phat catholic apologetics

Book Review: "Bible Basics for Catholics" by Dr. John Bergsma

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:30:00 +0000

Before I begin my review, I hope you'll indulge me for a moment as I take a trip back to the recent past.

It's the Spring semester of 2006. I'm on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville, excited to get my grad studies underway and anxious to see how I measure up to my peers who actually have a background in Theology. But that will have to wait. Why? Because, at this point in our flashback, I'm looking around at a bunch of pimple-faced undergrads. I'm sitting in Dr. John Bergsma's "Principles of Biblical Studies 1" (PBS 1) class because I have to get some stupid prerequisites out of the way before the real learning can begin. Or so I thought.

What I didn't know at the time was that this class would prove to be one of the most influential classes of my academic life. Before you can really be acquainted with Bergsma, the author, you have to get to know Bergsma, the professor. I want to take some time here now to explain to you what makes him such a great teacher. Those same things are what make his book such a worthwhile read.

Bergsma, the Professor

I have not had very many professors who are as effective and engaging and personable as Dr. Bergsma is. On the first day of class, he told us his conversion story and he got teary-eyed. That made a huge impact on me, considering that he's probably told that story dozens of times before. But, what impressed me the most was his uncanny ability to "break open the word" and make it accessible to us, while still remaining faithful to it's meaning and to the teaching of the Church.

He did this in a number of ways. First, he used humor. Some people have this notion that you're not a real academic unless you're dull, and stuffy, and lifeless. Bergsma isn't like that. He's not afraid to have a little fun with the subject matter, not in a disrespectful way, of course, but in a way that helps you to really see and understand what is happening.

Take Gideon, for example. When God called him, Gideon was threshing grain. Big deal, right? But, once you consider that Gideon was the youngest of his brothers and a member of the lowliest tribe of Israel, and then you see Bergsma bent over, pacing back and forth in the front of the classroom like he's threshing grain and then pop his head out from behind the podium, look back and forth nervously, and then let out a weak, "Who? Me?" -- well, that helps you to understand how amazing it was that God called Gideon in the first place.

Or, consider the love story of Ruth and Boaz. Bergsma was sure to tell us that if a movie were made about their story, Ruth would be played by Sandra Bullock and Boaz would be played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Of course, you can't mention Arnold without doing an impression of his voice. And Bergsma did. It was hilarious, but it also showed us how extraordinary it was for someone like Boaz to take in and care for Ruth.

These are just two examples, many more could be given. My point is that Bergsma is able to use humor in a way that makes the Word more accessible. Laughter increases receptivity and openness. I think he knows this, and he utilizes it to great effect.

Secondly, Bergsma is utterly unpretentious. Some professors are so knowledgeable in their field that they portray this aura of "I am entirely other-than and greater than you." You are afraid to even approach them, lest your presence or meager words inconvenience them or deter them from "more important things." But Bergsma is just the opposite. It downright scandalized me how open and accessible he was!

He would add his students as friends on Facebook and write on their walls. Message him any question about the bible and he'll answer it. He remembers your name too. He'll say hi to you in the hallway, even call you over to chit-chat for a bit. When my wife Amy had a little graduation party in Steubenville after she graduated from FUS, Bergsma actually came to the party! In one sense, we couldn't believe it, but in another sense, we could. This was Bergsma, after all. He even let my wife and I and some friends take him out for a beer once finals were over and the last paper had been graded. Hell, my wife and I baby-sitted his kids on a couple of occasions! I never knew that professors could be that way, so humble and inviting. But, they can be, and Bergsma is.

Thirdly, he's not afraid to be a Scripture scholar firmly rooted in the Tradition of the Church. Some people think you're not a real academic unless you're questioning the authorship of a certain book, or denying that Christ instituted this or that sacrament, or proposing some other off-the-wall theory that does nothing but scandalize people in the pews. Bergsma scoffs at all that. More importantly, he realizes that the role of the theologian and the Scripture scholar is to communicate the profound truths of Divine Revelation in a manner that allows every man -- degree or no degree -- the opportunity to know and understand what God wants to say to him.

This is probably the quality of his that allowed me to get the most out of the Bible. When Bergsma reads the Old Testament, he sees Jesus everywhere, a lot like the early Church Fathers did. But none of it is a stretch. Jesus really is there, I just never noticed Him before. He's in the mediator of every covenant, He's in the Passover meal, He's in the temple, He's in the priesthood, He's in the prophets, He's in the psalms, He's in the very people of Israel. It takes the eyes of faith to see this, and it takes a professor firmly committed to the religious sense of Scripture to teach it.

To be sure, Dr. Bergsma is no slouch. He got his PhD at Notre Dame. He's written academic papers for peer review journals. He goes to the bible conferences. He gives talks all over the country. He just refuses to let all of that deter him from what is important. This is PBS 1 after all. A bunch of freshman and sophomores (and grad students with some catching up to do) don't need to get caught up in the minutia of which passages in the Pentateuch come from the "Yahwist" source and which ones come from the "Elohist" one. They just need to know what the Bible is and how it can be so extraordinarily meaningful for every person.

Finally, Bergsma is a holy man. He probably wouldn't appreciate me saying this, but he is. I can tell. I told you his conversion story got him all teary-eyed, right? Well, sometimes the Word does too. He'll be explaining a passage and then all the sudden find himself overwhelmed with emotion. That doesn't happen unless you have a close relationship with the Lord and you have allowed Him to penetrate the depths of your heart with His Word. My most endearing image of Dr. Bergsma is not him in front of the classroom, pretending he's Samson with pillars falling down on him (as endearing as that is!), but him kneeling in front of the monstrance during Eucharistic Adoration at the local church, with one of his daughters dutifully kneeling beside him.

I think I'll always remember that because it showed me that Bergsma doesn't just approach God or the bible as one of many subjects to be taught in the classroom. His teaching and study of the Word flows from an honest-to-God relationship with the Lord, and a strong desire to know and love Him better. I strongly believe that about Dr. Bergsma, regardless of him being too humble to admit it.

That's Bergsma, the professor. Now I can finally talk about his book!

The Author and His Book

His new book, "Bible Basics for Catholics" is basically everything that makes PBS 1 (on the Old Testament) and PBS 2 (on the New Testament) such great classes at FUS. I think it is without question that his PBS classes were the most popular classes on campus. Even students who weren't theology majors would register for PBS, just so they could see what all the fuss was about. This book is PBS on paper, the fulfilled wish of every student who has ever taken PBS. The humor is there. The accessibility is there. The analogy of faith is there. The devotion is there.

And, to my delight, the stick figures are there too! Bergsma, besides everything else that makes him such a popular professor, is also known for the stick figure drawings he puts up on the board in order to illustrate what is happening in the Bible, or to show us the "big picture" of what God was trying to do. As a student I recall copying them in my notes to the best of my ability, but never feeling that I had done them justice. Thankfully, this book contains not only the drawings he uses to illustrate the six covenants of the Bible, but also step-by-step instructions for how to draw each one! With that, his book becomes a tool not only for the student of Scripture but also for the catechist who wants to teach these "Bible basics" in a fun and memorable way.

I mentioned the six covenants. That's basically how the book is structured: it's a march through the Bible with the covenants as our guideposts. With the aid of his stick men, and his usual wit and intelligence, Bergsma guides us on a tour of the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New (or "Eucharistic") covenants. He also fills in the in-between, giving us the people, and events, and historical accounts that brought man from one covenant with God to the next. In so doing, Bergsma has given us a splendid "bird's eye view" of the Bible, the "big picture" of God's plan to unite all of mankind unto Himself.

I can't emphasize enough how important this big picture of the Bible is when studying the Word of God. This covenantal framework insures that no matter where you are in the Bible you can orient yourself according to the covenant in force at the time. Also, with this big picture in view, we see that nothing that happens in Scripture is coincidental or meaningless. Instead, all of it is according to God's plan, which He had in mind from the very beginning and strove so tirelessly to fulfill.

One positive effect of this framework for my own faith is that it made me appreciate the Church more. If you think about it, God prepared for thousands upon thousands of years, through relentless patience and forbearance and unquenchable mercy, to give us what we have today in the universal Church of Christ. How lucky I was to be simply born into it! How happy are the many who discover this Church in adulthood and enter in to it! The Church means a lot more to me now after having seen how much God went through just to give it to me.

That's just one happy consequence of Bergsma's classes and this book. I'm sure there are many others, which you will have to discover for yourself by picking up this book as soon as it is available. It will be released on May 14, but it's available now for pre-order at Amazon or your local Catholic bookstore. I give it my highest recommendation and wish Dr. Bergsma all the best. He deserves it.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:09:00 +0000

To your average American, the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki are probably not very well known. But, their story deserves to be told, especially on this their feast day.

When doing research for this post, I came across an animated short called 26 Martyrs, which I then discovered will serve as a companion piece to a feature film called All That Remains. I was very impressed by both. Their respective trailers are below:

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Memorial of St. John Bosco, priest

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

As a catechist, I have a special place in my heart for St. John Bosco. He is one of the premier models of what we are called to be as teachers of the Faith. Bosco had a very Christ-like ability to draw all people to himself (even the rowdiest street kids) so as to change their lives and convert their hearts to Christ. The boys under his care loved him so much that they couldn't stand the thought of doing anything to disappoint him, and they knew that all he wanted for them was that they live good and holy lives.

What we learn from Bosco's approach and methodology is that the person of the catechist is just as important as orthodox teaching. You can have all of your facts straight, but if the children don't see that the Truth is something that enlivens you and informs every decision that you make -- if they don't see that you are committed to the very salvation of their souls -- then they won't give your words any more than a passing thought. Street kids know when they're getting fed a line. They know who the phonies are, the teachers who just clock in for their 9 to 5 and could give 2 cents about them. In St. John Bosco they saw someone different, someone who truly loved and cared for them.

If I could only have half the passion, zeal, and charisma that St. John Bosco had ...

St. John Bosco, "Apostle of Youth" ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

RESOURCES:

Liturgical Calendar: Memorial of St. John Bosco, priest
New Advent: St. John Bosco
Patron Saints Index: John Bosco
Widipedia: John Bosco
Iuvenum Patris (On the Centenary of the Death of St. John Bosco) [also here]
The Blessed Friend of Youth: St. John Bosco by Neil Boyton, S.J.
Don Bosco: Seeker of Souls
Pope Urges Salesians to Study Founder
The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality
The Life and Work of St. John Bosco
The Secret of St. John Bosco
Unholy Anger: Disciplining Ourselves Before Disciplining Our Children
Youth Ministry and Parenting: Guiding Principles by St. John Bosco
St. John Bosco's Pastoral Approach
The Preventive System
Memoirs of Don Bosco
Getting to Know Don Bosco: Parts One -- Two -- Three -- Four -- Five
Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact comic books:
- The Apostle of Youth: Parts One and Two
- The Boys' Friend: St. John Bosco
- Father of Many Boys
The Dreams of St. John Bosco
The "Dream" of the Two Columns
The Preventative System Applied to Young People at Risk
Preface from The Companion of Youth
Life of Dominic Savio by Fr. John Bosco
Close-Up View of John Bosco: When He Was a Farm-Hand
Narrative Spirituality and Pedagogy in Some of Don Bosco’s Important Texts: Method of Approach and Tools for Interpretation
Reason, Religion, and Loving-Kindness
Heroes and Pioneers: Kindness
An Exhortation to Educators

For the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:31:00 +0000

[The following list is far from comprehensive]

About Him and His Works:

Works by St. Thomas Aquinas

For more works by St. Thomas Aquinas, see Thomas Aquinas' Works in English and Bibliography

I leave you with Fr. Barron's words on this towering figure of Catholic philosophy and theology:

St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor and the Church's greatest theologian ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

In thanksgiving for the inspiring life and work of St. Francis de Sales on this his feast day, I offer the following resources:

Liturgical Calendar: Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor
New Advent: St. Francis de Sales
Lives of the Saints: St. Francis de Sales
Patron Saints Index: St. Francis de Sales
Rerum Omnium Perturbationem (On the Third Centenary of the Death of St. Francis de Sales)
Predestination and Reprobation: The Teaching of St. Francis de Sales
The Four Pillars of Salesian Spirituality
Forget Heaven: A Reflection on Francis de Sales [a .doc file]
The Heart of St. Francis de Sales [a pdf. file]
Francis de Sales: Guide for the Lay Faithful [a .pdf file]
Study Guide for Introduction to the Devout Life

Works by St. Francis de Sales:

The Catholic Controversy
Introduction to the Devout Life
Meditations
Mystical Exposition on the Canticle of Canticles
Spiritual Conferences
Spiritual Directory
Treatise on the Love of God
For his sermons, letters, commentaries, and other works, see The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture

In closing, and for old-time's sake (this used to be a regular feature on my blog), here is today's selection from "Daily with De Sales":

During the course of the day, recall as often as possible that you are in God's presence. Consider what God does and what you are doing. You will see His eyes turned toward you and constantly fixed on you with incomparable love. Then you will say to Him, "O God, why do I not look always at You, just as You always look at me? Why do You think so often of me, O Lord, and why do I think so seldom of You?" Where are we, O my soul? God is our true place, and where are we? (INT. Part II, Ch. 12; O. III, p. 92)

St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade: Some Resources to Help You Fight the Good Fight

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Unfortunately, I only have a short amount of time to post today about an issue that grieves me perhaps more than any other. Below you'll find links to information about abortion and my few meager offerings (seriously) on this subject.

I'm sure there are many, many other pro-life websites one could visit besides the ones I have listed (leave your favorite in the combox!). What I have done here is to assemble the ones I know are from a Catholic perspective.

Articles

Catholic Culture: Life Issues (338 articles)
Catholic Educational Resource Center: Abortion (156 articles)
EWTN: Prolife Issues (311 articles)
Catholic Answers: Abortion (123 articles and radio shows)
PhatMass Directory: Abortion (56 articles)
Catholic Pages: Abortion (109 articles)
Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ Archives: Abortion and Euthanasia (11 articles)

This chart is also very helpful: Quick Responses to Common Pro-Choice Arguments.

Blog Posts

And the Unborn Smile
The Church and Fertility Drugs: Part 1 and Part 2
Bella Means "Beautiful"
Operation Outcry Needs Your Help
Obama, Abortion, and Ensoulment
McCain and the Pro-Life Movement
The Poor and the Unborn: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
Should a Catholic Donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation?
Resources on the ABC Link
Alternatives to the Susan G. Komen Foundation

Good luck to you in your fight against the culture of death, and if you are on the front-lines in Washington, DC today, don't forget your mittens!

Our Lady of the Unborn ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Collection of Catholic Responses to Jefferson Bethke's "Love Jesus but Hate Religion" Video

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:12:00 +0000

Now that the dust has settled from the uproar caused by Jefferson Bethke's popular YouTube video, it is possible to collect the Catholic responses into one location. I think all of these commentators are converging around the same points, but it is still interesting to see the different angles of approach that people use. Plus, the more ammunition at your disposal the better. Bethke's philosophy of religion is nothing new. Catholics need to know how to respond to it.

Here's what I've been able to find so far. Note that some of these articles don't explicitly mention Bethke or his video, but they still address the issues that Bethke has raised. If you find a link I should add, please leave a comment and let me know.

Articles:

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Spiritual but not Religious?
Jimmy Akin: Why I Hate People Hating on Religion
Marc Barnes: Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus: The Smackdown
Matthew Warner: I Hate Religious People?
Taylor Marshall: St. James vs. YouTube's "Why I Hate Religion"
Mary Lane: Why I Love Jesus AND Religion
Marcel LeJeune: Does Jesus Hate Religion? Should You?
Yoseph M. David: The Hand of Satan in the "I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" Movement
"Catholic Chris": Why I Love the Church - A Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus"
Tom Hoopes: He Hates Religion But Loves Jesus. Good Luck With That ...
Fr. Shane Johnson: Jesus > Religion?
Owen Swain: Confession: I Am Not a "Follower of Jesus"
Russ Rentler: "Why I Hate Religion": A 3rd Century Heresy Rears Its Ugly Head...Again
Godwin Delali Adadzie: Why I Can't Hate Religion for Jesus
Anthony S. Layne: Internet Dumbth Goes Viral Again
Joe Heschmeyer: Jesus v. Religion?
Julie Robison: Not Even Wrong
Brent Stubbs: Religion vs. Relationship
Ryan Kraeger: Why I Love People Who Hate Religion
Sr. Margaret J. Obrovac, FSP: Spiritual, but Not Religious
Theresa Noble: Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus: A Beer with Jeff Bethke

Of course, you can also read my post: A Catholic Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" by Jefferson Bethke

Videos:

"make a friar": "Why I Love Jesus but Hate Religion: A Catholic Response"
Fr. John Hollowell: "Untitled"
"Catholic Chris": Why I Love the Church - A Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" ["Catholic Chris" is in both lists because he wrote an article and made a video!]
"emceemiko": I Love Jesus Religiously (Catholic Spoken Word)
"defense4thefaith": A Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus"
Fr. Robert Barron: Fr. Barron Comments on "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"
"Fr. Pontifex": Why I Love Religion, and I Love Jesus || Spoken Word
"DB Disciple": Why I Love Religion, and Love Jesus || Spoken Word (Response Video)
Patrick Coffin: How to Love Jesus AND Religion
"gjp125": Why I Hate Religion, and Love Jesus || Catholic

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Black Catholics in America and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Irealize this is a day late and a dollar short, but I wanted to post something in commemoration of Martin Luther King Day. Most of the time I think when a person hears the words "Catholic saint" the image of a white European guy comes to mind. But, Africans and African-Americans have made a significant contribution to the life of the Church.

According to the National Black Catholic Congress, "270 million Catholics of African descent represent almost 25% of the one billion Roman Catholics throughout the world in more than 59 countries" (source). Almost 3 million of these live in the United States (source).

There are also many African and African-American saints. Here are just a few:

22 Martyrs of Uganda
St. Anthony the Great of Thebes
St. Antonio Vieira
St. Athanasius of Alexandria ("the black dwarf")
St. Augustine
St. Benedict the Moor
Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua
St. Martin de Porres
St. Monica
St. Moses the Black
St. Victoria
St. Josephine Bakhita

You may be surprised to find that at least three popes were of African descent:

For a list of current and deceased African-American and Black bishops, go here. Wikipedia's List of African-American Firsts is a great tribute as well. For more on Blacks in the Catholic Church, see The National Black Catholic Congress and the USCCB Subcommittee on African American Affairs.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

In Defense of My Response to Jefferson Bethke: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

In my previous post I responded to "Rob B." Now we come to the "Anonymous" comment (made on 1/13/2012 at 10:19 PM). For the initial post that elicited these comments, see A Catholic Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" by Jefferson Bethke. Anon's words will be in bold:

As a born-and-raised, tried-and-true Catholic, I can say that there are many, many sentiments Mr. Bethke shares in his video that I find myself in whole-hearted agreement with. As this is neither the time nor place to delve into each and every line of the poem (as PhatCatholic has done), I will address a few.

I too agree with some of the things that Bethke said. Let's see where you and I disagree ...

Firstly, let me present the thought that there is absolutely no reason to split hairs over "false religion". We, whether as indivduals in our daily lives or as the Catholic Church as whole all know someone (or numerous someones) whose only practice of religion manifests itself in the aforementioned form. No one is a fan of said "religion"...let's agree on that fact.

I agree. But I think it is also important to make the distinction between "true" and "false" religion. Bethke has not made this distinction, and his video suffers greatly as a result. If he was saying, "I hate hypocrisy" or "I hate self-righteousness" then that would be one thing. But, he has decided to make the more salacious statement "I hate religion" and to talk as if religion -- all religion -- is the embodiment of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. This is flat-out insulting and untrue. His statement is so bizarre I'm convinced that he really doesn't know what religion is at all.

Now, to pinpoint a few notes from both the video and phatcatholic's response: Religions have started many wars. Period; done; over with. The Crusades are not something created out of a mad historians mind; they happened. I don't like it anymore than you do, but it happened. I absolutely agree that there are times when war is necessary, but's let's not mince words here. Mr. Bethke did not state that "religion has started all wars"; he said "[religion] has started so many wars".

I never accused Bethke of saying that religion started all wars, so I'm not sure where this criticism of yours is coming from. Go back and read what I said again about religion and wars. My whole point is that you can't throw out religion because it has started wars.

First of all, not all religions have started wars. Secondly, even the wars that have been waged in the name of religion have not all been bad or immoral. Thirdly, if Akin is right (and I think he's on to something) it's hardly ever as simple as "religion starts wars." There are always political and material aspirations involved as well ... oh, and sin. Bethke has taken a very complex topic and crudely oversimplified it so he can have another snide remark for his poem. I refuse to let him off the hook for that.

Now, as Catholics, would we really let Jesus in to our church if he came? I mean really, really LET HIM IN. I love Catholicism, but I do not agree with everything that is taught. We "let Jesus into our Mass" in the Eucharist we receive (as mentioned in phatcatholic's response to this question), but if Jesus were just someone in off the street, we would not allow that individual to receive Communion; correct? Heck, we don't even allow someone who has attended mass his/her entire life but then went to college and began participating in a Christian service (or simply missed a few weeks of Mass or Confession) to receive communion, so we dang sure wouldn't allow a "new person", whether we knew he was Jesus or not, to partake.

I think you're wrong about this. If someone presented himself for communion and the minister of Holy Communion had no reason to believe that the person was not disposed to receive the sacrament, then the presumption would be that the person could receive the Eucharist and so he would.

At any rate, last time I checked, the status of one's living arrangement did not disqualify him to receive the Eucharist. The poor, especially those present at Mass, remind us to be hungry for the food that satisfies. They are always welcome in our churches. I don't know of any church that turns away poor people.

Phatcatholic took the easy road out on this one and went with the de facto, "Oh yeah, we would let Jesus into our church. We already do; he's in the Body, Word, and Eucharist." This shows one of two avenues of thought to me: 1) phatcatholic has intentionally misinterpreted Bethke's question, or 2) he correctly interpreted it in his mind but then chose to skirt it on his blog.

My answer was perfectly legitimate. The many ways in which Jesus is present in the Mass shows just how welcome He is there. People come to church with the intention of meeting Jesus there, receiving Him there. Surely this means that He is welcome among us! Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Last, but not least, let me note this: There are many Catholic churches (and other churches, most assuredly) that are a "hospital for the broken", but...and let me be clear here...just because a hospital has a Waiting Room, that does not make it a "hospital". A church having pews and an altar does not make it a "church". It must be a place in which someone is paid attention to and helped. The broken know they are broken; that's why they're here...is the doctor in, or is he not?

Are you questioning whether or not the Catholic Church is a hospital for the broken? I know that it takes more than some pews and an altar to make a church. It takes people, and we have plenty of them. These people come to the pews and the altar to celebrate the Mass because they receive grace there, and they realize how much they need the grace of God to persevere to eternal life. The Church is not a waiting room, it is a place to receive the healing and consolation that only the Great Physician can provide. My Church gives people that. Are you really denying that?

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

In Defense of My Response to Jefferson Bethke: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:26:00 +0000

If you don't know who Jefferson Bethke is by now, you're living in a cave. For the uninitiated, he's responsible for a YouTube video (with over 10 million views) that attempts to establish that Jesus came to abolish religion and that a relationship with Him is antithetical to religion. You can watch the video and read my response to it here.

A few people have voiced objections to various parts of my response. I would like to respond to these objections. "Rob B" will be first. His words will be in bold.

This segment alone [my words on religion starting wars] was enough to convince me that the author of the article was both logically limited, and/or purposefully rhetorically manipulative, and severely biased.

Seriously? I'm surprised you had such a strong reaction to that part. Those are some bold charges you have made against me.

Anyone want to guess how small a % of all Christians the Amish make up?

The number of Amish people is irrelevant. Bethke said, "religion has started so many wars." My goal was to put things in perspective. Many religions have not started wars. This is an irrefutable fact, as evidenced by the Amish and other pacifist religions.

Who feels like defending the crusades as just?

There were certainly abuses that took place during the Crusades. No one denies that. But, the Crusades are also grossly misunderstood, and far from the atrocity that some people make them out to be. At any rate, I acknowledged in my original post that Catholics have not always conducted wars according to the Church's "Just War theory," but this is the fault of sin, not religion.

Jimmy Akin also makes a good point about this whole "religion is bad because it starts wars" theory:

He repeats the cliche that religion starts lots of wars, which is nonsense. Religion is a powerful motivator, and thus is often invoked in wartime, but the real reasons most wars have been fought have nothing to do with it. Instead, they have to do with political control–either allowing certain political leaders to gain or remain in power (e.g., who is the rightful heir to the throne) or they have to do with gaining political control of resources (e.g., land, money, food supplies, transportation and trade routes) or they have to do with a particular leader’s ambitions (i.e., being remembered as a great man, or not being remembered as a weak man). When leaders aren’t being totally naked about those things, they dress them up with national pride or religion, but ultimately they are not at the root.

The reason political leaders invoke religion when going to war is that religion is a powerful motivator that is built into human nature, which is why religion appears in all human societies. It’s a human universal, and religion in that sense is not something Jesus came to abolish. He didn’t come to root the religious impulse out of mankind but to shape it and channel it properly (e.g., “Blessed are the peacemakers”).

For the rest of Akin's response to Bethke, see "Why I Hate People Hating on Religion".

Moving on now ...

There are wonderful people who practice all religions.

That said, it's very important that religious organizations are criticized when criticism is warranted, and it is far too often. I believe Jeff's criticisms were intended to be directed at organized religion. It seems fairly clear from the context that this is the case.

I agree. Bethke's beef is with organized religion. I'm confused as to why you think you and I are in disagreement on that point.

Yet your first point, and the one which frames the entire article, assumes he is using the Catholic church's definition: "A set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to the service and worship of God. The first commandment requires us to believe in God, to worship and serve him, as the first duty of the virtue of religion."

What follows is a bit mindblowing to me, because Hinduism fits this definition. The definition also does not exclude people who may follow the same beliefs as most Catholics, but have determined different practices that they routinely engage in.

So what's your point? I'm having trouble following you here. Hinduism is a religion as I have defined it. When Catholics reject Church teaching and follow their own whims they create a religion unto themselves. I agree. What's so "mindblowing" about that?

Would you have the audacity to argue that the Catholic church has not, many times throughout history, excommunicated people and not accepted potential converts merely because those people refuse to follow specific practices included in its dogma?

I don't really understand how this is relevant at all to the topic of my original post. I don't deny that the Church has excommunicated people. I think this is a good thing, but now is not the time to go down that rabbit hole. If I am not scrupulous to stay on topic, this debate could go in all sorts of directions.

I would read the rest of this post, but I just don't see it as a productive use of my time.

I gave you the time of day, perhaps you will extend to me the same courtesy?

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

PS: Go here for Part 2.

A Catholic Response to "Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus" by Jefferson Bethke

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Avideo has been making the rounds on Facebook recently in which Jefferson Bethke, a young man very talented with the spoken word, explains why he hates religion but loves Jesus. This theory that Jesus (and a relationship with Him) is somehow opposed to religion is all the rage nowadays, especially on college campuses, but does it really add up? I think there are several errors in Bethke's poetry that are worth addressing. Here's the video:

You can read the lyrics at rapgenius.com. I am very thankful for these lyrics because they save me from having to transcribe the video and they also give me the ability to represent him correctly and to address him thoroughly. Thus, what follows is a line-by-line response to the video above. Bethke's words will be in bold.

"What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion"

This assertion, and really the whole video, depends on how one defines "religion". Surely everyone is going to have their own definition, and ample connotations as well. The glossary from the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines religion as:

"A set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to the service and worship of God. The first commandment requires us to believe in God, to worship and serve him, as the first duty of the virtue of religion."

I think this is a definition most religious people would agree with. To put it another way, one could say that religion provides the form to our relationship with God. When I decide that I love Jesus Christ and I want to hand my life over to Him and live for Him, this must be expressed and lived out in certain ways in order for it to be genuine. I can't just believe any old thing about Jesus, behave however I want, and worship Him however I feel like. There is a right and a wrong way to believe, and act, and worship. Religion establishes the right ways of doing these things so that I can give God the belief, worship, and service He deserves and requires from us.

Once religion is understood in this way, Bethke's statements stand out in stark relief. To return to the statement at hand, in no way can it be said that Jesus came to abolish religion. He specifically said, "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Mt 5:17). The Law established the religion of the Jewish people, and Jesus came to fulfill it, to make it what it was meant to be, not to do away with it. These words of His are very peculiar for someone who supposedly came to abolish religion.

What if I told you voting republican really wasn't his mission
What if I told you republican doesn't automatically mean Christian

This statement is a red herring, and it reveals more about the author then it does about religion. You're a Democrat, we get it. Let's try to stay on topic.

And just because you call some people blind
Doesn't automatically give you vision

Agreed. Moving on now ...

I mean, if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars

First of all, this blanket statement assumes that all religions are the same: they all cause wars. While it is true that some religions have been responsible for wars, not all of them have. Has anyone been overthrown or put to the sword by the Amish recently? I didn't think so. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Secondly, this statement also assumes that all wars are bad. This isn't true either. Sometimes, if you believe in something with all your heart, you have to fight for it. This is a good thing, if it means the defense of your life and your rights. For example, I don't think too many people argue that it was wrong of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states from the 16th century, to go to war with the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto to preserve the very existence of Christianity in the Mediterranean. Catholicism, for it's part, has a very ancient Just War theory that establishes when going to war is a legitimate enterprise. Did Catholics always abide by that? Of course not. But that is not the fault of religion, it is the result of sin.

So, there are religions that are entirely pacifist (the Amish) and religions that teach it is permissible, even necessary, to go to war under certain conditions (Catholicism). There are also religions that are indeed war-mongering: Islam comes to mind. I can join Bethke in my aversion to that religion, but not to all religions as a general principle.

Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor

It doesn't. At least, Catholicism doesn't. We have managed to do both for several hundred years now. The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world. I challenge anyone to find an organization that does more for the poor than the Church does.

Also, building huge churches isn't a bad thing. Huge congregations need huge churches. Furthermore, the breadth and height of the great Catholic cathedrals and basilicas are meant to reflect what we believe about the liturgies that take place within them. The Mass in particular is the meeting point between the faithful on earth and the saints in heaven. The Mass is, in fact, heaven on earth, and so our church buildings, which are fundamentally for the celebration of the Mass, should reflect the glory and splendor of the heavenly liturgy. They rise up into the heavens to meet the angels and saints in their perpetual worship of the Lamb.

So, yea, some of our churches are huge ... but some of them are not. Some of the most beautiful Catholic churches in the world are in fact little chapels tucked away in far-flung places, where communities give out of their poverty so that they can have a place of their own to worship and to pray. Religion isn't all about "building huge churches." It's about glorifying God however you are able.

"Tells single moms God doesn't love them if they've ever had a divorce
But in the old testament God actually calls religious people whores"

The teaching of the Church, and of Jesus for that matter, has never been that God does not love you if you get a divorce. God loves us no matter what we do. The teaching is that divorce is a sin:

Mt 19:3-8 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 4 He answered, "Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." 7 They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" 8 He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Paul was adamant on this point as well (cf. 1 Cor 6:16; 7:10-11, 39; Rom 7:2-3; Eph 5:31)

Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice
Tend to ridicule God's people, they did it to John The Baptist

I'm thinking more and more that when Bethke says "religion" he really means "the pharisees" or pharisaic people. The scribes and the pharisees ridiculed and punished many of God's holy prophets, and many irreligionists understand Jesus' many rebukes of the scribes and pharisees as a general rebuke of religion. But, the scribes and pharisees represent religion gone wrong, not authentic religion. They are the ones who "preach but do not practice" (Mt 23:3), who "bind heavy burdens" (vs. 4) and "do all their deeds to be seen by men" (vs. 5), who "shut the kingdom of heaven against men" (vs. 13), who are "blind fools" (vs. 17) who "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (vs. 24). They are the "hypocrites" and "whitewashed tombs" (vs. 27), not religion itself. Religion -- or at least, the religion established by Christ -- is meant to preserve us from that! Jesus, by preaching against those things, was establishing the nature of true religion, which is what Christians strive to follow today.

At any rate, the scribes and pharisees did not ridicule John the Baptist. They asked him many questions, in order to determine who he was (cf. Jn 1:19-27), but I'm not sure this can be counted as ridicule.

They can't fix their problems, and so they just mask it
Not realizing religions like spraying perfume on a casket

This again calls to mind what Jesus said to the pharisees in Mt 23. Religion is not like spraying perfume on a casket, or like whitewashing a tomb. Hypocrisy is. Religion is believing, and worshiping, and serving God rightly. This entire poem is largely the tearing down of a straw man.

See the problem with religion, is it never gets to the core
It's just behavior modification, like a long list of chores

I realize that, for some people, religion becomes just a going through the motions. Mass on Sunday, no meat on Friday, sit, stand, kneel, repeat. But is it not also true that religion is for others a rousing experience of the Holy Spirit, a transformation from within by the power of God's grace? Has Bethke never meant anyone who truly loved being Catholic (or loved being a member of any religion, for that matter)? Surely he has. Why then does religion penetrate some people to the core, but is for others only a surface experience?

This can be for many reasons. Sin certainly keeps a person from experiencing the movement of the Spirit through religion. It makes him rebel against the responsibilities of religion, and it darkens his mind to what is truly taking place in the practice of religion.

Often religion comes alive for a person once that person realizes why he is doing what he is doing: why he stands at the beginning of Mass, why he kneels during the Eucharistic prayer, why he goes to Mass on Sunday, why he gives up meat on Friday, why he receives ashes on his forehead, why we light four candles during Advent, etc. The answer to this question is vital to the experience of religion.

My overall point is this: religion is not without meaning or profound influence. It is up to us to open our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit and to discover for ourselves why we do what we do in the name of religion. When we do this, then religion becomes very much more than what Bethke is describing here.

Like lets dress up the outside make look nice and neat
But it's funny that's what they use to do to mummies while the corpse rots underneath

He acts like religion requires people to act fake and put on a show. But it doesn't. I don't know of any religion that does. If what you do in the practice of your religion is not a reflection of who you truly are as a person, then that's your fault. Don't blame my religion on your hypocrisy.

Now I ain't judgin, I'm just saying quit putting on a fake look
Cause there's a problem if people only know you're a Christian by your Facebook
I mean in every other aspect of life, you know that logic's unworthy
It's like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey
You see this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me
Acting like a church kid, while addicted to pornography
See on Sunday I'd go to church, but Saturday getting faded
Acting if I was simply created just to have sex and get wasted
See I spent my whole life building this facade of neatness
But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness

I agree with Bethke that Christians need to provide an authentic witness to their faith. Religion should indeed be more than just an act or a show. Bethke realized his hypocritical ways, but instead of living his religion more authentically, he simply dispensed with religion so that those pesky things that made him look bad would no longer be required of him.

Knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him is not antithetical to religion, as if once a person comes to Christ he must cast off the chains of his burdensome religion. Jesus established many of the very dictates of Christian religion:

repent (Mt 4:17)
follow the commandments (Mt 19:17)
be baptized (Jn 3:3-5)
receive the Eucharist (Jn 6:53)
obey Church authority (Mt 18:17)
serve the poor (Mt 5:42; 25:40)
fast (Mt 9:15; 6:16-18)
do not be angry with your brother (Mt 5:22)
do not look at a woman lustfully (Mt 5:28)
do not swear (Mt 5:34)
love your enemies and pray for your persecutors (Mt 5:44)
be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48)

"Knowing Jesus" means following these commands, which are at the very heart of the Christian religion and what it means to be "religious."

Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean It's not a museum for good people, it's a hospital for the broken

He's right: it should be ... and it is. This is how the Catholic Church understands herself. Nothing new here.

Which means I don't have to hide my failure, I don't have to hide my sin
Because it doesn't depend on me it depends on him
See because when I was God's enemy and certainly not a fan
He looked down and said I want, that, man

Amen. Well said. We "slaves to religion" certainly share with Bethke an experience of the love of Christ eradicating sin and shame.

Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools
Don't you see so much better than just following some rules

As I've been saying:

1. Jesus enacted many rules for us
2. Religion is more than following rules

When Bethke says such things, I am convinced he really has no idea what religion is.

Now let me clarify, I love the church, I love the bible, and yes I believe in sin
But if Jesus came to your church would they actually let him in

You know it! We let Him in every day the Mass is celebrated. He is in the members of the Body gathered together. He is in the person of the priest. He is in the Word proclaimed. He is, really and substantially, in the Eucharist we receive. Jesus Christ is very much at home in my religion!

See remember he was called a glutton, and a drunkard by religious men
But the son of God never supports self righteousness not now, not then

First of all, getting rid of all religion because there are some bad religious men makes about as much sense as getting rid of the police force because there are some bad cops, or getting rid of the presidency because there have been some bad presidents. Like I said before, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Furthermore, there may be some religions that believe one can achieve righteousness solely through one's own effort, but the Christian religion has always been against that sort of thing. This is again more tearing down of a strawman.

Now back to the point, one thing is vital to mention
How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums

Hopefully you're beginning to see by now how silly this statement is. Jesus Himself was a very religious person. He was circumcized. He was baptized. He celebrated the Passover and the other Jewish feast days. He worshipped in the synagogue. He followed the Ten Commandments. He prayed. He fasted. He went on pilgrimages. He is the fulfillment of the Jewish religion and the very creater of the Christian one. Yes, a religion -- not some warm and fuzzy "me and Jesus" experience, but a religion, a church, with bishops, priests, and deacons, and commands to follow, and things to do, and words to live by.

It only takes a cursory glance at the New Testament to realize this. Earlier Bethke said he loved the bible. I'm beginning to wonder how much of it he has actually read.

See one's the work of God, but one's a man made invention
See one is the cure, but the other's the infection
See because religion says do, Jesus says done
Religion says slave, Jesus says son
Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free
Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see
And that's why religion and Jesus are two different clans

I wonder what Bethke thinks of baptism. I'd imagine he considers it, like all the sacraments, to be just more trappings of man-made religion, more "do" and less "done." Well, the thing is, Jesus Himself instituted the sacrament of baptism (Mk 16:16; Jn 3:3-5), and gave the apostles, as His last will and testament to them, the command to go and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them (Mt 28:19). And guess what else? That's how I became God's son -- through baptism, through the function of my religion. Not a slave, a son, a free man, with eyes enlightened by the grace of God. Bethke's words here are borderline insulting to me. Who's really doing the "ridiculing" here?

Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man

Wait, now I'm confused. I thought Christianity was the problem. It is a religion after all. Bethke needs to supplement his video with a glossary of terms. That would aid tremendously the discussion that he has begun.

Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own
Not based on my merits but Jesus's obedience alone
Because he took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down his face
He took what we all deserved, I guess that's why you call it grace
And while being murdered he yelled, "Father forgive them they know not what they do."
Because when he was dangling on that cross, he was thinking of you
And he absorbed all of your sin, and buried it in the tomb
Which is why I'm kneeling at the cross, saying come on there's room

This part is really quite beautiful. It's a shame that his history with religion never gave him an experience of this. Perhaps he should give Catholicism a try ;)

So for religion, no I hate it, in fact I literally resent it
Because when Jesus said it is finished, I believe he meant it

Yes, He meant it, that much we can agree on.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

PS: Also see "In Defense of My Response to Jefferson Bethke: Part 1 and Part 2"

Catholic Q&A: Part 20

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:54:00 +0000

This post continues my series of short answers to common questions about Catholicism. For the previous parts in the series, see the "Catholic Q-A Series" blog label.

Does the one-hour fast before receiving Communion include water?

No, it does not. You are allowed to consume water and medicine without breaking the fast. From the Code of Canon Law (1983) we read the following:

Can. 919 §1 Whoever is to receive the blessed Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from all food and drink, with the sole exception of water and medicine.

Who is the “woman” spoken of in Rev. 17?

This is a difficult question to answer, and for two reasons. First of all, it is often the case that characters in the Book of Revelation symbolize more than one reality. What this means is that there can be more than one answer to the question of who the woman is. Secondly, scholars continue to debate the identity of the woman. We don’t have the general consensus, even among Catholic scholars, that one typically finds with other passages or books of the Bible.

Modern Catholic biblical scholarship seems to be converging on the understanding that the woman (also called a “harlot”) represents the city of Jerusalem. This is the opinion of several popular Catholic authors and theologians, including Scott Hahn, Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin, Michael Barber, and Brant Pitre.

However, there are still other Catholic scholars who think that the woman is pagan Rome, or both Rome and Jerusalem, or Satan, or any force against true religion. In my opinion, since some of the facts from Rev. 17 fit Jerusalem, while others fit Rome, it seems safer to say that the woman represents both cities at the same time.

What every Catholic scholar can agree with is this: the woman is not the Catholic Church, as many fundamentalist Protestants would have you believe. For more on the woman from Rev 17 (and the beast, for that matter), see my blog post: "The Catholic Church Is NOT the Whore of Babylon".

When do we celebrate the Flight into Egypt in Mass?

We actually just did! On Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the Gospel reading in the Mass was Mt 2:13-18, which is the account of the flight into Egypt, when the Holy Family fled to Egypt in order to avoid the wrath of Herod, who ordered that all boys two-years old and younger be killed because he heard that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had finally come into the world and Herod was anxious to protect his own reign.

In Psa 39:12-13, are the words "foreigner" and "refugee" used to imply being away from sin? Also, why is the Lord asked to turn His gaze so that David's smile may take place?

The Navarre Bible Commentary is very helpful here. It reads as follows:

39:12-13. In line with what he has said already, the psalmist ends his prayer by beseeching God to listen to him and not to be too hard on him ("Look away from me": vs. 13). Expressions like "thy passing guest" and "sojourner" (vs. 12) indicate that the psalmist sees his life as being under God's protection, the way the Law protected foreigners resident in Israel, and wayfarers (cf. Ex 12:48-49; Deut 10:18-19; etc.). "Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation" (1 Pet 2:11-12). These terms also remind the Christian of the urgency of leading a life of union with Christ: "You do not have a permanent home here. Wherever you may find yourself, you will be a foreigner and a pilgrim; you will never find rest unless you unite yourself intimately to Christ" (Thomas a Kempis, De imitatione Christi, 2, 1, 6).

Could you explain CCC 99 to me, considering that there are many claiming the name "Catholic" while clearly contradicting the Faith?

CCC 99 itself doesn't seem to have any bearing upon people who are, as you put it, "claiming the name 'Catholic' while clearly contradicting the Faith." Here is CCC 99:

99 Thanks to its supernatural sense of faith, the People of God as a whole never ceases to welcome, to penetrate more deeply and to live more fully from the gift of divine Revelation.

No. 99 comes from the "In Brief" section, in which a few statements are made in summary of the preceding paragraphs. It appears to be a summary of nos. 91-94, which read as follows:

The supernatural sense of faith

91 All the faithful share in understanding and handing on revealed truth. They have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who instructs them53 and guides them into all truth.54

92 "The whole body of the faithful. . . cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to the last of the faithful, they manifest a universal consent in matters of faith and morals."55

93 "By this appreciation of the faith, aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth, the People of God, guided by the sacred teaching authority (Magisterium),. . . receives. . . the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. . . The People unfailingly adheres to this faith, penetrates it more deeply with right judgment, and applies it more fully in daily life."56

Growth in understanding the faith

94 Thanks to the assistance of the Holy Spirit, the understanding of both the realities and the words of the heritage of faith is able to grow in the life of the Church:
"through the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts";57 it is in particular "theological research [which] deepens knowledge of revealed truth".58

"from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which [believers] experience",59 the sacred Scriptures "grow with the one who reads them."60

"from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth".61

This section does have bearing upon the issue you have raised. Many Catholics who are not of one mind with the Church attempt to validate their contradictory views by saying that these views came about by the legitimate use of their conscience, or by their own feeling of being led by the Spirit, or by their adoption of what they think "most Catholics" believe or practice.

We must inform such people that one's conscience must be properly formed by the teaching of the Church in order for it to lead a person to the truth, that the Spirit does not contradict itself and so will never "inspire" someone to hold a position contrary to Church teaching, and that the sensus fidei is not the zeitgeist, or popular movement of the times but what the Church has always believed and professed. In so doing, we ensure that people are better able "to welcome, to penetrate more deeply and to live more fully from the gift of divine Revelation."

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:13:00 +0000

In commemoration of today's Solemnity, it is worthwhile to ask ourselves: Why did Jesus consent to be baptized? I would like to offer three possible explanations.

First of all, he did it as an example for us.

Jesus’ entire life is an example for us of how to be human and how to follow God. His will was that people would repent of their sin and be baptized by John as a sign of their commitment to follow God. As a result, Jesus decided to be baptized, to show us how important it is to convert our hearts and make a public act of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of Nazareth, gives us another reason. He says that Jesus’ baptism anticipates what He did for all mankind on the cross:

The act of descending into the waters of this Baptism implies a confession of guilt and a plea for forgiveness in order to make a new beginning. In a world marked by sin, then, this Yes to the entire will of God also expresses solidarity with men, who have incurred guilt but yearn for righteousness. The significance of this event could not fully emerge until it was seen in light of the Cross and Resurrection. Descending into the water, the candidates for Baptism confess their sin and seek to be rid of their burden of guilt. What did Jesus do in the same situation? Luke, who throughout his Gospel is keenly attentive to Jesus' prayer, and portrays him again and again at prayer -- in conversation with the Father -- tells us that Jesus was praying while he received Baptism (cf. Lk 3:21). Looking at the events in light of the Cross and Resurrection, the Christian people realized what happened: Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind's guilt upon his shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners. His inaugural gesture is an anticipation of the Cross. He is, as it were, the true Jonah who said to the crew of the ship, "Take me and throw me into the sea" (Jon 1:12). The whole significance of Jesus' Baptism, the fact that he bears, "all righteousness," first comes to light on the Cross: The Baptism is an acceptance of death for the sins of humanity, and the voice that calls out "This is my beloved Son" over the baptismal waters is an anticipatory reference to the Resurrection. This also explains why, in his own discourses, Jesus uses the word baptism to refer to his death (cf. Mk 10:38; Lk 12:50). (p. 17-18)

By descending into the waters of the Jordan, Jesus takes the place of all sinners, who were being called by John to do what Jesus was doing. He does the same thing on the Cross, where He pays the price for all man’s sin.

His going under the water is symbolic of burial and the destruction of sin that will take place on the cross. We see this purpose for water in the flood of Noah’s day, which buried and destroyed all the sin in the world.

His rising out of the water is symbolic of His resurrection. The dove that rests above Him and the voice that cries out from the heavens point to the glory that will be His once His work is finished.

St. Thomas Aquinas gives us yet a third reason. He says that the baptism of the Lord points to our Christian sacrament of baptism. The baptism of St. John the Baptist was merely symbolic. It was a way to publicly profess one’s commitment to conversion and repentance. It did not actually forgive sin or make one a member of the family of God like our sacrament of baptism does. But, when Jesus received the baptism of John, He “consecrated it” so to speak, just as His presence at the wedding feast of Cana is seen as God’s blessing over matrimony.

In other words, when the baptism of John is imbued with the presence of Christ, it becomes what we celebrate today, and in the baptism of Jesus we see glimpses of our sacrament. The water signifies the cleansing that takes place. The descent of the dove signifies the reception of grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The divine voice -- which cries out, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” -- signifies our adoption as beloved sons (or daughters) of God.

For more on the sacrament of baptism, see my previous blog posts:

On the Washing of Regeneration
On Necessity and Wetness: Parts One -- Two -- Three
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation [an incomplete debate]: Parts One -- Two
Eight Key Points, Part 5: Infant Baptism
Repent, and Do What?
On Baptism by Immersion
Baptism: Empty Ritual or Saving Power?

Happy Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, which concludes the Christmas season.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

An "epiphany" is a sudden manifestation or revelation of something. When we speak of the "Epiphany of the Lord" we mean the moments when the Son of God was revealed to mankind.

On this day, our thoughts are naturally drawn to the revelation of the Christ Child to the Three Wise Men. What a sight it must have been! Jesus was surely a child of indescribable beauty and splendor. Note that, by being born of Mary and of the line of David, he comes to the Jews. In his appearing to the Magi, he comes to the Gentiles. And thus, he is revealed to the whole world.

But, two other events in the life of Christ are commemorated on this day as well: the baptism of Jesus and the wedding at Cana. These events, just as much as the visitation of the Magi, are epiphanies of the Lord.

When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, a dove (symbol of the Holy Spirit) rested upon Him and a voice cried out from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Even before the baptism, John cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Set your eyes upon Him! Jesus is the anointed Son of God and Savior of the world.

The wedding at Cana is the context for another epiphany in that it is here where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. The gospel writer says of this miracle: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (Jn 2:11). His glory was manifested on that day, a true epiphany.

Yet, is He not also revealed to us in the Mass? Does not the priest, after the consecration of the Eucharist, repeat the very same words as John the Baptist? “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world! Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb!” I suggest to you that this moment too is an epiphany. Just as the divinity of the Lord was in a way veiled by his humanity, so too our Eucharistic Lord is veiled, hiding behind the species of bread and wine.

Yet, we know by faith that He is there, just as the Magi knew that this little child, born in a manger, was the long-awaited Messiah, just as John the Baptist knew as soon as he set eyes on Jesus that He was the Lamb of God who’s Precious Blood would wash away our sins -- and more important still -- just as Mary knew that she could ask anything of this Man and it would be done.

For more on the Epiphany of the Lord, see the following articles, as well as a hymn that we sung today at Mass:

Liturgical Calendar: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
New Advent: Epiphany
New Advent: Magi
Be an Epiphany of Christ, of His Merciful Love
Epiphany Celebrates Church's Catholicity
Do Not Be Afraid of Christ and of His Message
Pope St. Leo the Great, On the Feast of the Epiphany:
- Sermon XXXI
- Sermon XXXIII
- Sermon XXXIV
- Sermon XXXVI
Proclaim Christ, Light of All Peoples
Let the Church Shine in Splendor
Set Out Anew from Christ
A Star Shall Come from Jacob
Ephraim the Syrian: Fifteen Hymns for the Feast of the Epiphany
"Three Kings" Seek, Find, and Worship the Lord
Feast of the Epiphany and of the Three Holy Kings
Christmas and Epiphany
Dom Columba Marmion: The Epiphany
Feast of the Epiphany
Twelfth Night
Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula: Epiphany
Epiphany Customs and Blessings
Find Epiphany Peace
Wise Men from the East and the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord
It Is a Mistake to Try to Discover Which Was the Star of Bethlehem
Myrrh Is for Dead Bodies, So Why Give It to a Baby?
Who Were the Three Wise Men? The Pope Explains
God, King, Sacrifice: The Gifts of the Magi

What Child Is This?
Set to John Stainer's arrangement of the traditional tune "Greensleeves". Sung by The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, 1995.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Feast of Elizabeth Ann Seton

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

Liturgical Calendar: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
New Advent: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Rev. Clifford Stevens, The One Year Book of Saints: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821)
Patron Saints Index: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Wikipedia: Elizabeth Ann Seton
Fr. Charles P. Connor: The Conversion of Elizabeth Ann Seton, First American-Born Saint
Emmitsburg Area Historical Society: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: The First Native Born Saint of the United States of America
Warren Dunham Foster, Heroines of Modern Religion, Chapter 3: Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

The Holy Innocents, the Necessity of Baptism, and the Nature of Martyrdom

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:25:00 +0000

Irealize this comes rather after the fact, but I would like to respond to a question I received last week on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (Dec. 28). The question was this:

How should we understand the necessity of baptism in light of the Feast of the Holy Innocents, by which it is celebrated the entrance of many children into heaven without this sacrament?

At first, the answer seems simple: the Church considers these children to be martyrs and so their "baptism of blood" is what merited their entrance into heaven. "Morning Prayer" from the Liturgy of the Hours on Dec. 28 provides ample evidence of this:

Invitatory antiphon: "Come, let us worship the newborn Christ who crowns with joy these children who died for him."
antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah: "At the king's command these innocent babies and little children were put to death; they died for Christ, and now in the glory of heaven as they follow him, the sinless Lamb, they sing for every: Glory to you, O Lord."
from the Intercessions: "You rewarded the child martyrs with the first share in your kingdom ... do not let us be cast out from the unending heavenly banquet"
from the concluding Prayer: "Father, the Holy Innocents offered you praise by the death they suffered for Christ. May our lives bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips."

Where this becomes more difficult is in determining how it is that these children could be considered "martyrs" seeing as they had no explicit faith in Christ, nor did they die because of this faith. Brian A. Graebe, in an article for Homiletic and Pastoral Review, provides helpful clarification: "The Innocents are true martyrs not because of any decision on their part, but rather because of the conscious choice made by Herod to deny the Kingship of Christ." In other words, they may not have had any real faith in Christ, nor the willingness to die for Him, but since they died because of Him, they are considered martyrs by the Church.

But, is this an appropriate definition of martyrdom? Can anyone without an explicit faith in Christ truly be considered a martyr?

To this question, perhaps an implicit "Yes" is given by the Catechism, in its references to various righteous men who came before Christ. The seven sons from 2 Macc 7 (no. 297, 992) and the prophets of the Old Testament (no. 558, 2642) are all referred to as "martyrs" or their death as a "martyrdom" in the Catechism. This tells me that an explicit faith in Christ is not always necessary in order for one to be considered a martyr.

The A to Z Guide to the Catholic Faith (an abridged version of The Catholic Encyclopedia, published by Robert C. Broderick, Ed. in 1987) provides a further caveat. In the "Martyr" entry, we read:

"The term has also been applied in the Church to those who died natural deaths, but whose lives were living testaments of the faith. In this latter sense, it is no longer recognized as a title; but it is in this sense, and because of her 'living' sufferings that the Blessed Mother can be called the 'Queen of Martyrs' as well as being their Queen in heaven." (p. 411)

This is often referred to as "white martyrdom." Such a martyrdom is not a formal category recognized by the Church, but is a designation that springs from popular piety, as the faithful have considered the ways in which particular saints have "died to self" and even endured great suffering in order to unite themselves more fully to Christ.

Of course, the Holy Innocents did not die natural deaths, nor did they have the intention of uniting themselves to Christ through suffering. But, it can be seen from these examples that such rigid definitions as "a person who chooses death rather than to forsake his faith in Christ" or "a person who dies because of his faith in Christ" is not always strictly necessary in order for one to be considered a martyr. And at any rate, to understand martyrdom more broadly as "anyone who dies because of Christ" is really the only way to make sense of the Church's clear affirmation that the Holy Innocents are martyrs.

Now, I realize that, for some, this solution is unsatisfying. If you are among the more scrupulous who may be troubled by the fact that the meaning of martyrdom has been seemingly redefined, Dr. Jeff Mirus has written a supremely helpful article just for you, entitled "Hope from the Holy Innocents". I highly encourage you, scrupulous or not, to read it. Mirus makes the case that the Holy Innocents should be a source of hope for us. They represent all those persons who lacked an explicit faith in Christ and yet, in ways known to God alone, were granted entrance into heavenly paradise.

For more on the Holy Innocents, see the following articles:

Liturgical Calendar: Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
Brian A. Graebe: Do Aborted Babies Go to Heaven? (a response to John F. McCarthy, "Whether Aborted Children Should Be Claimed as Members of the Church")
Dr. Jeff Mirus: Hope from the Holy Innocents
Butler's Lives of the Saints: "The Holy Innocents"
New Advent: "Holy Innocents"
Leo the Great: Sermon XXXI [see Part III] and Sermon XXXIII [see Part IV] on the Feast of the Epiphany
Fish Eaters: Feast of the Holy Innocents
Blessed Jacobus de Voragine [1226-1298], The Golden Legend: "The History of the Holy Innocents"
Fr. John A. Hardon: Holy Mass - Holy Innocents: The Holy Sacrifice vs. Human Sacrifice
New Catholic Dictionary: Holy Innocents
Jimmy Akin: Herod the Baby Killer

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

-- Phil 2:9-11

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. The Liturgical Calendar at Catholic Culture has some helpful information on today's feast day:

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite this feast is celebrated on January 2. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was removed, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial in the Ordinary Form on January 3.

The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His name. The name of Jesus means Savior; it had been shown in a dream to Joseph together with its meaning and to Our Lady at the annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.

Devotion to the Holy Name is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, especially in the Acts of the Apostles. It was promoted in a special manner by St. Bernard, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. John Capistrano and by the Franciscan Order. It was extended to the whole Church in 1727 during the pontificate of Innocent XIII. The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus which is kept on the First Sunday in the year; but if this Sunday falls on January 1, 6, or 7, the feast is kept on January 2.

The New Advent Encyclopedia tells us:

The Name of Jesus invoked with confidence
- brings help in bodily needs, according to the promise of Christ: "In my name They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover". (Mark 16:17-18) In the Name of Jesus the Apostles gave strength to the lame (Acts 3:6; 9:34) and life to the dead (Acts 9:40).
- It gives consolation in spiritual trials. The Name of Jesus reminds the sinner of the prodigal son's father and of the Good Samaritan; it recalls to the just the suffering and death of the innocent Lamb of God.
- It protects us against Satan and his wiles, for the Devil fears the Name of Jesus, who has conquered him on the Cross.
- In the Name of Jesus we obtain every blessing and grace for time and eternity, for Christ has said: "If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you." (John 16:23) Therefore the Church concludes all her prayers by the words: "Through Our Lord Jesus Christ", etc.
So the word of St. Paul is fulfilled: "That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil., ii, 10).

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read:

2666 But the one name that contains everything is the one that the Son of God received in his incarnation: JESUS. The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: "Jesus," "YHWH saves" (cf. Ex 3:14; 33:19-23; Mt 1:21). The name "Jesus" contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him (Rom 10:13; Acts 2:21; 3:15-16; Gal 2:20).

For more on the Holy Name, see the following articles:

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

For the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Liturgical Calendar: Octave of Christmas and Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Mother of God

Redemptoris Mater (On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church)
Theotokos Sums Up All that Mary Is
Wikipedia: Theotokos
A Miracle of Humility: The Obedience of Jesus to Mary
Catholic Answers: Mary, Mother of God
Church Proclaims Mary "Mother of God"
Council of Ephesus
EWTN: Mary, Mother of God
Mary, Mother of God
Mary's Divine Maternity
The First Marian Dogma: Mary, Mother of God
The Mother of God
The Nestorious Challenge
Certain Christological Questions Surrounding the Title "Mary, Mother of God"
Does Mary's Maternity End with Her Death?
Two Evangelical Pastors Discover the Theotokos
What Is the Meaning of Mary's Title Theotokos?
For more on Mary as the Mother of God, see the collection of articles from the "Mother of All Peoples" website

Our Spiritual Mother

Mary, Mother of God, Theotokos, Redemptoris Mater....pray for us!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

The Holy Family: A Triple Threat

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I suspect that when most people think about the Holy Family, they imagine a picture of total happiness, where there is no suffering of any kind and where every day just turns out perfectly. Yes, Jesus and Mary were completely sinless, and Joseph was a most chaste and righteous man. But, they still had their difficulties.

The movie The Nativity Story is what first gave me a sense of this, but if you think about it, Scripture reveals it too. The Holy Family had many trials, including public scorn, homelessness, harsh environments and traveling conditions, a power-hungry and blood-thirsty king, and the pressures -- and ultimately the suffering -- that comes with knowing that your son must die to save the world.

What we can learn from this is that the Holy Family can relate to a family that struggles. A sword pierced Mary's heart, so that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed (cf. Lk 2:35). Joseph, for his part, had always on his shoulders the task of protecting and providing for this holiest of holy families. They both had quite a scare when, for three days, they had no clue where to find their son (cf. Lk 2:41-49). Of course, if anyone knows suffering, it is Jesus. As a family, they are acquainted with struggle, but more importantly, they also know how to overcome and to survive.

Because of their family experience, they are powerful intercessors when we wrestle with family issues. If you suffer because of your mother, find solace in Mary. She cares greatly for the entire Body of Christ, just as she cared for the literal body of Christ. Just as Sarah was the spiritual mother of the Jews (cf. 1 Pet 3:6), Mary is the spiritual mother of "those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (Rev 12:17). Her prayer for us will always be powerful because her will is always united with her Son's, and because "the prayer of the righteous has great power in its effects" (Jas 5:16).

If you suffer because of your father, find solace in St. Joseph, Jesus' father in this world. St. Joseph will never forsake his fatherly duty. He is the patron saint and the protector of families. With his powerful intercession, he protects God's children, just like he protected God's Child. As Mary's most chaste spouse, he also teaches boys how to be good men, and men how to be good men too. Pray that St. Joseph will help your father to be the man that God is calling him to be.

Of course, there is no intercession, no solace, no love, no source of strength and courage and hope like that of the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our Rock and our Salvation. In Him, we can do all things, overcome all things, be all things. Together, the mother, the father, and the Son are a triple threat against anything that threatens the integrity of the family.

For more on the Holy Family, see the following articles. I conclude with the words from a song about the Holy Family that we often sing at Mass.

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary ... have mercy on us.
Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church ... pray for us.
Joseph, Protector of Families ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

- - - - - - - - - -

Articles:

- - - - - - - - - -

Sing of Mary

Sing of Mary, pure and lowly, Virgin mothjer undefiled.
Sing of God's own Son most holy, Who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest mother, God the Lord who came to earth;
Word made flesh, our very brother, Takes our nature by His birth.

Sing of Mary, pure and spotless, Born to bear the Holy Child;
Blest was she, to do God's bidding, Blessed, gentle, meek and mild.
Blessed, too, was good Saint Joseph, Foster father to the Lord;
Let us praise God's Holy Family Who brought forth God's Holy Word.

Sing of Mary, sing of Joseph, keepers of the wondrous Boy,
Called by God to high vocation, Sharing sorrow, sharing joy;
Sharing love, and by that loving in their home in Nazareth,
Forming One whose grace and glory suffered, died and conquered death.

Glory be to God the Father; Glory be to God the Son;
Glory be to God the Spirit; Glory to the Three in One.
From the blessed Virgin Mary, From Saint Joseph praise ascends,
And the Church the strain reechoes Unto earth's remotest ends.
- - - - -
Text: Vss. 1-2, Roland F. Palmer, SSJE, 1891-1985, © Estate of Roland Palmer. All rights reserved. Vs. 3, Herbert O'Driscoll, ©. Melody: Christian Lyre, 1830.

Online Catholic Scripture Commentaries on St. John's Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:47:00 +0000

In honor of St. John on his feast day, I present the following online Catholic commentaries on his Gospel:

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
Agape Bible Study
Catena Aurea: Gospel of St. John [The Catena Aurea is a collection quotations from the Early Church Fathers arranged, by St. Thomas Aquinas, into a verse-by-verse commentary on the Gospels]
Commentary on the Passion Narratives: The Passion in the Gospel of John
Navarre Bible Commentary
The Gospel of John: A Commentary and Meditation
Reflections on the Scriptures of the Sacred Liturgy: The Gospel According to St. John
Commentary on the Gospel of St. John by St. Thomas Aquinas
Commentary on the Gospel of John by Origen
Tractates on the Gospel of John by St. Augustine
Homilies on the Gospel of John by St. John Chrysostom

Read John's Gospel ... and soar on eagle's wings to new heights of spiritual wisdom. If you know of any other Catholic commentaries on John's Gospel that exist online, please let me know.

St. John the Evangelist ... pray for us.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Celebrating the Feast of St. Stephen with Good King Wenceslas

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Many of you may have forgotten (I know I almost did!) that today is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who's life and death is accounted for us in Acts 6 and 7. Well, a popular Christmas carol gives us a helpful reminder. Listen via the YouTube video below. Follow along with the lyrics underneath.

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

For more on St. Stephen, see the following resources:

Catholic Culture: Feast of St. Stephen, first martyr
Butler's Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints: St. Stephen, the first martyr
New Advent: St. Stephen
Patron Saints Index: St. Stephen the Martyr
Wikipedia: St. Stephen

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Know the Reason for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

No politically-correct "Happy Holidays" around here! The following links are to articles that explore the true meaning of Christmas. With all the hustle and bustle, it's good to have a reminder. "Let every heart prepare him room / and heaven and nature sing." After these links is a Christmas poem by G. K. Chesterton.

Let us all make room for the birth of Christ!!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

- - - - - -

Articles

Explore the Christmas Season

USCCB: Advent and Christmas Seasons:
- Advent Season
- Christmas Season
- Vatican Christmas
- Blessings and Prayers
- Lessons and Carols
- Holiday Movies
- Resources

- - - - - -

A Christmas Poem
by G. K. Chesterton

There fared a mother driven forth
Out of an inn to roam;
In the place where she was homeless
All men are at home.
The crazy stable close at hand,
With shaking timber and shifting sand,
Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand
Than the square stones of Rome.

For men are homesick in their homes,
And strangers under the sun,
And they lay their heads in a foreign land
Whenever the day is done.

Here we have battle and blazing eyes,
And chance and honour and high surprise,
But our homes are under miraculous skies
Where the yule tale was begun.

A child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost---how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.

This world is wild as an old wife's tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.

To an open house in the evening
Home shall all men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.

Dec. 23 - O Emmanuel

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Here is the final O Antiphon for the Advent Season:

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?".

Christ is near!!!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 22 - O Rex Gentium

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Here is the O Antiphon for today:

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Dec. 21 - O Oriens

noreply@blogger.com (Nicholas Hardesty) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Here is the O Antiphon for today:

Also see my previous post, "What Are the O Antiphons?"

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic