception, is a distinct human organism with everything within itself necessary to develop into an adult human being, it makes no scientific or theological sense to argue that it is nothing at all until implantation. Yes, at implantation, the embryo will begin to receive nourishment and shelter, fueling its development, but nourishment and shelter do not define what the embryo is, ontologically speaking. So, even if Sen. Smith doesn't want to concede life at conception, why pick implantation as that moment? One could extend his argument to assert that the spirit doesn't join the body until some other arbitrary time... how about at birth? How about one month after birth? But, with Sen. Smith's line of reasoning, what happens if an embryo develops ex utero? If, in some distant future, we are able to develop a child outside of the womb, would that child then not have a soul because implantation never occured? It seems inconsistent.

Clark does mention the response of the Catholic Church to Sen. Smith's theology:

Richard Doerflinger, the associate director of pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, later described Smith's theory as "amateur theology."

I have to agree. Sen. Smith's argument that life can only exist at implantation and never before, frankly, makes no sense to me, given what we know about embryonic development. It seems to me that the only consistent position is to argue that a distinct human life can only begin at conception... a human life that is in a constant stage of human development until its natural death.

After Slate published this article, I found myself involved in several discussions with a few members of the LDS Church who wholeheartedly supported Sen. Smith's theology, as reported by Drew Clark. Of course, as I mentioned, Sen. Smith does not represent the official position of the LDS Church, but it seems to be an opinion that is gaining support amongst its members and among "pro-life" Republicans.

Doctrinal Development and the Early Church

From On Development in Religious Knowledge, by St. Vincent of Lerens (400-450 AD)

But some one will say, perhaps, "Shall there, then, be no progress in Christ's Church?" Certainly; all possible progress. For what being is there, so envious of men, so full of hatred to God, who would seek to forbid it? Yet on condition that it be real progress, not alteration of the faith. For progress requires that the subject be enlarged in itself, alteration, that it be transformed into something else.

The intelligence, then, the knowledge, the wisdom, as well of individuals as of all, as well of one man as of the whole Church, ought, in the course of ages and centuries, to increase and make much and vigorous progress; but yet only in its own kind; that is to say, in the same doctrine, in the same sense, and in the same meaning.

The growth of religion in the soul must be analogous to the growth of the body, which, though in process of years it is developed and attains its full size, yet remains still the same. There is a wide difference between the flower of youth and the maturity of age; yet they who were once young are still the same now that they have become old, insomuch that though the stature and outward form of the individual are changed, yet his nature is one and the same, his person is one and the same. An infant's limbs are small, a young man's large, yet the infant and the young man are the same. Men when full grown have the same number of joints that they had when children; and if there be any to which maturer age has given birth these were already present in embryo, so that nothing new is produced in them when old which was not already latent in them when children. This, then, is undoubtedly the true and legitimate rule of progress, this the established and most beautiful order of growth, that mature age ever develops in the man those parts and forms which the wisdom of the Creator had already framed beforehand in the infant? In like manner, it behooves Christian doctrine to follow the same laws of progress, so as to be consolidated by years, enlarged by time, refined by age, and yet, withal, to continue uncorrupt and unadulterate, complete and perfect in all the measurement of its parts, and, so to speak, in all its proper members and senses, admitting no change, no waste of its distinctive property, no variation in its limits?

This rather should be the result,--there should be no discrepancy between the first and the last. From doctrine which was sown as wheat, we should reap, in the increase, doctrine of the same kind--wheat also; so that when in process of time any of the original seed is developed, and now flourishes under cultivation, no change may ensue in the character of the plant. There may supervene shape, form, variation in outward appearance, but the nature of each kind must remain the same. God forbid that those rose-beds of Catholic interpretation should be converted into thorns and thistles. God forbid that in that spiritual paradise from plants of cinnamon and balsam darnel and wolfsbane should of a sudden shoot forth...

A beautiful concept so essential in understanding the Church. St. Vincent goes on to summarize:

But the Church of Christ, the careful and watchful guardian of the doctrines deposited in her charge, never changes anything in them, never diminishes, never adds, does not cut off what is necessary, does not add what is superfluous, does not lose her own, does not appropriate what is another's, but while dealing faithfully and judiciously with ancient doctrine, keeps this one object carefully in view,--if there be anything which antiquity has left shapeless and rudimentary, to fashion and polish it, if anything already reduced to shape and developed, to consolidate and strengthen it, if any already ratified and defined to keep and guard it. Finally, what other object have Councils ever aimed at in their decrees, than to provide that what was before believed in simplicity should in future be believed intelligently, that what was before preached coldly should in future be preached earnestly, that what was before practised negligently should thenceforward be practised with double solicitude? This, I say, is what the Catholic Church, roused by the novelties of heretics, has accomplished by the decrees of her Councils,--this, and nothing else,--she has thenceforward consigned to posterity in writing what she had received from those of olden times only by tradition, comprising a great amount of matter in a few words, and often, for the better understanding, designating an old article of the faith by the characteristic of a new name.

Ever ancient, ever new.

Trinity Sunday

O Trinity of blessed light,
O Unity of princely might,
the fiery sun now goes his way;
shed thou within our hearts thy ray.

To thee our morning song of praise,
to thee our evening prayer we raise;
O grant us with thy saints on high
to praise thee through eternity.

All laud to God the Father be;
all praise, eternal Son, to thee;
all glory, as is ever meet,
to God the holy Paraclete.

St. Ambrose of Milan (English translation: John Mason Neale, 1851)

Medieval Latin Paleography

Does anyone recommend Elements of Abbreviation in Medieval Latin Paleography by Adriano Cappelli as a good resource for the study of medieval abbreviation in manuscript texts? Are there better resources available?