I have spent the day mostly in prayer, listening, speaking with my spiritual director, praying, going to Mass, listening some more… and these are the thoughts and words which have been coming to me since I wrote The Synod and the Spirit.
FAITH AND MORALS
The Synod and the Spirit
AS I wrote in my daily Mass meditation today (see here), there is a certain panic in some quarters of the Church on the heels of the Synod’s somewhat abstract post discussion report (relatio post disceptationem). People are asking, “What are the bishops doing in Rome? What is the Pope doing?” But the real question is what is the Holy Spirit doing? For the Spirit is the one Jesus sent to “teach you all truth.” [1]John 16:13 The Spirit is our advocate, our help, our consoler, our strength, our wisdom… but also the one who convicts, enlightens, and exposes our hearts so that we have the opportunity to always move deeper toward the truth that sets us free.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | John 16:13 |
|---|
Sin that Keeps us from the Kingdom
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 15th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Liturgical texts here
Genuine freedom is an outstanding manifestation of the divine image in man. —SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Veritatis Splendor, n. 34
TODAY, Paul moves from explaining how Christ has set us free for freedom, to being specific as to those sins that lead us, not only into slavery, but even eternal separation from God: immorality, impurity, drinking bouts, envy, etc.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (First reading)
How popular was Paul for saying these things? Paul didn’t care. As he said himself earlier in his letter to the Galatians:
Who Has Bewitched You?
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 9th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Denis and Companions, Martyrs
Liturgical texts here
“O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you…?”
These are the opening words of today’s first reading. And I wonder if St. Paul would repeat them to us as well were he in our midst. For even though Jesus has promised to build His Church on rock, many are convinced today that it’s really just sand. I have received a few letters that essentially say, okay, I hear what you’re saying about the Pope, but I’m still afraid he is saying one thing and doing another. Yes, there is a persistent fear among the ranks that this Pope is going to lead us all into apostasy.
The Two Guardrails
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 6th, 2014
Opt. Memorial for St. Bruno and Blessed Marie Rose Durocher
Liturgical texts here
Photo by Les Cunliffe
THE readings today could not be more timely for the opening sessions of the Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Family. For they provide the two guardrails along the “constricted road that leads to life” [1]cf. Matt 7:14 that the Church, and all us as individuals, must travel.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Matt 7:14 |
|---|
On Angel’s Wings
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for October 2nd, 2014
Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels,
Liturgical texts here
IT is remarkable to think that, this very moment, beside me, is an angelic being who is not only ministering to me, but beholding the face of the Father at the same time:
Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven… See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. (Today’s Gospel)
Few, I think, really pay attention to this angelic guardian assigned to them, let alone converse with them. But many of the saints such as Henry, Veronica, Gemma and Pio regularly spoke with and saw their angels. I shared a story with you how I was awakened one morning to an interior voice that, I seemed to know intuitively, was my guardian angel (read Speak Lord, I am Listening). And then there is that stranger who appeared that one Christmas (read A True Christmas Tale).
There was one other time that stands out to me as an inexplicable example of the angel’s presence among us…
The Guiding Star
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 24th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
IT is called the “Guiding Star” because it appears to be fixed in the night sky as an infallible point of reference. Polaris, as it’s called, is nothing less than a parable of the Church, which has its visible sign in the papacy.
The Power of the Resurrection
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 18th, 2014
Opt. Memorial of St. Januarius
Liturgical texts here
A LOT hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As St. Paul says today:
…if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. (First reading)
It’s all in vain if Jesus is not alive today. It would mean that death has conquered all and “you are still in your sins.”
But it is precisely the Resurrection that makes any sense of the early Church. I mean, if Christ had not risen, why would His followers go to their brutal deaths insisting on a lie, a fabrication, a thin hope? It’s not like they were trying to build a powerful organization—they chose a life of poverty and service. If anything, you’d think these men would have readily abandoned their faith in the face of their persecutors saying, “Well look, it was quite the three years we lived with Jesus! But no, he’s gone now, and that’s that.” The only thing that makes sense of their radical turnabout after His death is that they saw Him risen from the dead.
The Heart of Catholicism
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 18th, 2014
Liturgical texts here
THE very heart of Catholicism is not Mary; it is not the Pope nor even the Sacraments. It is not even Jesus, per se. Rather it is what Jesus has done for us. Because John writes that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” But unless the next thing happens…
One Flock
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 16th, 2014
Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Martyrs
Liturgical texts here
IT’s a question no “bible-believing” Protestant Christian has ever been able to answer for me in the nearly twenty years I’ve been in public ministry: whose interpretation of Scripture is the right one? Every once in awhile, I receive letters from readers who want to set me straight on my interpretation of the Word. But I always write them back and say, “Well, it’s not my interpretation of the Scriptures—it’s the Church’s. After all, it was the Catholic Bishops at the councils of Carthage and Hippo (393, 397, 419 AD) who determined what was to be deemed the “canon” of Scripture, and which writings were not. It only makes sense to go to the ones who put the Bible together for its interpretation.”
But I tell you, the vacuum of logic among Christians is at times stunning.
God's Co-workers
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for September 8th, 2014
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Liturgical texts here
I hope you have had a chance to read my meditation on Mary, The Masterwork. Because, really, it reveals a truth about who you are and should be in Christ. After all, what we say of Mary can be said of the Church, and by this is meant not only the Church as a whole, but individuals on a certain level as well.
The Foundation of Faith
THERE is plenty happening in our world today to shake the faith of believers. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find souls who are remaining steadfast in their Christian faith without compromise, without giving up, without caving in to the pressures and temptations of the world. But this raises a question: just what exactly is my faith to be in? The Church? Mary? The Sacraments…?
Joy in Truth
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 22nd, 2014
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Opt. Mem. St. Rita of Cascia
Liturgical texts here
LAST year in The Sixth Day, I wrote that, ‘Pope Benedict XVI in many ways is the last “gift” of a generation of giant theologians who have guided the Church through the Storm of apostasy that is now going to break out in all its force upon the world. The next pope will guide us too… but he is ascending a throne that the world wishes to overturn.’ [1]cf. The Sixth Day
That Storm is now upon us. That terrible rebellion against the seat of Peter—the teachings preserved and derived from the Vine of Apostolic Tradition—is here. In a candid and necessary speech last week, Princeton Professor Robert P. George said:
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. The Sixth Day |
|---|
Truth Blossoms
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 21st, 2014
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Opt. Mem. St. Christopher Magallanes & Companions
Liturgical texts here
Christ True Vine, Unknown
WHEN Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, that did not mean that doctrines would come easily without need for discernment, prayer, and dialogue. That’s evident in today’s first reading as Paul and Barnabas seek out the Apostles to clarify certain aspects of the Jewish law. I am reminded in recent times of the teachings of Humanae Vitae, and how there was much disagreement, consultation, and prayer before Paul VI delivered his beautiful teaching. And now, a Synod on the Family will convene this October in which issues at the very heart, not only of the Church but of civilization, are being discussed with no little consequences:
Christianity and the Ancient Religions
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 19th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Liturgical texts here
IT is common to hear those opposed to Catholicism invoke arguments such as: Christianity is just borrowed from pagan religions; that Christ is a mythological invention; or that the Catholic Feast days, such as Christmas and Easter, are just paganism with a face-lift. But there is an entirely different perspective on paganism that St. Paul reveals in today’s Mass readings.
The Twelfth Stone
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 14th, 2014
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle
Liturgical texts here
St. Matthias, by Peter Paul Rubens (1577 – 1640)
I often ask non-Catholics who wish to debate the Church’s authority: “Why did the Apostles have to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot after his death? What’s the big deal? St. Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles that, as the first community gathered in Jerusalem, ‘there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place.’ [1]cf. Acts 1:15 So there were plenty of believers on hand. Why, then, did the office of Judas have to be filled?”
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Acts 1:15 |
|---|
Prophecy Properly Understood
WE are living in a time when prophecy has perhaps never been so important, and yet, so misunderstood by the vast majority of Catholics. There are three harmful positions being taken today regarding prophetic or “private” revelations that, I believe, are doing at times great damage in many quarters of the Church. One is that “private revelations” never have to be heeded since all we are obligated to believe is the definitive Revelation of Christ in the “deposit of faith.” Another harm being done is by those who tend to not only put prophecy above the Magisterium, but give it the same authority as Sacred Scripture. And last, there is the position that most prophecy, unless uttered by saints or found without error, should be mostly shunned. Again, all these positions above carry unfortunate and even dangerous pitfalls.
Unless the Lord Build the Community…
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 2nd, 2014
Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Liturgical texts here
LIKE the believers in the early Church, I know many today likewise feel a strong call toward Christian community. In fact, I have dialogued for years with brothers and sisters about this desire that is intrinsic to Christian life and the life of the Church. As Benedict XVI said:
I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians. We become “one body”, completely joined in a single existence. —Deus Caritas Est, n. 14
This is a beautiful thought, and not a pipe dream either. It is the prophetic prayer of Jesus that we “may all be one.” [1]cf. Jn 17:21 On the other hand, the difficulties facing us today in forming Christian communities are not small. While Focolare or Madonna House or other apostolates provide us with some valuable wisdom and experience in living “in communion,” there are a few things we should keep in mind.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Jn 17:21 |
|---|
Community Must be Ecclesial
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for May 1st, 2014
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
St. Joseph the Worker
Liturgical texts here
Christian Unity
WHEN the Apostles are brought again before the Sanhedrin, they do not answer as individuals, but as a community.
We must obey God rather than men. (First reading)
This one sentence is loaded with implications. First, they say “we,” implying a fundamental unity between them. Second, it reveals that the Apostles were not following human tradition, but the Sacred Tradition that Jesus imparted to them. And last, it supports what we read earlier this week, that the first converts in turn were following the Apostles’ teaching, which was Christ’s.
Community… an Encounter with Jesus
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 30th, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
THE same Apostles who fled Gethsemane at the first rattle of chains now, not only defy the religious authorities, but go straight back into hostile territory to witness to the resurrection of Jesus.
The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people. (First reading)
Chains that once were their shame now begin to weave a glorious crown. Where did this courage suddenly come from?
The Sacrament of Community
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 29th, 2014
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena
Liturgical texts here
Our Lady of Combermere gathering her children—Madonna House Community, Ont., Canada
NOWHERE in the Gospels do we read Jesus instructing the Apostles that, once He departs, they are to form communities. Perhaps the closest Jesus comes to it is when He says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” [1]cf. Jn 13:35
And yet, after Pentecost, the very first thing the believers did was form organized communities. Almost instinctively…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Jn 13:35 |
|---|
The Third Memorial
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 17th, 2014
Holy Thursday
Liturgical texts here
THREE times, at the Lord’s Supper, Jesus asked us to imitate Him. Once when He took Bread and broke it; once when He took up the Cup; and last, when He washed the feet of the Apostles:
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. (Today’s Gospel)
The Holy Mass is not complete without the third memorial. That is, when you and I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus, the Holy Meal is only satisfied when we wash the feet of another. When you and I, in turn, become the very Sacrifice that we have eaten: when we give our lives in service for another:
Jesus is God
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 10th, 2014
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
MUSLIMS believe He is a prophet. Jehovah’s Witnesses, that He was Michael the archangel. Others, that He is just a historical figure, and yet others, a mere myth.
But Jesus is God.
Persisting in Sin
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 7th, 2014
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
The Valley of the Shadow of Death, George Inness, (1825-1894)
ON Saturday evening, I had the privilege of leading a group of young people and a handful of adults in Eucharistic Adoration. As we gazed upon Jesus’ Eucharistic face, listening to the words He spoke through St. Faustina, singing His name while others went to Confession… the love and mercy of God descended powerfully upon the room.
The River of Life
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for April 1st, 2014
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
Photo by Elia Locardi
I had been debating lately with an atheist (she finally gave up). At the beginning of our conversations, I explained to her that my belief in Jesus Christ had little do with the scientifically verifiable miracles of physical healings, apparitions, and incorruptible saints, and more so to do with the fact that I know Jesus (insofar as He has revealed Himself to me). But she insisted this was not good enough, that I was irrational, duped by a myth, oppressed by a patriarchal Church… you know, the usual diatribe. She wanted me to reproduce God in a petri dish, and well, I just don’t think He was up to it.
As I read her words, it was as if she was trying to tell a man who’d just come out of the rain that he isn’t wet. And the water I speak of here is the River of Life.
A New Creation
THE NOW WORD ON MASS READINGS
for March 31st, 2014
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Liturgical texts here
WHAT happens when a person gives their life to Jesus, when a soul is baptized and therefore consecrated to God? It’s an important question because, after all, what is the appeal of becoming a Christian? The answer lies in today’s first reading…
Who Am I to Judge?
Photo Reuters
THEY are words that, just a little under a year later, continue to echo throughout the Church and the world: “Who am I to judge?” They were Pope Francis’ response to a question posed to him regarding the “gay lobby” in the Church. Those words have become a battle cry: first, for those who wish to justify homosexual practice; second, for those wish to justify their moral relativism; and third, for those who wish to justify their assumption that Pope Francis is one notch short of the Antichrist.
This little quip of Pope Francis’ is actually a paraphrase of St. Paul’s words in the Letter of St. James, who wrote: “Who then are you to judge your neighbor?” [1]cf. Jam 4:12 The Pope’s words are now being splattered on t-shirts, fast becoming a motto gone viral…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | cf. Jam 4:12 |
|---|
Evangelize, Not Proselytize
THE image above pretty much sums up how unbelievers today approach the central message of the Gospel in our contemporary culture. From Late Night talk shows to Saturday Night live to The Simpsons, Christianity is routinely mocked, the Scriptures belittled, and the central message of the Gospel, that “Jesus saves” or “God so loved the world…” has been reduced to mere epithets on bumper stickers and baseball backstops. Add to that the fact that Catholicism has been marred by scandal after scandal in the priesthood; Protestantism is rife with endless church-splitting and moral relativism; and evangelical Christianity is at times a televised circus-like display of emotion with questionable substance.
Who Said That?
THE media continues to roll out its rather brutal comparisons between Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict. This time, Rolling Stone magazine has jumped into the fray, describing Francis’ pontificate as a ‘Gentle Revolution,’ whilst stating that Pope Benedict is…
…a staunch traditionalist who looked like he should be wearing a striped shirt with knife-fingered gloves and menacing teenagers in their nightmares. —Mark Binelli, “Pope Francis: The Times They Are A-Changin'”, Rolling Stone, January 28th, 2014
Yes, the media would have us believe that Benedict is a moralistic monster, and the current pope, Francis the Fluffy. Likewise, some Catholics would have us believe that Francis is a modernist apostate and Benedict a prisoner of the Vatican.
Well, we’ve heard enough in the course of Francis’ short pontificate to get a sense of his pastoral direction. So, just for fun, let’s take a look at the quotes below, and take a guess at who said them—Francis or Benedict?
Misunderstanding Francis
Former Archbishop Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergogli0 (Pope Francis) riding the bus
File source unknown
THE letters in response to Understanding Francis couldn’t be more diverse. From those who said it was one of the most helpful articles on the Pope that they’ve read, to others warning that I am deceived. Yes, this is precisely why I have said over and over again that we are living in “dangerous days.” It is because Catholics are becoming more and more divided among themselves. There is a cloud of confusion, mistrust, and suspicion that continues to seep into the walls of the Church. That said, it is hard not to be sympathetic with some readers, such as one priest who wrote:Continue reading
Understanding Francis
AFTER Pope Benedict XVI relinquished the seat of Peter, I sensed in prayer several times the words: You have entered into dangerous days. It was the sense that the Church is entering into a period of great confusion.
Enter: Pope Francis.
Not unlike Blessed John Paul II’s papacy, our new pope has also overturned the deeply rooted sod of the status quo. He has challenged everyone in the Church in one way or another. Several readers, however, have written me with concern that Pope Francis is departing from the Faith by his unorthodox actions, his blunt remarks, and seemingly contradictory statements. I have been listening for several months now, watching and praying, and feel compelled to respond to these questions regarding our Pope’s candid ways….
Prophecy, Popes, and Piccarreta
Prayer, by Michael D. O’Brien
SINCE the abdication of Peter’s seat by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, there have been many questions surrounding private revelation, some prophecies, and certain prophets. I will attempt to answer those questions here…
I. You occasionally refer to “prophets.” But didn’t prophecy and the line of prophets end with John the Baptist?
II. We don’t have to believe in any private revelation though, do we?
III. You wrote recently that Pope Francis is not an “anti-pope”, as a current prophecy alleges. But wasn’t Pope Honorius a heretic, and therefore, couldn’t the current pope be the “False Prophet”?
IV. But how can a prophecy or prophet be false if their messages ask us to pray the Rosary, Chaplet, and partake in the Sacraments?
V. Can we trust the prophetic writings of the Saints?
VI. How come you do not write more about Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta?
The Question on Questioning Prophecy
The “empty” Chair of Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
THE past two weeks, the words keep rising in my heart, “You have entered dangerous days…” And for good reason.
The enemies of the Church are many from both within and without. Of course, this is nothing new. But what is new is the current zeitgeist, the prevailing winds of intolerance toward Catholicism on a near global scale. While atheism and moral relativism continue to strike at the hull of the Barque of Peter, the Church is not without her internal divisions.
For one, there is building steam in some quarters of the Church that the next Vicar of Christ will be an anti-pope. I wrote about this in Possible… or Not? In response, the bulk of letters I’ve received are grateful for clearing the air on what the Church teaches and for putting an end to tremendous confusion. At the same time, one writer accused me of blasphemy and putting my soul at risk; another of overstepping my bounds; and yet another saying that my writing on this was more of a danger to the Church than the actual prophecy itself. While this was going on, I had evangelical Christians reminding me that the Catholic Church is Satanic, and traditionalist Catholics saying I was damned for following any pope after Pius X.
No, it is not surprising that a pope has resigned. What is surprising is that it took 600 years since the last one.
I am reminded again of Blessed Cardinal Newman’s words that are now blasting like a trumpet above the earth:
Satan may adopt the more alarming weapons of deceit—he may hide himself—he may attempt to seduce us in little things, and so to move the Church, not all at once, but by little and little from her true position… It is his policy to split us up and divide us, to dislodge us gradually from our rock of strength. And if there is to be a persecution, perhaps it will be then; then, perhaps, when we are all of us in all parts of Christendom so divided, and so reduced, so full of schism, so close upon heresy… and Antichrist appear as a persecutor, and the barbarous nations around break in. —Venerable John Henry Newman, Sermon IV: The Persecution of Antichrist
The Fundamental Problem
St. Peter who was given “the keys of the kingdom “
I HAVE received a number of emails, some from Catholics who aren’t sure how to answer their “evangelical” family members, and others from fundamentalists who are certain the Catholic Church is neither biblical nor Christian. Several letters contained long explanations why they feel this Scripture means this and why they think this quote means that. After reading these letters, and considering the hours it would take to respond to them, I thought I would address instead the fundamental problem: just who exactly has the authority to interpret Scripture?
A Black Pope?
SINCE Pope Benedict XVI renounced his office, I have received several emails asking about papal prophecies, from St. Malachi to contemporary private revelation. Most notable are modern prophecies that are completely opposed to one another. One “seer” claims that Benedict XVI will be the last true pope and that any future popes will not be from God, while another speaks of a chosen soul prepared to lead the Church through tribulations. I can tell you now that at least one of the above “prophecies” directly contradicts Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Given the rampant speculation and real confusion spreading throughout many quarters, it is good to revisit this writing on what Jesus and His Church have consistently taught and understood for 2000 years. Let me just add this brief prologue: if I were the devil—at this moment in the Church and the world—I would do my best to discredit the priesthood, undermine the Holy Father’s authority, sow doubt in the Magisterium, and attempt to make the faithful believe that they can only rely now upon their own inner instincts and private revelation.
That, simply, is a recipe for deception.
The Near Occasion of Sin
THERE is a simple but beautiful prayer called “The Act of Contrition” prayed by the penitent at the end of Confession:
O my God, I am sorry with all my heart for having sinned against You. I detest all of my sins because of Your just punishment, but most of all because they offend You my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.
The “near occasion of sin.” Those four words can save you.
Dynasty, Not Democracy – Part II
Artist Unknown
WITH the ongoing scandals coming to surface in the Catholic Church, many—including even clergy—are calling for the Church to reform her laws, if not her foundational faith and morals that belong to the deposit of faith.
The problem is, in our modern world of referendums and elections, many do not realize that Christ established a dynasty, not a democracy.
Benedict and The New World Order
SINCE the world economy began to sway like a drunken sailor on the high seas, there have been calls from several world leaders for a “new world order” (see The Writing on The Wall). It has led to many Christians becoming suspicious, perhaps rightly so, of ripening conditions for a global totalitarian power, what some might even identify as the “beast” of Revelation 13.
Which is why some Catholics were horrified when Pope Benedict XVI released his new encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, that not only seemed to concede to a new world order, but even encourage it. It led to a flurry of articles from fundamentalist groups, waving “the smoking gun,” suggesting that Benedict is in collusion with the Antichrist. Likewise, even some Catholics appeared poised to abandon ship with a possible “apostate” pope at the helm.
And so, finally, I have taken a few weeks to carefully read the Encyclical—not just a few headlines or quotes taken out of context—in attempt to understand what is being said by the Holy Father.
Of the Sabbath
SOLMENITY OF ST. PETER AND PAUL
THERE is a hidden side to this apostolate that from time to time makes its way to this column—the letter writing that goes back and forth between myself and atheists, unbelievers, doubters, skeptics, and of course, the Faithful. For the past two years, I have been dialoguing with a Seventh Day Adventist. The exchange has been peaceful and respectful, even though the gap between some of our beliefs remains. The following is a response I wrote to him last year regarding why the Sabbath is no longer practiced on Saturday in the Catholic Church and generally all of Christendom. His point? That the Catholic Church has broken the Fourth Commandment [1]the traditional Catechetical formula lists this commandment as Third by altering the day on which the Israelites “kept holy” the Sabbath. If this is the case, then there are grounds to suggest that the Catholic Church is not the true Church as she claims, and that the fullness of truth resides elsewhere.
We pick up our dialogue here about whether or not Christian Tradition is founded solely upon Scripture without the infallible interpretation of the Church…
Footnotes
| ↑1 | the traditional Catechetical formula lists this commandment as Third |
|---|
The Ark for All Nations
THE Ark God has provided to ride out not only the storms of past centuries, but most especially the Storm at the end of this age, is not a barque of self-preservation, but a ship of salvation intended for the world. That is, our mentality must not be “saving our own behinds” while the rest of the world drifts away into a sea of destruction.
We cannot calmly accept the rest of humanity falling back again into paganism. —Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI), The New Evangelization, Building the Civilization of Love; Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers, December 12, 2000
It’s not about “me an’ Jesus,” but Jesus, me, and my neighbour.
How could the idea have developed that Jesus’ message is narrowly individualistic and aimed only at each person singly? How did we arrive at this interpretation of the “salvation of the soul” as a flight from responsibility for the whole, and how did we come to conceive the Christian project as a selfish search for salvation which rejects the idea of serving others? —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Spe Salvi (Saved In Hope), n. 16
So too, we have to avoid the temptation to run and hide somewhere in the wilderness until the Storm passes (unless the Lord is saying one should do so). This is “the time of mercy,” and more than ever, souls need to “taste and see” in us the life and presence of Jesus. We need to become signs of hope to others. In a word, each of our hearts needs to become an “ark” for our neighbour.
The Ark and Non-Catholics
SO, what about non-Catholics? If the Great Ark is the Catholic Church, what does this mean for those who reject Catholicism, if not Christianity itself?
Before we look at these questions, it is necessary to address the protruding issue of credibility in the Church, which today, is in tatters…
All the Nations?
FROM a reader:
In a homily on February 21st, 2001, Pope John Paul welcomed, in his words, “people from every part of the world.” He went on to say,
You come from 27 countries on four continents and speak various languages. Is this not a sign of the Church’s ability, now that she has spread to every corner of the globe, to understand peoples with different traditions and languages, in order to bring to all the message of Christ? —JOHN PAUL II, Homily, Feb 21, 2001; www.vatica.va
Would this not constitute a fulfillment of Matt 24:14 where it says:
This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come (Matt 24:14)?
The Second Coming
FROM a reader:
There is so much confusion regarding the “second coming” of Jesus. Some call it the “Eucharistic reign”, namely His Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Others, the actual physical presence of Jesus reigning in the flesh. What is your opinion on this? I am confused…
In All of Creation
MY sixteen year old recently wrote an essay on the improbability that the universe occurred by chance. At one point, she wrote:
[Secular scientists] have been working so hard for so long to come up with “logical” explanations for a universe without God that they have failed to truly look at the universe itself .—Tianna Mallett
Out of the mouths of babes. St. Paul put it more directly,
For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. While claiming to be wise, they became fools. (Rom 1:19-22)
At All Costs
The Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket, by Michael D. O’Brien
THERE is a strange new "virtue" which has appeared in our culture. It has crept in so subtly that few realize how it has become so highly practiced, even among high ranking clergy. That is, to make peace at all costs. It comes with its own set of prohibitions and proverbs: