Listen... Do You Want To Know A Secret?

I've had several conversations with folks lately about music in the liturgy.  It is amazing how this topic see can rouse the passions of normally intelligent & level-headed people like no other.  I want to make a few observations about my gleanings.

First, I have to make clear that almost everyone I've ever talked to about this was utterly sincere in their conviction.  They really believe that their vision was the one that would bring people to a deeper relation with God.  Just as universal, however, was their ignorance about the Roman Church's practice going back to time immemorial, how that tradition developed & why, & what the Magisterium currently teaches about music in the liturgy.  To bring any of that up, however, immediately makes one a meanie-pants & the conversation quickly shuts down.

Most people begin with the reference point that a) what their current parish practice is is correct & normative, & b) that there really are no norms anyway; you can do whatever you want.  You can hardly blame them - it's been an utter free-for-all for 3 generations now.  So, within this background are a couple of thought streams that frequently cross; but remember, you're not supposed to cross streams!  That's bad.

There is a group whose viewpoints on liturgical music combine preference ("I love electric rodeo techno-funk!") & emotion ("That song makes me feel all gwishy inside!").  Both of these are largely superficial & inadequate to the worship of God & unconnected in any meaningful way to the liturgy itself.  They are imports from pop culture, & largely seek the manipulation of emotional states & rarely dive deeper than the surface.  The "quality" of a person's subjective emotional response is not any sort of measure of what is appropriate or required. Many think we will bring the people in, especially the youth, if we just make the music at Mass, indeed the Church itself, more like the world.  The Church, however, exists to convert the world to Jesus Christ.  She needs to speak to the world in ways it can grasp to preach the Gospel, but her worship can never be of the world, because she is inherently other-worldly.

Music appropriate for worship should not at all have its origins in "what's hot now," or "what people like" or "it has a great beat & it's easy to dance to," but rather who is it we worship, who are we, & what demand does this relationship make on us.  It should raise our whole being up to prayerful contemplation of the divine Mystery unfolding before us.  It must prepare us for a direct encounter with God.  Confusing this issue is that some of the new music is just fine outside of Mass, say at a parish dinner or at a youth concert.  It should be not only obvious that secular music styles should not be admitted to the liturgy, but quite offensive to our religious sensibilities. However, you can't really have a meaningful discussion with people who want to argue at the level of preferences or subjective emotional response.  As for the Church, she has stated her part as to what music is appropriate to the Holy Sacrifice (Sancrosanctum Concilium 116).

Another group are the "Do-ers," who present the real reason for this post.  The maxim for these people is, "Everybody must sing everything all the time."  If you're not doing something or singing something, you must not be worshiping   I've talked about this before, but the short of it is, our actions at Mass are only a feeble echo of the one who truly acts in the liturgy: Jesus Christ.  He is the one who is both priest & victim.  He is the one who offers us union with himself & presents us to the Father.  You got anything to top that?  Didn't think so.  Our main job is to focus on this incredible mystery long enough to receive the gift God has for us.  Silence & contemplation is required.  A mere multiplication of words, words, words, words, words are not helpful here.  The Word is enough; what is required is music that proclaims, upholds, & sustains that Word in solemnity, beauty, & prayerful contemplation.

Our culture abhors silence.  People today seem uneasy to be with their own thoughts in solitude.  Perhaps that's because a quiet soul is fertile ground for God to work.  Something might be asked of us in the silence of contemplation, and change is so very hard.   What this means for liturgical music is that people feel hurt or cheated if the choir or cantor sings something & they are obliged to merely listen.  This is often the argument against some forms of sacred music like polyphony or the more melismatic chants: that regular folks in the pews can't "participate."  And since external participation has been thrust forward as the standard of liturgy, this just won't do.

However, genuine liturgical music is not just any song expressing religious sentiments that anyone can sing.  It is most properly the actual texts of the liturgy that the Church gives us proclaimed in a way that ennobles it.  The people's job is to be attentive to this word proclaimed, because, in reality, it is Christ himself proclaiming his Word to his people.  You can say that about Incline Domine.  Lord of the Dance, not so much.  This goes for the readings at the Mass, too.  Do people feel cheated because the don't get to recite the readings together with the reader?  Our job is prayerful, expectant attentiveness.  That goes for the prayers that the priest prays, and even the periods of silence in the liturgy.  These are not mere pauses in the action - they are moments of contact with the divine. If we're not listening, we're not worshiping.

So the "Do-ers" have it backwards.  It is the interior attunement to the divine that is true "actuosa participatio." It is receptive listening that is the most fruitful action of the faithful at Mass.  Of course there is a place for singing (notably, the Ordinary of Mass, as well as appropriate hymns & chants at their respective times), but if one isn't listening - both in the the word proclaimed & in the silence, then one can't hear Christ.  We wonder why we go to Mass week after week & nothing ever seems to change. 

How to break through?  Uh, not sure.  I've had precious little success in my own efforts.  It seems that much of the resistance comes from fear of the unknown, fear of rejecting the status quo, as if doing something wrong for 40 years makes it right.  So, perhaps the genuine beauty of the Church's liturgical song simply has to be heard more.  Maybe before Mass.  Maybe at extra-Mass liturgical events.  Maybe at weddings.  Maybe at funerals.  I do know that prayerful chant & beautiful polyphony are their own evangelists.  No one has to sell you on transcendental beauty; it sells itself.  But if it's never heard, then no one will know and the status quo will never change.  Once known & loved, it will be ready to serve.  And, I suspect, all the arguments about musical preferences, emotional highs, "what about the youth!?!," and always being busy at Mass will just melt away.  The people will be busy praying & worshiping.

Rosary Project - Success!

I have my 6th graders make their own Rosaries every year.  They love it because they get to make them their own - they select the colors & string them together.  I make sure there aren't any 9- or 11-bead decades & then crimp them together.  We open every class with the appropriate Scripture reading, then pray a decade of the Rosary (in Latin!), then I give a lesson about the reading & the Mystery of that day.  I'm sure I could teach the entire class for the whole year exclusively by this method, because the Blessed Mother is the best teacher of all. 

This year I decided to expand the program a bit.  After making their own Rosaries, the kids always want to make more for their family & friends.  I decided we would try to make a bunch extra & have a Rosary sale after Mass for a few weekends during Lent to raise money for charity.  We made about 25, but I wasn't too sure how well this would be recieved.  We sold out the first weekend, & I had to dedicate a whole next class to just working on Rosaries!  I made a few myself to throw in the pile, & we had about 20 for the next weekend.  We sold all of those, too. 

When the dust had cleared, we raised $718!!!  We donated $200 to the local Good Samaritan Center.  I dropped by to give the donation & they were astounded at the kids' generosity.  The director told me about what they do there, & showed me the food pantries.  One of the managers there told me they had just come across a few cases of peanut butter for 15 cents a pound (a big jar of Jif Crunchy retails for nearly $7!), so our $200 could buy over 1,300 lb. of food.  I shared this with the kids, but I'm not sure they completely understood how great this was.

We donated $100 to Love INC (in the name of Christ), with whom some of our parishoners are deeply involved.  We gave $100 to the NPH (Nuestros Piquenos Hermanos - "our little brothers & sisters") orphanage in El Salvador that our parish supports. We also plan to give $200 to local pregnancy help centers.  Since this was the kids' project, I asked what other causes they would like to donate to, & one of the kids asked about helping animals, so I will check into that - perhaps the local shelter or perhaps something like Horse Haven.  We will split the remainder between the diocesan seminarians & the Nashville Domincan Sisters.  As you can see, our biggest problem is deciding what to do with the funds, Deo gratias! 

Since we have worked our way through the Creed this year & are now studying the Church, this was a great time to explain how God works through us to accomplish his purpose of bringing about the Kingdom of God.  It is his work, not ours.  Non nobis, Domine...
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P.S.: There are still a few Rosaries left - ones the kids started, but didn't get finished in time for the sale (plus I ran out of crimps!).  If you are interested, please contact Lupe in the St. Thomas church office at (865) 986-9885.  Thanks!
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The Church Militant

Just got my brand-spankin'-new Pope Pius XII mug from Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog - What Does The Prayer Really Say.  A timely message to be sure...

"We belong to the Church militant; and she is militant

because on earth the powers of darkness are ever

restless to emcompass her destruction.  Not only in the

far-off centuries of the early Church, but down through

the ages and in this our day, the enemies of God and

Christian civilization make bold to attack the Creator's

supreme domination and sacrosanct human rights."

Pope Pius XII
14 October 1953
North American College, Rome

Breaking the Bonds of Charity

Ever wonder what goes on in the head of someone who leaves Mass early, say just after Holy Communion? Well, we must not be too judgmental, because as the saying goes, everyone's dealing with something. Perhaps they're doing the best they can.

Yet, we can't help but notice when folks come down the line for the Eucharist with their coat & cap on, keys already in hand. We know they're going to head straight up the aisle & slip out the door. They will miss the most precious & fragile time of prayer - physical communion with the Lord, they will miss the post-Communion prayer, they will likely miss announcements about the various activities of parish life - the life in Christ that we are meant to live in service of God & others, & they will miss the final blessing. In the more fortunate parishes, they may also miss an appropriate & well-sung closing hymn.

In my parish, the Saturday vigil Mass is where these people are prominent. Many times I have been present at a sign-up table or ready to distribute Little Blue Books or something else & watched these folks leave in droves after Communion, sometimes what seems to be the entire back third of the congregation! And, man, is it difficult to catch their attention! Eye-contact is avoided at all cost. On some occasions, I felt compelled to literally chase someone down in the parking lot to hand them their prayer book.

But we know that an action of one member of the Body of Christ is never a matter private to them alone - it affects the entire Body. So, I think deeper down we feel a little betrayed & hurt by those who seem to want "a minimal experience of the Faith" as one pastor of souls said about "down-n-outers." What is betrayed is our understanding of ourselves as the Body of Christ, indivisible under Jesus himself. It is a tacit denial or at least a diminishing of the reality that is the Church & of the bonds of spiritual communion that exist among the members of said Church. In fact, one of the primary fruits of the sacrament of the Eucharist is an increase in those bonds of charity.

With all this in mind, I was taken back a bit by this passage of the Didascalia, a 3rd century liturgical manual presented in Mike Aquillina's book, The Mass of the Early Christians:

"When you teach the people, O bishop, command and exhort them to come faithfully to church , and never forsake it for any reason, but gather together continuously. Let no one diminish the Church by withdrawing themselves. If they do, they deprive the body of Christ of one of its members."

Port or Starboard

I was looking for some good sources on the ordinary Magisterium of the Church & came across the sites of 2 groups that I found interesting, if somewhat sad. What was interesting was that, as different as they appear, there's something quite kindred between them, I'd say. I'll speak about one now & the other in a different post.

First up is a group of uber-Trads known as sedevacantists. I don't feel inclined to give their name & address - you can find them if you want. It doesn't take a Latin scholar to figure out their core belief - that the "See is vacant," meaning that the current pope is really a Modernist heretic, thus no pope at all - just an impostor - & further that the visible Catholic Church defected from the true faith (which, of course, they alone hold) with the 2nd Vatican Council. & is in the grip of Satan. Their big sticking points are the Novus Ordo Mass, ecumenism, & religious liberty, amongst a hoary host of attendant issues.

The New Mass is invalid, they say, because form, matter, & intention have all changed. They claim that the language of sacrifice was specifically culled out & that the vernacular translations are an abomination of errors. Besides, they hold all of the New Rite of sacraments invalid, including Holy Orders, so they would not recognize the New Mass as valid, anyway. They like to point out the innumerable abuses observed in celebrating the New Rite. They hold exclusively for the Mass of the Council of Trent.

Regarding ecumenism, they see the outreach of the "Church of Vatican II" to other religions & Christian groups as consorting with the enemy, something a Church holding the pure Faith would never do, mainly because it implicitly gives legitimacy to whatever errors the groups hold. They point to Pope John Paul II's numerous ecumenical prayer services with Buddhists & such as well as the now-permitted reception of the Sacraments by those in schism under certain circumstances are evidence supporting their arguments.

Regarding religious liberty, they equate the idea that no one should be coerced in matters of faith with admitting that there is another way to heaven besides Jesus Christ & the one, true (& indefectable) Church, because the phrase "Outside the Church there is no salvation," tenders no nuance. They see shaky theology, fuzzy preaching, diminishing vocations, & lack of vigor in evangelization as evidence of their position.

Now, I'm actually sympathetic toward these folks. I abhor when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is replaced by the Father O'Reilly Variety Hour. I'm somewhat troubled that certain authoritative statements from the Council & subsequent teaching seem to be in conflict with prior teaching. I'm dismayed, too, by lack of vocations, bad preaching, & a certain coziness of the Church with the world in some ways & un-surety of what it believes in others.

The Seds, though, back up their claims mostly with mudslinging against the Pope & the bishops & by quoting select bits from a myriad of Church documents, mostly obscure papal bulls & councils from a long time ago. Not that the latter are bad - what's true is always true (don't we recite a Credo formed at the ancient councils of Nicea & Constantinople at every Sunday Mass?) - yet, if the Gospel is to be preached to the ends of the earth & every believing person is to be baptized, don't you suppose that the Church would be, ya know, findable? I mean, without reading, analyzing, & comparing every Church document ever written, how was little ol' Ms. Maple in the 3rd pew on the left supposed to know she became a heretic adhering to schism on 28 October 1958 (the day Pope John XXIII was elected)?

To hold to their position is basically to admit that the prayer of Jesus that Peter's faith would not fail has failed. And this cannot be. They do not hold that there is a secret line of real popes, though I'm sure somebody somewhere holds for that. They hold that the See of Peter, that is, the Papacy itself is vacant & they pray that in God's good time, he will raise up a true pope. From where? To what? It seems they are so laser-focused in on historical documents that they can't read plain history. The Church has always been a mess. There have always been very good & very bad people within it, even in the highest positions. The Mass has been ever-changing. Even the saintly Pope Pius XII, the last Pope they recognized, made changes to the Tridentine Mass. Plus, now one of the biggest legs of their stool is taken out from under them since Benedict XVI has "liberated" the Old Mass (though they surely quelp, "Ah-ha!" over the altered Good Friday prayers). But, in spite of us, Christ guides his Bride through dark nights & rough waters. He promised us he would see us through.

The Sedes want a perfect Church that will never exist on this side of the veil. Are some of the things they protest silly, infuriating, or difficult to reconcile? Absolutely. Does that mean the Church & the Pope have defected & Christ has abandoned his Church? Not a bit. A thousand difficulties do not one doubt make. Without elaborating further, the key seems to be a true belief in the Holy Spirit present & at work in the Church, leading it toward Truth. You'd almost have to be a madman to believe that Pope Benedict XVI is a Modernist heretic. He is actually working to clarify many of the issues that vex this group, if they weren't so crazy-eyed & frothing-at-the-mouth to see.

So what to do with this crew? Sadly, there's not much to do except to leave them to themselves - for they will eventually just fade away as a renewed Catholic Church regains its strength. Pray for us all to repent & be converted to Christ. Commit to being an informed & faithful Catholic, living the Faith we profess & loyal to Peter - the Rock upon which Christ Jesus has built his Church.

As Father Corapi has frequently & famously said, "You can fall of the boat port or starboard."

Going to Mass in Shanghai

Greetings Loyal Reader(s),

I've just returned from a 2 week stint in the Orient, & since blogs are frequently blocked there, I have not been able to post anything. Previously, I gave my experience of going to an English-language Mass in Shanghai at St. Peter's church (here). This time I give my impressions from a very different worship experience.


Shanghai's Catholic Cathedral of St. Ignatius is a beautiful, red brick, neo-gothic church that was built about a hundred years ago (though there seems to have been a Jesuit-run church on the site since the 1600's when the land was granted to the Church by a local nobelman & convert to Catholicism), but was almost completely razed during the "cultural revolution." It's been rebuilt to some degree, but it still needs a lot of work. There is an on-going project led by a Jesuit artist to replace all the stained-glass windows that were knocked out by the revolutionaries with new ones in a more modern Chinese style. The rose windows are in place - with the Sacred & Immaculate Hearts facing each other across the transcept - & about half of the others in the nave. They are lovely, but some of the designs are a little abstract to my eyes. Still, the splashes of color that illuminate the building's interior is a preaching of the Gospel all its own. There is also some beautiful artwork on display, especially in the side chapels: paintings, statues, relief carvings, & other ornamentation that are either escaped the revolution or were more recent additions.

The cathedral's very good choir & pipe organ were in full use during the 7:30am liturgy I attended. The Ordinaries (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, etc.) are sung in hauntingly beautful Chinese melodies, although some of the chants & hymns begin with something familiar from an old Latin hymn - like the beginning of Credo III - but then depart into their own styles & melodies, as Chinese language typically expresses the same thought in a much shorter phrase. Not only the choir, but everyone I could observe sang & sang loudly! Since attendance was probably about 1,000 people, you can imagine the sound resonating throughout the nave & surely even spilling out into the nearby streets. Many older Chinese Catholics have really suffered hardship for the Faith & they seem genuinely grateful just to have the opportunity to come to Mass.

Compared to the English-language Mass, where about half those in attendance were Westerners, I only saw 4 at this liturgy, including me. Most in attendance were just regular working Chinese folks, & there was no element of "canned for tourists" on display. What was a bit conspicuous by its absence was the presence of children. There were some young mothers with babies in attendance, & a group of children bring up the gifts, but there still seemed to be a dearth of young folks for a community of this size. I observed the same care & attention that the priests gave to the liturgy's rubrics that I noticed at the English-language Mass at St. Peter's in November.

There was no heat in the building, so it was as cold or colder inside than outside, which was around freezing that early in the morning. I got a strong sense that this was how going to church must have been before modern times. Everyone still bundled up in their heavy coats, scarves, mittens, & caps. Plenty of destitute & crippled line up outside of the gates to the church grounds, I suppose because they know that Christians are generous. If a beggar can't get help at a Catholic church, then I'd say we've lost the plot somewhere. I always give them something. I noticed one young man sitting there with both of his hands & forearms missing - something I could easily imagining happening in the extremely unsafe working conditions I've observed in Chinese factories & worshops. His little beggar's cup had a few coins in it, & he looked up in amazement & gratitude at me as I dropped a 100 RMB note in it - about $15. I just wanted to let him know somehow that I still recognized him as a person - someone as valuable & worthy of respect as I was, probably more.

The following Sunday I went back to the cathedral for the 7:30am Mass to find that the bishop himself was there! I suspect he may have been an auxilary due to his relatively youthful appearance. The day's Gospel was of the wedding at Cana, a "manifestation" of Jesus as God, which in the old calendar is traditionally coupled with the appearance of the Magi & the Lord's baptism all on the Epiphany. The bishop spoke at length in Chinese on the role of Mary in the Church & in the life of Christians. Of course I could not understand the homily, but I noticed that the names Maria & Jesus were frequently coupled together. It seemed to me that the Chinese are culturally prone to a kind ritualism that leads to magic & that the bishop's word helped to put things in proper perspective: Mary as the mother & intercessor that always leads us to the Son. The choir was really on the ball for this celebration, as tends to happen when the bishop shows up. Interestingly, these was no collection during the Offertory at either Mass, the reason I imagine is that this church receives its revenue from the government, being a state-approved church. Hopefully, this situation between the Vatican & the Chinese government will be resolved one day soon (see the Pope's 2007 Letter to the Faithful in China).

A renovation of the church building's exterior began since the previous week's visit, no doubt as part of a general overhaul of the city underway for the 2010 World Expo being held in Shanghai this year. Putting on the best face to the outside world, no doubt. Still, the Church is alive & well in China, despite all its difficulties past & present. Its future challenge, as China continues its meteoric rise, is to call a people intoxicated by thoughts of wealth, power, & pleasure to a humble & self-sacrificing faith rooted in genuine love: of God, of neighbor, & of self. Perhaps in this way, China will become a kind of mirror in which the West can find its way back to Faith.

I was delighted by my experience of worshipping with the Catholic faithful of Shanghai's cathedral, & hope that I can return again sometime.

Mary's House

George Weigel writes an interesting column for the Denver Catholic Register, often about the intersection of faith & public policy; but as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God draws near, consider this article about the 50th anniversary of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., an amazing place I was fortunate to visit this year (see Here).

A Catholic friend once mentioned that his Protestant friend told him that "The building doesn't matter; the church is the people." While that's true enough in it's place, it need not diminish the importance of the physical place of worship. In fact, to exclusively hold the former view is an error.

A church building certainly has it's practical aspects, from providing a safe & comfortable space to gather to providing catechetical & evangelical opportunities through art & architecture. However, the primary purpose of the building is to provide a place for the sacred assembly, the ecclesia, to offer liturgy - the privileged meeting place of the faithful with their God. Here he manifests himself to us, not only in our minds or hearts, but physically present among us in the Eucharist.

If this were not so, then the Protestant would be right & the building wouldn't matter. But since it is so, since we are made present to the entire Paschal Mystery & Christ Jesus himself comes among us physically in substance if not in appearance, then the place where this happens is consecrated - set aside only for this (this is also why concerts or other purely social functions should not be held in the Nave & why the Eucharistic Chapel is not a cry room). To think otherwise is a tacit endorsement of dualism, a heretical notion that our only concern is the spirit & that matter is a hindrance to be diminished or sloughed off. As embodied creatures, nothing could be further from the truth. Things matter.

A sacred space, like a Catholic church or cemetery - or any sacramental for that matter - is a place ripped away from this fallen world & claimed by God for his Kingdom through the Church; it becomes part of the New Creation. I'm sure that every Mass held on Jeep hood in some distant battlefield had a rite to sanctify that spot before the liturgy was conducted.

But I've said enough. If you have a chance, make a visit to the Shrine. If you can't, you can still support it financially. You will be blessed with various gifts of CD's of beautiful choral music & calendars of sacred art throughout the year, & as a true communion of saints, the priests there will pray for your intentions. How important is this monumental, but living, embodiment of the Holy Faith in our nation's capitol at this time!

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Click here for the Shrine's website.

Who can be saved?

A friend from an atheistic background, but has recently rubbed shoulders with some of our more Calvinist-leaning brethren, has picked up some bad theology - that only Christians (according to this group's narrow definition of that term) can be "saved" & that everyone else, by default, will fry.

I sense an intense desire for God in this person, but they are absolutely scandalized in the proper sense of the word by the splintering of Christendom into thousands of different groups, each with their own beliefs & practices (& we should be, too). It is very difficult for such a person to see why the Catholic Faith holds any greater authority than any other.

Below is a written response that I made to their concern. It is written to someone who has virtually no proper catechesis & a very limited knowledge of Scripture. It has also been the subject of heated, passionate debate within Church throughout history, & continues to burn white-hot today. This is simply the best I can reckon of the God that wills not the death of any sinner, but also warns that few will find the narrow gate. I welcome your feedback.

The very heart of the Christian faith is God's unlimited love for every person. His law of love is written on the heart of every human being in every place & time. Some might call this one's conscience, but it is certainly something much deeper: a yearning that every person has for true love, true happiness, true joy, true beauty, true peace. Through this instinctive desire, he calls everyone on earth to know him & love him in return in an encounter (even a marriage!) that will never end.

The mission of the Church for the past 2,000 years has been to bring others to share in this encounter with God through Jesus, an encounter that happens within the Church, the people of God, a legacy inherited from our Jewish brothers who were the first people to whom God gave the gift of knowing him. God may be pleased with other peoples' & other faiths' desire to find him through what means they know & will surely not exclude from his presence those who truly seek him & to do his will. However, the way par excellance to know, love, & serve God is through the Church.

The only people who ultimately can not & will not be permitted to stand in God's light are those who willfully & obstinately refuse to acknowledge him, to repent of their sins, to ask for forgiveness, & to do good toward others; in essense, to refuse to love. God sentences no one to hell; people send themselves there. We see & experience it around us all the time. It lurks even in our own souls if we have the courage to look.

Therefore, ultimately, we cannot & must not ever presume who has obtained or who will obtain this unity with God & others in his presence we call "heaven" (including ourselves), & likewise we must not ever presume who has or will suffer the eternal separation from God & one another we call "hell." You have probably heard the famous, but often misquoted & misunderstood saying of Jesus, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged (Matthew 7:1)." This is what he is referring to: while we must be concerned with the souls of others, we must not ever presume to judge the state of another's soul; after all, we cannot even judge the state of our own soul, such masters of self-deception are we. There is nothing we can do ultimately to earn or deserve heaven; eternal life with God is his freely-given gift, & he gives it to whomever he pleases. But we can cooperate with him, repent of our sin, & try to live according to his law of love. This is called being a disciple of Jesus Christ & becoming a saint. Those who say they are "saved" deceive themselves & others. One is only saved when he breathes his last in God's good graces.

In the early 400's, one of the greatest intellects that has ever lived, St. Augustine, the bishop of Hippo in North Africa, wrote, "Christ has many that are not in the Church, & the Church has many who are not in Christ." It seems like a paradox, but with love comes freedom. It's the only way a God who is love would have it.

Ecclesia Semper Reformanda

Please read this pastoral letter from the Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa.

I believe this is an extremely important document that could give form to a very important discussion that the Church needs to have with itself & could serve as a banner for genuine renewal of Catholic Christian life. It is also guaranteed to draw hideous screeches from the heterodox dopplegangers hiding under the Catholic canopy. It is exactly the right thing at the right time.

Having been told, oh, about fifty-nine gazillion times that, "Oh, that's pre-Vatican II; we don't do that any more" or my favorite actual quote, "You're stuck in the past; I'm interested in the future," I cherish this statement:

"The so-called "spirit" of the council has no authoritative interpretation. It is a ghost or demon that must be exorcised if we are to proceed with the Lord's work."

The Bible III: Inspiration of the New Testament

Another installment in the series on the Bible taken from the KOC newsletter...

Previously, we looked at the inspired character of the Old Testament. Now we turn our attention to the New Testament, specifically, how can we know that these writings are inspired by God & belong in the collection of Christian Scriptures called the Bible?

In the early days of the Church there was not much discussion over what texts were inspired – it was obvious to those who had immediate access to the Apostles & their immediate successors; but eventually the canon of the New Testament had to be settled, because: 1) those more removed from the Apostles wanted to ensure that the accounts of Jesus & the writings of the Apostles were accurately preserved for teaching, preaching, & evangelization; 2) the faithful were being led astray by various semi-Christian heresies that not only brought their alternative “gospels,” but also used the Christian scriptures to support their beliefs.

To further complicate the situation, around the Roman world, different local churches accepted different lists of books; some included The Shepherd by Hermas, The Epistle of Barnabas, or The Revelation of Peter, while some rejected the Revelation of John or other Epistles of Paul, Peter, & John. What about the “extra” endings of Mark’s Gospel that may have been added later? The Letter to the Hebrews seemed very “Paulish,” but because some were not sure if he actually wrote it, should it be included?

While there was vigorous debate over all of this, the Spirit of God worked through the Church to definitively state what He had inspired & what He had not; that is, what really belonged to Sacred Tradition. The councils of Hippo in 393 A.D. & Carthage in 397 A.D. took up the task of defining the canon of the New Testament & produced the list of 27 inspired Christian writings which comes to us to this day. It is interesting that, although Protestants only accept the authority of the Bible, it is only by way of the Catholic Church’s authoritative voice of Sacred Tradition that there is something called the Bible at all. Next, we will look at the role of the Church in defining & teaching the Scriptures.

The Bible II: Inspiring & Inspired

As we continue considering the Bible as the collection of writings accepted by the Church as inspired by God, we now focus on “inspiration.” We may speak of a movie or a song as being inspiring, but when we say “inspired” in the context of Scripture, we mean a text through which God communicates to man. The Catechism tells us the Holy Spirit assisted the human authors to write faithfully & without error the truths that God wished to impart to us for our salvation (105-107).

When we think about the inspiration of the Old Testament, the epic events might come to mind, like the parting of the Red Sea or Elijah & the prophets of Baal. But how about the seemingly endless lists of strange names in the book of Numbers? So, perhaps “inspiring” may not be the best way to determine what is inspired.

Ancient texts like Genesis are surely inspired, right? Yet, the definitive version was only completed after the Israelites returned home from the exile in Babylon in 438 B.C. What about books written in Greek in the Hellenistic era? Could the Spirit of God not also speak through Greek-speaking Jews scattered throughout the Mediterranean world after the Exile?

The Church had to listen to the Spirit to discern which writings were inspired - basically the same list as the Greek version of the Old Testament. It was only 1,500 years later when Protestants began to question the inspiration of some of the books of the Old Testament that the Church at the Council of Trent formally defined the list of inspired books. So, we can see that inspiration is not self-evident, but requires some authority to separate what is truly inspired from God versus what is simply useful & edifying.

Thoughts on Universal Salvation

...on the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. Photo: Whitefriar's Church, Dublin, Ireland

Occasionally I get e-mail questions from folks asking my opinion about how to respond to someone’s objection on some Catholic teaching or other matter of faith. I usually intend to answer with a few sentences, but often end up writing a small book. Recently I received a question about what I thought about “universal salvation.” Here is my response…

Regarding the other question - yes, I think Catholics have every opportunity to be saved! ;) Seriously, though, one needs to define "universal". In most discussions using these terms, it means, "Does God save people other than Christians?" or, in regards to either Christians or non-Christians, "Does God save people regardless of their state of their soul?"

I know some folks think that everyone goes to heaven (very convenient, doesn't require all that nasty "conversion" stuff), some folks think only Christians go to heaven (which would lead one to conclude that God is cruel by damning people simply for being born at the wrong time or in the wrong place), some think that only folks of their particular brand of Christianity go to heaven (but how do they know they've got it right? How small do they think their heaven will be!?!).

Some believe in hell, but that ultimately, everyone one in it will be forgiven & redeemed (really, even Satan & the fallen angels?). It becomes kind of giant Purgatory, waiting for the Final Judgment, except the judgment is always Yes. [Ed. - I regret this comment. Such a view of the emptying of Hell is mockery & parody of the beautiful doctrine of the necessity of purgation before entering into the beatific vision & of human freedom to choose either good or evil. Salvation assumes that people love (or desire to love) God & want to be with him forever. However, those in hell have chosen to be separated; & since God has created us as free persons, he cannot coerce those who have rejected him. We must conclude that the conditions of hell are such that a person in eternal torment & loneliness no longer have the conditions or the ability to repent, but rather grow increasingly furious at God & self-justified in their actions. God forbid that any of us will choose this fate! It seems that those in hell are still sustained in existence as persons, because of God's love even for the damned. As I've mentioned before, what amazing & terrifying power we have over God!]

The Church has wrestled with the question "Who can be saved?" since the beginning, & continues to ponder it & find ways express it. Its thought has evolved from a persecuted minority in the Roman Empire, to being the Roman Empire, to being European Christendom, to being one world religion among many competing faiths. The Church still holds for extra ecclesiam nulla salus ("Outside the Church there is no salvation"), but exactly what the Church is, who is in it, & what it means to be outside or inside are the sticky points. It has become very fashionable in the last half of the 20th century, even among theologians in the Church, to come up with schemes that do provide ways for everyone to get to heaven, but many of these musings have been formally condemned by the Holy See.

The Church, based on the revelation the "God wills not the death of any sinner," re-presents this core teaching as: everyone is given sufficient light & grace for salvation. St. Augustine put it as: Christ has many who are not in the Church, & the Church has many who are not in Christ. This isn't a free pass to heaven for everyone, but more of a statement about the justice of God on the basis of to whom & by what means revelation of himself has reached. If one hasn't been told about salvation through Christ, then it does not seem reasonable or just that God would punish them for that.

However, the Church also teaches that people who have been authentically presented with the Truth of the Gospel are obligated to respond to it (Mark 16:15-16), & that the Church is the sole custodian of that Truth. But it's really easy to get lost in all this (what if you were told about salvation through Christ, but in an incomplete, inappropriate, or coercive way?), so the place to start is the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium & the Catechism (esp. Art. 9: "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church", & esp. para. 836-848). I'd look in the glossary under "Salvation" & check the various references.

An interesting question, to be sure. Maybe we can discuss it more when we have time. Gotta get ready for Mass now...

What I left unsaid is that, ultimately, Christian or not, the fate of any particular person’s soul is a matter between them & God. The Church provides every possible means of grace to die well & be received into the joy of the Master’s house, but we do not always choose what is good for us. Catholic funeral Masses are intended to be the Church’s prayer of intercession to God to have mercy on the soul of the deceased; not to celebrate the life of the deceased.

Ultimately, every one of us will need to rely on the mercy of God. So, while we cannot be assured of our entry into beatitude (the sin of presumption), we are a people of hope. At my own funeral, I hope the black-vested priest will lead the faithful in reverent & fearful prayer for my soul, as witnesses testifying before the Tribunal on my behalf, pleading that when the terrifying light of the Almighty’s Justice is brought to bear on my life & soul, his Mercy exceeds his Justice, and that even a sinner like me can enter into joy.

Book Review: Letter to the Church in China by Pope Benedict XVI

While not exactly a "book", Pope Benedict XVI explores & explains what is a church in the context of the Chinese government’s suppression of the independent, Rome-aligned church & the upholding of a government-run state church. Although written to the Church in China, the pope obliquely addresses the eaves-dropping Chinese government with the message that the Church is good for man & society, and that the attempt of government authorities to stifle & control it run counter to the very purposes of government – the betterment of its constituents.

The letter is also of interest to all Christians & Catholics because it deals not only with the characteristics proper to a church within itself, but also the obligations of the church to engage society, lessons that are always worth repeating. The letter particularly focuses on the role of the bishop as the visible head of the local church & insists that the state has no right to attempt to control the bishops & their message. History has shown time & time again that no human power can appease, stifle, or eliminate the Gospel.

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Perhaps the world will yet witness the rebirth of China as the next great Christian nation. Perhaps attending to this message would help western Christendom to rediscover its greatness, as well.

Into the Greatest Silence

In light of my cyber-discussion with Fr. Christian on the Eucharist (see here), I wanted to mention something that seems missing in the Ordinary Form of the Roman liturgy, something that even Papa Ratzinger has commented on before. And this is recollected, prayerful silence. The Mass is so busy & noisy, that it clashes heavily with the requirement of Eucharistic worship, so much so that it seems to have been jetisoned entirely. We've even been instructed not to pray immediately after receiving the Lord, but to join in song & focus on others. After all, WE are the Body of Christ, right?

Not so fast there, Skippy. We only become the Body by/only after receiving the Body. If we place our focus at the point of Communion on each other, rather than the Lord, are we not guilty of failing to discern the Body of Christ, as St. Paul reminds us? We are not the Body because we feel we are or we want to be, but because the Lord makes us so through this sacramental event. Otherwise, we are just as much "in communion" with each other as the local 4H club or Masons lodge. I'd go so far as to say that if worship of Jesus within us is discouraged at the time of Communion, then something has come off the rails.

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Why does the Eucharist not seem to exhibit the power in people's lives every Sunday that all the spiritual writers of the Church claim it to have? How can people (including me) receive Christ Jesus again & again & again but never really change? Could it be because we block ourselves off from his infinite power & grace right at the point of reception? Rather than ponder Cracker Barrel vs. Gondolier while the Ite is being said, maybe staying a few moments on your knees in a silent church pouring out your soul to the God present in you in silent prayer is a better plan. My opinion only?

In a special EWTN program on the Eucharist, Sr. Joan Noreen just reminded us that John Paul II encouraged silent devotion & contemplation for the 10 to 15 minutes immediately after receiving the Lord in the Eucharist, because this is the holiest possible time we have with God & to let nothing distract us. During that time, Sister recommended some points for our Eucharistic contemplation (yes, I am a sucker for points):

• Rest with Christ Jesus in silent adoration.
• Adore Christ Jesus in our souls, offering everything we have & everything we are.
• Thank him.
• Ask for forgiveness of our sin & ask for the grace to overcome sin.
• Petition him for our spiritual needs & those of the world

She also said that we should learn & internalize beautiful & faithful hymns & prayers, especially those of St. Thomas Aquinas (Amen, Sister!). She reminded us of the final words of John Paul II's last encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia:

Let us make our own the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an eminent theologian and an impassioned poet of Christ in the Eucharist, and turn in hope to the contemplation of that goal to which our hearts aspire in their thirst for joy and peace:

Bone pastor, panis vere,Iesu, nostri miserere...

Come then, good Shepherd, bread divine,Still show to us thy mercy sign;Oh, feed us, still keep us thine;So we may see thy glories shinein fields of immortality.

O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,Our present food, our future rest,Come, make us each thy chosen guest,Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blestWith saints whose dwelling is with thee.

I suppose my whole point is that we may need to reconsider not only how we prepare for & receive Communion, but just as important, how we treat the Divine Guest in the chapel of our souls after we receive him in. Ignoring him through distractions, but expecting him to work a miracle in us probably isn't the best approach or the mind of the Church on this matter.

May God continue to bless faithful & holy religious sisters.

Driving back from Mass in Clinton, I literally came to screeching halt on the side of the Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of a billboard displaying this image. Now, billboards on prominent roadways in East Tennessee displaying overtly Catholic content are probably rarer than reported alien abductions. One carrying a reference to Medjugorje, & we’re in Elvis-sighting territory!

Skeptical, I checked the website. Now, I’m more skeptical. It’s certainly not that I don’t believe God could impart a message to the Faithful through Mary in any time or place. I read a really interesting book some time ago called The Miracle Detective that was primarily centered on the Medjugorje apparitions, & have had a mild case of interest ever since. The bits & pieces of the messages that I've read all seem quite edifying & orthodox, but my interest is more on how the alleged apparitions affect the Church & the people involved.

The website is run by a group called Caritas of Birmingham who, apparently, are hosting one of the 4 visionaries – Marija, I believe – at the site that she received a vision while in the U.S. many years ago. The itinerary of this 4-day festival reads like a Marian Woodstock. The central event is the supposed appearance of Our Lady who will bless you, your family, & our country (the image of Mary with the Stars & Stripes as a backdrop on the site nearly made me laugh out loud – I thought of Lee Greenwood becoming a Catholic convert), & provide some message regarding the end of times. However, nowhere in the events schedule (which ends on a Saturday) was there a single mention of Mass being said, of Confessions being heard, or anything related to the Catholic liturgy or sacraments being celebrated by Catholic clergy. This happening is squarely outside of the approval of the Church.

I plan to check with the Diocese of Birmingham to get their take on this. I know that the local bishop in Medjugorje has publicly disowned the apparitions, even just recently (I’ll try to dig up the article). I remember that there was some disobedience toward the bishop by the friars who operated the parish church which is at the center of the apparitions. That alone is certainly cause enough for the Faithful to stay clear. No authentic apparition will ever refuse to submit to the legitimate Church authorities. The visionaries of the approved apparitions were all obediently docile & content to live in obscurity while their claims were investigated by the Church authorities. In the Q&A section on the site, the question of whether the Medjugorje apparitions are approved (it says no) & whether the faithful may attend them (it says yes) are nos. 46 & 47, respectively. The provided link to “For more detailed information, see Church Approval” did not work. The Catechism says:

66 "The Christian economy… the new & definitive Covenant, will never pass away; & no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

67 Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern & welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions & also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such "revelations."

Caritas’ website is creepy because it is always about “the next revelation” & “the next secret.” It seems to be oriented toward building up a group of devotees by hosting these “pilgrimages.” It seems to be a new cult in Catholic dress-up of which Mary is the focal-point, because it is clearly not Christ-centered at all. A Marian festival without Mass? Impossible. Mary leads all to her Son, & she would rather her children to go to Confession & receive her Son prayerfully & worthily in the Eucharist in reparation for the transgressions against Jesus’ Sacred Heart, for the salvation of souls, & for the conversion of our nation & the world.

And that’s a vision that’s Church-approved!

The World's Worst Secret Society

There was a program on TV last evening about secret societies like the FreeMasons & their adgenda to inculcate their values & beliefs, of which the United States may itself be the ultimate expression.

Anyway, this reminded me of a conversation I had with someone who accused the Catholic Church of being a kind secret society. I mentioned this to a priest friend who replied with something like, "Yeah, a secret society with a billion members that anyone is free to join & conducts its business out in the open."

The Hammer of Heretics

Saturday was the feast of an amazing, & still oft-invoked, saint of the chaotic Nicean era: St. Athanasius.

Click on the picture for Fr. Longenecker's interesting discourse on this saint & an interesting twist on the Incarnation.

Here is lastest entry in the Called to Holiness series I write for the church bulletin:

St. Athanasius († 373) – May 2

Once the Roman emperor Constantine ended the persecutions of Christians, surely the Church would enter a new era of peace, right? Well, it didn’t turn out that way, especially for the bishop of Alexandria.

The Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ Jesus, grew rapidly during that time & threatened to rip the Church apart. Even many bishops became part of this movement; & clashes between the heretics & those adhering to the orthodox faith were often violent. Athanasius defended the faith vigorously against the heretics, but suffered repeated exile from his diocese & threats on his life. The emperor Valens ultimately restored Athanasius to his see, where he continued to denounce heresy & zealously preach the true Christian faith.

May his intercession lead us to be faithful witnesses in word & deed to the Church’s One, Holy, Catholic, & Apostolic faith in Christ Jesus, no matter the cost.

Fr. Orr mentioned him in his homily at the Sunday E.F. Mass, using this expression, "the hammer of heretics." I thought that was interesting, since - although I know Father in no way intended it this way - the SSPX & other super-trad schismatics hold up Anathasius as a champion, & there are a least a few SSPX-types in the congregation who refuse to attend an Ordinary Form Mass whatsoever, deeming it an invalid ceremony. Because Athanasius was oft at odds with the local civil & ecclesial authorities, many of whom were given over to the Arian heresey, the SSPX'ers often invoke his name as they clamor about a "state of emergency" in the Church (which may be true; it may also be perpetually true), which makes them the de facto keeper of Sacred Tradition, which they claim packed it's bags & left Rome after the Second Vatican Council. Interesting that the neo-Donatists would enlist the Hammer of Heretics to their cause.

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To paraphrase Fr. Corapi, "You can fall off the boat either port of starboard; either way, your in the water with the sharks." Ubi Petrus ibi ecclesia, I always say! After all, Jesus stood in his boat, right?

When the Women finally lose their minds...

...we're all doomed. Two thoughts:

1) I've come to understand that consecrated men & women - monastics, monks & nuns, whatever you call them - are the spirtual engine of the Church. No one since Jesus walked the earth was invited by God directly to faith, excepting St. Paul, I suppose. Our Catholic Faith has come to us & to all through intermediaries; that is, those who came to know God through Christ Jesus first. The ones who "know" the best are those who have forsaken this world for the love of God & neighbor, whose whole lives are spent seeking God's face in prayer, liturgy, & service: knowing, loving, & serving God, both in the heart of the Church & out in the world, though not all do it in the same way.

2) The following statement is perhaps colored by my own limited upbringing & experience, but I say it resolutely: women are by far the stronger sex. Their ability to love freely & openly, as well as commitment to service of others & patient suffering is unbelievable. Women are pragmatic in ways that men only think they are. Men who exhibit these qualities are generally made a big deal of as visionaries, leaders, & heros. Women who exhibit these are simply called wives, mothers, daughters, friends. It is the perpetual & tireless efforts of women that holds society together, albeit mostly quietly & out of the spotlight. So, what a horror it is for all mankind when women are led astray.

Putting these two thoughts together, it was with special sadness that I follow this story: the Vatican's inquiry into the state of women's religious orders in the U.S., prompted by an apparently pervasive "new teaching" with attendant mindset & attitude that is beyond heirarchy, beyond obedience, beyond men, beyond Church, & beyond Jesus. This story at the ever-dissident NCR magazine prompted some of the most venomous & spiteful comments I've ever read from the mouth or keyboard of Christians (but are they?), mostly directed at the heirarchy & bishops, but especially, the Holy Father.

Amy Welborn also has a good commentary about this story on her new blog, along with excerpts from the keynote address at the 2007 Leadership Conference of Women Religious. It's really sad stuff.

It seems that many women religious have fallen off the boat, embracing radical feminism & ever-trendy Eastern mysticism instead of "centering" one's self on Christ Jesus, crucified & risen. There is no sprituality being peddled out there that can even begin to approach the profundity of this reality. There is no "beyond Jesus", everything finds its perfect fulfillment in him. It's ironic that the Church teaches that although people can come to know the existance of a good God from creation, it is only through the preaching & teaching of the Church that the revelation of Christ Jesus occurs, while these women view the Church as a restricting spiritual fence, a stumbling block to discovering the real truth of God, found & fulfilled only in creation. Talk about putting the celestial cart before the horse! Does St. Paul not warn that in the last days minds would be darkened & people would set aside sound teaching & worship the creature rather than the Creator (Rom 1:25)? But then again, St. Paul was a misogynist, right?

It seems that in some minds, the virtue of religion has become a hinderance to the "true gospel" of social justice work & oneness with the All. Unfortunately, some of these social justice "causes" are just expressions of personal ideologies. I've often observed that radical feminism, the homosexual agenda, the permissive sexual subculture including pornography, & the abortion industry are all diabolically tied together.

However, I am so thankful for the wonderful & faithful religious that continue to work & pray for the salvation of souls (incl. mine!), especially the Dominican Sisters of Nashville who teach & preach the Gospel so beautifully by word & example in our Diocese. May God increase their tribe. We need the gifts of their "feminine genius" & that of all other faithful Catholic women now more than ever!

Sts. Lucy, Felicity, Perpetua, Brigid, Clare, Scholastica, Therese, Katharine Drexel, & all you holy women - & of course, our Blessed Mother - pray for the repentance of sinners & the conversion of unbelievers, false believers, the lukewarm, & the fallen away.

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Postscript: while all that may seem like a downer, this article from EWTN News has gotten me fired back up! I teach my kids from Day 1 that by virtue of their baptism in Christ Jesus they are all soldiers in the royal army of God engaged in a spiritual battle with the devil & his army of demons. Also, that the battle is ultimately won, but we must nonetheless remain faithful & fight to the end.

The Didache

In a recent catechism study group, I made reference to the Didache, or The Teachings (of the Apostles), a 1st-century catechism & liturgical guide that was apparently in wide-spread use throughout churches of the Near-East. It provides an amazing insight into the earliest Christian faith & practice - all of which we still hold today - even though this document was lost apparently from the early Middle Ages until 1873.

The whole document is found here, but here are some interesting highlights:

On Baptism: "Immerse in running water 'In the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Ghost...' If [not] practicible, then pour water three times on the head 'In the name of...' Both baptizer & baptized ought to fast before the baptism... the candidate himself should be told to keep a fast for a day or two beforehand."

On Fasting & Prayer: "Do not keep the same fast-days as the hypocrites. Mondays & Thursdays are their days for fasting, so yours should be Wednesdays & Fridays. Your prayers, too, should be different from theirs. Pray as the Lord enjoined in His Gospel, thus: Our Father, who art in heaven..." Say this prayer three times every day."

On Worship: "Assemble on the Lord's Day, & break bread & offer the Eucharist; but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one. Anyone who has a difference with his fellow is not to take part with you until they have been reconciled, so as to avoid any profanation of your sacrifice."

On Reception of the Eucharist: "No one is to eat or drink of your Eucharist but those who have been baptized in the Name of the Lord; for the Lord's own saying applies here, 'Give not that which is holy unto dogs.' Whoever is holy, let him approach. Whoso is not, let him repent."

On Life: "In your prayers, your almsgiving, & everything you do, be guided by what you read in the Gospel of our Lord."

Interesting stuff, no?

As a commentary, I would add that the Didache is wonderfully edifying, as we catch a glimpse of the intense faith of the early Church, how they lived a new life in Christ, & how they joyfully & expectantly awaited the parousia. I suppose it is not much mentioned these days, because, 1) we have a tendency today to find something neat, figure out its secret, then file it away, & 2) this document holds a unique temptation that, used wrongly, could effect great harm on the Church & the faithful.

What is that temptation? I would call it the temptation to crawl back into the Apostolic womb.

What is that? Well, here's an example: I have a friend who doesn't go to church on Sunday, because the New Testament doesn't specifically tell him to do so, but rather says that followers of the Way met in their homes. Well, that's clearly not the Old Testament (or NT) view of the people of the God of the hosts of the armies of Israel (or maybe that was the origin of the phrase, Army of One).

Other examples: the Didache also mentions the laos, the people, choosing their own bishops & deacons, the cleros; much as many liberal dissident "Catholic" groups demand now (they can't claim their support for abortion or infanticide on those grounds, because the Didache specifically mentions & forbids those common Roman practices). It mentions celebration of the Eucharist, not as a re-enactment of the Last Supper, nor as the representation of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the Cross for man's sins, but simply as a meal of bread & wine with many thanks given to God, both before & after. The temptation, then, is to strip Catholicism of all its "Medieval accretions" - even the Vatican II documents use language similiar to this - by which some take to mean things like a male-only ordained priesthood, an infallible pope, Transubstantiation, & so on. Generally, it seems to me that those who deny such things attempt to seize power for themselves or their interest group, or simply to reassert individual primacy over the Church's Teaching while claiming the authority of "That's the way it was in the early Church." Maybe a better way of saying it is, "And you shall be like gods."

The Didache does, however, refer to giving thanks to God for the gift of "spiritual meat & drink," what seems to me prima facia to be an expression of understanding of Transubstatiation (why else would you call bread "meat"?). And there's the rub: the early Church had not yet gone through the shredder of heresy & persecution that was soon to descend upon it & forced it to define what's what with some precision. Just because the first Christians didn't fill tomes with writings expounding their deepest theological understandings doesn't mean that they didn't believe it; it only means that they didn't write it, or that it hasn't come down to us. What some would deny, then, is the ablity for things to be pondered throughout the ages & better understood & expressed as time goes on. It would not take so long for the Church's writers to begin to explain what the Eucharist is, what the ordained priesthood is, what the Church is.

Ultimately, those who want to crawl back into the Apostolic womb deny that the Holy Spirit is at work in the Church & the Church itself as the sign & instrument of Christ's salvation for the whole world. Personally, I glory in all the "Medieval accretions", because without them, the whole thing is gutted of its meaning & power - which ultimately is the presence & power of God at work among his people. Perhaps the greatest witness the Didache offers us is a people filled with gratitude to God for everything without exception, with zeal for a new life in Christ, & burning with hope for the coming glory of heaven. Let us declare in unison with them, Marana tha!

A Prayer for Priests

I just want you to know that I pray for you every day. My petition goes something like this:


Heavenly Father,

We pray for all your priests, especially our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict. Grant him safety, health, strength as he shepherds the Church. Grant him clarity to see & the conviction to do your will. Protect him from his enemies. Grant him a long & fruitful reign. We pray for all the past Holy Fathers who have loved you so well & taught the faithful so wonderfully. We pray for the man who will be raised up as the next pope, that even now you begin to prepare him for the task to come.

We pray, Father, for all your bishops, especially for Bishop N., that they be worthy Successors of the Apostles; that they teach, govern, & sanctify their churches faithfully according to your holy will. Grant them courage to fiercely protect their flocks from the attacks of the wolves of the world that would seek to destroy them. We pray for their own perseverance in prayer & growth in holiness. Grant them the strength to refute all error of Faith within the Church & provide a holy witness to the fullness of the Faith without. May their love for the Lord Jesus & example in works of mercy, prayer, & celebration of the liturgy bring about conversion of hearts & bear great fruit in their churches. May they never give into the temptation to compromise the Faith for the sake of the world’s false peace; but rather, proclaim the Gospel with burning conviction. Grant them an unfailing love & unity with the Holy Father & their brother bishops.

We pray, Father, for all your priests throughout the world, especially for Father(s) N., etc., & for all priests who have celebrated the sacraments for us during our lives, especially the priests who baptized us & for mercy on their souls if they are deceased. We pray that you grant special graces of strength, courage, & love to priests who minister in difficult or dangerous circumstances. May all your priests grow in personal holiness; & may they conform ever more closely to Christ Jesus, crucified & risen. May they always be strong spiritual fathers to their children, guiding them by wisdom, patience, & love. We pray for priests who battle with temptations & loneliness; may they find strength in the Lord to persevere. We pray for priests who are retired, those who are ill, & those who have died that God forgives them their sins & welcomes them home as good & faithful servants. Have mercy even on the souls of priests who were not faithful, for none of us are worthy of salvation. Grant all priests strength & purity of mind & body as they live out their calling from you to make Christ Jesus’ saving Mysteries present to a needy, dying world. May they preach the Gospel boldly & fearlessly; may they celebrate the sacraments & the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass faithfully, beautifully, & reverently. May their word & example bring about an ever-greater love of God, the repentance of many sinners, & the conversion of many unbelievers, false believers, the lukewarm, & the fallen away.

We pray, Father, for seminarians studying for the priesthood, that their hard work in school prepare them fully for the hard work of ministry. Instill in them a holy detachment from worldliness & growth in love for all. May they be imbued with a desire to please their Lord Jesus above all things & remain ever faithful to the teaching of Holy Mother Church. We pray for all men who have been called by God to a priestly vocation, that they be able to discern God’s tiny whisper amidst the noise of the world & discover in prayer the invitation of the Lord to leave all behind & follow him.

We pray, Father, that all people of Catholic Faith offer prayer & sacrifice diligently for their priests. We pray that all Catholic men & women faithfully exercise their duties as Christ Jesus' priests, prophets, & kings in their own realms of family, work, government, & society. May the homes of the faithful be blessed with love & peace. May they become holy & fertile gardens for vocations to marriage, to the priesthood, & to the consecrated life.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests teach, guide, & protect all priests as she did for our Lord Jesus. Amen.