The question that I added at the end of my first post of thoughts on the topic of predestination has bothered me. It seems 'impious' to assert that the fall of Adam was inevitable. Yet, it did happen, and with limited intellectual capabilities, such speculation is beyond man.
Was it 'necessary' that God should create the universe? Certainly not. Creation did not 'emanate' from Him, under some form of compulsion. The Lord freely chose to bring the earth and her inhabitants into existence ex nihilo. In other words, He would have lost nothing of His goodness and glory should He have chosen differently.
In His wisdom, He, from all eternity, decided to allow man to share in the divine trinitarian life and manifest His glory.
So it was with the fall of man. We could say, under certain conditions, that the fall was inevitable as God had foreseen it occurring in time and space and permitted it. The divine will is not directionless, it rests upon the divine intellect, otherwise He would love what He does not comprehend.
Such a good as the Incarnation of the Logos outweighed the evil of man, which God has permitted to bring men to sanctity. It may appear unfathomable that so many souls should perish so that this great good could occur, yet God is not unjust. Those who sin, do so willingly.
Another question that has troubled me, as well as giving me a source of joy, is that I exist in a particular time and place. I, although born outwith the Church, was led to her relatively young, and the Good Lord protected me until that moment. He could have placed me with a Muslim family, rather than a religiously indifferent one. I could have been given to light before the birth of our Lord. I could have not even been created at all. I can only be thankful that He in His mercy has placed me within His Church, outwith her, no man can be saved. Why did He do this? I do not know. I can not repay Him, but I must return myself wholeheartedly. When one is given much, much is expected.
Thursday 29 July 2010
Saint Martha - 3 Cl.
Virgin
Martha, sister of Mary Magdalen and Lazarus, lived at Bethany a humble active life. She often gave hospitality to our Lord. According to one account they ended their days at Marseilles - St. Lazarus as Bishop, St. Mary Madgalen as anchoress, St. Martha as head of a small community of women.
Collect:
Hear us, O God, our Saviour: and as we rejoice in the feast of blessed Martha, Thy Virgin: so we may learn a filial devotion to Thee. Through our Lord...
'With thy comeliness and thy beauty set out, proceed prosperously, and reign'
'Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear: for the King hath greatly desired thy beauty'.
More Thoughts
I have become a firm believer in the truth that nothing occurs on this earth that God does not will, or at least permits. As He is of His essence just and good, all things are ordered to His glory in His Wisdom. Yet, it seems that there are particular occurances that are 'neutral', things that simply happen, which adds nothing to God's manifestation of His glory. What purpose does it serve that a bug is trampled upon, that a particular trashy novel is written or what colour t-shirt I decide to wear to the beach?
The theory that there are 'neutral' happenings, which God passes over without much acknowledgement or design does not sit well with me. However, in our current state, with a limited cognitive faculty, such a mystery baffles us. Even though, it 'appears' that no reason exists, a divine ordering must not be ruled out merely because of that.
The theory that there are 'neutral' happenings, which God passes over without much acknowledgement or design does not sit well with me. However, in our current state, with a limited cognitive faculty, such a mystery baffles us. Even though, it 'appears' that no reason exists, a divine ordering must not be ruled out merely because of that.
Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day
Pope Saint Gregory the Great:
'Let no one take on him the office of preacher unless he loves his hearers'
Comment: In the patristic era, preaching was not mere communication, but an art form. Beauty was expressed but was often tinged with vanity and ambition. The preacher today faces a similar difficulty. Too frequently, our priests settle for the acceptance of the crowd, not by an exquisite turn of phrase, but by appealing to their preconceived notions and expectations. The preacher no longer challenges his congregation to become as holy as the Father is holy, but offers words of 'kindness' and 'consolation.
Let no preacher today fall into such a trap. He will answer for the souls he has touched, or failed to, at his death.
Renovamini spiritu mentis vestrae...
'Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind...'
I have written previously how conversion entails a rejection and an embrace, a denial and a welcome. As our Holy Father has spoken many times about, the Christian life is not simply the result of a lofty idea or an ethical commitment, but fundamentally an encounter with God Who comes to us in the Person of Christ, the Logos.
To believe in Christ does not cease at an intellectual concept, but a truth that affects your entire being so that you may be prostrate at the feet of Jesus and exclaim with Thomas, 'Dominus meus et Deus meus'. To 'put on the new man', requires an abandonment of the legacy and corruption of the first Adam, and a union with the heavenly Man, the Second Adam. Saint Mary Magdalene mistook our Divine Lord for the gardener, and He is certainly the one Who tills the ground of our souls, so that they make produce fruit to a harvest of eternal life.
The fundamental orientation of our lives is transformed, exalted and brought to their intended purpose. Such is the identification with Christ, the believer, the member of His Mystical Body must be able to say, 'I live, yet it is not I, but Christ that lives in me'. We must have the same mind as Christ Who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, assuming the condition of a slave and dwelling among us. Before, we pursued riches, acknowledgement, pleasure and luxury, yet now, our food must be, as was Christ's, to do the Father's will. If one is acknowledged by God as a just son, who could condemn him? We must 'put on the new man', characterised by humility, gentleness, patience, sacrificial love and hope. The days are evil, yet through faith, we can understand their purpose, an opportunity to sanctify ourselves in the midst of trial. However, such a pilgrimage is not without joy. We have a hope stored up for us in heaven, where no moth can eat away at, where no thief can break in and steal. Our hope is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Let us make merry with spiritual canticles, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit Who transforms us into His likeness, so that we may participate more fully in the divine nature by grace.
He who eats the flesh of the Lord lives in Him as He lives by the Father. He who receives of the Spirit is transformed into love.
There is much to be done. Man not only wars against his enemies and persecutors. But against his own flesh, yet if the Lord had not been on our side, such trials would have drowned and overwhelmed us. Mortification must occur where we beat not the air but hammer the body into obeying the soul, yet this must take place with a joyful and childlike trust in the goodness and mercy of God. Recourse to prayer must be unceasing, a cry from the heart to the Father, so that the divine likeness may be regained by appealing to the archtype.
Let the life of Christ, penetrate the depths of your being, let no intch be unconsecrated to Our Divine Redeemer. He thirsts for all of man and every man.
I have written previously how conversion entails a rejection and an embrace, a denial and a welcome. As our Holy Father has spoken many times about, the Christian life is not simply the result of a lofty idea or an ethical commitment, but fundamentally an encounter with God Who comes to us in the Person of Christ, the Logos.
To believe in Christ does not cease at an intellectual concept, but a truth that affects your entire being so that you may be prostrate at the feet of Jesus and exclaim with Thomas, 'Dominus meus et Deus meus'. To 'put on the new man', requires an abandonment of the legacy and corruption of the first Adam, and a union with the heavenly Man, the Second Adam. Saint Mary Magdalene mistook our Divine Lord for the gardener, and He is certainly the one Who tills the ground of our souls, so that they make produce fruit to a harvest of eternal life.
The fundamental orientation of our lives is transformed, exalted and brought to their intended purpose. Such is the identification with Christ, the believer, the member of His Mystical Body must be able to say, 'I live, yet it is not I, but Christ that lives in me'. We must have the same mind as Christ Who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, assuming the condition of a slave and dwelling among us. Before, we pursued riches, acknowledgement, pleasure and luxury, yet now, our food must be, as was Christ's, to do the Father's will. If one is acknowledged by God as a just son, who could condemn him? We must 'put on the new man', characterised by humility, gentleness, patience, sacrificial love and hope. The days are evil, yet through faith, we can understand their purpose, an opportunity to sanctify ourselves in the midst of trial. However, such a pilgrimage is not without joy. We have a hope stored up for us in heaven, where no moth can eat away at, where no thief can break in and steal. Our hope is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Let us make merry with spiritual canticles, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit Who transforms us into His likeness, so that we may participate more fully in the divine nature by grace.
He who eats the flesh of the Lord lives in Him as He lives by the Father. He who receives of the Spirit is transformed into love.
There is much to be done. Man not only wars against his enemies and persecutors. But against his own flesh, yet if the Lord had not been on our side, such trials would have drowned and overwhelmed us. Mortification must occur where we beat not the air but hammer the body into obeying the soul, yet this must take place with a joyful and childlike trust in the goodness and mercy of God. Recourse to prayer must be unceasing, a cry from the heart to the Father, so that the divine likeness may be regained by appealing to the archtype.
Let the life of Christ, penetrate the depths of your being, let no intch be unconsecrated to Our Divine Redeemer. He thirsts for all of man and every man.
Wednesday 28 July 2010
July 28
Ss. Nazarius and Celsus, Martyrs
St Victor I, Pope, Martyr
St Innocent I, Pope, Confessor. - 3 Cl.
Nazarius and his disciple Celsus are two Milanese martyrs. They were beheaded A.D. 67.
Victor, successor of St. Eleutherius, was martyred under Septimus Severus A.D. 199.
Having, like his contemporaries St Jerome and St Augustine, fought with his pen and his eloquence for the teaching of Christ, St Innocent, the successor of St Athanasius, died A.D. 417.
Collect:
May the blessed martyrdom of Thy saints Naziarus, Celsus, Victor and Innocent be our defence, and may it graciously win for us help in our weakness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ...
'God rendered to the just the wages of their labours...'
Comment: The Christian is not opposed to the world, yet he finds the truth he believes in and molds his life around is vigorously hated by the world. Nowadays, our opponents will act in subtle ways to fight the Faith. Satan is not so foolish that he believes the Faith can be defeated through such violent means. He appeals to our sense of 'goodness'. They will appear to be rational, reasonable, devoted to upholding liberty and justice. For too long, we have allowed them to promote errors, while we suck up their doctrines voluntarily, all in the name of fairness. Let us awaken as much is at stake here.
St Victor I, Pope, Martyr
St Innocent I, Pope, Confessor. - 3 Cl.
Nazarius and his disciple Celsus are two Milanese martyrs. They were beheaded A.D. 67.
Victor, successor of St. Eleutherius, was martyred under Septimus Severus A.D. 199.
Having, like his contemporaries St Jerome and St Augustine, fought with his pen and his eloquence for the teaching of Christ, St Innocent, the successor of St Athanasius, died A.D. 417.
Collect:
May the blessed martyrdom of Thy saints Naziarus, Celsus, Victor and Innocent be our defence, and may it graciously win for us help in our weakness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ...
'God rendered to the just the wages of their labours...'
Comment: The Christian is not opposed to the world, yet he finds the truth he believes in and molds his life around is vigorously hated by the world. Nowadays, our opponents will act in subtle ways to fight the Faith. Satan is not so foolish that he believes the Faith can be defeated through such violent means. He appeals to our sense of 'goodness'. They will appear to be rational, reasonable, devoted to upholding liberty and justice. For too long, we have allowed them to promote errors, while we suck up their doctrines voluntarily, all in the name of fairness. Let us awaken as much is at stake here.
Canadian Anglicans to Swim the Tiber
From Catholic News Agency
Vancouver, Canada, Jul 28, 2010 / 01:10 am (CNA).- ''With “overwhelming support,” a recent meeting of leaders in the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (ACCC) voted to unite with the Roman Catholic Church through the Apostolic Constitution created by Pope Benedict XVI.
The ACCC, part of the Continuing Anglican Movement, is made up of more than two dozen congregations. Its Eighth Provincial Synod and Thirteenth Diocesan Synod were held simultaneously at the Rosemary Heights Retreat Center in Surrey, British Columbia.
The website VirtueOnline.org published a letter from Dean Shane B. Janzen detailing the event.
The meeting was attended by four ACCC bishops, including Bishop Peter Wilkinson, the communion’s Metropolitan and Ordinary. Archbishop John Hepworth, the Australia-based Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), was also present.
The discussion included the House of Clergy and the House of Laity and focused on the implementation of a proposed Canadian Anglican Catholic Ordinariate under the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus.”
Support for the Ordinariate was unanimous in the House of Clergy and received 25 of 30 votes from lay delegates, with two members opposing the proposal and three abstaining.
The synod then passed a resolution enabling Bishop Wilkinson, with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council, to enact the necessary canonical ordinances and rules to establish the Ordinariate.
The House of Clergy elected members of the Interim Governing Council, which nominated and elected Bishop Wilkinson as the first Bishop Ordinary of the proposed Ordinariate.
According to Dean Janzen’s letter, the Diocesan Council also made financial changes to ensure that the diocese’s restricted funds are protected from “any potential litigation.”
Dean Janzen wrote that the focus of the synod was “the worship and praise of Almighty God; the proclamation of Christ's saving Truth; and faithful witness to the faith, order and discipline to Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”
He reported that attendees left with “a renewed sense of optimism for the future and a clear vision for the present.”
“With the overwhelming support of clergy and laity for unity with the See of Peter and the establishment of a Canadian Anglican Catholic Ordinariate, our Diocese is now able to move forward united, renewed, and hopeful,” his letter read, according to VirtueOnline.''
Let us pray for these soon to be Catholics that they will bring their zeal for the Faith to their brothers. These will be true Catholics, of the Latin Church, contary to the assertion of the media that they will be some kind of 'half-Anglican, half Roman Catholic'. Let us hope that many will follow them...
Sancta Maria, Mater Ecclesiae, Ora Pro Nobis
Vancouver, Canada, Jul 28, 2010 / 01:10 am (CNA).- ''With “overwhelming support,” a recent meeting of leaders in the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada (ACCC) voted to unite with the Roman Catholic Church through the Apostolic Constitution created by Pope Benedict XVI.
The ACCC, part of the Continuing Anglican Movement, is made up of more than two dozen congregations. Its Eighth Provincial Synod and Thirteenth Diocesan Synod were held simultaneously at the Rosemary Heights Retreat Center in Surrey, British Columbia.
The website VirtueOnline.org published a letter from Dean Shane B. Janzen detailing the event.
The meeting was attended by four ACCC bishops, including Bishop Peter Wilkinson, the communion’s Metropolitan and Ordinary. Archbishop John Hepworth, the Australia-based Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), was also present.
The discussion included the House of Clergy and the House of Laity and focused on the implementation of a proposed Canadian Anglican Catholic Ordinariate under the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus.”
Support for the Ordinariate was unanimous in the House of Clergy and received 25 of 30 votes from lay delegates, with two members opposing the proposal and three abstaining.
The synod then passed a resolution enabling Bishop Wilkinson, with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council, to enact the necessary canonical ordinances and rules to establish the Ordinariate.
The House of Clergy elected members of the Interim Governing Council, which nominated and elected Bishop Wilkinson as the first Bishop Ordinary of the proposed Ordinariate.
According to Dean Janzen’s letter, the Diocesan Council also made financial changes to ensure that the diocese’s restricted funds are protected from “any potential litigation.”
Dean Janzen wrote that the focus of the synod was “the worship and praise of Almighty God; the proclamation of Christ's saving Truth; and faithful witness to the faith, order and discipline to Christ's one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.”
He reported that attendees left with “a renewed sense of optimism for the future and a clear vision for the present.”
“With the overwhelming support of clergy and laity for unity with the See of Peter and the establishment of a Canadian Anglican Catholic Ordinariate, our Diocese is now able to move forward united, renewed, and hopeful,” his letter read, according to VirtueOnline.''
Let us pray for these soon to be Catholics that they will bring their zeal for the Faith to their brothers. These will be true Catholics, of the Latin Church, contary to the assertion of the media that they will be some kind of 'half-Anglican, half Roman Catholic'. Let us hope that many will follow them...
Sancta Maria, Mater Ecclesiae, Ora Pro Nobis
New Day
The Servant of God Archbishop Sheen used to say that there are two types of people in this life, those who wake up and say, 'Good morning God' and those who utter,' good God, morning'.
For many, the sound of the alarm clock is a hideous reminder of the grind of daily life and its incessant demands. Yet, such is a gift. Often we are given items that we do not know what to do with. They occupy space in the cupboard or under the stairs, gathering dust.
Each of us is gifted with a life - one only and after death comes judgement - to glory God and save our soul. The buzz of the alarm clock is your opportunity to either grow in sanctity and/or finally cast off the works of the flesh. A chance for conversion or further holiness.
In what condition would you be, if the Lord had thrown down fire from heaven a few years ago? He has spared you, and with good reason. His patience is your opportunity to repent. Who knows, tomorrow, you may not wake up to that sound that has irritated you for so long...
For many, the sound of the alarm clock is a hideous reminder of the grind of daily life and its incessant demands. Yet, such is a gift. Often we are given items that we do not know what to do with. They occupy space in the cupboard or under the stairs, gathering dust.
Each of us is gifted with a life - one only and after death comes judgement - to glory God and save our soul. The buzz of the alarm clock is your opportunity to either grow in sanctity and/or finally cast off the works of the flesh. A chance for conversion or further holiness.
In what condition would you be, if the Lord had thrown down fire from heaven a few years ago? He has spared you, and with good reason. His patience is your opportunity to repent. Who knows, tomorrow, you may not wake up to that sound that has irritated you for so long...
Some Thoughts
Recently I have been thinking about the topic of predestination. Such a mystery can not be exhausted, therefore my meditations have been cloudy on this issues, yet something has struck me in the past few days. I had previously agreed with the position of Saint Thomas that the Incarnation of the Logos would not have occured if mankind had not sinned as He was sent to heal the sick. However, from all eternity the Lord was aware that His rational creatures on earth would turn from Him, and He permitted it. It is untenable to assert that this sin was desirable, not per se, however, in His inscrutable Wisdom, the Father has brought about a greater good by sending His Son. A thought occured to me that the sin of Adam truly was a 'felix culpa', where at the appointed the Eternal Creator assumes flesh and dwells among us.
I truly accepted the belief that nothing on this earth takes place without God's will, ordaining (positive) or permissive. He Who Is could have ordered His creation in such a manner, without destroying free will, that sin would be unthinkable. He could have arranged particular circumstances, performed some miracle in the viewing of Adam, gifted our first parents with a superior intelligence etc. Yet, it was deemed 'acceptable', if such a word may be used, that they are cast from Eden so that God may dwell with man. As Aristotle stated, it is good for friends to spend time together.
Nothing can occur before the divine will, it is not activated by a knowledge of man's actions. This is so as it is only through the divine will that the acts of men have the possibility to occur. Therefore the question is, could it have been otherwise than man fell....?
I truly accepted the belief that nothing on this earth takes place without God's will, ordaining (positive) or permissive. He Who Is could have ordered His creation in such a manner, without destroying free will, that sin would be unthinkable. He could have arranged particular circumstances, performed some miracle in the viewing of Adam, gifted our first parents with a superior intelligence etc. Yet, it was deemed 'acceptable', if such a word may be used, that they are cast from Eden so that God may dwell with man. As Aristotle stated, it is good for friends to spend time together.
Nothing can occur before the divine will, it is not activated by a knowledge of man's actions. This is so as it is only through the divine will that the acts of men have the possibility to occur. Therefore the question is, could it have been otherwise than man fell....?
Monday 26 July 2010
Old Rite Training Conference for Priests
From the Latin Mass Society in England:
''LMS Residential Training Conference for Priests Wishing to Learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) at Downside Abbey, Somerset.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider to attend Conference
The Latin Mass Society has announced that Bishop Athanasius Schneider ORC, Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganga in Kazakhstan, will be attending the forthcoming priests’ training conference to be held at Downside Abbey from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th August. Bishop Schneider will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the Abbey Church at Downside on Thursday 12th August at 11.00am. He will also deliver a lecture as part of the conference.
Around 30 priests are expected to attend the conference where tuition will be given in the celebration of Mass in the older form. Some will be beginners, and will be studying Low Mass; whilst others with more experience will be expanding their skills to include Missa Cantata and Missa Solemnis. Tuition will also be provided for altar servers.
Bishop Schneider is best known for his defence of the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue and kneeling. His book, Dominus Est, originally written in Italian but now available in English, deals with this subject in some detail.
The public will be able to attend the 11.00 am Mass in the Abbey Church each day of the conference, but will be particularly welcome at the Pontifical Mass on the Thursday.
There are a few last minute places available at the Downside conference. Priests and potential servers interested in attending should contact the Latin Mass Society by telephoning 020 7404 7284 for further information and an application form.
For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or James Murphy, LMS Office Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284;
(F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) info@latin-mass-society.org''
''LMS Residential Training Conference for Priests Wishing to Learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) at Downside Abbey, Somerset.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider to attend Conference
The Latin Mass Society has announced that Bishop Athanasius Schneider ORC, Auxiliary Bishop of Karaganga in Kazakhstan, will be attending the forthcoming priests’ training conference to be held at Downside Abbey from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th August. Bishop Schneider will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form in the Abbey Church at Downside on Thursday 12th August at 11.00am. He will also deliver a lecture as part of the conference.
Around 30 priests are expected to attend the conference where tuition will be given in the celebration of Mass in the older form. Some will be beginners, and will be studying Low Mass; whilst others with more experience will be expanding their skills to include Missa Cantata and Missa Solemnis. Tuition will also be provided for altar servers.
Bishop Schneider is best known for his defence of the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion on the tongue and kneeling. His book, Dominus Est, originally written in Italian but now available in English, deals with this subject in some detail.
The public will be able to attend the 11.00 am Mass in the Abbey Church each day of the conference, but will be particularly welcome at the Pontifical Mass on the Thursday.
There are a few last minute places available at the Downside conference. Priests and potential servers interested in attending should contact the Latin Mass Society by telephoning 020 7404 7284 for further information and an application form.
For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or James Murphy, LMS Office Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284;
(F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) info@latin-mass-society.org''
Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day
Saint Ambrose:
''The devil does not have only one weapon. He uses many different means to defeat human beings; now with bribery, now with boredom, now with greed he attacks, inflicting mental and physical wounds equally.''
Comment: It is only through suffering that a man is made perfect. Only when considerable pressure is mounted upon an athelete will muscles develop and speed increase. Yet, suffering can deprave a man even more, or it can exalt him over the heavens in holiness. Recourse to the Father of heavens and the Holy Virgin in such difficulties creates a greater likeness of Christ in the soul, and Satan is powerless. Let us remember that the Good Lord will not permit us to be tested beyond our strength. Let us refrain from idleness, where Satan is often at his most dangerous, and our souls at their weakest. Vigilate!
''The devil does not have only one weapon. He uses many different means to defeat human beings; now with bribery, now with boredom, now with greed he attacks, inflicting mental and physical wounds equally.''
Comment: It is only through suffering that a man is made perfect. Only when considerable pressure is mounted upon an athelete will muscles develop and speed increase. Yet, suffering can deprave a man even more, or it can exalt him over the heavens in holiness. Recourse to the Father of heavens and the Holy Virgin in such difficulties creates a greater likeness of Christ in the soul, and Satan is powerless. Let us remember that the Good Lord will not permit us to be tested beyond our strength. Let us refrain from idleness, where Satan is often at his most dangerous, and our souls at their weakest. Vigilate!
Saint Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 2 Cl.
The spouse of Saint Joachim, was the mother of Our Lady and the grandmother of Our Lord. Devotion to Saint Anne has increased very much in the whole Church. She is highly venerated as the Patron of Brittany.
Collect:
O God, who didst vouchsafe to bestow upon blessed Anne such grace, that she was found worthy to become the mother of her who brought forth Thine only-begotten Son: mercifully grant, that we who celebrate her festival, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same...
'God will help her with His countenance: God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved'
Comment: From all eternity, the Good Lord has determined those He will place in our lives in time and space. The gift of our parents is not randomly allocated through biological accident but is bestowed upon us purposely by God. Parents are the primary educators of their children and such an influence will decisively shape their offspring, for good or ill, heaven or hell. This is no third rate vocation, but the seedbed of all others. Let us this day pray for our grandmothers that they may increase in sanctity in the midst of illness, old age or difficulty of any sort.
Collect:
O God, who didst vouchsafe to bestow upon blessed Anne such grace, that she was found worthy to become the mother of her who brought forth Thine only-begotten Son: mercifully grant, that we who celebrate her festival, may be helped by her intercession with Thee. Through the same...
'God will help her with His countenance: God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved'
Comment: From all eternity, the Good Lord has determined those He will place in our lives in time and space. The gift of our parents is not randomly allocated through biological accident but is bestowed upon us purposely by God. Parents are the primary educators of their children and such an influence will decisively shape their offspring, for good or ill, heaven or hell. This is no third rate vocation, but the seedbed of all others. Let us this day pray for our grandmothers that they may increase in sanctity in the midst of illness, old age or difficulty of any sort.
Sunday 25 July 2010
...of the Greek Variety
Saint Clement of Alexandria:
''A chatterer is like an old boot. When all the rest has been used up, there is only the tongue left and that hurts the chatterer more than anyone else.''
Comment: He that controls the tongue must be a perfect man. Speech and human communication is a great gift from God, and like all goods must be ordered and applied correctly. Yet, who has not sinned with his tongue? Who has not cast down a brother with a thoughtless remark, caused scandal with some pathetic joke or torn down through reporting ill of others?
The Nature of Love - 2
All that exists, shares, in some sense, in the nature of God. As He is the origin of all that has being, no existing subject can be, without resembling His essence. Yet not all creation is alike in this. Rocks participate in God simply by being. Plants by living. Men by knowing and loving. This capacity for love reflects the intra-trinitarian communion, where the Spirit is the bond of love between the Unbegotten and the Logos. It is this endowment which exalts man above the rest of the earth and makes him most like God. The path of sanctity, which consists loving the Good, is not foreign to human nature, but grace is the perfection of it, where it is given its fulfilment and uniqueness.
Man can only love what is good, of his nature he is drawn to what is desirable and beautiful. Yet, such a desire which should be pure, grounded in God, in this valley of tears, becomes corrupted and confused. What is good is sought after in isolation from He Who is Good, Who He Is. The man who acts and loves in this manner, offends his own being. This is not simply ‘inauthenticity’, but a lie, a distortion of creation.
Love is the fundamental orientation of man, it directs his being, raises him up and transforms him. He that loves God, loves Himself and becomes God. Such an exaltation could only ever occur because of the Incarnation of the Sole-Begotten One and His Death. The supreme oblation of a God wounded by sin. A heart that would beat for the love of humanity and for the Father’s glory. The lover desires to be united with the Beloved, wishes to make himself like He Who is sought after and rejoices in His perfections.
This could be greatly expanded, but I thought I would write down some initial thoughts and develop them over the course of time.
Man can only love what is good, of his nature he is drawn to what is desirable and beautiful. Yet, such a desire which should be pure, grounded in God, in this valley of tears, becomes corrupted and confused. What is good is sought after in isolation from He Who is Good, Who He Is. The man who acts and loves in this manner, offends his own being. This is not simply ‘inauthenticity’, but a lie, a distortion of creation.
Love is the fundamental orientation of man, it directs his being, raises him up and transforms him. He that loves God, loves Himself and becomes God. Such an exaltation could only ever occur because of the Incarnation of the Sole-Begotten One and His Death. The supreme oblation of a God wounded by sin. A heart that would beat for the love of humanity and for the Father’s glory. The lover desires to be united with the Beloved, wishes to make himself like He Who is sought after and rejoices in His perfections.
This could be greatly expanded, but I thought I would write down some initial thoughts and develop them over the course of time.
Friday 23 July 2010
I've Returned
This morning I arrived back in Scotland, to the obvious absence of heat. But, it is a joy to get back to writing for Filioque and I hope to add some work of quality over the next few weeks.
I ask you also to pray for a friend of mine as her father has recently died and his funeral occurred on Thursday. Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the family so that they may trust in the loving kindness of our Father.
I ask you also to pray for a friend of mine as her father has recently died and his funeral occurred on Thursday. Please pray for the repose of his soul and for the family so that they may trust in the loving kindness of our Father.
Tuesday 6 July 2010
On Holiday
Off on holiday today to the land of Santa Claus - Turkey.
I will write up some more meditations when (and if) I return. May God be with you all and may the Holy Theotokos intercede for you!
Pax Vobis.
I will write up some more meditations when (and if) I return. May God be with you all and may the Holy Theotokos intercede for you!
Pax Vobis.
Monday 5 July 2010
...of the Greek Variety
Saint Maximus the Confessor:
'You must love everyone with all your soul, hoping however only in God and honouring Him with all your heart. Christ's friends are not loved by all, but they sincerely love all. The friends of this world are not loved by all, but neither do they love all'.
Comment: In Christ, the light of the nations, we come to the truth of the human person. In this concrete example on the Cross, His Supreme Immolation, we find the nature of charity. If we wish to call ourselves Christians, we must walk in His steps, suffering for the hope we have, but praying all the time for sinners.
The Soul Panting for its Beloved
Psalm 42: To provide some Scriptural support for what I have written recently.
'As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My [c] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.'
'As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My [c] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.'
The Nature of Love
It is of the nature of love that it is self-diffusive. It surpasses the self so that it can affirm the self. We learn from Richard of St. Victor that charity is not static, self-containing, but it reaches out in an embrace. The human person exists not in isolation, but it is of his nature to communicate. This communication is not a mere verbalisation but the sigh of the heart. All of our hopes rest in Him, our origin and our end. Any love which does not includes Him as its source is disordered and blurs the truth of the human person. All men are drawn together by Him, the Good. We all can say truly that He is our beloved.
I will work on this line of thought when I return from holiday on the 23rd of this month. During my recitation of the Rosary today, I came across this reflection on the 2nd Joyful Mystery, the Visitation, and by the time I got home, I had forgotten the fruits of it. So what I have written is quite imperfect at the moment, but I will do some further meditation later.
God be with you all,
I will work on this line of thought when I return from holiday on the 23rd of this month. During my recitation of the Rosary today, I came across this reflection on the 2nd Joyful Mystery, the Visitation, and by the time I got home, I had forgotten the fruits of it. So what I have written is quite imperfect at the moment, but I will do some further meditation later.
God be with you all,
Friday 2 July 2010
Priestly Ordinations
Archbishop Conti will ordain Ross Campbell, Martin Kane and John Sweeney at 11.30 am
on Saturday 3 July in St. Mary's, Abercromby Street.
Let us pray for these young men as they ascend to the altar as priests of our Lord Jesus Christ. May every day they spend be for the glory of the Blessed Trinity and the salvation of souls. May our Mother Mary guard and protect them from all anxiety and bring about in them a greater love of Jesus, her Divine Son.
on Saturday 3 July in St. Mary's, Abercromby Street.
Let us pray for these young men as they ascend to the altar as priests of our Lord Jesus Christ. May every day they spend be for the glory of the Blessed Trinity and the salvation of souls. May our Mother Mary guard and protect them from all anxiety and bring about in them a greater love of Jesus, her Divine Son.
9 Nations Appeal Italian Crucifix Ruling
From Catholic Culture:
''Nine of the 47 member nations of the Council of Europe argued in a June 30 appeal that the European Court of Human Rights should overturn its decision banning crucifixes in Italian classrooms. The original case was decided by a seven-judge panel; the appeal will be decided by a 19-judge panel, which is expected to issue a ruling in September or October.
Joining Italy in the appeal were Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, San Marino, Romania, and Russia.''
Comment: So much for secular toleration. When will we wake up from our slumber? It is from the Cross that our salvation comes. Opposing the use of crucifixes is a denial of God's gracious mercy in the Sacrifice of Christ, the seriousness of sin and the right to proclaim openly the truth.
''Nine of the 47 member nations of the Council of Europe argued in a June 30 appeal that the European Court of Human Rights should overturn its decision banning crucifixes in Italian classrooms. The original case was decided by a seven-judge panel; the appeal will be decided by a 19-judge panel, which is expected to issue a ruling in September or October.
Joining Italy in the appeal were Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, San Marino, Romania, and Russia.''
Comment: So much for secular toleration. When will we wake up from our slumber? It is from the Cross that our salvation comes. Opposing the use of crucifixes is a denial of God's gracious mercy in the Sacrifice of Christ, the seriousness of sin and the right to proclaim openly the truth.
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 2 Cl.
Mary's first action after God had come to dwell in her was one of self-denying charity. She undertook a troublesome journey in order to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Thus she proclaimed charity to be the virtue which above all Christ brought with Him from heaven. God made Mary's visit the occasion of a wonderful miracle. On her entrance into St. Elizabeth's dwelling, St. John the Baptist was cleansed from sin in his mother's womb. Mary was the channel of this exceptional privilege of the cleansing away of sin in the case of the unborn child. As then, so now: Mary is the channel of all graces, and above all, of the restoration of the sinner to friendship with God. Mary's charity is not less present now than at the time of the Visitation. Nay, she is far more eager now than then to promote the happiness and console the sorrows of those who fly to her for succour.
Collect:
Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Visitation may bring us an increase of peace. Through our Lord...
'Blessed and venerable art thou, O Virgin Mary: who without blemish to thy maidenhood, wert found to be the Mother of the Saviour.'
'Magnificat anima mea Dominum: Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.'
Comment: Let us fly to this refuge of sinners, the loving Immaculate Heart of the Queen of Heaven. No man can be saved, without beseeching her pity and graces, given to her graciously by her Heavenly Spouse, the Paraclete. Let us imitate her angelic purity and patience, thereby glorifying her divine Son, the Redeemer of the world. May love of her Son urge us on to heroic virtue, particularly charity, which unites all virtues. The faithful soul must leap with joy when he hears the name of Mary praised, as she bears Jesus without end.
Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix.
Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Collect:
Bestow upon Thy servants, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the gift of Thy heavenly grace: that as the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin was the beginning of our salvation, so the solemn feast of her Visitation may bring us an increase of peace. Through our Lord...
'Blessed and venerable art thou, O Virgin Mary: who without blemish to thy maidenhood, wert found to be the Mother of the Saviour.'
'Magnificat anima mea Dominum: Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.'
Comment: Let us fly to this refuge of sinners, the loving Immaculate Heart of the Queen of Heaven. No man can be saved, without beseeching her pity and graces, given to her graciously by her Heavenly Spouse, the Paraclete. Let us imitate her angelic purity and patience, thereby glorifying her divine Son, the Redeemer of the world. May love of her Son urge us on to heroic virtue, particularly charity, which unites all virtues. The faithful soul must leap with joy when he hears the name of Mary praised, as she bears Jesus without end.
Ora pro nobis, Sancta Dei Genitrix.
Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Latin Doctor Quote Of The Day
Saint Ambrose:
'Let us remember that religion comes first and family affection only in second place. Then everything becomes clear. You should put human affairs second to divine imperatives. If we have a duty to love our parents, we also have one paramount duty of love to the Father of our parents.'
Comment: I can already hear the modernist plead, 'What about the commandment to honour our parents, are we negating that divine law for the sake of superficial piety?' Not so. When we follow the outline given above by the Bishop of Milan, we recognise the uniqueness of our parents. Nothing occurs on this earth without the will of God, either His ordaining (what I call 'positive') or permissive will, therefore it was not without reason that our Eternal Father placed us in the care of those He did. Through our obediance to 'divine imperatives', we truly honour the God, from Whom all fatherhood proceeds. In Christ, we not only wish them peace and prosperity, but all heavenly benediction and eternal happiness. To act and believe in such a manner, we truly honour our parents.
The Feast of the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ - 1st July.
In this month of July, we remember the Precious Blood of our Divine Redeemer that was spilled for our salvation. We cannot forget that the ransom for our reconciliation was not paid in anything corruptible, gold or silver, but by the blood of the true Lamb of God. This blood was offered to the Father in Jesus' supreme oblation on the Cross, yet before, His precious blood was shed, namely in His Circumcision, His scourging and His crowning with thorns. In the Old Testament it is stated that the life is in the blood, truly by His Passion and Death, our wounds are bound up and we are exalted to a more blessed state of life. We move beyond the transient, the passing, and enter into the mystery of the divine life, the glorious Trinity. The blood which poured out as from a source of mercy from the side of Christ is not alone, it is united hypostatically to the Logos of God, through Whom all things were made and are sustained. Let us venerate the price of our redemption this month more than ever. There is no other name under which we may be saved than that of Jesus Christ, let us proclaim with boldness our faith in His offering on Calvary which is renewed and applied daily to our souls at the Sacrifice of the Mass.
God, being almighty, may have chosen to forgive our sins in anyother manner, but in His divine Wisdom, He has chosen the Sacrifice of the Cross, to show forth the depths of His love and the seriousness of evil.
Collect:
Almighty, everlasting God, who didst appoint Thine only-begotten Son to be Redeemer of the world, and didst vouchsafe to be appeased by His Blood; grant, we beseech Thee, that, by our solemn service, we may so venerate the Price of our redemption, and by its power be so defended from the evils of this present life on earth, that we may enjoy its fruit for evermore in heaven. Through the same...
'But one of the soldiers with a psear opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water.'
'The chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ?'
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