Until We Rest in Thee

The Power of the Word of God

2013-05-08T10:41:00.001-04:00

This post focuses on the following passage, from article 25 of Dei Verbum (1985), a Vatican II document:

“… editions of sacred scripture, provided with suitable notes, should be prepared for the use even of non-Christians, and adapted to their circumstances. These should be prudently circulated, either by pastors of souls, or by Christians of any walk of life” [1]

The focus of Dei Verbum is divine revelation in the Church. To give some context, earlier in article 25 the document focuses on steering the laity back to reading and praying Scripture in their prayer life. Prior to Vatican II, the Catholic laity had relied on popular devotions in their prayer life, while largely neglecting Scripture. (Ratzinger notes this in his commentary, cited below). Later in article 25, the council extends this focus on Scripture to non-Christians as well. I found the above passage to be particularly interesting largely because of Cardinal Ratzinger’s commentary after the council in 1967. Here is an excerpt of what Ratzinger says:

“What for a long time has been taking place on the Protestant side will now become the proper work of Catholic Christians and of the Catholic Church – namely, the dissemination of the Bible among non-Christians. A new element thus enters into the understanding of mission, … a trust in the self-operative power of the Word, which of course cannot and should not render the Church’s preaching superfluous, but that it can carry as a piece of the presence of Jesus Christ among the peoples, far beyond the realm of the hierarchical Church.” [2]

This is quite interesting! Ratzinger notes that Vatican II council encourages the simple act of handing out Bibles to non-Christians. There is also an acknowledgement here that Catholics have sort of missed the boat in this form of evangelization in comparison to Protestant Christians. In fact, I’m sure most of us have experienced this enthusiastic Protestant distribution of the Bible in one way or another. The Bibles in hotels, mini Gideon bibles with the New Testament and Psalms, etc. Well, this is now our duty too! Why? Because of a new understanding of the Power of Scripture.

What is this new understanding? Ratzinger says this “new element” that is mentioned in Dei Verbum is the “self-operative power of the Word”. This idea, that the Word, on its own, has the power to bring people to Christ, is beautiful and powerful! In fact, he says that in the distribution of Bibles, Jesus is present among people. Later he likens this personal encounter with Scripture to those who touch the hem of Christ’s garment as he passes through the crowds. There is a trust, then, that giving the pages of Scripture to a non-Christian can plant the seeds for conversion. The holy words in Scripture alone have the power to save their reader. However, Ratzinger is quick to point out that this does not undermine normal methods of evangelization, which is the mission of the Church. The word “prudently” in the Vatican II document also must not be forgotten. Shooting Bibles from T-shirt guns at sporting events might not be the most prudent way to hand out the Bible.

Thus, we too should realize the power of Scripture. We should look for opportunities to hand out Bibles to non-Christians. We should do this not as a replacement of the Church’s mission of evangelization, but in addition to and alongside of that mission! And we must always remember to practice love and humility in all that we do.

Has anybody out there handed out Bibles to non-Christians? Let us know if you have any experiences to share or any advice in this work!

“Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ” – Saint Jerome, 5th century

[1] Vatican II: Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Buy on Amazon, or read for free online)

[2] Joseph Ratzinger commentary on Dei Verbum, http://www.deiverbum2005.org/Articels/ratzinger.pdf

Photo obtained here.

Get Truth & Life Audio Bible! For Free!

2013-04-29T17:37:00.001-04:00

The purpose of this post is two-fold: to recommend the Truth and Life Dramatized New Testament Audio Bible and to tell you how to get it for free!

This audio bible is terrific. It is the entire New Testament, in over 22 hours of audio. Truth & Life is read by talented voice actors, features high quality background music, and even has sound effects. The Word is tastefully read with passion and emphasis. The stories and characters involved in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles makes these books especially exciting. The letters of St. Paul, which play more like emphatic monologues, are terrific as well. To make things even better, Truth & Life has been endorsed by the Vatican with an imprimatur. What more could you want?

Truth & Life is perfect to listen to in the car, before bed, or just throughout the day. Personally, I love listening it in the car, especially on longer drives. I've sometimes listened to Truth & Life for over an hour at a time and not fallen asleep – it must be good!

While reading Scripture is crucial to the life of any Christian, I find hearing Scripture to be beneficial as well. There is something about hearing the Word that makes it come alive in a different way and makes stories and verses stick in my mind. It engages my senses in a new way and allows me to make new connections. To hear the Word in this production is a blessing and certainly a benefit to my spiritual life. Thus, I highly recommend this product to YOU! So does Archbishop Chaput, who says "We learn by hearing as well as reading...I highly recommend this faithful and powerful presentation of the Word of God."

Getting Truth & Life for FREE

How much will it cost you, you ask? Well, possibly NOTHING. I was able to get a free copy by signing up for a free trial at Audible.com, an amazon company that specializes in selling audio books. I did this by clicking the 'free' link pictured below, which can be found on this page: Amazon - Truth and Life.

Once you are signed up for a free month trial, you get two free credits to use on any two books on the site. Luckily, the entire Truth & Life New Testament is considered to be one book. Crazy! I promise you that this is not a scam or an advertisement. It worked for me and I’m so excited that I want to share it with you as well.

Let me answer a few possible questions about this process. You do have to provide your credit card information when you sign up. Your credit card will not be charged until the next billing period (one month later). You can cancel your subscription before that next period to prevent your credit card from ever being charged. You still get to keep your audio books after cancelling your subscription. If you wait long enough into your free month trial, the link to cancel your subscription may disappear. Do not fear, you can cancel by having a chat online with a live representative or you can call to have it cancelled. In my case, I had a live chat and it was cancelled after answering a few simple questions about why I left.

Lastly, remember that you still have one free credit! There are a ton of great books in the Audible store that you have to choose from. Scott Hahn has a few books on there and there is another audio bible, Word of Promise, that is OT and NT (minus the deuterocacnonical books :/), which features many actors as well, including Jim Caviezel (Jesus in The Passion). Use your second credit wisely!

However, if you have already used this great deal with audible, you will not be able to do so again, and you will have to pay for Truth & Life. In that case, you have a lot of options: CDs, MP3 files, through an iPod, iPad, or Android app, or in audio book form from audible.com. I've only had experience with the latter (through the free method). The only drawback from the audio book format is the inconvenient chapter organization. It comes in three 6-8 hour long chunks, which are then each split up into many smaller chapters. Much more complicated than a simple track per book or chapter set up. Not sure why they did it this way. Still, it is worth it, trust me!

If you have any comments or questions, please let me know! I'd love to hear about peoples' opinions of Truth & Life as well.

Fr. Raymond Brown, Vatican II, and the Inerrancy of Scripture

2013-04-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

Controversial biblical scholar Fr. Raymond Brown has been at the center of a debate within Catholic exegesis regarding the inerrancy of Sacred Scripture. The debate stems from an unfortunately common misapplication of the Second Vatican Council's document on divine revelation, Dei Verbum:

"Since... all that the inspired authors, or sacred writers, affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of scripture, firmly, faithfully and without error, teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the sacred scriptures." ~Vatican II; Chapter 11 of Dei Verbum

Brown focuses on the phrase "for the sake of our salvation," suggesting that only those truths that pertain to our salvation are free from error, and that all other truths, be they historical, scientific, or even religious truths, can and do contain errors. He is close to the correct interpretation--the economy of salvation does, in fact, reflect the nature of truth claims in the Bible. Brown, however, extends the phrase "for the sake of our salvation" too far in saying that truths affirmed (scientific, historical, religious, etc.) in the Scriptures can be erroneous. Though Brown admits the phrase has ambiguity, he claims nonetheless that any attempt to prove him wrong has been an "unmitigated failure."

The problem is grammatical. Fr. Brown attaches a merely restrictive meaning to the clause, saying that only those verses of scripture or even those truths that were written “for the sake of our salvation” are inerrant. Fr. William Most, however, an opponent of Fr. Brown’s on the topic of inerrancy, explains that a descriptive meaning of the phrase is primarily intended. The clause from Dei Verbum describes the general reason for God’s wish to confide truth to man through Sacred Scripture: for the sake of our salvation. Our salvation is the reason God speaks to us in the Scriptures, and the phrase "for the sake of our salvation" underscores this fact. Oftentimes, affirming a restrictive reading to the phrase can lead to the incorrect theory that only matters of faith and morals are guarded by inerrancy. Pope Leo XIII condemned this theory in 1893, long before Vatican II:

"The system of those who... do not hesitate to concede that divine inspiration regards the things of faith and morals, and nothing beyond, because (as they wrongly think) in a question of the truth or falsehood of a passage, we should consider not so much what God has said as the reason and purpose which He had in mind in saying it-this system cannot be tolerated." ~Pope Leo XIII; Providentissimus Deus

Again, 50 years later, Pope Pius XII enlarged and explained Leo XIII's words:

"When, subsequently, some Catholic writers, in spite of this solemn definition of Catholic doctrine, by which such divine authority is claimed for the 'entire books with all their parts' as to secure freedom from any error whatsoever, ventured to restrict the truth of Sacred Scripture solely to matters of faith and morals, and to regard other matters, whether in the domain of physical science or history, as 'obiter dicta' ("said in passing" and therefore, though affirmed as true, are irrelevant) and - as they contended - in no wise connected with faith, ... Leo XIII in the Encyclical Letter Providentissimus Deus... justly and rightly condemned these errors and safe-guarded the studies of the Divine Books by most wise precepts and rules."
~Pope Pius XII; Divino Afflante Spiritu

It is clear, then, that there can be no errors in Scripture, be they historical, scientific, or in regards to faith and morals. So what of the apparent errors in scripture? Fr. Most goes on to say that any apparent errors in Scripture (the mustard seed is not actually the smallest seed, etc.) are explained by the fact that the statement is not asserted as fact by the Sacred Writers. One cannot be accused of error if he has not asserted anything. If the writer of that verse was asserting as fact that the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, he would be wrong and the Scriptures would contain error, as Fr. Brown claims. The writer, however, uses the statement as a metaphor about faith and has nothing to say or assert about the scientific facts regarding mustard seeds. The Bible retains its inerrancy because its assertions are about faith and not the nature of mustard seeds.

In this interpretation then, anytime apparent errors exist in Scripture (the sun revolving around the earth, the creation story, historical impossibilities about Old Testament armies, etc.) we can understand that they were not asserted by the sacred authors to be taken in their literal meaning.

Oftentimes, the sacred writers wrote in genres that are not to be taken as descriptive histories (Genesis is not a work of history) and, as Dei Verbum points out elsewhere, "the exegete must look for that meaning which the sacred writers, in given situations and granted the circumstances of their time and culture, intended to express and did in fact express, through the medium of a contemporary form."

Fr. Most’s way of looking at inerrancy seems to mesh well with the first part of the passage cited from Dei Verbum: “all that the inspired authors, or sacred writers, affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit.” This interpretation, to me, retains the rejection of fundamentalist ways of reading the Bible while maintaining the inerrancy of Scripture.

At the same time, Aidan Nichols O.P. affirms that "the measure of biblical truth lies in the economy of salvation as willed by God" and that Dei Verbum implies that everything the biblical writers affirm is an affirmation about salvation. He claims that "the intention of the biblical author... must be judged in terms of its relevance to human salvation... If the Bible is the record of revelation then it must be ordered to the same goal as revelation itself, humanity's salvation, and be evaluated in this light."

In that regard, the phrase "for the sake of our salvation" is both restrictive and descriptive, though its restrictions extend from its primarily descriptive nature. This does not mean that the Bible is only inerrant in regards to faith and morals (as was condemned by Leo XIII). It does mean, as we previously saw, that everything the Scriptures affirm is an affirmation about salvation. We see finally that only those things which the Scriptures affirm are inerrant and, at the same time, all that the Scriptures affirm are affirmed for the sake of our salvation.

The mistake, then, in Fr. Brown's work is that he extends this principle beyond its proper limit by claiming that passages of Scripture contain errors in its affirmations, even religious affirmations.

Popular Catholic apologists and theologians Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, in their Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, affirm the same principles of inerrancy and aptly summarize the position:

"Since the Bible is divinely inspired, it must be without error in everything that its divine and human authors affirm to be true. This means that biblical inerrancy is a mystery even broader in scope than infallibility, which guarantees for us that the Church will always teach the truth concerning faith and morals. Of course the mantle of inerrancy likewise covers faith and morals, but it extends even farther to ensure that all the facts and events of salvation history are accurately presented for us in the Scriptures... The guarantee of inerrancy does not mean, however, that the Bible is an all-purpose encyclopedia of information covering every field of study. The Bible is not, for example, a textbook in the empirical sciences, and it should not be treated as one. When biblical authors relate facts of the natural order, we can be sure they are speaking in a purely descriptive and 'phenomenological' way, according to the way things appeared to their senses."

Check out William Most's book, Free From All Error, for a longer explanation and refutation of Fr. Brown's position and Aidan Nichols's book The Shape of Catholic Theology for the correct way to undertand the phrase "for the sake of our salvation."

+JMJ+

Reflection for April 16th: John 6:30-35 and Acts 7:51-8:1

2013-04-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

"It was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Readings: Acts 7:51-8:1; John 6:30-35

Jesus corrects many in the crowd who long for a "bread king," a Messiah who will merely deliver them from hunger and pain. God did not visit his people because he would be better at distributing food to the poor--"God became man so that man could become God," so that he could share in the Divine Life. This metaphysical promise of the Divine Life extends into the very nature of man's real hunger, and reveals the deeper meaning of Christ's kingship: "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6).

Christ is much more than a "bread king," and to ask of him such short-sighted solutions is to limit his kingdom to one of this world, one that is perishable. Hence his very serious words to the crowds in Monday's Gospel: "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" (John 6:26-27). Christ's miracles, done in his own name, were an invitation toward belief in him, and his promises for eternal life. The crowds were unable to see anything more in him than a hero who could feed the masses or deliver them from the persecution of the Romans. "Why do you make ready your tooth and your belly?" asked Saint Augustine. "Only believe, and you have eaten already," but of the true bread from heaven.

Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith, is a testimony to the eternal destiny of man in light of Christ's Divine Kingship. We are not called to be free from the pains of hunger or persecution, but to enter into suffering with the hope of seeing "the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Our metaphysical end, our telos, is to experience the eternal glories of the Lord, a glory that is satisfied not in the stomach or in any of the temporal satisfactions of this world, but in the reconciliation of ourselves with the God who "comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

+JMJ+

Reflection for April 10th: John 3:16-21 and Acts 5:17-26

2013-04-10T21:17:00.000-04:00

"We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors,

but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

Readings: Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see their escape from prison with the help of the "angel of the Lord" and, when the high priest and his companions sought to bring the Apostles to trial, they were told by the court officers that they were nowhere to be found.

Israel's body of Jewish rabbis and high priests (who sit on the seat of Moses; Mt 23:2) prefigured and pointed to the universal in-gathering of all nations into the Catholic Church and to the teaching authority granted to the Apostles and Saint Peter.

There are many allusions, I think, in Luke's passage from Acts, that refer to the consummation of the Jewish Sanhedrin into the Apostolic Catholic Church. Luke refers to the Sanhedrin, as well as the high priest and all his companions, as "the full senate of the children of Israel," similar, no doubt, to the Catholic conception of the Church's universal call for mankind to be a part of the "people of God" (CCC 781). In arresting them, Luke notes that the Sadducees "laid hands upon the Apostles," and yet it is the Apostles themselves who pass on their teaching authority through the imposition of hands. Further still, just as "the high priest rose up" with his companions in jealousy against the Apostles, so the true high priest, Jesus Christ, rose up from the dead and appointed his own companions in the twelve Apostles.

There is a clear friction between the imperfect and incomplete ministry of the Sadducees in the Sanhedrin and the ministry of the Apostles in the Catholic Church. The Sadducees, "filled with jealousy," were unable to see that the Old Covenant had been fulfilled and perfected through Christ's death and Resurrection. Just as the court officers found no one inside the prison, so the Apostles found no one inside the empty tomb and recognized, as John's Gospel puts it today, "that the light came into the world" and that through Christ's redemptive work, "everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."

The Apostles, freed by the angel of the Lord and witnesses to "everything about this life," reveal to us that "whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."

+JMJ+

The Mystery of Man in Spirit and Matter

2013-01-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

Frank Sheed

"What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou carest for him? Thou didst make him for a little while lower than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

~Saint Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews 2:6-8

Man: Body and Soul

In his “simple study of the Catholic faith” entitled A Map of Life, Frank Sheed remarks on both the spiritual and material aspects of man: “Of God’s creatures, there are some that are pure spirits—angels—with no material part. There are some that are purely material—animals, plants, stones, and the rest—with no spiritual part. Between them is man. In him alone spirit and matter are united: by his soul, he is a spirit as the angels are; by his body, he is part of the material universe.” Man’s situation is unique among God’s creation in that his material body is inseparably linked with a rational, spiritual soul; no other creature has been given such dignity. Saint Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, reiterates the Psalmist: “thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet”. Everything that is “under his feet,” namely all material matter, has been put in subjection to man, and is directed toward his glory and honor (in God, of course).

Genesis 2:7

“Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

The body-soul union that is unique to man is expressed beautifully in the book of Genesis. Our catechism explains that “the human body shares in the dignity of the ‘image of God’: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the spirit” (CCC 364). In addition it notes that “the unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the ‘form’ of the body” and that “spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature” (CCC 365). What is true, then, of man in the flesh is always unified in some way with man in the soul.

Life’s Purpose and Perfection

With this in mind, consider the perfection of material things. All material objects have a purpose that corresponds to their perfection. To use an object in a way that is contrary to its purpose is disordered and, in some cases, sinful. Sheed uses the example of a man’s grooming razor: if the razor is used to cut the hair off one’s face then it has been used in a properly ordered way and completes its purpose. If, however, the tiny grooming razor is used to saw logs in half, it would fail miserably and amount to nothing more than misuse. As you can see, knowing an object’s purpose enables one to use it correctly so that it can achieve its perfection. If this principle is true of material objects, it must be true that, in man, his perfection is found in light of the unity of the material body with the eternal soul, for body and soul, together, make up human nature. Man, as both a material and spiritual being, has a perfection that can only be achieved in realizing the purpose of his inseparable body-soul nature. Man’s purpose inherits new meaning when we remember that he is made in the image of God. This unity of body and soul into one human nature constitutes the imago dei and elevates man’s purpose and perfection into something that, in its totality, is inconceivably holy and perfect. Man’s purpose and perfection is nothing less than beatitude with God: “the Son of God became man,” Saint Athanasius said, “so that we might become God.” Man’s perfection is found outside of himself and in his Maker so that, through Christ, we might become partakers in the Divine Life. Man can only achieve his perfection by recognizing this purpose and living in a way that helps him achieve that perfection: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48).

Human Freedom

This principle is true in light of man’s freedom as well. Man is corporeally limited in this world: we cannot fly, run at the speed of light, or pick up buildings, among other things. These limitations shed light on the nature of man in his entirety, soul and body together. Because man’s soul is inseparably linked to his body, man has spiritual limitations as well. Men often mistake the word “freedom” for “doing whatever one wants” or “not being bound by rules.” As Sheed points out, however, “there is no such thing as freedom from [the laws] (whether spiritual or material), but only freedom within them.” Just as we are not free to run at the speed of light or pick up buildings, so we are not free to murder or steal. Man’s perfection is achieved when we recognize our purpose in life and live in a way that brings us into that perfection. Just as a razor can be misused and, as Sheed says, “fit only for the scrap-heap,” so man, if directed toward something other than his purpose, can live imperfectly and unhappily.

Studying the Summa: Gratitude

2012-12-24T20:36:00.000-05:00

St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, covers a wide variety of topics, which we will periodically be studying on our blog. Since it is especially appropriate for the Christmas season, our first topic will be gratitude. In receiving our gifts this Christmas, we must remember to have a proper sense of gratitude. Aquinas teaches us exactly what that means. He writes that gratitude is due to a gift-giver because he gives a gift expecting nothing in return, which is commendable. Thus, the recipient “is under moral obligation” to give something in return.

Is thankfulness, or gratitude, a special virtue?

Aquinas writes that we are indebted to others and justice requires that we repay them appropriately. He provides a four-tiered ranking of those whom we owe: God, parents, persons in positions of dignity, and benefactors. We owe most to God, from whom all good things flow. To each descending category we appropriately owe less. This reminds us that we should be not only thankful to our gift-givers this season, but also to God and others whom we always owe thanks. Once we understand how to give thanks to those other categories, we can finally understand the gratitude which we owe our benefactors, or gift-givers.

Christmas can be a reminder that we should be giving thanks every day of our lives. We can appropriately thank God for his infinite gifts through religious worship and prayer. Secondly, we can thank our parents for our existence and upbringing through practicing piety, says Aquinas. Thirdly, persons in positions of dignity (such as governors or professors) also deserve to be given thanks for their service in our character development. Aquinas only deals with giving proper thanks to gift-givers after God, parents, and persons of dignity. To answer the original question, Aquinas says that thankfulness or gratitude is a special virtue because it is a response specifically suited for our gift-givers.

Should we give thanks to everyone that gives us gifts?

“In all things give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Yes. Aquinas reasons that the gift-giver is the cause of the gift-receiver. In a similar relationship, God is the cause of all things that exist in the world and all of His creation points to him. In the same way, the gifts from the giver point to that giver. This leads Aquinas to say that “he who has received a favor should, by repaying the favor, turn to his benefactor according to the mode of each.” On Christmas, we owe our gift-givers thanksgiving and gratitude. Aquinas even notes that if someone gives a gift reluctantly or without joy, we still owe him thanks for his gift. Man is bound by justice to give thanks to every benefactor, and to do so with genuine gratitude.

Are we bound to repay for our gifts immediately?

Aquinas quotes the philosopher Seneca to begin his answer:

“He that hastens to repay, is animated with a sense, not of gratitude but of indebtedness.”

Aquinas says that repaying immediately would seem more like paying a legal debt than giving true thanks. The best time to give thanks for our gifts is at a time that is convenient for the gift-giver. Imagine if we had thank-you cards pre-filled out on Christmas and immediately handed the card to the gift-giver as we opened our gift. This would look more like a chore than a true act of thankfulness. There is no hard and fast rule for when it is best to give thanks, and I’m sure it will be different for every gift recipient. The important thing is that Aquinas teaches us that we are to pay thanks back to our gift-givers when it is convenient for them, not when it is most convenient for us.

Should we be thankful for the gift alone?

Aquinas responds that our thanks should not just be for the gift itself, but also for the intention of the gift-giver. The thoughtfulness, joy, and love that go into giving gifts are more important than the gift itself. It really is the thought that counts. Our repayment for such gifts, then, should focus mostly on the thought and love behind the action of giving than exactly what the gift is. In Luke 21:1-4, it can be seen that Jesus taught the same. When the poor widow put two coins (a measly sum in comparison to other patrons) into the offering at the treasury, Jesus said that the widow “put in more than all of them” (Luke 21:3) because she gave all she had while the others gave out of their surplus wealth. The point is that the thought counts much more than the item, or the quantity, given. Hence, our thanks should extend beyond what we unwrap this Christmas and into the thought and generosity of the gift-giver.

Should our repayment of the gift be greater than the gift we received?

Again the answer is yes. This is both challenging and confusing. Aquinas concludes his section on gratitude by stating that “gratitude always inclines, as far as possible, to pay back something more.” This requires getting away from our attitude of selfishness, which is very difficult to do. It is not enough just to repay, we must repay even more than what we have been given.

This also begs the question of when repayment ends. After all, if I repay my gift-giver more than he has given me, he would be required to do the same, and so on for infinity! Luckily, Aquinas addresses this very question. He says that “the debt of gratitude flows from charity, where the more it is paid, the more it is due” and that “it is not unreasonable if the obligation of gratitude has no limit.” Imagine that! The idea of creating debt by giving thanks seems undesirable. However, this debt is different from legal or monetary debt and Aquinas insists that it is related to charity and might in fact have no limit. Remember, Aquinas isn't saying a $100 gift should be repaid with a $200 gift. Rather, the meaning and generosity behind the repayment should attempt to exceed that of the original gift.

Conclusion

Many things can be learned from Aquinas’ discussion of gratitude. Firstly, we constantly owe thanks to God and others, not just those who give us private gifts on Christmas. Secondly, we owe gratitude and thanks to each of our gift-givers, no matter how joyfully the gift is given. Thirdly, our repayment to our gift-givers should come at a time convenient to the gift-givers, not at a time that is convenient for us or immediately upon the reception of our gift. Fourthly, our thanks should be not only for the actual gift but primarily for the love and graciousness of the gift-giver. Lastly, our repayment of the gift should flow from our genuine gratitude and be even greater than the gift we have received.

I pray that Aquinas’ teaching on gratitude can help us be truly gracious this Christmas season as we receive the gifts that are given to us. Merry Christmas!

-------

All uncited quotes have been taken from the article on gratitude in the Summa Theologica.

Dec 19 QOTD: Peter Kreeft

2012-12-19T13:54:00.004-05:00

"We need faith because our world is full of death. And so are we. Each one of us will die. So will each nation. Many individuals and nations will also kill. Our world has always been a world at war with itself, because it has been at war with God... Human nature does not change. Today we live in what the Vicar of Christ has called the 'culture of death,' a culture that kills children before birth and kills childhood after birth, kills innocence and faithfulness and families. What is the answer to the culture of death? Faith. The Catholic faith is the answer."

~Peter Kreeft~

Catholic Christianity

Dec 16 QOTD: Hans Urs von Balthasar

2012-12-16T18:47:00.000-05:00

On Revelation 12

"While the woman's children fight, the woman herself, though she is pursued, does not. The children can be overcome by the evil power; the woman, the Church as virgin who gives birth, cannot. For the whole period of the history of the world she is ensconced in the 'place prepared for her by God,' where she does not have to struggle for her keep but is 'nourished' by God. This womanly, Marian Church cannot be affected by the power of the dragon, 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' The rock of Peter is safeguarded there too, which is why he is told: 'put your sword into its sheath.' Paul and John Paul II go through the world without any sword: it is enough if they bear witness , that is their strongest weapon, and the successor of Peter can always find new strength, for this witness is a Church of Mary."

~Hans Urs von Balthasar~

Mary for Today

QOTD Dec 15: Saint Augustine of Hippo

2012-12-15T13:11:00.004-05:00

"Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and of Your wisdom there is no end. And man, being a part of Your creation, desires to praise You, man, who bears about with him his mortality, the witness of his sin, even the witness that You “resist the proud,” — yet man, this part of Your creation, desires to praise You. You move us to delight in praising You; for You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You."

~Saint Augustine of Hippo~

Confessions

Dec 14 QOTD: Thomas Merton

2012-12-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

"Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent and infinitely abundant Source. Contemplation is, above all, awareness of the reality of that Source. It knows the Source, obscurely, inexplicably, but with a certitude that goes both beyond reason and beyond simple faith."

~Thomas Merton~

New Seeds of Contemplation

Dec 13 QOTD: Saint Gemma Galgani

2012-12-13T10:32:00.002-05:00

"From the moment when my mother inspired me with the desire for heaven I have always (even in the midst of many sins) wanted it ardently... Every time a fever came upon me and I felt ill I experienced a great consolation. But this changed to sorrow when, after some illness, I would feel my strength return. One day after Holy Communion I asked Jesus why he did not take me to heaven. He answered: 'My daughter, I do not take you because during your life I will give you many occasions to gain more merit, increasing your desire for heaven as you bear the trials of life with patience.' These words in no way diminished my desire. Rather I felt it increasing in me day by day."

~Saint Gemma Galgani~
Autobiography

Dec 12 QOTD: Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

2012-12-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

"Humiliation is my daily food. I understand that the bride must herself share in everything that is the groom's; and so His cloak of mockery must cover me, too. At those times when I suffer much, I try to remain silent, as I do not trust my tongue which, at such moments, is inclined to talk for itself, while its duty is to help me praise God for all the blessings and gifts which He has given me. When I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him fervently to deign to heal my tongue so that I would offend neither God nor neighbor by it. I want my tongue to praise God without cease. Great are the faults committed by the tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does not keep watch over its tongue."

~Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska~

Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul

Dec 11 QOTD: Aidan Nichols

2012-12-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

"'If you do not pray then you are not a theologian.' It is a necessary (though not a sufficient) condition for becoming a theologian that one has some kind of prayerful quality to one's life and thought. How we should understand this is a delicate business. Clearly, it is not the case that if we flop down in a church for half an hour a day we shall emerge from the pew reborn as a latter-day Duns Scotus. But continued exposure to God and a God-centered vision of reality brings a greater quality of intuitive ability when it comes to theological judgment. In other words, if two people who differ on some aspect of theology share a comparable theological culture, but one prays and the other has stopped praying, it is the one who still prays that we should be well advised to follow."

~Aidan Nichols~

The Shape of Catholic Theology

Dec 10 QOTD: Saint Ignatius of Loyola

2012-12-10T23:49:00.001-05:00

"Human beings are created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by means of this to save their souls. The other things on the face of the earth are created for the human beings, to help them in working toward the end for which they are created. From this it follows that I should use these things to the extent that they help me toward my end, and rid myself of them to the extent that they hinder me. To do this, I must make myself indifferent to all created things, in regard to everything which is left to my freedom of will and is not forbidden. Consequently, on my own part I ought not to seek health rather than sickness, wealth rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, a long life rather than a short one, and so on in all other matters. I ought to desire and elect only the thing which is more conducive to the end for which I am created."

~Saint Ignatius of Loyola~

Spiritual Exercises

Dec 9 QOTD: Adrienne von Speyr

2012-12-09T20:57:00.000-05:00

"This fire of suffering, in which [Christ on the Cross] experiences sin, he can henceforth use both as fire and as love at the same time, everywhere there are men to be purified: in confession, in the Eucharist, and even where men can no longer act themselves: in purgatory. It is the fire that he came to cast on the earth; but between heaven and earth, it is transformed into suffering. It was given to him twice: he received it in order to cast it on the earth, and he took it back again from suffering and from death in order to accomplish his purifying work in all men. He is transformed or lets himself be transformed by the Father in order to lead to its conclusion the unique mission of the redemption through all its states: Incarnation, suffering, death, Resurrection, judgment. In these transformations, love becomes suffering: the Lord experiences first of all the fire on himself in order to be able then, through his fire of suffering, to lead men to love."

~Adrienne von Speyr~

To The Heart of the Mystery of Redemption

How Infallible Is the Magisterium?

2012-12-09T01:43:00.002-05:00

Vatican II (from stjohncc.net)

What is the Magisterium?

"The Magisterium of the Church: The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome... Mindful of Christ's words to his apostles: 'He who hears you, hears me,' the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms" (CCC 85-87).

"The Church's teaching authority, vested in the bishops, as successors of the Apostles, under the Roman Pontiff, as successor of St. Peter. Also vested in the Pope, as Vicar of Christ and visible head of the Catholic Church." ~Father John Hardon; Modern Catholic Dictionary

What is Infallibility?

"In general, exemption or immunity from liability to error or failure... Infallibility means more than exemption from actual error; it means exemption from the possibility of error." ~Patrick Toner; Catholic Enyclopedia

Is the Magisterium Infallible?

Matthew 28:18-20: "And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (DR)
Matthew 16:18: "And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (DR)
John 14:16-17: "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive ... you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." (RSVCE)
John 16:13-15: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (RSVCE)
1 Timothy 3:14-15: "I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." (RSVCE)

What are the Forms of the Magisterium?

Extraordinary Magisterium: "The Church's teaching office exercised in a solemn way, as in formal declarations of the Pope or of ecumenical councils of bishops approved by the Pope." ~Fr. John Hardon; Modern Catholic Dictionary
Ordinary Magisterium: "The teaching office of the hierarchy under the Pope, exercised normally, that is, through the regular means of instructing the faithful. These means are all the usual channels of communication, whether written, spoken, or practical." ~Fr. John Hardon; Modern Catholic Dictionary

When is the Magisterium Infallible?

There are several levels of authority that correspond to infallibility within the Church's teaching:

Solemn Definition by Popes (Extraordinary): Solemn definitions are those delivered by the Pope and carry the weight of infallibility. Solemn definitions are spoken ex cathedra ("from the chair") by the Pope and are an exercise in his teaching primacy as the successor of Saint Peter. These include Pope Pius IX's solemn definition of the Immaculate Conception, Ineffibilis Deus, and Pope Pius XII's definition of the Virgin Mary's Assumption into Heaven, Munificentissimus Deus. Papal definitions do NOT have to be in communion with the rest of the bishops to carry the weight of infallibility.

"The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra—that is, when in discharge of the office of pastor and teacher of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by the divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals; and therefore such definitions are irreformable of themselves, and not in virtue of consent of the Church." ~Vatican I
Ecumenical Councils (Extraordinary): All 21 of the Church's Councils, from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to Vatican II in 1965, carry the weight of infallibility because they are the living voice of Christ as it speaks through the whole body of bishops, always in communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.

"The supreme power in the universal Church ... is exercised in a solemn way in an ecumenical council. A council is never ecumenical unless it is confirmed or at least accepted as such by the successor of Peter; and it is prerogative of the Roman Pontiff to convoke these councils, to preside over them and to confirm them." ~Vatican II; Lumen Gentium
Daily Teaching of the Church (Ordinary): The everyday teaching of bishops throughout the world, when they are in collaboration with each other and are in communion with the Pope, is infallible when it is proposed definitively, as something that needs to be held by the faithful.

"Although the individual bishops do not enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they nevertheless proclaim Christ's doctrine infallibly whenever, even though dispersed through the world, but still maintaining the bond of communion among themselves and with the successor of Peter, and authentically teaching matters of faith and morals, they are in agreement on one position as definitively to be held." ~Vatican II; Lumen Gentium
Certain Occasions within Papal Encyclicals (Ordinary): Pius XII, in his encyclical Humani Generis, says "nor must it be thought that what is expounded in Encyclical Letters does not of itself demand consent, since in writing such Letters the Popes do not exercise the supreme power of their Teaching Authority. For these matters are taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of which it is true to say: "He who heareth you, heareth me"; and generally what is expounded and inculcated in Encyclical Letters already for other reasons appertains to Catholic doctrine. But if the Supreme Pontiffs in their official documents purposely pass judgment on a matter up to that time under dispute, it is obvious that that matter, according to the mind and will of the same Pontiffs, cannot be any longer considered a question open to discussion among theologians."

We note, however, with Fr. William Most that "not everything in Encyclicals, and similar documents, is on this level--this is true only when the Popes expressly pass judgment on a previously debated matter" and that "since the Church scattered throughout the world can make a teaching infallible without defining (see item 3 above), then of course the Pope alone, who can speak for and reflect the faith of the whole Church, can do the same even in an Encyclical, under the conditions enumerated by Pius XII." [1]

When Is the Magisterium NOT Infallible?

Certain Papal Statements: Notice the qualifiers within the First Vatican Council's decree on Papal Infallibility quoted in part 1 above. The Pope is NOT infallible if:

The Pope is not teaching "ex cathedra--that is, when in discharge of the office of pastor and teacher of all Christians"--OR the Pope is not teaching definitively through the Ordinary Magisterium by way of his encyclicals (see Pius XII's statement above).
The Pope is not teaching about faith and morals

Keep in mind, if the Pope is teaching ex cathedra, he must be speaking about faith and morals. If he is teaching about faith and morals, however, he does not necessarily have to be teaching ex cathedra.

In addition, the Catholic Encyclopedia states that "not everything in a conciliar or papal pronouncement, in which some doctrine is defined [infallibly], is to be treated as definitive and infallible. For example, in the lengthy Bull of Pius IX defining the Immaculate Conception the strictly definitive and infallible portion is comprised in a sentence or two; and the same is true in many cases in regard to conciliar decisions. The merely argumentative and justificatory statements embodied in definitive judgments, however true and authoritative they may be, are not covered by the guarantee of infallibility which attaches to the strictly definitive sentences — unless, indeed, their infallibility has been previously or subsequently established by an independent decision." [2]

Councils that are not ecumenical or recognized by the Pope: Certain gatherings of bishops, for example the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, when they come to decisions or publish documents, do not carry the weight of infallibility. Popes are, however, able to recognize regional councils like the Second Council of Orange (531) and thereby make them infallible.
Certain occasions within the Ordinary Magisterium of bishops: Notice the qualifiers within Lumen Gentium 25 that were quoted above. The Ordinary Magisterium is NOT infallible if:

Bishops speak individually
Bishops speak outside of communion with the Pope
Bishops teach about something other than faith and morals
Bishops are in disagreement about a position
Bishops do not intend their teaching to be definitively held

Papal congregations: The congregations within the Holy See, for example the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith or the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, are NOT infallible. Even if popes approve a congregation's decision, it does not prove it infallible unless the decision regards faith and morals AND that Pope intends to teach the decision ex cathedra. For example, in the case of Galileo Galilei, "the Congregation of the Index in 1616 decreed that Galileo was not to teach or defend in the future the Copernican theory as an established fact. Although approved by the pope, the decree was purely disciplinary" and therefore NOT infallible. [3]

Religious Submission of Mind and Will When the Church Speaks Fallibly:

Paragraph 25 of Lumen Gentium, Vatican II's document on the Church, states that "Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth. In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme Magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking."

Again Father William Most explains: "If they (Pope or bishops) do not mean to make it definitive, then it does not come under the virtue of faith, or the promise of Christ, 'He who hears you hears me.' Rather, it is a matter of what ... Canon [752 of the New Code of Canon Law] and LG 25 call "religious submission of mind and of will." What does this require? Definitely, it forbids public contradiction of the teaching. But it also requires something in the mind, as the wording indicates. This cannot be the absolute assent which faith calls for - for since this teaching is, by definition, not definitive, we gather that it is not absolutely finally certain."[1] We see then that, though we owe the submission of our minds and wills to the Magisterium of both Pope and bishops (only when they teach about faith and morals), these statements do not carry the weight of infallibility.

Summary:

To summarize these somewhat confusing sets of circumstances, we can remember these three necessities:

Teaching regards faith and morals
Teaching is in communion with the Pope
Teaching is meant to be definitively held by the faithful

If all three of these requirements are met, the teaching is infallible.

When does the Church intend her teaching to be definitively held? We can again let Father Most answer this question:

For the Extraordinary Magisterium: "No special formula of words is required in order to define. Wording should be something solemn, and should make clear that the teaching is definitive. Councils in the past often used the form: 'Si quis dixerit. . . anathema sit." That is: "If someone shall say. . . . let him be anathema." But sometimes they used the formula for disciplinary matters, so that form alone does not prove. Further, they also could define in the capitula, the chapters. Thus Pius XII, in Divino afflante Spiritu (EB 538) spoke of such a passage of Vatican I (DS 3006 -- saying God is the author of Scripture) as a solemn definition." [1]
For the Ordinary Magisterium: "To know whether the Church intends to teach infallibly on this second level, we notice both the language - no set form required - and the intention, which may be seen at times from the nature of the case, at times from the repetition of the doctrine on this second level."[1]

----------

[1] Fr. William Most; Hierarchy of Truths and Four Levels of Teaching

[2] Patrick Toner; Catholic Encyclopedia; Infallibility

[3] Fr. John Hardon; Christ to Catholicism

Dec 8 QOTD: Fulton Sheen

2012-12-08T13:48:00.001-05:00

"The key to understanding Mary is this: We do not start with Mary. We start with Christ, the Son of the Living God! The less we think of Him, the less we think of her; the more we think of Him, the more we think of her; the more we adore His Divinity, the more we venerate her Motherhood; the less we adore His Divinity, the less reason we have for respecting her... It is on account of Our Divine Lord that Mary receives special attention, and not on account of herself. Left to herself, her motherhood would dissolve into humanity. But when seen in the light of His Divinity, she becomes unique. Our Lord is God Who became man. Never before or since did Eternity become time in a woman, nor did Omnipotence take on the bonds of flesh in a maid. It is her Son who makes her motherhood different... It is because Our Lord is so different from other sons that we set His Mother apart from all mothers. Because he had an Eternal Generation in the bosom of the Father as the Son of God and a temporal generation in the womb of Mary as the Son of Man, His coming created a new set of relationships. She is not a private person; all other mothers are. We did not make her different; we found her different. We did not choose Mary; He did."

~Fulton Sheen~

The World's First Love

Dec 7 QOTD: Karl Adam

2012-12-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

"Communion of Saints--what a glad and blessed light illumines it! It is the hidden treasure, the secret joy of the Catholic. When he thinks on the Communion of Saints his heart is enlarged. He passes out of the solitariness of here and of there, of yesterday and tomorrow, of 'I' and 'thou,' and he is enfolded in an unspeakably intimate communion of spirit and of life, far surpassing his needs and dearest wishes, with all those great ones whom the grace of God has forged from the refractory stuff of our humanity and raised to His height, to participation in His Being. Here are no limitations of space and time. From out of the remote ages of the past, from civilizations and countries of which the memory is now only faintly echoed in legend, the saints pass into his presence, and call him brother, and enfold him with their love. The Catholic is never alone. Christ, the Head, is ever with him, and along with Christ all the holy members of His Body in Heaven and on Earth. Streams of invisible, mysterious life flow thence through the Catholic fellowship, forces of fertilizing, beneficent love, forces of renewal, of a youthfulness that is ever flowering anew. They pass into the natural, visible forces of the Catholic fellowship, especially to pope and bishop, completing and perfecting them. He who does not see and appreciate these forces, cannot fully understand and expound the nature and working of Catholicism. And, indeed, it is simple, child-like faith alone which perceives these forces; and therefore that faith alone discovers the road to sanctity. For such is the prayer of Jesus: 'I praise thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in their sight.'"

~Karl Adam~

The Spirit of Catholicism

Dec 6 QOTD: Adrienne von Speyr

2012-12-06T19:37:00.001-05:00

"The suffering on the Cross is the expression of the love within God. The expression chosen by God to show us the mystery of his love; in order to be able to reveal itself, love suffers. There we also find a mystery of time and of beyond time. We are used to loving in time, with the resources of our nature, bound everywhere to time and to our objectives. When it is a question of God, we somehow adapt our temporal love to him. In faith we of course know that God is and has a love that is infinitely greater than us; yet, we try to reduce it at all costs to our own categories, to love him as it is given us: in half-heartedness and in time. When we meet with suffering, there is nothing more urgent for us to do than to console ourselves by saying that it will pass. We are surprised if that does not happen quickly; we are even more so if our suffering outlives love. Then we go and take measurements. We measure one time against another and the force of events: suffering or love. Now, when God comes into the world in order to suffer for us, he takes with him the measurements of eternity; he prepares for the Cross with the strength of eternal love and experiences as a man an immeasurable suffering that corresponds to his divinity and to his divine love. It is not the motive of the Cross, sin, that determines the measure of suffering but the divine will to redeem us in order to make us enter into his infinite love."

Adrienne von Speyr

To The Heart of the Mystery of Redemption

Dec 5 QOTD: Thomas Merton

2012-12-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

"It is not surprising that those who are not Catholic often have a completely wrong conception of Catholic devotion to the Mother of God. They imagine, and sometimes we can understand their reasons for doing so, that Catholics treat the Blessed Virgin as an almost divine being in her own right, as if she had some glory, some power, some majesty of her own that placed her on a level with Christ Himself. They regard the Assumption of Mary into heaven as a kind of apotheosis and her Queenship as a strict divination. Hence her place in the Redemption would seem to be equal to that of her Son. But this is all completely contrary to the true mind of the Catholic Church. It forgets that Mary's chief glory is in her nothingness, in the fact that being the 'handmaid of the Lord,' as one who in becoming the Mother of God acted simply in loving submission to His command, in pure obedience of faith. She is blessed not because of some mythical pseudo-divine prerogative, but in all her human and womanly limitations as one who has believed... The glory of Mary is purely and simply the glory of God in her, and she, like anyone else, can say that she has nothing that she has not received from Him through Christ. As a matter of fact, this is precisely her greatest glory: that having nothing of her own, retaining nothing of a 'self' that could glory in anything for her own sake, she placed no obstacle to the mercy of God and in no way resisted His love and His will. Hence she received more from Him than any other saint. He was able to accomplish His will perfectly in her, and His liberty was in no way hindered or turned from its purpose by the presence of an egoistical self in Mary. She was and is in the highest sense a person because, being 'immaculate,' she was free from every taint of selfishness that might obscure God's light in her being. She was then a freedom that obeyed Him perfectly and in this obedience found the fulfillment of perfect love."

~Thomas Merton~

New Seeds of Contemplation

Dec 5 QOTD: John Hardon

2012-12-05T11:06:00.005-05:00

“What is the meaning of prayer? Prayer is the sublime conversation we are mysteriously able to hold with the invisible world of God and of God’s angels and saints. It is sublime because that is what we are preparing for during our stay on earth. Prayer is the one activity that will not be interrupted by death, but will continue in heaven, never to end. Of course, prayer on earth requires effort, but that is as it should be, since all other labor in this life has only as much value and as much meaning, and is only as pleasing to God as it is enveloped by prayer. Those who pray now will pray in eternity, which is another name for heaven. No one else will get there. Prayer is the indispensable and infallible means of reaching our destiny."

~John Hardon~

The Meaning of Prayer

Dec 4 QOTD: A.G. Sertillanges

2012-12-04T22:18:00.002-05:00

"Do you want to have a humble share in perpetuating wisdom among men, in gathering up the inheritance of the ages, in formulating the rules of the mind for the present time, in discovering facts and causes, in turning men's wandering eyes toward first causes and their hearts toward supreme ends, in reviving if necessary some dying flame, in organizing the propaganda of truth and goodness? That is the lot reserved for you. It is surely worth a little extra sacrifice.; it is worth steadily pursuing with jealous passion. The study and practice of what Pere Gratry calls Living Logic, that is, the development of our mind, the human word, by contact direct or indirect with the Spirit and the Divine Word--that serious study and persevering practice will give you entry into the wondrous sanctuary. You will be of those who grow, who enrich themselves, and who make ready to receive magnificent gifts. You too, one day, if God so wills, will have a place in the assembly of noble minds."

~A.G. Sertillanges~

The Intellectual Life

Dec 3 QOTD: G.K. Chesterton

2012-12-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

"I have often had a fancy for writing a romance about an English yachtsman who slightly miscalculated his course and discovered England under the impression that it was a new island in the South Seas...There will probably be a general impression that the man who landed (armed to the teeth and talking by signs) to plant the British flag on that barbaric temple which turned out to be the Pavilion at Brighton, felt rather a fool. I am not here concerned to deny he looked a fool. But if you imagine that he felt a fool, or at any rate that the sense of folly was his sole or his dominant emotion, then you have not studied with sufficient delicacy the rich romantic nature of the hero of this tale. His mistake was really a most enviable mistake; and he knew it, if he was the man I take him for. What could be more delightful than to have in the same few minutes all the fascinating terrors of going abroad combined with all the humane security of coming home again? ... This at least seems to me the main problem for philosophers, and is in a manner the main problem of this book. How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? ... I wish to set forth my faith as particularly answering this double spiritual need, the need for that mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar which Christendom has rightly named romance... But I have a peculiar reason for mentioning the man in a yacht, who discovered England. For I am that man in a yacht. I discovered England... I offer this book with the heartiest sentiments to all the jolly people who hate what I write, and regard it (very justly, for all I know), as a piece of poor clowning or a single tiresome joke. For if this book is a joke it is a joke against me. I am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before. If there is an element of farce in what follows, the farce is at my own expense; for this book explains how I fancied I was the first to set foot in Brighton and then found I was the last. It recounts my elephantine adventures in pursuit of the obvious. No one can think my case more ludicrous than I think it myself; no reader can accuse me here of trying to make a fool of him: I am the fool of this story, and no rebel shall hurl me from my throne... I tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth. And I found that I was eighteen-hundred years behind it... I have kept my truths: but I have discovered, not that they were not truths, but simply that they were not mine. When I fancied that I stood alone I was really in the ridiculous position of being backed up by all Christendom. It may be, Heaven forgive me, that I did try to be original; but I only succeeded in inventing all by myself an inferior copy of the existing traditions of civilized religion. The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."

~G.K. Chesterton~

Orthodoxy

Dec 2 QOTD: Saint Benedict

2012-12-02T16:42:00.001-05:00

Of Reverence at Prayer

"If we do not venture to approach men who are in power, except with humility and reverence, when we wish to ask a favor, how much must we beseech the Lord God of all things with all humility and purity of devotion? And let us be assured that it is not in many words, but in the purity of heart and tears of compunction that we are heard. For this reason prayer ought to be short and pure."

~Saint Benedict~

Rule of Saint Benedict