St. Josemaría and the Early Fathers

Mike Aquilina, of the Way of the Fathers blog, reflects in a recent post on St. Josemaría Escrivá and the patristic influence behind the spirituality of Opus Dei:

Today, June 26, is the memorial of St. Josemaria Escriva, the 20th-century priest who founded Opus Dei, a path to holiness through ordinary work, family life, friendship, and such — the stuff of everyday life. His is a decidedly modern spirit, but he conceived it as a retrieval of the way of the “early Christians” (his preferred term). Opus Dei was, he said, “as old as the Gospel and, like the Gospel, ever new.” He often cited the authority of the Church Fathers. A quick scan of his books online at EscrivaWorks yields many passages from Clement of Alexandria, Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian, Ambrose, Justin Martyr, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo the Great, Jerome, lots and lots from John Chrysostom and Gregory the Great, and dozens from Augustine.

These early Christians were not mere ornaments on his pet project. His vocation was itself a return to the sources — the pre-Nicene sources of the life and labor of ordinary, faithful Christians. The journalist John L. Allen, in his book-length study of Opus Dei, described just how radical St. Josemaria’s vision was: “The idea of priests and laity, men and women, all part of one organic whole, sharing the same vocation and carrying out the same apostolic tasks, has not been part of the Catholic tradition, at least since the early centuries.”

Mike also links to a study by theologian Domingo Ramos-Lissón concerning St. Josemaría and his patristic influences. The article, entitled “The Example of the Early Christians in Blessed Josemaria’s Teachings,” is available online for free via the Opus Dei magazine Romana.

Time is a treasure that melts away



I wish all my readers a blessed feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá.

I'd like to remind you once more that we don't have much time left, tempus breve est, because life on earth is short, and also that, since we have the means, all that's needed is our good will to make use of the opportunities that God grants us. From the moment that Our Lord came into this world, 'the acceptable time, the day of salvation' commenced for us and for all men. May Our Father God never have to cast upon us the reproach he spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, 'the kite, circling in the air, knows its time; turtledove can guess, and swallow, and stork, when they should return; only for my people the divine appointment passes unobserved'.

There are no bad or inopportune days. All days are good, for serving God. Days become bad only when men spoil them with their lack of faith, their laziness and their indolence, which turns them away from working with God and for God. 'At all times I will bless the Lord.' Time is a treasure that melts away. It escapes from us, slipping through our fingers like water through the mountain rocks. Tomorrow will soon be another yesterday. Our lives are so very short. Yesterday has gone and today is passing by. But what a great deal can be done for the love of God in this short space of time!

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his sermon, Time is a Treasure.

Pray for us, and for all the faithful departed!

St. John the Baptist and Our Anniversary

We feel especially blessed that our wedding day fell on the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in 2006. Perhaps the most notable fact about the celebration of the Birth of St. John the Baptist [June 24th] is that it is set in a sort of opposition to the Birth of Jesus Christ [December 25th], which is at the other end of the liturgical year. Michael E. Lawrence of the New Liturgical Movement notes some of the special character of this special celebration:

there are two Christmases on the liturgical calendar, and the "Summer Christmas" was this past Sunday, the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

There are many theological connections between the births of St. John and of Our Lord... The birth of St. John marks the beginning of the shortening of days [summer solstice], and Christ's birth signals the beginning of the lengthening of days [winter solstice]. This relates quite profoundly to what John said about Christ the Light, "He must increase and I must decrease."

May our lives serve as a herald and witness of the Gospel, after the witness of John the Baptist, who leaped in his mother Elizabeth's womb in response to the Blessed Virgin's greeting -- this John who exclaimed, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

We were also blessed to have many of our family and friends in attendance at our wedding, and to have a nuptial mass nestled in a 15th century polyphonic mass setting, Guillaume Dufay's Missa Sine Nomine, complete with chanted Gregorian propers for the day, courtesy of renowned Dufay scholar, Prof. Alejandro Planchart -- a new experience for some of our guests, but an experience thoroughly appreciated by us.

Of course, music and other external elements aside, the experience of standing before God and His Church to state our intentions and profess our vows, together with the experience of receiving Holy Communion for the first time as man and wife, provided many profound moments of grace for us (but aren't all moments of grace profound?). And that is what it is about: grace, unto salvation, so that we might be God's handiwork, as St. Paul says to the Ephesians, "created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them."

Prince of Peace, Moral Theology, and Scott Hahn

While visiting family and friends near to the city of Oceanside, CA, we made a couple of visits to the Prince of Peace Benedictine Abbey for daily mass and adventure. I had been there a few times in the past, but never for mass. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the celebration of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi there on June 7th with Abbot Charles Wright, OSB, presiding -- complete with mitre and crozier!

While at the abbey, I popped in to the used book shelf where I was able to snag a copy of the 34th edition of the Compendium Theologiae Moralis by Aloysius Sabetti, SJ (with added codex by Timothy Barrett, SJ), published in 1939, for only $10.

I also picked up a copy of one of Scott Hahn's latest books, Letter and Spirit, which I had desired to read, as it treats a subject very dear to my heart -- the formulation of the canon of scripture and its integral role within the Jewish and Christian liturgy. We tend to focus quite a bit on the who and the what involved in the formulation of the canon, but, in my experience, we tend to skim over the why, and thus we miss the point of the issue.

The scriptures were canonized precisely for the purpose of proclamation within the context of the liturgy. Liturgy is naturally the primary context through which Christians have always encountered the scriptures. And, of course, the liturgy would not be what it is without the scriptures. Because it is already so much a part of our worship, we sometimes take this for granted, but let us not lose sight of this treasure and its importance! The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed the importance of Scripture to the celebration of the liturgy in Sacrosanctum Concilium (24), which asserted, Sacred scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy... Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony.

Trips, birthdays, anniversaries...

We just returned from a lengthy visit to Southern California. I'll blog more about the trip, but we enjoyed spending time with our family and friends, most of whom we hadn't seen since our move to Texas almost a year ago...

In other news, I turned 29 about a week ago, and my wife and I will celebrate our first anniversary tomorrow, which is, incidentally, the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

All y'all and other myths

Have you ever had somebody tell you that y'all is a singular reference, and all y'all is actually plural? If so, politely inform them that they are mistaken. It is a common misconception. I've heard this myth pretty often myself, primarily by people who don't actually use y'all in their common speaking. While I am technically a Southerner, being from Alabama originally, I don't count myself as one who uses y'all. Nonetheless, I have family in the South going back many, many generations who would be shocked at the inference that y'all meant anything other than you all (plural).

I've been called to task on this before, and so I had better cover my bases. There does appear to be a small minority of people, perhaps primarily in some locations in Texas (though not in areas any of my clan has ever lived), who insist on using y'all with reference to one person with no implicit reference to absent persons. English being a language as it is, there's really no way to prevent deviations from the norm, but this usage is not standard and is actually quite confusing.

Frequently I think that this is actually a misinterpretation on the part of others who do not comprehend an implied reference to other individuals not actually present. I know I've been by myself and have been addressed as y'all several times, but the inference is always, you and your kin, family, clan, folks, etc....

I think Wikipedia actually characterizes the controversy best:

While y'all is generally used in the Southern United States as the plural form of "you" a scant but vocal minority argue that the term can be used in the singular. Adding confusion to this issue is that observers attempting to judge usage may witness a single person addressed as y'all if the speaker implies in the reference other persons not present: "Did y'all [you and others] have dinner yet?"

It has been argued by one linguist that the singular y'all is in reality a polite form of address, corresponding to 'vous' in French, 'usted' in Spanish, and 'Sie' in German.

And a few have noted what this linguist states in the following quote:

That y'all or you-all cannot have primarily singular reference ... is a cardinal article of faith in the South. ... Nevertheless, it has been questioned very often , and with a considerable showing of evidence. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, to be sure, you-all indicates a plural, implicit if not explicit, and thus means, when addressed to a single person, 'you and your folks' or the like, but the hundredth time it is impossible to discover any such extension of meaning.

– H.L. Mencken, , 1948, p.337

Well, there it is. If you insist on using y'all as a singular form of address, you are merely part of a "scant but vocal minority".

As for all y'all, I've personally only heard this used when a large group is being addressed. Perhaps it might correspond to a specific linguistic characteristic such as the Greek Dual.

Justin Martyr and the Liturgy

I almost forgot; since yesterday we remembered St. Justin Martyr, I wanted to reflect on some of his well-known discussion of the Christian liturgy as he knew it in the 2nd century.

From the First Apology, Ch. 65-66:

But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to γένοιτο [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.

And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do in remembrance of Me, Luke 22:19 this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone.

Notice he refers to the presider giving thanks, and he then refers specifically to the elements of bread and wine over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, calling them "Eucharist", from the Greek Εὐχαριστία, from "thanksgiving". The prayer offered over the elements, involving a supreme act of thanksgiving, is therefore eucharistic in nature. The elements are blessed by the prayer of His word and are received not as common food but as the flesh and blood of Jesus who was made flesh. To support this, Justin then refers to the account of the Last Supper and Christ's institution of the Eucharistic meal with the command "This do in remembrance [anamnesis] of me". This is from anamnesis, which refers to more than just remembering an event but rather commemorating it, a reliving of the past as a present reality. With this in mind, we move on to the next chapter in which Justin goes into more detail concerning the whole of the liturgy itself as he experienced it:

And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.

These stories are obviously an important part of our history, although their meaning has been the subject of no little amount of debate between Christian groups. The reflections are very rich and contain great depth and insight. We Catholics are often accused of reading our own understanding into the text, which can be said of any group who reads it. I see it, rather, as simply the recognition of something that is so obviously familiar to us, having a more developed understanding of Eucharist, and what for us entails the Divine Liturgy, or the Mass, during which bread and wine are offered and blessed by the prayer of the Word of God in thanksgiving and are received by us not as common food but precisely as Jesus Christ in the flesh. I can appreciate the simplicity with which Justin describes the act and the experience of Christian liturgy.

St. Justin Martyr

Today is the memorial feast of St. Justin, philosopher, martyred with other companions during the reign of Marcus Aurelius circa 165AD. From today's Office of Readings:

From the Acts of the martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints.

The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgment seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: "Above all, have faith in the gods and obey the emperors." Justin said: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Savior, Jesus Christ."

Rusticus said: "What system of teaching do you profess?" Justin said: "I have tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?" Justin said: "Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching."

The prefect Rustic said: "What sort of teaching is that?" Justin said: "Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men."

Rusticus said: "You are a Christian, then?" Justin said: "Yes, I am a Christian."

The prefect said to Justin: "You are called a learned man and think you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?" Justin said: "I hope that I shall enter God's house if I suffer in that way. For I know that God's favor is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?" Justin said: "It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Now let us come to the point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods." Justin said: "No one who is right-thinking stoops from true worship to false worship."

The prefect Rusticus said: "If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy." Justin said: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgment-seat of our Lord and Savior."

In the same way the other martyrs also said: "Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols."

The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: "Let those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws." Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Savior."

St. Justin, pray for us!

I look at Him, He looks at me

I recall a time when, long ago, as a Protestant, I had a powerful encounter with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, reserved in the tabernacle. Back then, a heavy anchor weighed heavily on my soul. I clung to it, foolishly, yet I sought for some way to let it go. I walked into the church building where the tabernacle was located, merely desiring to sit and take my rest. More than not understanding the Real Presence (who does?), I didn't even believe in it at the time. Yet, something happened to me in that moment.

For a long time, I didn't know how to comprehend the experience. As I later reflected on it, I realized how contemplative the moment was, almost in spite of myself. I was blind - puffed up, full of myself. I had a desire to repent, not knowing how to take the first step. Christ stripped me down of that anchor and restored my sight. The moment was simple; no words were uttered. I had been a fool, but Christ had always been there, loving me throughout my entire life. In ways even surpassing the love of a mother for her child, He had loved me. The experience strengthened my resolve to run towards Christ, following Him to the Catholic Church.

Nowadays, I aim to spend some time each week before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. I've gotten into the routine of visiting our parish's perpetual adoration chapel every Sunday before mass. Sorry fool that I am, much of the time is spent contending with the various distractions of the outside world. But then I remind myself, back to my encounter with Him so long ago and through to today, I don't leave my life on the doorstep when I enter the chapel. I take it with me, and there, in that place, I give it to Him. No words are necessary. I look at Him, and He looks at me. I like the way the Catechism describes some of these simple moments of contemplation (paragraphs 2711, 2715):

Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we "gather up:" the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed.

Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. "I look at him and he looks at me": This is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy cure' used to say while praying before the tabernacle. This focus on Jesus is a renunciation of self. His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus it learns the "interior knowledge of our Lord," the more to love him and follow him.

Laudetur Iesus Christus!

Pentecost

From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop (Lib. 3, 17. 1-3):

When the Lord told his disciples to go and teach all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, he conferred on them the power of giving men new life in God. He had promised through the prophets that in these last days he would pour out his Spirit on his servants and handmaids, and that they would prophesy. So when the Son of God became the Son of Man, the Spirit also descended upon him, becoming accustomed in this way to dwelling with the human race, to living in men and to inhabiting God’s creation. The Spirit accomplished the Father’s will in men who had grown old in sin, and gave them new life in Christ.

Luke says that the Spirit came down on the disciples at Pentecost, after the Lord’s ascension, with power to open the gates of life to all nations and to make known to them the new covenant. So it was that men of every language joined in singing one song of praise to God, and scattered tribes, restored to unity by the Spirit, were offered to the Father as the first fruits of all the nations.

This was why the Lord had promised to send the Advocate: he was to prepare us as an offering to God. Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven. And like parched ground, which yields no harvest unless it receives moisture, we who were once like a waterless tree could never have lived and borne fruit without this abundant rainfall from above. Through the baptism that liberates us from change and decay we have become one in body; through the Spirit we have become one in soul.

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of God came down upon the Lord, and the Lord in turn gave this Spirit to his Church, sending the Advocate from heaven into all the world into which, according to his own words, the devil too had been cast down like lightning. If we are not to be scorched and made unfruitful, we need the dew of God. Since we have our accuser, we need an Advocate as well. And so the Lord in his pity for man, who had fallen into the hands of brigands, having himself bound up his wounds and left for his care two coins bearing the royal image, entrusted him to the Holy Spirit. Now, through the Spirit, the image and inscription of the Father and the Son have been given to us, and it is our duty to use the coin committed to our charge and make it yield a rich profit for the Lord.

This Spirit, as Our Lord says in John 16:13, But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. Thank you, Lord, for the Catholic Church!

Chimay Trappist Ale



Last weekend, we opened a bottle of Chimay Grande Réserve Trappist Ale, brewed by the famous Trappist monks of Chimay in Belgium, near to the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Scourmont. What can one say but, oh, thank heaven! It was quite good.

Domus Dei et Porta Caeli

From my parish, St. Theresa Catholic Church in Sugar Land, TX.

I snapped this photo of our newly renovated sanctuary after mass this morning (click to enlarge), the fruit of many months of hard work. Architect: Duncan Stroik:



Here is a close up of the new altar. Relics of St. Therese of Lisieux are entombed visibly inside of it:


From Built of Living Stones Ch 2:56,60:

At the Eucharist, the liturgical assembly celebrates the ritual sacrificial meal that recalls and makes present Christ's life, death, and resurrection, proclaiming "the death of the Lord until he comes." The altar is "the center of thanksgiving that the Eucharist accomplishes" and the point around which the other rites are in some manner arrayed... In the Church's history and tradition, the altar was often placed over the tombs of the saints or the relics of saints were deposited beneath the altar. The presence of relics of saints in the altar provides a witness to the Church's belief that the Eucharist celebrated on the altar is the source of the grace that won sanctity for the saints.

My friend, Bill Cork

Bill Cork wonders whether honest friendships can endure religious conversions. He asks this in the context of his recent reversion to Seventh-day Adventism. Before I say anything, I want to say that my wife and I count Bill and his family among our good, close friends -- even prior to our move to Houston. I've known Bill for going on 11 years and respect him as one of the most intelligent, faithful, and loyal people I've ever met. He has been a teacher, guide, and friend to me during these many years, and is always willing to lend a helping hand, or offer some otherwise useful piece of knowledge about a great many things. He's worked tirelessly for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, with great results, in spite of great and understandable frustration. I still hold him in great esteem, and I trust that our friendship will continue. Though it still requires effort, it is, of course, well worth it.

It would be an understatement to say that we were shocked at his re-embrace of Seventh-day Adventism, yet I still rejoice that I can still consider him to be a brother in Christ, in spite of our communal differences. Broken communion is still a scandal no matter how one looks at it, but it doesn't have to be insurmountable. It's the reality we have to work with in our present world, unfortunately. I know this in my own family and Protestant background.

I had avoided bringing this up on my own blog because I know the way in which controversy like this attracts all sorts of conjecture. I had desired to simply let Bill make his decision and express his reasons why, and let it be at that. Lately, however, I have seen much in his writing that merits highly critical examination, particularly in those cases where it seems he knowingly or unknowingly distorts or misrepresents the teachings of the Catholic Faith -- in particular because I know he knows better than to do this. That is my own personal observation. The difficulty for everyone concerns how to balance our pastoral sensitivity, for lack of a better term, with what is obviously for him not easy, while at the same time maintaining our commitment to what we believe is true. I do have to say that I haven't been too impressed with the way he has sought to intimidate or brush aside those who sincerely offer opposing points of view, but it's his blog, and he has full authority there -- he only wants to lay out his reasons without debate in his own space. I also know that for every good comment he gets, he gets 1000 nutty ones. Yet out of my own concern for some of the confusion his writings have been causing for some folks, I have offered whatever resources I can. In light of what Bill has been teaching with regard to his criticisms of the Catholic faith and his articulations of some of what Adventists believe, certainly he can appreciate a well rounded critique.

My congratulations to Bill in his new position as associate pastor of a Seventh-day Adventist church here in Houston. I can easily understand that Bill and his family are very happy that they are no longer divided. I would like to ask that he and his family continue to hold my family in prayer, and if he still appreciates a good beer now and again, I hope he knows there is more available!

On Divine Filiation

Low Sunday brings to my memory a pious tradition of my own country. On this day, in which the liturgy invites us to hunger for spiritual food — rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite, to desire the spiritual milk, that is free from guile — it was customary to take Holy Communion to the sick (they did not have to be seriously ill) so that they could fulfill their Easter duties.

In some large cities, each parish would organise its own eucharistic procession. From my days as a university student in Saragossa, I remember frequently seeing thousands of people crossing the Coso in three separate contingents made up entirely of men, thousands of men!, carrying huge burning candles. Strong and robust men they were, accompanying Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, with a faith that was greater than those candles that weighed so much.

Last night when I found myself awake several times I repeated, as an aspiration, the words, quasi modo geniti infantes, as new-born babes. It occurred to me that the Church's invitation today is very well suited to all of us who feel the reality of our divine filiation. It is certainly right that we be very strong, very solid, men of mettle who can influence our environment; and yet, before God, how good it is to see ourselves as little children!

Quasi modo geniti infantes, rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite: like children just born into the world, cry out for the clean and pure milk of the spirit. How marvelous this verse from St Peter is and how appropriate that the liturgy should then add: exsultate Deo adiutori nostro: iubilate Deo Iacob: leap with joy in honour of God; acclaim the God of Jacob, who is also Our Lord and Father. But today I would like us, you and I, to meditate not so much on the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, which draws from our hearts the greatest possible praise for Jesus, but on the certainty of our divine filiation and on some of the consequences deriving from it for all who want to live their Christian faith nobly and earnestly.

-St. Josemaría Escrivá, from his homily, Getting to know God.

Dies Domini & Adventism

DIES DOMINI, A Theological Resource for Catholic-Adventist Dialogue.

The site is an interesting starting point for those of us who know next to nothing about Seventh-day Adventism and are confronted with some of its more bizarre and peculiar doctrines. It also reveals some interesting information concerning the various debates on biblical interpretation -- from either point of view. Of particular interest is the collection of essays regarding the "Intermediate Condition" of the soul (scroll down). The reference is to thnetopsychism and psychopannychism, the assertion that the soul is not immortal and dies with the body only to be resurrected with the body, and the insistence that the soul lies unconscious between bodily death and the bodily resurrection -- the "intermediate condition", sometimes referred to as "soul sleep". Some of these articles are from the folks at the sda2rc blog.

Yes, there has certainly been debate about some of these issues, but does Scripture really provide a clear and consistent witness to them? Don't be fooled. Let us not be, as St. Paul warns, "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles."

Laudetur Iesus Christus

What do you see?

Recently I was reflecting upon the following statement made by the Holy Father when he opened the Synod on the Eucharist during the Fall of 2005:

The Eucharist might also be considered as a 'lens' with which to constantly examine the face and path of the Church, which Christ founded so that all may know the love of God and find in him the fullness of life... The Eucharist, in fact, is the motor of the whole of the Church's evangelizing action, as the heart is in the human body. Christian communities -- without the Eucharistic celebration, where they are nourished at the dual table of the Word and body of Christ -- would lose their authentic nature: Only in the measure that they are "Eucharistic" can they transmit Christ, and not just ideas or values regardless of how noble or important they are.

When I entered the Church in 1997, I really believed that I had stumbled upon something quite out of the ordinary. I plunged into mysterious depths, deep into the very soul of Christ, the God-man who offers Himself for us, who is made present for us in the holy Eucharist in a true and abiding presence. Yet I was frustrated that my Protestant friends couldn't see what I saw, and I was unable to explain it to them. My Protestant worship, while sincere, seemed blurred by comparison. What I had now encountered was something more clear, something that truly brought everything in my life, and indeed in all of life, into focus -- a real lens. Oddly, as I reflect on it now, I think of that line from Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, in which Louis is asked what he saw after becoming a vampire:

What did you see? No words can describe it. Might as well ask Heaven what it sees. No human can know. The statue seemed to move, but didn't. The world had changed, yet stayed the same.

Yet how easy it is for us to take this for granted! Two years ago, a Dominican priest visited my parish in Santa Barbara and offered Sunday mass. He preached a homily about the importance of not just seeing something, but actually looking at it. And not just looking at it, but looking with it, as a frame for seeing everything around it. He would ask the question, What do you see? Again: What do you see? Again: What do you see?

Well, the point seemed a bit hokey to me at the time, so I brushed it off as he continued on with the mass. Only a few minutes would pass before I truly realized what he was asking us to do. As he held aloft the Precious Body of Our Lord and the Chalice filled with His Blood, before exclaiming, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, he interjected the true and absolute question, What do you see?

Yes, yes, perhaps he should not have improvised at that point during the liturgy, but it seemed so poignant. We are given this extraordinary gift, which is Christ Himself, a gift of inestimable value, which is near impossible to articulate with words. And as Benedict also says, the Eucharist is the heart of the Church and the heart of any Eucharistic community. As such, as it is living, it is also life-giving. It is, as Benedict says, the motor of the whole of the Church's evangelizing action. It is the Eucharist that stands out. It is the Eucharist that makes things clear. Master, to whom shall we go?

Fullness Of Truth Houston Conference: June 23/24

Theme: Reasons to Believe!

Weekend Conference with Archbishop DiNardo, Dr. Scott Hahn, Eucharistic Adoration + Benediction, Mass, Confessions, Musical concerts, more. Check it out!

Tickets @ 800-731-4500, details at www.fullnessoftruth.org

Tout est bien

Car il est impossible que les choses ne soient pas où elles sont. Car tout est bien... -Pangloss, le professeur

Finally got around to playing with this new blogger template..

Benedict and Liberation Theology

John Allen discusses the "Love/Hate Relationship between Benedict and Liberation Theology" in his coverage of the first day of the Holy Father's visit to South America:

At the heart of Ratzinger’s critique of liberation were two key theological motifs, which recur time and again in his writing on other subjects.

(1) Truth: Because the liberationists argued that theological understanding should follow political commitment, Ratzinger believed they were saying that praxis is the standard for judging the rightness of doctrine. In other words, one decides which Christian teachings are “true” on the basis of how well they support political efforts for social justice. As early as 1968 in his Introduction to Christianity, Ratzinger was resisting the “tyranny of the factum,” the tendency to reduce truth to what one does instead of what reality is. This mistake leads some to present Christianity as a tool for changing the world, and to “transpose belief itself to this place.” Thus all doctrine is suspect unless it is useful for social change.

Ratzinger was not simply projecting this understanding onto the liberationists; some did hold this position. Juan Luis Segundo's famous line from Theology for Artisans of a New Humanity was: “The only truth is the truth that is efficacious for liberation.” Similarly, the Brazilian Hugo Assmann wrote in 1976: “The Bible! It doesn’t exist. The only Bible is the sociological Bible of what I see happening here and now.”

(2) Eschatology: Ratzinger's fundamental complaint about liberation theology is that it embodies a mistaken notion of eschatology. The liberationists, Ratzinger believes, are looking for the Kingdom of God on this earth and in this order of history. This sort of utopianism is not merely wrong, Ratzinger says, it's dangerous. Whenever a social or political movement makes absolutist claims about what it can deliver, fascism is not far down the road. It is the lesson of Nazi Germany, Ratzinger argues, and it is the lesson of Soviet Russia.

Thus the goal of Christian must be to strip politics out of eschatology. As he put in his 1987 book Church, Ecumenism and Politics: “Where there is no dualism, there is totalitarianism.”

In Ratzinger's judgment, the consequences of liberation theology's warped eschatology show up in at least four ways.

1. Defections from Catholicism: By promising the poor a reign of justice that never comes, Ratzinger believes, liberation theology actually estranged them from Catholicism and led many of them to seek a transcendental faith somewhere else.
2. Terror. If you allow yourself to believe that a perfect society can be the work of human hands, Ratzinger believes, those hands will end up stained with blood.
3. Dissent: Ratzinger has long believed that, inspired by liberation theology, Catholics will perceive a form of “class struggle” between those who hold ecclesial power and those excluded from it, and will thus demand “liberation” from oppressive church structures.
4. Collapse into the culture: Ultimately, what is at stake for Ratzinger is his Augustinian understanding of the distinction between church and culture. To the extent that liberation theology vests its hopes in secular political progress rather than the liberation only Christ can bring, Ratzinger felt, it lost sight of the cross.

None of this means, however, that Ratzinger has an unremittingly bleak view of liberation theology.

In a more positive 1986 document, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Ratzinger declared, “Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a love of preference on the part of the church, which since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members has not ceased to work for their relief, defense and liberation.”

The Evolution of Homer

Cardinal Mahony and the Pastoral Provision

Last Sunday, Cardinal Mahony ordained William Lowe to the priesthood, the first married and former Episcopalian priest to be ordained in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by way of the Pastoral Provision established under Pope John Paul II. From Cardinal Mahony's statement:

We all welcome Father Lowe and his wife Linda to this unique offering of their gifts to build up the Body of Christ, His Church. They both bring with them their own experience of the Christian tradition, and their love for the Catholic Church and its ministries.

The priestly ordination of married men who were formerly Lutheran or Episcopalian clergy is neither as unusual nor as recent a development as it is popularly perceived. The practice of ordaining such persons in Germany goes back at least to the pontificate of Pope Pius XII [1939-1958]. This practice is not so much an example of relaxing the discipline of priestly celibacy as it is an instance of an extraordinary act of compassion on the part of the Church in regard to someone whose whole life had been spent in both preparation for, and the exercise of, pastoral ministry.

Thus, the individual’s reception into full communion with the Catholic Church does not carry with it the requisite that he renounce or reject this vocation; but, instead, the self-offering of the person who is received into the Church leads to the completion, the “consecration,” so to speak, of their earlier ministry.

The person thus brings with him and offers to the Church the particular gifts and talent for pastoral ministry he had partly developed in another part of the Christian family. Again, this is not a precedent that implies any diminishing of the value of celibacy in priestly ministry, but an instance in which the Church acts in an exceptional way to strengthen and ennoble the gifts brought its newest members.

We all welcome Father William Lowe as he begins to share in the Roman Catholic Priesthood, and we offer Father Lowe and Linda our prayers and support as they begin this new leg of their faith journeys.

Archdiocesan statement here. I haven't been able to find out where Fr. Lowe will serve or in what capacity, but it's interesting nonetheless. We are fortunate to have here in Texas a number of priests ordained under the same Pastoral Provision, former clergyman from other Christian denominations. And as I've mentioned before, here in Houston we have a personal parish of the pastoral provision, a parish of the Anglican Use: Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church.

Musica Sacra Sugar Land

St. Theresa Catholic Church will be offering a series of First Friday concerts to celebrate the arrival of the new harpsichord and organ. The concerts are offered free of charge, begin at 7:30 pm, and will last about an hour. According to the notice, "The concerts will be directed by Dr. Gregory Hamilton, music director, and will feature many noteworthy guest artists and also musicians of the St. Theresa community."

This is what they have planned:

June 1st, 7:30pm: Canten al Señor un Cántico Nuevo!
An engaging program of Latin American music by Susan Karako, our assistant organist at St. Theresa.

July 6th, 7:30pm: American Inspiration
Music for organ by American composers of our time, reflecting Patriotic tunes, hymns, and composers. Music by Diemer, Bolcom, Hamilton, Halley, and others. With Courtney Kilgard, flute.

August 3rd, 7:30pm: The Great Buxtehude
Music from this brilliant and tuneful Danish/German master, performed by Gregory Hamilton, with harpsichord and organ, in honor of the 300th anniversary of his death. With guests from the music ministry of St. Theresa.

September 7th, 7:30pm: The Beauty of the French Baroque
Harpsichord and organ music from Catholic France, 1650-1750, one of the richest periods in music history.

October 5th, 7:30pm: Dr. Joanna Elliot
We welcome international recitalist Dr. Joanna Elliot for a performance of virtuosity and musical elegance.

November 2nd, 7:30pm: Remembrance Vespers
The Choirs of St. Theresa and St. Laurence will combine for this annual sacred event.

All events at:
St. Theresa Catholic Church
115 Seventh St.
Sugar Land, TX 77478

http://www.sttheresasugarland.org

May, the month of Mary

Our parish bulletin offered a timely reflection based on this quotation from the Second Vatican Council's document Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, section 60-63:

60. There is but one Mediator as we know from the words of the apostle, "for there is one God and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a redemption for all". The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no wise obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows His power. For all the salvific influence of the Blessed Virgin on men originates, not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. It flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on His mediation, depends entirely on it and draws all its power from it. In no way does it impede, but rather does it foster the immediate union of the faithful with Christ.

61. Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was in this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. She presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.

62. This maternity of Mary in the order of grace began with the consent which she gave in faith at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, and lasts until The eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into the happiness of their true home. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. This, however, is to be so understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator.

For no creature could ever be counted as equal with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer. Just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by the ministers and by the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is really communicated in different ways to His creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source.

The Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary. It knows it through unfailing experience of it and commends it to the hearts of the faithful, so that encouraged by this maternal help they may the more intimately adhere to the Mediator and Redeemer.

63. By reason of the gift and role of divine maternity, by which she is united with her Son, the Redeemer, and with His singular graces and functions, the Blessed Virgin is also intimately united with the Church. As St. Ambrose taught, the Mother of God is a type of the Church in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ. For in the mystery of the Church, which is itself rightly called mother and virgin, the Blessed Virgin stands out in eminent and singular fashion as exemplar both of virgin and mother. By her belief and obedience, not knowing man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, as the new Eve she brought forth on earth the very Son of the Father, showing an undefiled faith, not in the word of the ancient serpent, but in that of God's messenger. The Son whom she brought forth is He whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, namely the faithful, in whose birth and education she cooperates with a maternal love.

Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus...

St. Theresa Organ Dedication

Though we have been using it liturgically for lo, these past few weeks, the official dedication for the new organ at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Sugar Land will be this Friday, May 4th, at 7:30pm. I am told that there will be music by "Bach, Widor, Benoit, and the wonderful St. Theresa choirs!" Come on down!

Oral Contraceptives and Pre-Menopausal Breast Cancer

My wife comments about the link between oral contraceptives and cancer as reported by a 2006 Mayo Clinic meta study:

A Mayo Clinic meta study finds link between oral contraceptive pill use and increased pre-menopausal breast cancer risk. This connection is not entirely new to the medical community. The study documentation states (emphasis and brackets mine):

Approximately 2 in 15 American women are expected to develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and nearly 40,000 women die of the disease annually. During the past 4 decades [Incidentally, that's since the 1960's when the Pill began to pick up greater popularity], breast cancer rates have risen steadily worldwide and have risen even faster in more developed countries, especially among younger women...

The Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial reported that prolonged exposure to exogenous estrogens and progestins in hormone therapy increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, the World Health Organization recently classified both postmenopausal hormone replacement and oral contraceptives (OCs) as group 1 carcinogens.

The ultimate conclusion of the study?

Use of OCs is associated with an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer, especially with use before FFTP [First Full-Term Pregnancy] in parous women...

"Parous" women are women who have had at least one full term pregnancy. The translation? If you used birth control pills before your first full term pregnancy, your risk is particularly elevated. This is because:

Differentiation of the mammary gland associated with pregnancy inhibits carcinogenic initiation and may explain the natural protection that pregnancy has been shown to confer.

Read the study here.

As my wife mentions, this association is not new and has been suspected for a long time. Why should this be a surprise, though? The hormones are used to force a woman's body into a state of malfunction. Why should we not expect that the body would react in an unhealthy manner? Yet millions of women are not told about these risks, and many others simply underestimate them. I know that the pill is thrown at just about every other medical condition as well, as my wife continues:

Now, I know for a fact that there are women my age who were using the pill during their adolescence for everything from cycle regulation, to acne control to birth control--even as young as thirteen. And now they face increased breast-cancer risk because people have been throwing these pills around without hesitation? Not cool.

And let us not forget about the increased risk of deadly blood clots and other cardiovascular risks such as stroke and heart attack. Also, remember the pill's abortifacient function: the deliberate function to reduce the endometrium of the uterus to prevent implantation of a fertilized egg should "breakthrough ovulation" and subsequent fertilization occur.

Bottom line - These types of contraceptives, even when used for purposes other than birth control, are poisonous to a woman's body in just about every way.

The Tallis Scholars on YouTube

The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd's Vigilate:



William Byrd (c.1540 – 4 July 1623) was a composer of sacred and secular music during the English Renaissance. His is a very interesting story. And the Tallis Scholars is a most excellent group. I had the good fortune of hearing them sing a Christmas concert in Santa Barbara back in 2004.

Clip courtesy of the New Liturgical Movement blog.

Five Streams of the Emerging Church

Interesting article from Christianity Today by Scot McKnight. Courtesy of Pastor Billy Calderwood of the Aqueous Church in Goleta, CA.

The article discusses the Emerging Church phenomenon and its varieties... while also knocking down some urban legends. In particular, I thought McKnight made a good point that we can understand the emerging church as an evolving post-evangelicalism:

A fourth stream flowing into the emerging lake is characterized by the term "post-evangelical". The emerging movement is a protest against much of evangelicalism as currently practiced. It is post-evangelical in the way that neo-evangelicalism (in the 1950s) was post-fundamentalist. It would not be unfair to call it postmodern evangelicalism.

This also includes what McKnight calls a post-systematic theology:

The emerging movement tends to be suspicious of systematic theology. Why? Not because we don't read systematics, but because the diversity of theologies alarms us, no genuine consensus has been achieved, God didn't reveal a systematic theology but a storied narrative, and no language is capable of capturing the Absolute Truth who alone is God. Frankly, the emerging movement loves ideas and theology. It just doesn't have an airtight system or statement of faith... Hence, a trademark feature of the emerging movement is that we believe all theology will remain a conversation about the Truth who is God in Christ through the Spirit, and about God's story of redemption at work in the church. No systematic theology can be final. In this sense, the emerging movement is radically Reformed. It turns its chastened epistemology against itself, saying, "This is what I believe, but I could be wrong. What do you think? Let's talk."

Being a believer in the necessity of a dogmatic theology, which I also believe is essentially progressive, I quite frankly don't see how any movement like this can have any lasting impact on the world. I realize my conclusion is rather harsh, and I hope that Pastor Billy will forgive me for that. Nonetheless, I do appreciate their interest in discussing that with me. (really!)

Anti-Catholicism?

Since the five members of the Court who voted to uphold the ban on partial birth abortion are Catholics, the Church must obviously be pulling the strings, right?



Nod to Father Peregrinator.

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Upheld!

Yee-haw! The Supreme Court has upheld the ban on the horrid procedure popularly known as partial-birth abortion. My wife comments:

It should really be called partial birth infanticide, though. It is performed late in pregnancy (after 20 weeks), often after the baby is able to survive outside of the womb (24 weeks is the generally accepted beginning of "viability", though occasionally a baby can defy that). The only part of the baby that is not delivered right away is the head, which is punctured, emptied, and then removed from the birth canal...

The life and health of the mother is often cited as a reason for keeping this "Intact Dilation and Extraction" or "ID&X" procedure legal. Proponents say that it is safer than childbirth and carrying a risky pregnancy to term.... So.... a breech birth, which for otherwise healthy, wanted pregnancies is usually considered dangerous in and of itself, is better for a woman with a high-risk pregnancy than a complete delivery? Even though it is artificially induced, and involves sharp implements thrust into the baby's head while it is till inside the woman's body?

Young taxpayers in the dark on 401(k)s and other tax-related benefits

Interesting article from CCH Internet Research NetWork™

Young taxpayers are significantly less likely to take advantage of tax-related benefits, are most likely not to know whether they are eligible to participate in benefit plans, and nearly one in five rate their employers as terrible in providing information about tax-advantaged planning, according to findings from a nationwide CCH CompleteTax survey.

"You generally can't avoid taxes, but there are some ways you can reduce them without a lot of pain. Unfortunately, taxpayers are still not as informed as they should be or participating as much as they could be to realize these tax savings," said David Bergstein, CPA, a tax analyst for CCH CompleteTax.

The survey of 1,290 U.S. adult taxpayers, commissioned by CCH and conducted by Harris Interactive, found that many taxpayers are not taking full advantage of basic tax-saving strategies and those 18-24 years of age are the least likely to be doing so. The biggest jump in usage of tax-advantaged programs occurs between the age groups of 18-24 and 25-34, with the percentage of individuals contributing to a medical flexible spending account (FSA) or 401(k) plan more than doubling between these age groups, and the percentage contributing to an individual retirement account (IRA) increasing 10 percentage points. The survey also found that 14 percent of all adult taxpayers are currently not saving for retirement.

Many employers will even match a percentage of your 401(k) contributions.

Animated Bayeux Tapestry



The Bayeux Tapestry is a long and intricate piece of medieval embroidery that recounts the Norman Invasion and Conquest of England in the year 1066AD. By itself, it tells an amazing tale. The image fraction shown above depicts the sighting of what was actually Halley's Comet, interpreted then as a sign of impending doom. However, when the tapestry is enhanced with animation and subtitles (and interesting sound effects), it truly comes alive. Check it out (~4 mins on YouTube.com):



Tri-cornered hat tip to Prof. Richard Nokes of Unlocked Wordhoard and to Anachronista for this.

Wicked, the Musical



Tonight we went downtown to see Wicked, the Broadway Musical, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston. Christina had read the book, and I wanted to see what all of the hub-bub was about. It was very good; we enjoyed it! Check it out!

Elvis and the Mass



You've seen that old 1969 movie with Elvis and the nuns, right? It's called Change of Habit, where Elvis falls for Mary Tyler Moore, who plays a nun who goes undercover in order to minister in an urban minority community? The movie was a sort of statement on the social and ecclesiastical changes of the 1960's. It's classic.

I think the final scene summarizes what was in store for the Church quite nicely. Fortunately, youtube.com has it (~2.25 mins):



Elvis is singing his groovy piece, Let Us Pray, during the offertory in this scene, complete with groovy backup singers and dancers. No, that's not distracting in the least bit! My favorite part is when the old woman says, Gimme the old days when you could go to mass and not think about a blessed thing! I wonder what my pastor would say. ;)

The scene also attempts to illustrate the internal conflict felt by Mary Tyler Moore's character: should she remain a nun, or pursue a life of love with Elvis? You understand because of the various images that flash on the screen: Elvis? or Jesus? Elvis? or Jesus?

The Holy Fire

I don't want to enrage any of my Eastern Orthodox readers, but I speak out of genuine ignorance here. What's the deal with the Holy Fire?

From what I have read, it's an alleged miracle flame, documented for the last 1000 years, that apparently appears out of nowhere every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday. An Eastern Orthodox bishop (typically the Patriarch of Jerusalem) enters the tomb within the church, says the right prayers, and emerges with a lit torch. The flame is then spread to candles held by thousands of believers outside of the church who claim the flame will not burn them for 33 minutes after ignition. I read one story that said that the flame is even flown back to Greece. Here is a video of the flame being bought out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, last year (2006):

Seems like a lot of chaos to me. Of course, Christians all over the world report miracles, and some may very well be true. What makes the Holy Fire particularly unique, however, is that it is often used by Eastern Orthodox to confirm Orthodoxy. Allegedly, the flame will not appear to a non-Orthodox who enters the tomb.

Why do they say the fire won't burn the flesh during the first 33 minutes? The videos I have seen don't appear to prove much. They show folks passing their hands quickly through the fire, but not for any appreciable length of time. Of course, the Orthodox who participate in this event claim that nothing underhanded is being done, and they say that this is confirmed by Israeli authorities. I have no reason to doubt their honestly, but I wonder if the claims concerning the inadvertent use of substances such as white phosphorus might have some truth to them. But I fear that the craze surrounding this miracle on Holy Saturday might be doing more to obscure rather than illuminate the message of the gospel and the true value of what we celebrate on Easter sunday: The Resurrection of Christ. It seems that I am not alone.

Christus surrexit! Alleluia!

Surrexit vere! Alleluia!

Happy Easter to all. We wrapped up our first Triduum experience at our new parish here in Sugar Land, climaxing in a fantastic Easter Vigil liturgy last night and equally dignified Easter morning mass. Our parish's new pipe organ is installed and is now being used for the glory of God! There should be some photos of the newly renovated sanctuary with the new and recently dedicated altar soon.

That aside, the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ is absolutely essential to our testimony of the Christian faith. Remember what St. Paul said to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:14,17,20):

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins... But, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (126) refers to the Resurrection of Christ as the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, for, as our pastor was sure to point out, this resurrection was not a mere bodily resuscitation. The Compendium goes on to discuss (129, 131):

The Resurrection of Christ was not a return to earthly life. His risen body is that which was crucified and bears the marks of his passion. However it also participates in the divine life, with the characteristics of a glorified body. Because of this the risen Jesus was utterly free to appear to his disciples how and where he wished and under various aspects.

The Resurrection is the climax of the Incarnation. It confirms the divinity of Christ and all the things which he did and taught. It fulfills all the divine promises made for us. Furthermore the risen Christ, the conqueror of sin and death, is the principle of our justification and our Resurrection. It procures for us now the grace of filial adoption which is a real share in the life of the only begotten Son. At the end of time, he will raise up our bodies.

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia!