2cornucopias

Archive for the ‘07 Observations’ Category

, , ,

The Many Aspects of the Christian Apostolate

In 07 Observations on 2011/08/28 at 1:11 AM

The apostolate is not something one adds to one’s normal Christian activities.  It is the Christian life itself.  A Christian needs to be many things, but above all, the salt of the earth and the light of the world, consistently giving example with cheerfulness.

Aspect 1:  The Sanctity of Today
God gives Christians the help needed to turn each routine day into a day of value and influence.  Christians can and must manifest Christ, and in doing so, bear great witness to their Christian faith in an exemplary way.  The Holy Spirit, sanctifier of the soul, inspires the desires that prod us to be better.  When the Christian meets the day, he needs to remember that today is the only time he can offer to God.  The past is memory; the future, imagination.  Therefore, he has only the present, and it is only in the present that God gives the grace to cope with whatever happens. Keeping this truth in mind, one can sanctify the day, heeding the many inspirations and graces given throughout the day to cope with its problems. This grace also enables us to concentrate on what we are doing, being faithful to those seemingly insignificant details that can be vivified by grace.

Aspect 2:  Carrying One Another’s Burdens
Our neighbors’ problems must be our problems.  As Christians we cannot be indifferent to anyone.  Friendship with the enriched by grace is powerful.  Friendship is an instrument we can use to reach others, particularly our relatives, friends and co-workers with the love of God.  With our friendship, we can lead others to God by offering encouragement, support and sound advice.  In the New Testament, the paralytic represents all of us whose sins or ignorance keep us from God.  Remember that it was his friends who cared not for human respect but went about the task of removing the roof to help their friend reach Christ, who was waiting for him and who waits today for us.  We must learn to see Christ in our neighbors, to take up His cross by taking up theirs, to minister to Him by ministering to those in need.

We simply cannot make  islands of ourselves.  We should seek to have as many friends as possible and encourage the deepening of those friendships.  It was often through friendship, as we see in the Gospels, that people were brought to Christ.  Andrew through friendship brought Peter to Christ; Phillip brought Nathaniel.

Aspect 3:  The Special Graces of Femininity
Women, in particular, are endowed with special traits given them by their Creator: gentleness, warmth, generosity, love of detail, piety, perseverance, constancy, quickness and, above all, intuition.  Pope John Paul II said:  “Your example of honesty in thought and action, joined to some common prayer, is a lesson for life and an act of worship of singular value.  In this way you bring peace to your homes.  It is thus that you build up the Church.”

Aspect 4:  Collaborating with Grace
St. Thomas Aquinas refers to men as collaborators with God’s grace, the Holy Spirit using them as instruments of that Grace.  We must be good collaborators with God’s grace, for the Holy Spirit uses men and women as an instruments.  The inert tools in the hand of a good craftsman can produce a masterpiece.

Let us ask Christ to give us a good heart, capable of having compassion for the pain of others.  To enable us to bring our suffering friends face to face with Christ and then humbly recede to leave them in the presence of Him, who alone can transform souls.  We must never forget, though, that we cannot do any good nor make Christ known if we are not making a sincere effort to live the teachings of the Gospel.  We must fix our eyes on Jesus, and with our eyes thus fixed we need fear nothing.

Aspect 5:  Listening in Silence
To make our apostolate effective we need to imbibe the doctrine of Jesus Christ which is always relevant and timely, a teaching directed to each one of us personally.  Christ always has something to tell each one of us individually.  In order to hear him, we must have a heart that knows how to listen and is attentive to the things of God.  Blessed Mother Teresa used to say: “God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.”  His words in the New Testament speak to us; they are always relevant because they are living and eternal.  Blessed John Henry Newman says of Jesus: “He took on a human heart so he could feel.”

Aspect 6:  Viewing Decisions with God’s Eyes
When I make a decision, however large or small, do I keep in mind above all else what it is God wants of me?  We must remember that what God considers important might be very different from what we might decide is important.  Let us follow the example of His mother whose words echo in Scripture: “Be it done according to Thy will” and “Do what He tells you.”  We must meet each day’s challenge with a smile and fulfill our daily tasks regardless of their difficulties.

Aspect 7:  Forgiving Faults
A generous Christian will quickly forget the little irritations that are part of daily life, doing the unpleasant task first, accepting people as they are, ignoring their faults, giving others the benefit of the doubt and, all in all, trying to make life more pleasant for those with whom we are in contact, assisting them to grow closer to Christ by our example.

Aspect 8:  Finding Happiness in Suffering
Happiness can be found in everyday things rather than in flights of fancy and daydreams  And, we know that we will be tested.  Pain of body or mind serves to purify the soul and make it yield a better harvest.  Although suffering is a mystery, through faith we can see the loving and provident hand of God who sees the whole narrative of our lives.  Accepting the suffering, leads us closer to God and produces peace and serenity of mind and soul.  We can find God in everything including challenging situations.  God is always present, often in secret and mysterious ways.  Place your hand in His; He will never abandon you.  And if you do abandon Him, He is always ready with an extended hand to receive the prodigal child.

St. Augustine said with experience that “even our mistakes and wanderings from the right path always end up well, for God arranges absolutely everything to His own advantage.”  St. Paul also tells us “we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.”  Isaiah reminds us that “no one who works for God with rectitude on intention can work in vain.”

To be instruments of God, we must cherish a life of prayer, of a personal relationship with Christ through prayer.  Prayer is the mainstay of a Christian life and the irreplaceable source of strength for any Christian work or apostolate. The apostolate is the fruit of our love for Christ, and it is only possible if we are united to God through faith, through love and through prayer.

, ,

Kid Brother – In Memoriam

In 07 Observations on 2011/08/25 at 11:11 PM

This is an article from Jack’s school magazine when he attended Boston College High as a junior in 1947. It began as a weekend composition assignment that his teacher thought should be printed in the quarterly school magazine. Jack was 16, and Paul had just turned 12. Jack kept this magazine for 64 years, but never dreamed that he would have such sobering use for it. Paul Reagan, 1935-2011. R.I.P.

One of, if not the most wonderful possession that a boy can have is a “kid brother.”  Probably no other person  has a more sincere admiration for you (the big brother) than he.  When he was between 4 and 8 years old, to the big brother, he was a “pest” and an everpresent “gremlin.”  It was because of him that frequently you had to go to mother and in a pleading voice say, “Mother please make him stay home and stop following me.”  Why did he want to go?  He wanted to go only because he admired you and the older boys and the things they did.  To him they are men “men” capable of climbing the tallest tree, swinging the heaviest bat, riding the biggest bikes, playing the wildest games, ferocious fighting, and all sorts of deeds which to those doing them seemed like nothing, but in the eyes of the kid brother, things only big boys could do.  And after other put the question to him, he, in a soft, sweet voice would reply, “O.K., mommy, I’ll stay right at home. Then you would run off, feeling as though a great burden had been lifted from you, only to turn around at the sound of little feet running behind you, to see the kid brother smiling from ear to ear.  You resign yourself to the fact that he is coming along after three attempt to send him home fail.

Who was it that always ran to share his little portion of candy with you? Who was it that let you take the first piece and then all you wanted?  Who was it that ran to you when he unexpectedly met the neighborhood pugilist because “you’re the best fighter in the town”?  Who is it that will run at your command?  Above all, who is it that spends his last dime to buy you something for your birthday when all others have forgotten it?  To whom does he run when his auto breaks?  From whom does he seek knowledge of the manly arts? – YOU- “big brother” – YOU.  Even though at times you shun his company for your friends, the “kid brother” will always leave his companions, if only to walk to the corner with you.

Do you remember, “big brother,” how jealous you may have been when he seemed to receive more attention than you, the times that anger overcame you because he did something to your property or you “reprimanded” him how you would eagerly devour his offering of candy, and then later hesitantly give on tine piece of your candy?

The years pass and the “kid” brother is now himself a boy of about twelve.  He no longer wants to follow you, but rather he wants to go with his own gang.  Now he is able to put to use the arts learned from you, and he is not so dependent on you now.  When you see all these things, you’re proud of this “kid brother,” and you say, “He’s quite a guy, my brother.”  Now you like to have him around because he is older and more interesting.  And yet, above all childhood abuses, he stands loyal to you alone.  At times the fire of love may have died down, but never faith  and loyalty to you – his “big brudder.”  If all the nations of the world were as loyal to each other as two brothers, wouldn’t the world be a wonderful place to live in!

, , ,

Assumption

In 07 Observations on 2011/08/15 at 9:11 AM

The Assumption of Mary is decisively different from Jesus’ resurrection.  The 1950 proclamation only speaks of Mary’s body and soul being assumed into heavenly glory.  It is affirmed theologically rather than historically.

The decisive force behind the declaration was that veneration for Mary was as an act of homage.  This dogma’s purpose was to honor of the Son, glorify the mother and make the Church rejoice.  It is not an act of worship but of veneration, of homage, of respect, of hope in the life to come.

What the Orient achieves in the form of Liturgy, the Occident does through dogmatic proclamation.  It should be understood what it is: a solemn type of hymnology.  It deals with the veneration to one who is alive, who is at home, who has actually arrived at her goal on the other side of death, of living with the Lord.  The gospel itself prophesies and requires veneration for Mary: “Behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed: and this is what the Church is doing.

Luke 1: 46 declares: “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever’.”

, ,

Unheeded warnings from Thucydides and Pope Pius XII

In 07 Observations on 2011/08/11 at 7:00 AM

“Theories that today are put forth rather covertly by some, now without cautions and distinctions, tomorrow are openly and without moderation proclaimed by other more audacious.”

Pope Pius XII wrote these prophetic words in 1950 in his encyclical HUMANI GENERIS   The Pope was warning against errors threatening the Catholic faith, and some people at the time thought the Pope was exaggerating the dangers.  Now, 60 years later, every one of the errors he warned about is prevalent in Catholic circles.

Religious and moral depravity in a nation, no less than in an individual, leads tardily and maybe remotely, but by ultimate and inevitable consequence, to failure and degradation. Thucydides (450 BC-C.395 BC)

, ,

An Essential Virtue: Fortitude

In 07 Observations on 2011/08/04 at 10:11 PM

 FORTITUDE

Fortitude guides us to do what is right despite any difficulty. A Christian can expect to encounter difficult situations and hostility from the enemies of God. The Cross is never far from those who follow Jesus Christ.  There are martyrs in every age.

God is aware of our limitations when He gives us a task or permits something to happen to us.  He stands by us when people try to confuse us by efforts to undermine our faith, when our Christian values are ridiculed or when we’re pressured to conform. Fortitude helps us to forgive those who have offended us, to be patient with those who irritate us or are disagreeable and to return good for evil.

It is only with God’s help that our soul endures trials and is purified by them, making us more humble.  From all these negative experiences, we gain a capacity for understanding others, praying for them and treating them like Jesus Himself would treat them.   It is our duty to proclaim the Truth of Christ without fear and to help others resist all opposition.  This duty we can carry out by our faithfulness, prayers, example, words and cheerfulness.

We need to implore God to transform our souls, to transform our attitude as to what happiness and misfortune really are.  Pope John Paul II said that the persecutions for the faith endured in our time are often like those of the early church: that they merely assume different types of discrimination against believers and the Church community.  Today, unbeknownst to many, there are hundreds of thousands of witnesses to the Faith.  While unknown or perhaps forgotten by others, God knows them as they daily undergo diverse privations in diverse regions of the globe.

God ask of everyone a heroic steadfastness in proclaiming the Truth through our lives and words . . . even in environments which may be difficult and hostile to the teachings of Christ. He asks us to live fully the Christian virtues in the middle of the world in whatever circumstances life has placed us . . . to sanctify ourselves through living fidelity in the duties and circumstance of each day.  God wants us to bear difficulties peacefully and firmly place our trust in Him.

The virtue of fortitude is a daily Christian need in our times and world.  God’s aid is essential.  In simple terms, the virtue of fortitude is manifested by doing good faithfully despite all obstacles and resisting evils in such a way as not to become despondent.  We must overcome our moods, not complaining uselessly, but persevering in our duties and being cheerful when we are tired.  Simply, we must face the unpleasant or painful, accept those things that go against our plans and be vigilant not to invent problems or give too much importance to the everyday challenges that do arise.

It is the virtue of fortitude that enables us to be patient when unpleasant things happen or when we receive bad news.  It gives us peace in difficulties, helps us accept reality without complaining and invites us to accept difficulties in union with the Crucified.  It takes fortitude to accept disappointment, misfortune and even disaster with the steadfast love of God.

From Christ and seeing him clearly that gives us fortitude.  We must look upon his face, engage Him habitually in prayer and in the sacraments, so we can truly live the Christian life of loving, imitating and serving Him.  Christ walked where we walk, understands our humanity and holds out a nail-scarred Hand to encourage and supports us.

While the early Christians rejected customs and behaviors that were incompatible with the Faith they had received, they never felt out of place in the society to which they belonged.  It should be the same with us today.  We must accept the world where God has placed us and live in a way that people see the greatness and the wonder of following Jesus. In spite of all our defects we are God’s instruments, His hands, His voice to those we live and work amongst.  A Portuguese proverb speaks poignantly of this truth:  “ God writes straight with crooked lines.”

It is not, and never has been, an easy task to follow Christ.  Imitating Christ is serious work.  We need to be strong in order to persevere.  We need fortitude to be faithful in all things and not to stray.  The imitation of Christ is serious business.  As you meditate on the Gospel daily, Jesus passes by, stops and visits with us like He did with the disciples on the way to Emmaus.  Let us listen to Him, see Him and invite him to stay with us.

, ,

Picture a Petal

In 07 Observations on 2011/07/27 at 6:11 AM

A young friend asking an older lady not to destroy her old photos:

“Looking at pictures of someone you care very much about is like studying a beautiful flower with layers of petals.  Behind each layer, there’s a variation in pattern, color or design that deepens your appreciation of its beauty.  So it is with those pictures.  In each there may be something new that you’ve not seen or appreciated before: an expression, an experience, a beauty.  Each leads to a better understanding of and a deeper appreciation for the person in that photo.  So, collect your pictures, scan them, share them.  You simply cannot know now who in the future might treasure them . . . or who might treasure them right now.”

, , ,

Reconstruction Replaces Resurrection.

In 07 Observations on 2011/07/22 at 8:34 AM

As soon as the time of St. John the Apostle, the Gnostic heresy was already becoming the problem it has always been for the Christian Church. From Benjamin Wiker, we get new insights applicable to our times.

The new version of Gnosticism prevalent today “is rooted in modern science . . . and sees the human body itself – even the distinction of male and female – to be something that is fundamentally flawed and in need of transformation by human technology.”

“The heresy of Gnosticism had its origin in paganism but burst into full flower in its disruption of early Christianity. At its heart is a hatred of the material world, in particular, the human body.”

“Essentially Gnostics reject the Goodness of God and His creation, believing that the world and the flesh are irredeemable.”  An essential result of their hatred for the flesh is the rejection of the Incarnation; the refusal to accept that God could take on a human nature to redeem fallen man.

“For the new Gnosticism, God doesn’t exists and material reality is the only reality.  The material universe (not God) is eternal, and our world was created and continually formed and reformed by the fickle ministrations of chance.”

“The ancient Gnostic Supreme Being reenters in a new form: human beings themselves perform the function of the redeeming deity; their increasing technical power save humanity from the ill effect, the suffering, and the limitations of the human flesh; the scientist himself becomes the savior who reveal scientific knowledge – gnosis – that allows us to escape from the evils of the material world into a paradise of our own making.”

“The assumption of the new Gnostic is that he has been handed a work in progress, a work brought to an arbitrary and unsatisfying point by blind evolution, and that his most important task is to take this defective material (genetic or otherwise ) as his clay, and remold it according to the desired purposes.”

“We can therefore understand the endless excitement about fiddling with our genome, driven by the notion that all diseases and bad behavior our caused by our having been dealt a bad genetic hand.”

For the full development of this theme, please  go to The Catholic World Report, December 2010 for an excellent essay ‘The New Gnosticism: An ancient hatred of the material world takes many modern forms” by Benjamin Wiker.

, ,

Do You Know Jesus?

In 07 Observations on 2011/07/20 at 11:11 AM

Often, this question is posed directly and suddenly by well-meaning individuals who love Jesus Christ to determine the state of another’s relationship with Him.

Like many, I’m asked this question often.  My reply is: “Absolutely!  I receive Him, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, every Sunday in Communion.  Can you think of a more intimate union than that?”

So, how do I know this is true, that Jesus Christ is truly present in Holy Communion, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity?  It’s right in the Scriptures.

First, the writer of Corinthians presents the case for Christ’s presence in Holy Communion throughout several passages of Corinthians.  He writes in I Cor. 11: 23-27: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This IS my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup IS the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”

He then goes on to explain in 1 Cor.15:3 that “it was attested to us by those who heard him” meaning the Apostles at the Last Supper.  The Apostles confirmed the veracity of the words of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper and proclaimed His message of  salvation in the Gospels: in Matthew 26:26-29, in Mark 14:22-25 and in Luke 22:19-20.

Each Gospel account captures the words of Our Lord, the Eternal Word of God, when He says: ”This IS my body.”  He doesn’t say, “This is like my body” or “This symbolizes my body.”  He says, “This IS my body.”

The writer of Corinthians continues in I Cor. 1: 21: “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

And, 1 Cor. 15 :1, he admonishes: “Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, 2 by which you are saved, if you hold it fast–unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

So, how do I know that Jesus Christ is truly present with us in Holy Communion?  Through the Word of God, the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ Himself . . . to him be Glory, Praise and Honor forever.

, , , ,

What Has the Catholic Church Ever Done For Me?

In 07 Observations on 2011/07/19 at 8:22 PM
This is a question many might ask with more than a touch of pique in their voice.

You might like not like the Catholic Church, but let me tell you what She has done for you:

The Catholic Church preserved apostolic Faith.

The Catholic Church preserved the original writings of the Apostles and the Early Church Fathers.

The Catholic Church gave you the books of the Bible and set up the  Canon of the Bible.

The Catholic Church preserved Western Civilization.

The Catholic Church Christianized and civilized barbarians.

The Catholic Church established law and order.

The Catholic Church created institutions to take care of the poor and the sick.

The Catholic Church  established universities.

The Catholic Church encouraged a moral code based on reason and faith

The Catholic Church established consistent liturgical services.

So, you might not like or agree with the Catholic Church, but we all owe Her a debt of gratitude for preserving order, preserving culture and preserving Truth.

, , ,

Note to a Worried Friend

In 07 Observations on 2011/07/15 at 12:14 PM

The past is memory; the future, imagination.  We have only the present, and it is only in the present that we receive the grace we need to cope.  We do not receive grace to cope with our imaginary worries for the future.  If and when what we worry about comes to pass, then it will be in that present that we will be given the graces we need.

We can only offer God the present, today.  And, we need to sanctify each day, heeding the many inspirations and graces which He sends us throughout the day.  We need to concentrate on what we are doing.  Sanctity results by being faithful in details, in everyday things, in actions which might seem irrelevant were they not vivified by grace.

Hope is a virtue that is essential to our sanity.  We need it most when we are in difficult situations or have serious problems.  It helps us to focus on eternal values so as not to become disoriented.  St. John Chrysostom always gave practical as well as spiritual advice: ” One needs not only to be able to hold out but to have a stable, solid confidence, which is firmly grounded on faith, so as never to be overcome by difficulties.” (Homily on Hebrews 5)

God will always be there at the right time (although it may be in secret and mysterious ways).  Do not abandon Him: He does not abandon you.  Mother Teresa used to say:  “God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.”  So, listen with the ears of your heart.