Per Christum

Dave Hartline, at the Catholic Report, has provided some interesting information about a speech Sister Joan Chittister recently gave at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Sister Joan is widely known as a dissenting progressive activist in the Catholic Church. The speech, while not overly grumpy in itself, is a list of left-wing social causes and ideals. She also gets on “the nativists and traditionalists” who “have to have a scapegoat,” who hate Vatican II, and so forth. Sister Joan likely isn’t referring to members of the SSPX, who really do hate Vatican II, so does she have those of us in mind who actually love Vatican II, but dislike those who have, in the name of Vatican II, embraced every secular cultural trend? Let’s not blame Vatican II for the actions of the 60s-70s revolutionaries who “in the name and spirit of the council” went too far. Vatican II deserves better. My favorite line from the speech is, “and feminism challenged the white male system and even the white male god.” Of course we all know that Christians worshiped a white god with male genitalia before the feminists came around. Actually Christians of the past of numerous races, classes, and nationalities condemned such anthropomorphic views of God.

The 60s revolution, of which Sr. Joan is a part, has failed to deeply influence the Catholic Church. Sure there are points here and there they can take credit for, but generally, the more radical parts of their agenda have been rejected. One example of a positve contribution is that they helped make the Church more aware of social concerns, but reading the Ante-Nicene Church Fathers has a similar effect, and the Fathers base their understandings of justice, peace, mercy, etc, on the Scriptures rather than secular trends. But back to the discussion at hand: the generation of young, innovative nuns, priests, and laity from the 60s has turned into the generation of old, often-crabby activists in the 21st century. Their numbers are down, or to quote the title of an Elvis song, “Way Down.” Their influence is waning, if it ever was there at all, and the younger generation, at least the ones active in Christian life, have not embraced their progressive ideals. In fact many of us would never have joined the Catholic Church had it looked like the vision of Chittister and others.

Many of the 60s-70s progressives are rightly upset, since they have seen their vision fizzle over the course of 40 years, have won few victories at the top levels of the Catholic Church, and are getting older. I am sure the pontifcates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been “in your face” reminders of the failure of the progressive revolution. Plus, even your average more liberal-leaning American Catholic is suspicious of the radical nature of the demands of activists like Sr. Joan, and outside of an academic or activistic audience, her ideas seem pretty “far out.”

This is all complicated by the fact that in the mainline protestant churches the progressive revolutionaries have, in essence, taken over. Many Catholic activists have “mainline envy” in this regard, and can’t believe the Catholic Church hasn’t gotten on board. In the 1960s and 1970s the mainline protestant churches veered left at many levels of leadership, and this has continued into the 21st century. Women were ordained, abortions tolerated, liturgies neutered, creeds removed, and so forth. I attended a mainline protestant seminary, and a person could get points taken off of an essay for calling God “he” or “Father.” As I have said, the revolutionaries have won many battles in the mainlines. Of course, many believe this is why almost all of the mainlines have experienced rapid declines in membership over the last 30 years, but alas, all revolutions have casualties. One big casualty is the lack of young people in many mainlines. The younger people I know in the mainlines, even the ones that lean more left than I, have a very hard time relating to the radical trends in their own churches.

Dave Hartline has linked to some photos of the event where this speech was given. Dave has pointed out that the folks in attendance are almost all old. I love older people; don’t get me wrong, and I have never liked “youth events” because of a lack of older individuals. It is just that those in attendance at this event seem to be almost entirely folks from one particular generation. If a commercial product was appealing to only the over-55 crowd, the business that owns the product would be concerned (unless it was Geritol of course); I wonder if Sr. Joan and others are concerned. Unfortunately, many of the religious orders these women are in won’t be around in ten to twenty years. They are dying. New and young members just aren’t joining. This is sad because many of these orders were once grand. However, the more traditional orders seem to appeal to people of all generations, as these photos show. Perhaps this is because the Catholic Faith (and I would add Orthodox Faith as well) is something that transcends generations, whereas the radical and activistic mindset of many dying orders appeals mostly to an unusually radical generation.

Either way, it looks like the progressive revolution, based on a misunderstanding of Vatican II, is gasping for air, but that hasn’t stopped its leaders from calling for one last push. I have heard it said, “What if they called a revolution and nobody showed up?” So I ask, what if they called a revolution and nobody under fifty showed up?

I wrote a reply to comment from an earlier post and thought I’d post it on the main page for further discussion.

Jox77 writes:

I have only recently begun studying Roman Catholic theology. I am really trying to understand it. I have to be honest and say that I do not intend to become part of the Roman Church, but I do want to know its doctrine firsthand–not from some Evangelicals who have axes to grind.

Perhaps my harsh language stems from my struggle to understand your system. For example, I thought that Tradition included what the Magisterium have spoken through the centuries. Apparently, I’m way off. Now I have to ask–What is Tradition?

You are to be commended for the desire to avoid mere polemics and seek to learn about Catholicism from Catholics.

Let me try to explain the relationship in my own words, then I’ll refer you to the new Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which summarizes in Q&A format the official Catechism promulgated by Pope John Paul II.

A Familial Example:

The complete apostolic tradition (also called the Deposit of Faith) is like everything your mom ever taught you.

She wrote down many things to you in letters. These are like the Holy Scriptures.

Other things she taught you orally. Some of them were repeated so many times you could never forget them, even though they were never written down. The patterns of life, the worldviews, the proper emphases, & the assumed morality that you have carried with you and will pass on to your children. She did not write to you extended treatises on the importance of eating or bathing, yet you learned to do these things often. These things are like the other channel of the deposit of faith, called simply Tradition.

Now let’s say you were her only son and her only survivor after her death. You knew her and her teachings better than anyone. Before she died, she gave you power of attorney over her estate. You interpret her teachings. Now what if some distant cousin comes along and tries to tell you “what your mom really meant”? You can pull rank, so-to-speak, and give an authoritative decision about her estate. You are like the Magisterium, the teaching office of the Church.

The Bible as Example:

The Bible serves as a excellent example of the unity of Scripture, Tradition & Magisterium.

Firstly, it is Scripture. It is the Word of God written.

Secondly, it is Tradition. The scriptures do not tell us where they end and where they begins. They do not contain a written, inspired “table of contents”. What is Bible and what is non-Bible? Tradition answers here. “These books are what have been passed on from the apostles. Those are not.” The scriptures also do not magically fall from the sky to each generation.

Thirdly, it is Magisterium. Scripture and Tradition are not sentient beings that can settle disputes. The teaching authority of the church is the mouthpiece of the deposit of faith: it codifies it, crystallizes it and defines it for all Catholic Christians everywhere. It defines canon. It defines doctrine — never above the Word of God, but always its servant.

From the CCCC:

The Transmission of Divine Revelation

11. Why and in what way is divine revelation transmitted?

God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), that is, of Jesus Christ. For this reason, Christ must be proclaimed to all according to his own command, “Go forth and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). And this is brought about by Apostolic Tradition.

12. What is Apostolic Tradition?

Apostolic Tradition is the transmission of the message of Christ, brought about from the very beginnings of Christianity by means of preaching, bearing witness, institutions, worship, and inspired writings. The apostles transmitted all they received from Christ and learned from the Holy Spirit to their successors, the bishops, and through them to all generations until the end of the world.

13. In what ways does Apostolic Tradition occur?

Apostolic Tradition occurs in two ways: through the living transmission of the word of God (also simply called Tradition) and through Sacred Scripture which is the same proclamation of salvation in written form.

14. What is the relationship between Tradition and Sacred Scripture?

Tradition and Sacred Scripture are bound closely together and communicate one with the other. Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ. They flow out of the same divine well-spring and together make up one sacred deposit of faith from which the Church derives her certainty about revelation.

15. To whom is the deposit of faith entrusted?

The Apostles entrusted the deposit of faith to the whole of the Church. Thanks to its supernatural sense of faith the people of God as a whole, assisted by the Holy Spirit and guided by the Magisterium of the Church, never ceases to welcome, to penetrate more deeply and to live more fully from the gift of divine revelation.

16. To whom is given the task of authentically interpreting the deposit of faith?

The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the deposit of faith has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone, that is, to the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, and to the bishops in communion with him. To this Magisterium, which in the service of the Word of God enjoys the certain charism of truth, belongs also the task of defining dogmas which are formulations of the truths contained in divine Revelation. This authority of the Magisterium also extends to those truths necessarily connected with Revelation.

17. What is the relationship between Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium?

Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium are so closely united with each other that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls.

I was wondering the other day:

Which churches publicly celebrate the Church Fathers in their liturgical life? By this I mean, which ones commemorate them liturgically or perhaps in some other fashion I am unaware of?

I know for a fact Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans do, but otherwise my knowledge is somewhat sketchy. Do Lutherans? What about Presbyterians?

It seems most folks who read the Church Fathers as evangelicals end up Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican at some point. Part of this could be that, in addition to having a theology similar to the Fathers, these churches celebrate the Fathers regularly and appreciate them, not just treating them as historical proofs for apologetical purposes, but actually integrating them into the church’s prayer life. I know when I became Anglican in 2000, I was very impressed that I could go to church on a certain date and celebrate the life of a Church Father whose writing I read just days earlier. In some senses, this meant more than any official Anglican theology, although that played a role. Part of it could be that appreciating the Church Fathers was purely extracurricular (and often questioned) in the church I attended before becoming Anglican, and I was glad to be in a church that recognized the contributions of Christians who lived before the last few hundred years.

Related to this, a blessed Feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist to all of you.

[P.S. I am back online after a hiatus of sorts. I haven't had internet access for about 2 weeks outside of at work, which is part of the reason for my break, but back in the beginning of August I basically decided to take a blog hiatus of sorts, to get refreshed mentally. I think blogging, podcasting, etc, can take a great deal of energy, and a month or two off is what I needed.]

Father in heaven,
all creation rightly gives you praise
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of Your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb
was raised body and soul in glory to be with Him in heaven.
May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness
and join in her hymn of endless life and praise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
From Feast of Assumption Prayers

A blessed Feast of the Assumption (Dormition) to everyone.

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is celebrated this Tuesday, August 15th. In preparation for this solemnity, here is an excerpt from a homily by the great Eastern writer, John of Damascus:

Let us then also keep solemn feast to-day to honour the joyful departure of God’s Mother, not with flutes nor corybants, nor the orgies of Cybele, the mother of false gods, as they say, whom foolish people talk of as a fruitful mother of children, and truth as no mother at all. These are demons and false imaginings. They usurp what they are not by nature to impose upon human folly. For how can what is bodiless lead the wedded life? How can that be god which, not being before, is present only after birth ? That devils were bodiless is apparent to all, even to those who are intellectually blind. Homer somewhere testifies to the condition of the gods he honours:

They eat not barley, and drink not ruddy wine,
So they are bloodless and are called immortal.

They eat not bread, he says, neither do they drink fiery wine. On this account they are anaemic, that is, without blood, and are called immortals. He truly and appropriately says, “are called.” They are called immortals. They are not that which they are called. They died the death of wickedness. Now we worship God, not God beginning His being, but who always was and is above all cause and argument or created mind or nature. We honour and reverence the Mother of God, not ascribing to her the eternal generation of His Godhead. For the generation of God the Word was not in time, and was co-eternal with the Father. We acknowledge a second generation in His spontaneous taking flesh, and we see and know the cause of this. He who is without beginning and without body takes flesh for us as one of ourselves. And taking flesh of this sacred Virgin, He is born without man, remaining Himself perfect God, and becoming perfect man, perfect God in His flesh, and perfect Man in His Godhead. Thus, recognising God’s Mother in this Virgin, we celebrate her falling asleep, not proclaiming her as God–far be from us these heathen fables–since we are announcing her death, but recognising her as the Mother of the Incarnate God.

O people of Christ, let us acclaim her to-day in sacred song, acknowledge our own good fortune and proclaim it. Let us honour her in nocturnal vigil; let us delight in her purity of soul and body, for she next to God surpasses all in purity. It is natural for similar things to glory in each other. Let us show our love for her by compassion and kindness towards the poor. For if mercy is the best worship of God, who will refuse to show His Mother devotion in the same way? She opened to us the unspeakable abyss of God’s love for us. Through her the old enmity against the Creator is destroyed. Through her our reconciliation with Him is strengthened, peace and grace are given to us, men are the companions of angels, and we, who were in dishonour, are made the children of God. From her we have plucked the fruit of 1ife. From her we have received the seed of immortality. She is the channel of all our goods. In her God was man and man was God. What more marvellous or more blessed? I approach the subject in fear and trembling. With Mary, the prophetess, O youthful souls, let us sound our musical instruments, mortifying our members on earth, for this is spiritual music. Let our souls rejoice in the Ark of God, and the walls of Jericho will yield, I mean the fortresses of the enemy. Let us dance in spirit with David; to-day the Ark of God is at rest. With Gabriel, the great archangel, let us exclaim, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Hail, inexhaustible ocean of grace. Hail, sole refuge in grief. Hail, cure of hearts. Hail, through whom death is expelled and life is installed.”

From Sermon II on the Dormition

Mother Teresa is one of my favorites and always will be. I found her to be compassionate and loving among many other things.
Someone who can love a stranger the way she did is just amazing. She was a remarkable and compelling woman. We should also look at the lives of the Saints and find inspiration from their lives, and then try to use some of what they might have said or did, in our own lives somehow.
Here are some wonderful things she spoke about:

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.”

“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. “

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”

“I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn’t touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God. “

“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. “

This last one, as short as it is, should speak loudly to a lot of us, and it taught me a lot about finding God in the still of it all. I hope you like these.

*cross posted and then re-edited from my blog.

No, we are not dead. Many of us are just taking a “net-breather.” July and August are perfect months to chill out a little and get refreshed for the autumn. So rest assured, we will be around more often soon. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Don’t burn up. God bless.