Orientation: I'm All in Favor!

With gratitude to Joseph Shaw!

"Lord, shall we use our swords?" Lk 22:49

If at the end of this little "Christmas Wish" video you hissed a little "Yes!" and made some sort of victory gesture with a clenched fist, then you might think about getting in a good Confession yet before Christmas. Our longing be not for either inclusion or in its absence for getting the upper hand, but rather that the Infant King would come and in His mildness preside over the hearts and lives of all!

As hard as it has been for me to attend to other than what is happening right here on my doorstep almost in Kyiv, I couldn't help but be distracted by the coup, so to speak, of TIME Magazine naming Pope Francis the POY, the commentary about that, and now the last few days, all the venom spewing forth from various media forces, depicting the Catholic Church as faction-wrought, in total disarray... On top of it all, the announcement of the awarding of a contract to some Madison Avenue (?) company to study and advise the Vatican on how to get the most out of its radio, television, internet and print media! You'll find me reacting neither with a "yes!" nor a "no!", but with a certain perplexity.

As a young priest of 28 years of age, I can remember being pleased/rejoicing about the seeming coup worked early on in the Pontificate of Blessed Pope John Paul II, who seemed to succeed in breaking through the glass ceiling, which had imposed a press and media embargo upon the ministry and action of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, certainly following his publication of Humanae Vitae in 1968. Decades later, we can say that getting the message out is not as simple as winning for oneself a favorable press. You'd be hard-pressed to convince me that Pope Francis' so-called "honeymoon" with the press serves either his message or the Gospel better than the press which Pope Benedict XVI enjoyed.

Pope St. Gregory the Great classed the teenager St. Benedict of Nursia as wise beyond his years when he simply walked away from schooling and the corruption of Rome to seek the Lord in penance and seclusion, first in the wilderness of Subiaco. Gregory understood clearly that a Pope didn't have that luxury, but he never lost from view his awareness of what is prime.

Do the divisions, the contrasts, the clenched fists as portrayed by mainstream media exist among us Catholics? If so, we need to repent. If not, how can we get the truth out? Should we be wishing for a better and maybe bigger communication "machine" to fight back and blow the opposition away? Bad thought! Better confess it and move on! We know from the Gospel that Jesus Himself was misrepresented by is opponents; the servant can expect nothing other than what was dished out to the Master.

Granted, we cannot withdraw as indeed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did not withdraw from the fray but carried His Cross unto victory. Sharing in His mission, completing what is lacking for the sake of the life of the word, means taking on culture and claiming it for Christ:

"It is because, however, the Catholic Church cannot be a sect, simply enjoying the integrity of its worship, doctrine and behaviour within the walls of a fortified city, but ever seeks to mediate in a universal way the Christ who would 'make all things new', that she cannot be content with the life of even flourishing parishes, monasteries, Church societies, but has to strive to permeate and re-form culture, and the circumambient world of thought and institutions in which men and women live." [Aidan Nichols. Christendom Awake: On Re-Energizing the Church in Culture (Kindle Locations 139-142). Kindle Edition.]

 Rod Dreher, whom I don't always quite understand, put out a nice piece about the lay people choosing to build their homes and raise their families in the shadow of classic St. Benedict; I'll mention Clear Creek Monastery in Oklahoma as one esample he commented upon. There are lots of little cells like that around the US and elsewhere in the world. We pray that the children so raised will embrace what their parents fought for to gift them. I don't think that big political moves change the world any more than the media can. Ultimately, both have their part in serving something nobler, if they choose, but the world is transformed one sinner at a time: one by one in the confessional, if you will. Some of my more savvy friends and acquaintances reject the distributivism of  G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, scoffing at the idea that you can organize the world around political units so small as an English county or just by giving folks the possibility of self-determination through ownership either of the means of production in some sort of industrial scheme or through planting and growing their own. 

As a follow-up to a reading lesson with my Ukrainian teacher, I looked on YouTube at the first 15 minutes of one of the classic films of all time: Zemlya Earth, from 1930, by Dovzhenko. I shouldn't watch such as it only increases my nostalgia for something I only know through the childhood memories of my mother: subsistence farming. Hardship and deprivation, even death, are mightily counterbalanced by immediacy and the contemplation of creation, God's creation. 

Can we tame "progress": political, technical, communicational? I don't know. St. Benedict walked away from a world corrupt and drew hearts to him and to God. St. Monica prayed her son, St. Augustine out of worldliness and error; God moved him for teaching and guiding our world yet today for more than a millennium and a half. I don't want a snow tank to blow away my enemies, competitors or those who simply ignore me, for whatever reason, with a certain disdain. Join me in wishing, wanting or praying that the Infant King will reign exclusively in our hearts this Christmas. That before Him, even fleeing to Egypt, the idols would fall and that He would enter into His sanctuary, our hearts, by our free choice and His might!

MARANATHA!

Politeia?

"The Maidan pushed the churches to rise above the status quo that dominated their relationship with the state for years, and to take the side of the society in its struggle with the violent regime. Now the churches need to make a step further and to judge the regime honestly. It is irresponsible for them to hide behind the reduced interpretation of the Scriptural statement that ‘all authority comes from God’ (Rom 1, 13). This interpretation is reduced because it cannot explain the position of such great saints as Athanasius of Alexandria, Ambrose of Milan, John Chrysostom, Maximus the Confessor, and others. These and others saints openly accused the authorities of their time of abuses. They did not limit themselves to the self-evident and secure appeals to be good and not bad. They called things by their proper names and were direct in accusing the authorities to their face. Now the churches that want to follow the example of the saints have an opportunity to articulate what the majority of the Ukrainian people have clearly understood, even though these people did not study moral theology in the theological seminaries and academies."

The above quote is taken from an essay entitled "On Maidan" by a noted Ukrainian Orthodox theologian, Fr. Cyril Hovorun. Hats off to the blog "The Raven" of the Friends of St. Elias Church for making it available in English, Ukrainian and Russian to a wider readership. The painting above famously recalls St. John Chrysostom in his role of advocate of Gospel truth over and against imperial power at Byzantium. The article has enjoyed no small amount of attention and respect in Catholic circles here in Ukraine.

Father Cyril labels his work a first theological reflection on a rapidly developing situation; he has unbounded admiration and praise for his people as they endure the cold and danger of "Europe Square" (Maidan), to assert their hope for a free and democratic future for their country, insisting upon respect for their dignity as persons. He challenges his Church to accept finally a new, post-totalitarian role in proclaiming the Gospel to Ukrainian society and, after the manner of St. John Chrysostom, challenging the powers that be in our day and time.

I think it is important to remember that no one  in these parts and for generations escaped the scarring and trauma of hell-bent repression in the 20th Century. Ukrainian society, thanks be to God, is emerging from the ruins; it is growing and changing, showing itself as noble and hopeful; Father Cyril wants the same for his Church.

That would indeed be enough said. It's considerably more than what a "tweet" allows, but then I guess younger people can understand my "old-fashionedness". Permit me to go on with a bit of a Gaudete/3rd Sunday of Advent reflection. 

The lighter or upbeat tone of the 3rd Advent Sunday finds its inspiration in the Lord's closeness. Nothing could be more important or helpful to our world, baptized or not, than to finally "get it", so to speak. The Lord Jesus Christ, His Coming and His Coming in Glory, is indeed what life and destiny is all about. "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain..." Worldwide, those who continue to try and hobble us, to drive us from the public square, are doomed, for indeed He will come on the clouds of heaven for all to see. Respect and justice cannot be deprived of their rootedness in the truth which comes to us from God. It is time to let in the King of Glory; it is time to stop kicking against the goad and finally let Him in.

Father Cyril wishes with the saints to assign the Church a prophetic role in support of society over and against temporal authority. Perhaps Father unfairly accuses his people of a reductionist interpretation of St. Paul to the Romans. At any rate, St. Paul and Church teaching is much more ample than the one scripture verse. I think better and more ancient teaching might be found in understanding the nature of all authority on earth as God-given from Jesus' own words at His Passion: 

“So Pilate said to him, "Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?" Jesus answered (him), "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.”’  (Jn. 19:10-11)

St. Paul and the Church from Apostolic times understood the respect reserved for temporal authority as anything other than an abdication of our responsibility but rather as a recognition of the accountability of even a pagan like Pontius Pilate before the Throne of God's Judgment. Authority is one. Christ will come again and before Him every knee shall bow. Advent gives us hope even in the face of repressive, western, secularist societies like those bordering on either side of the Atlantic.

MARANATHA!

Upbeat Analysis of the Vocation Situation Today

Renewal: How a New Generation of Faithful Priests and Bishops Is Revitalizing the Catholic Church

Hendershott, Anne; White, Christopher

 (2013-12-03).  Encounter Books. Kindle Edition.

"For faithful Catholics, priests are still heroes. Even in the aftermath of the clergy abuse scandal, national surveys consistently indicate that most Catholics deeply respect their priests. They are grateful for the sacrifices these men have made on their behalf, and faithful Catholics are optimistic about the future of the priesthood and the Church itself. Progressives maintain that no priest deserves such an honor—and define such respect as leading to “clericalism.” Many progressives do not even see the need for priests." (p. 174)

This is a great book for many reasons. It says an awful lot about the importance for the life of the Church of a clear traditional grasp of the dignity of the priesthood. The genre is a bit more on the journalistic side and as such is not a primary source, but the authors do a brilliant job of explaining much and documenting unabashedly bad and good. I don't think everyone will be happy with the easy "off" they give to many aspects of the Church today, but the book is definitely a contribution.

If I had to point out an eye-opener in the book, it would be the strong reservations expressed by the authors concerning the USCCB. This quote was sort of a shocker for me:

“In Orwell’s dystopia, as the truth becomes uncomfortable, facts are redefined—or sometimes removed—by the Office of the Ministry of Truth. This new version of the “truth” is then disseminated by the Office of the Ministry of Propaganda. While this is not to suggest that the USCCB has become the Catholic Church’s Ministry of Truth, it is difficult not to conclude that the Ten Year Review of the Implementation of Ex Corde Ecclesiae provides readers with absolutely no information about what is really happening at Catholic colleges and universities. In fact, the report says nothing about campus problems in the past except to claim that despite the progress that has been made, “there is still work to be done.” To understand how such a vacuous report could be disseminated by the USCCB, one has to go back to November 14, 2010, when the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education approved a ten-year review of the application of Ex Corde Ecclesiae for the United States. Headed by Most Reverend Thomas Curry, then an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, the Committee on Catholic Education set the goals and the guidelines for the ten-year review. (Curry recently resigned as bishop in the wake of the release of documents showing that he deliberately and knowingly took steps to conceal the abuse of children from law enforcement and to protect abusive priests.)” (p. 97)

Naively I had presumed reforms had limited the power of the apparatus, but evidently not. Perhaps financial default is the only way to get a handle on these so-called "catholic" institutes of higher education. They are way too expensive and only undermine the cause for recovering or restoring Catholic culture. Fortunately, a number of seminaries seem to have recovered. We can only hope and pray for further development in this sense.

I am really quite hopeful about the younger generation of priests. There is much good will and desire to serve. I hope they get the kind of direction and support they need to grow and become true leaders. We pray for them and for all us older folk as well!

Perfect Joy!

Here is my reminder to me today of what is joy. I hope reading it will challenge you to see and willingly embrace the only joy that counts.

One winter day St. Francis was coming to St. Mary of the Angels from Perugia with Brother Leo, and the bitter cold made them suffer keenly. St. Francis called to Brother Leo, who was walking a bit ahead of him, and he said: "Brother Leo, even if the Friars Minor in every country give a great example of holiness and integrity and good edification, nevertheless write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that."

 And when he had walked on a bit, St. Francis called him again, saying: "Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor gives sight to the blind, heals the paralyzed, drives out devils, gives hearing back to the deaf, makes the lame walk, and restores speech to the dumb, and what is still more, brings back to life a man who has been dead four days, write that perfect joy is not in that."

And going on a bit, St. Francis cried out again in a strong voice: "Brother Leo, if a Friar Minor knew all languages and all sciences and Scripture, if he also knew bow to prophesy and to reveal not only the future but also the secrets of the consciences and minds of others, write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that."

And as they walked on, after a while St. Francis called again forcefully: 'Brother Leo, Little Lamb of God, even if a Friar minor could speak with the voice of an angel, and knew the courses of the stars and the powers of herbs, and knew all about the treasures in the earth, and if be knew the qualities of birds and fishes, animals, humans, roots, trees, rocks, and waters, write down and note carefully that true joy is not in that."

And going on a bit farther, St. Francis called again strongly: "Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor could preach so well that be should convert all infidels to the faith of Christ, write that perfect joy is not there."

Now when he had been talking this way for a distance of two miles, Brother Leo in great amazement asked him: "Father, I beg you in God's name to tell me where perfect joy is."

And St. Francis replied; "When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, soaked by the rain and frozen by the cold, all soiled with mud and suffering from hunger, and we ring at the gate of the Place and the brother porter comes and says angrily: 'Who are you?' And we say: 'We are two of your brothers.' And he contradicts us, saying: 'You are not telling the truth. Rather you are two rascals who go around deceiving people and stealing what they give to the poor. Go away]' And he does not open for us, but makes us stand outside in the snow and rain, cold and hungry, until night falls-then if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!

'And if we continue to knock, and the porter comes out in anger, and drives us away with curses and hard blows like bothersome scoundrels, saying; 'Get away from here, you dirty thieves-go to the hospital! Who do you think you are? You certainly won't eat or sleep here'--and if we bear it patiently and take the insults with joy and love in our hearts, Oh, Brother Leo, write that that is perfect joy!

And if later, suffering intensely from hunger and the painful cold, with night falling, we still knock and call, and crying loudly beg them to open for us and let us come in for the love of God, and he grows still more angry and says: 'Those fellows are bold and shameless ruffians. I'll give them what they deserve.'  And he comes out with a knotty club, and grasping us by the cowl throws us onto the ground, rolling us in the mud and snow, and beats us with that club so much that he covers our bodies with wounds--if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, reflecting that we must accept and bear the sufferings of the Blessed Christ patiently for love of Him, oh, Brother Leo, write: that is perfect joy!

'And now hear the conclusion, Brother Leo. Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. For we cannot glory in all those other marvelous gifts of God, as they are not ours but God's, as the Apostle says: 'What have you that you have not received?' But we can glory in the cross of tribulations and afflictions, because that is ours, and so the Apostle says: 'I will not glory save in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.'"

To whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 

from The Little Flowers of St Francis of Assisi, The "Fioretti"

Secularization: Like Cold and Flu!

Florebit in diebus eius iustitia, et abundantia pacis in aeternum. (Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.)

As the days pass here in Ukraine, the world is being treated to an ongoing and hopefully ever more profound acquaintance with what is at stake in or on "Euromaidan". Facile or dismissive assessments of what is happening are out of place, disrespectful of the reality that is there for all to see. Nonetheless, for much the same reason, whatever you say you are bound to sell someone short; we are dealing with an hour in the life of a people, an opportunity which has true potential for greatness. It is all too evident that what is going on here could be stifled, it could end in tragedy, but it won't fizzle. A historic passage has taken place and all the world must take account of the great Ukrainian people as they stand now before the world. Stereotypes or reductive classifications from the past must finally be abandoned.

If you will "Euromaidan" embodies what is ailing in the world today, while not failing to shine forth as light and promise in a people's quest for dignity and the right to self-determination. We stand by all these men and women of good will and pray for their nation, its integrity and progress.

Excuse me though if on this Second Sunday of Advent I look beyond this particular process of discernment and treat it as a piece in the greater mosaic and a much more generalized struggle. Of late, in this 1700th anniversary year of the Edict of Milan, much of what I have been reading is a rejection of the so-called "Enlightenment" and its fruits as witnessed in the sad reality of post-modern secularist society. The hope would be for a new Constantine, if you will, for a revival of Catholic Christian Culture, a new Christendom. If I were to write my own book contribution to the discussion, it would have to be a pretty hefty tome, but forget it. Let me just affirm that nothing could contribute more to furthering the cause than an interiorization in the hearts and minds of all Christians of that which is our Advent hope: Maranatha, Come O Christ the Lord!

The verse from today's responsorial psalm says it well: Florebit in diebus eius iustitia, et abundantia pacis in aeternum. We cannot want more or better for our world than that it and we be subject to Christ, true God and true Man, our Savior, Redeemer and Friend.

My cold for this winter is dragging into it's almost fourth week already and beginning to seem normal. Sadly, the way people live without God in Christ Jesus is much the same way, such that we don't, despite our profession of faith, give Him priority, not so much as deference but as hope for that which is all in all.

Let us let the Baptist's cry in the wilderness shake us up and help us cast off so much, such that we might live in the light of day!

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI

50 Years! Recovery Overdue!

I am most pleased to report Joseph Shaw's publication of the latest in the series of Position Papers. It bears the title: "FIUV PP: The Reception of the Host Alone by the Faithful". On his own LMS Chairman's Blog he offers additional commentary on a couple three issues regarding the reception of Holy Communion, including the glutin issue. There he also references a recent article by Peter Kwasniewski on the New Liturgical Movement blog, which makes well the point about the situation in which we live, as not being that intended by the Vatican Council's Document on the Liturgy now fifty years old.

Reading and reflecting on the worthy (Confession!) and devout reception of Holy Communion deserves exposure to an ever broader base of baptised people. The winter cold and flu season will bring an almost now traditional annual halt in many parishes across America to Sunday Communion under both kinds and exchanges of the handshake type greeting of peace. It is a pleasant season for many Catholics, because the church environment automatically becomes more settled and hopefully reflective. It should give us pause to question the sense of what we do almost in calloused fashion the rest of the year. Even here in Ukraine, where the more common form of reception of Holy Communion by Roman Catholics is for them to be kneeling and receiving on the tongue from the priest or deacon, it is hard to get priests to even imagine eliminating the wander around handshaking at the greeting of peace.

Very simply, we often find ourselves far from God, celebrating without Him as our only focus. I would beg priests to lead their parishes in and around liturgy first to simple decorum and then further to Divine worship oriented toward the One Who first deserves our love and adoration.

For us an essential choice has nothing to do with "bare bones", but rather with orientation, with turning toward the Lord, Who made and saved us.