Bishop Murphy Addresses the Financial Crisis

September 30, 2008

Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York offers some excellent thoughts on the current financial meltdown based on Catholic Social Teaching (the bishop mainly addresses the moral dimensions of this, since as he admits, he is not an economic expert):

“Economic arrangements, structures and remedies should have as a fundamental purpose safeguarding human life and dignity,” he affirmed. The prelate said a “scandalous search for excessive economic rewards,” which gets to the point of exacerbating the vulnerable, is an example of “an economic ethic that places economic gain above all other values.”

“This ignores the impact of economic decisions on the lives of real people as well as the ethical dimension of the choices we make and the moral responsibility we have for their effect on people,” Bishop Murphy wrote.

Second, the New York bishop called for “responsibility and accountability.”

“Clearly, effective measures are required which address and alter the behaviors, practices and misjudgments that led to this crisis. […] Those who directly contributed to this crisis or profited from it should not be rewarded or escape accountability for the harm they have done,” he said…

The prelate next recalled that in any case, the market will always have “advantages and limitations.”

“[T]here are human needs which find no place on the market,” Bishop Murphy said. “It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental human needs to remain unsatisfied.” In this regard, he called for a “renewal of instruments of monitoring and correction within economic institutions and the financial industry as well as effective public regulation and protection to the extent this may be clearly necessary.”

“Solidarity and the common good” is the fourth principle the prelate encouraged.

“The principle of solidarity reminds us that we are in this together and warns us that concern for narrow interests alone can make things worse,” he explained. “The principle of solidarity commits us to the pursuit of the common good, not the search for partisan gain or economic advantage.”

Finally, Bishop Murphy recommended recalling the principle of subsidiarity.

“Subsidiarity places a responsibility on the private actors and institutions to accept their own obligations,” he said. “If they do not do so, then the larger entities, including the government, will have to step in to do what private institutions will have failed to do.”

The bishop concluded recalling words from the encyclical “Centesimus Annus”: “Our Catholic tradition calls for a society of work, enterprise and participation which is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied.

“These words of John Paul II should be adopted as a standard for all those who carry this responsibility for our nation, the world and the common good of all.”

I don’t know about you, but a lot of people think this is getting pretty scary. In class the other day I was speaking of the prophets of Israel who called the leaders to task even though their message was unpopular. I wonder who the prophets were in this case, calling these companies out for the excessive profit they were making from that bad decisions, decisions that are now causing their destruction?

1 Comment | News | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Bishop Soto Defends Church Teaching

September 29, 2008

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, speaking before a conference of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Gay and Lesbian Ministries, defended Church Teaching that homosexual acts are sinful. Even though Bishop Soto recognized that marriage is “not the sole domain of love,” he correctly asserted that Jesus calls us to higher expectations than just what we may want to do at a given moment. While Bishop Soto’s message was not well-received at this event (I give him credit for having the guts to speak gently but frankly), I think it does speak to the Church’s balanced message of holiness and forgiveness. Bp. Soto emphasizes different types of love, including love between friends. Below is an excerpt from the news article linked above, which shows some of Bp. Soto’s insights:

“The nature of love has been distorted,” the bishop continued. “Many popular notions have deviated from its true destiny. Love for many has come to mean having sex. If you cannot have sex than you cannot love. This is the message. Even more destructive is the prevailing notion that sex is not an expression of love. Sex is love.”

He said this view “deprives sexuality of its true meaning” and hampers the possibility of “ever knowing real love.”

Sexual intercourse, he explained, is “a beautiful expression of God’s love” when it is understood “as a unique expression intended to share in the creative, faithful love of God.” Referencing Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Deus Caritas Est, he said that when sexual intercourse ceases to be an icon of God’s “creative, unifying love” it becomes “impoverished” and “demeans the human person.”

Bishop Soto then lauded the virtue of chastity, calling it “the path that brings us to that harmony with God’s wisdom and love” and a thing that “moves us beyond one’s desire to what God wills for each one of us.”

This is true, he said, also for men and women who are homosexual.

“Let me be clear here,” the bishop stated. “Sexual intercourse, outside of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, can be alluring and intoxicating but it will not lead to that liberating journey of true self-discovery and an authentic discovery of God. For that reason, it is sinful.”

While same-sex relations can be “alluring” for homosexuals, it “deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all.”

Acknowledging the “beautiful, heroic expression” of married love, he added, “Marriage is also not the sole domain of love as some of the politics would seem to imply.” Love includes “the deep and chaste love of committed friends” as well as the love of religious and clergy, the bonds between Christians, and the love between family members.

“Should we dismiss or demean the human and spiritual significance of these lives given in love?” He asked rhetorically.

“We hope and pray that all people, including our brothers and sisters who are homosexuals, will see the reasonableness of our position and the sincerity of our love for them,” the bishop continued, closing with an exhortation to the audience “to be drawn into the ways and the manners of Jesus.”

No Comments » | Homosexuality, News | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

New YouTube Video!

September 27, 2008

Hello everybody!

One day I was asked, “Is it good to pray to God even if one does not believe in any particular religion?” 

I believe that the answer is “YES”. It is always good to pray to God! In fact, we were created to “praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord”. 

Now, as a Catholic, I firmly believe that God has “a plan of sheer goodness for all of us”; that plan is fully made known to us through what the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to as “the universal sacrament of salvation” (CCC 774-776); that is, the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

So, do you want to know what this “plan of sheer goodness” is all about? 

Please visit these websites:

Here is my newest YouTube video:

[ENGLISH VERSION]

[SPANISH VERSION]

 

No Comments » | Catholic, General | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores

Rowan Williams Believes in Marian Apparitions

September 25, 2008

Whoda thunk it? Apparently, Rowan Williams believes in Marian apparitions, since he recently spoke at Lourdes and at least seemed to accept the apparition as fact, even referring to Mary as “spotless.” This makes sense, since it was at  Lourdes that Mary declared “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Williams’ way of thinking is sometimes rather nebulous, and it is often difficult to ascertain what exactly he means by certain statements. He very well may believe Mary is “spotless,” but he also may have a less than orthodox way of viewing Mary in general.

Well, speaking of orthodoxy, apparently Rowan isn’t orthodox enough, according to a Protestant group angry about his speech at Lourdes. From the same article:

Afterwards he was severely criticised by the Protestant Truth Society, a group of Anglicans and nonconformists committed to upholding the ideals of the Protestant Reformation.

The Rev Jeremy Brooks, director of ministry for the group, said: ‘All true Protestants will be appalled that the Archbishop of Canterbury has visited Lourdes, and preached there.

‘Lourdes represents everything about Roman Catholicism that the Protestant Reformation ejected, including apparitions, mariolatry and the veneration of saints.

‘The archbishop’s simple presence there is a wholesale compromise, and his sermon which included a reference to Mary as “the Mother of God” is a complete denial of Protestant orthodoxy.’

Funny, but I thought the original reformers believed Mary could indeed be called theotokos. I didn’t know that Protestant “orthodoxy” denied this basic tenet of the Christian faith affirmed at the third and fourth ecumenical councils contra Nestorius. So which version of protestant orthodoxy are we speaking of, because I have never met a believing Anglican yet who denied that Mary can be called the “mother of God?” (I take that back. Some of the “conservative” Anglicans in the blogosphere seem to be denying it…which serves to convince me more and more that “conservative” re-alignment Anglicanism is so evangelical it is hardly recognizable as the Anglicanism I was taught). In fact, many of the Anglo-Catholics I know would be downright proud of Rowan for this! Williams has the unfortunate job of holding together about 16 different churches in one.

6 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal, Mary, Blessed Virgin | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Has McCain Switched on Stem Cells?

September 23, 2008

An article at Catholic Online presents some evidence that the McCain campaign has shifted its views on embryonic stem cells, now opposing their use. From the article:

In response to a questionnaire submitted by ScienceDebat2008, the McCain campaign indicated a McCain administration would continue the present limitations on research instituted by President Bush and would seek to outlaw somatic cell transfer completely.

The scientists quoted in the article are not too happy with McCain’s apparent shift on the issue.

My friend John Jakubczyk of Phoenix, who has known McCain a long time, had been bugging me about this all summer. I kept telling him, “No way, no way is McCain going to change on this.” To which he replied, “But Sam [Brownback], I know, is talking to him.”

The U.S. Bishops recently released a series of pro-life ads that address life issues, including this one (in pdf format) about stem cells.

No Comments » | Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Oil Up 16 dollars in One Day and “The Party’s Over”

September 22, 2008

Yes, you read it right. Oil prices rose over $16.00 today, to settle at over 120 dollars a barrel. Why? Because the government bailout of the investment banking industry is so massive, it is causing the price of the dollar to sink, so investors are putting their money into oil and other commodities again. I just hope in the future people listen to the unpopular voices that said things like, “your scheme isn’t working” and “people can’t afford those mortgages you are investing in,” but who were ignored because the money was being raked in. My complaint with what is going on is not so much about the bailout (because what are the other options? Let us enter another depression?), but that the shady and greedy conditions that have led to a bailout seemed to be tolerated on all sides because a lot of money was being made.

Well, at least the oil speculators will sleep well tonight!

Pat Buchanan, as always, wrote an insightful piece about this whole crisis called “The Party’s Over”:

The Crash of 2008, which is now wiping out trillions of dollars of our people’s wealth, is, like the Crash of 1929, likely to mark the end of one era and the onset of another.

The new era will see a more sober and much diminished America. The “Omnipower” and “Indispensable Nation” we heard about in all the hubris and braggadocio following our Cold War victory is history.

Seizing on the crisis, the left says we are witnessing the failure of market economics, a failure of conservatism.

This is nonsense. What we are witnessing is the collapse of Gordon Gecko (”Greed Is Good!”) capitalism. What we are witnessing is what happens to a prodigal nation that ignores history, and forgets and abandons the philosophy and principles that made it great.

A true conservative cherishes prudence and believes in fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets and a self-reliant republic. He believes in saving for retirement and a rainy day, in deferred gratification, in not buying on credit what you cannot afford, in living within your means.

Is that really what got Wall Street and us into this mess — that we followed too religiously the gospel of Robert Taft and Russell Kirk?

“Government must save us!” cries the left, as ever. Yet, who got us into this mess if not the government — the Fed with its easy money, Bush with his profligate spending, and Congress and the SEC by liberating Wall Street and failing to step in and stop the drunken orgy?

For years, we Americans have spent more than we earned. We save nothing. Credit card debt, consumer debt, auto debt, mortgage debt, corporate debt — all are at record levels. And with pensions and savings being wiped out, much of that debt will never be repaid.

Our standard of living is inevitably going to fall. For foreigners will not forever buy our bonds or lend us more money if they rightly fear that they will be paid back, if at all, in cheaper dollars.

We are going to have to learn to live again without our means.

The party’s over

Up through World War II, we followed the Hamiltonian idea that America must remain economically independent of the world in order to remain politically independent.

But this generation decided that was yesterday’s bromide and we must march bravely forward into a Global Economy, where we all depend on one another. American companies morphed into “global companies” and moved plants and factories to Mexico, Asia, China and India, and we began buying more cheaply from abroad what we used to make at home: shoes, clothes, bikes, cars, radios, TVs, planes, computers.

As the trade deficits began inexorably to rise to 6 percent of GDP, we began vast borrowing from abroad to continue buying from abroad.

At home, propelled by tax cuts, war in Iraq and an explosion in social spending, surpluses vanished and deficits reappeared and began to rise. The dollar began to sink, and gold began to soar.

Yet, still, the promises of the politicians come. Barack Obama will give us national health insurance and tax cuts for all but that 2 percent of the nation that already carries 50 percent of the federal income tax load.

John McCain is going to cut taxes, expand the military, move NATO into Georgia and Ukraine, confront Russia and force Iran to stop enriching uranium or “bomb, bomb, bomb,” with Joe Lieberman as wartime consigliere.

Who are we kidding?

What we are witnessing today is how empires end.

The Last Superpower is unable to defend its borders, protect its currency, win its wars or balance its budget. Medicare and Social Security are headed for the cliff with unfunded liabilities in the tens of trillions of dollars.

What we are witnessing today is nothing less than a Katrina-like failure of government, of our political class, and of democracy itself, casting a cloud over the viability and longevity of the system.

Notice who is managing the crisis. Not our elected leaders. Nancy Pelosi says she had nothing to do with it. Congress is paralyzed and heading home. President Bush is nowhere to be seen.

Hank Paulson of Goldman Sachs and Ben Bernanke of the Fed chose to bail out Bear Sterns but let Lehman go under. They decided to nationalize Fannie and Freddie at a cost to taxpayers of hundreds of billions, putting the U.S. government behind $5 trillion in mortgages. They decided to buy AIG with $85 billion rather than see the insurance giant sink beneath the waves.

An unelected financial elite is now entrusted with the assignment of getting us out of a disaster into which an unelected financial elite plunged the nation. We are just spectators.

What the Greatest Generation handed down to us — the richest, most powerful, most self-sufficient republic in history, with the highest standard of living any nation had ever achieved — the baby boomers, oblivious and self-indulgent to the end, have frittered away….

Harsh words….but if he is right, it’s exactly what we need to hear.

No Comments » | Catholic, General | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Parental Notification Laws Reduce Abortions!

September 22, 2008

A new study shows that parental notification laws reduce abortion rates among minors by 13.6 percent! The study is a comprehensive analysis of abortion rates among minors from 1985-1999 from all 50 states.

So, does this mean that even those who say “I am pro-choice, but I want to see abortions decrease” will now support parental notification laws? Personally, the morality of abortion aside, as a teacher, I know that minors have to have their parents permission to do just about anything, so it makes sense that if a minor is going to undertake a major action like aborting a fetus, parental notification should be expected. I am not trying to reduce getting an abortion to a decision like getting a driver’s license, just pointing out that if a person believes a parent should give permission for their minor to take an aspirin at school, parental notification to get an abortion is a no-brainer.

Either way, it looks like parental notification laws work to reduce abortions, at least they did from 1985-1999.

H/T to Catholic Report for this!

3 Comments | Abortion, Pro-Life Issues | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Why Purgatory Makes Sense

September 21, 2008

“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house…’” St. Luke 19: 8-9

“Bear fruit that befits repentance…” St. Matthew 3: 8

I was thinking this morning about people in my past, friends and family, many of whom are dead. It was a jumble of thoughts, of the good times we had, as well as the little (and not so little) dramas and problems. I also thought, with stabs of pain, of the many times I’d hurt some of those people. Now, I’ve confessed those things to God and to the Church and I know that God has forgiven me and that none of them will send me screaming into Hellfire. I also did what I could to remedy any hurt I’d caused…you know, apologize for the hasty word, be extra helpful with tasks they needed done, be more charitable in thought. And that’s fine for those who are still living. But what about those who are dead, the ones I can NOT apologize to, help with tasks, ask forgiveness from? I still owe them something, but obviously can’t repay it in this life. And it hit me: God can and does forgive us when we ask but He also asks that we, like Zacchaeus, bear fruit that befits repentance and make amends. If I can’t do that here, then it must be required of me hereafter. A very sobering thought. That is why we must all, believers and non, appear “before the dread judgement seat of Christ” (as the Eastern Liturgy puts it). We may well be saved, not in mortal sin, but we still may well have to “make amends” and be cleaned up a bit (or a lot).

Like so many others I’d just sort of assumed that, well, I’ve been to Confession, done my penance, all is well. Making amends, well, that was for the really big sinners…you know, the bankrobbers, the swindlers, people who had destroyed others’ property etc. But making amends also means…apologize for the unkind word, pray for those about whom you’ve had unkind thoughts, toss out literature you oughtn’t to have, stop going to places that might encourage you to sin, drop unsavory acquaintances and friends, start giving to those beggars on the street at whom you turn up your nose in judgement. There is an old Evangelical hymn that says, “Jesus paid it all” and we Catholics believe that…Jesus DID pay it all to God and coming to Him in Baptism and subsequently in Confession, we are saved. But Jesus did NOT pay it all to those we hurt, THAT is left to us under His guidance. Better to take care of all that here than in the Life to Come in Purgatory.

So, I have two feelings about this all. Thank You, Lord, that we will have a chance to make amends in Purgatory and finish the cleaning up process (and given what I’ve said, Purgatory only makes sense), but I also must remember the Lord’s words with some trepidation…”you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

No Comments » | Catholic, General | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by nicenehobbit

As High as the Heavens…

September 21, 2008

A sermon given by Father Robert Barron, an award-winning author, for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The title of the sermon is “As High as the Heavens…”

Summary of the sermon:

The Biblical manner of dealing with the problem of evil is neither to deny the fact of evil nor the fact of God’s existence. Rather, it is to stress the transcendence and inscrutability of God’s ways. What looks like pure evil or dumb suffering to us finds its place within the providential plan of a mysterious God.

SERMON (mp3): As High as the Heavens…

1 Comment | Catholic, General, Liturgical Year | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jorge Flores

Greedy? Imprudent? Melting Down? No Problem

September 19, 2008

…Because the government will just bail you out.

It looks like the U.S. government is going to be bailing out businesses affected by the current financial meltdown, to the tune of one trillion dollars. I understand that the effect upon our economy could be severe without some sort of action, but what is the lesson here? People can buy houses they can’t afford, banks can invest in people buying houses that they can’t afford (and provide loans to them, knowing the people can’t afford them) in order to get bigger CEO bonuses and make loads more money, and then the U.S. government, I mean WE, will then bail them out when the whole house of cards comes crashing down. Next time I avoid making a dumb decision, I should think twice, because I may have a government bailout coming.

There is a reason greed is a deadly sin.

3 Comments | Morality and Moral Issues, News | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Episcopal Bishop Duncan is Deposed…

September 19, 2008

…and is immediately welcomed into the Anglican diocese of the Southern Cone.

I am following this with some interest, because when I was an Anglican discerning where I belonged in the Anglican Communion, I liked what the diocese of Pittsburgh stood for. I respected Bishop Duncan for standing with the multicultural Anglican Communion, standing up to those in the Episcopal church who decided to walk apart from the rest of the Communion. Now I see things differently, obviously, since I am Catholic, but I read the Exodus story today, and I can’t help but interpret the passage allegorically to see a justification for an exodus from a place hostile to classical Christian morality. Of course, I would consider affiliating with the strongly evangelical Southern Cone province to be like the wandering in the desert that followed the Exodus, but Pittsburgh Episcopalians are doing what they feel they have to do. It looks like some sort of re-alignment of the Communion, which was called for in 2003, is finally happening, as the diocese of Pittsburgh becomes the second diocese to align with a foreign bishop.

Rhology, in a comment below, wondered why this sort of realignment and shuffling doesn’t happen in the Catholic Church more often (if I understood his comment correctly). I think the reason is that, for the most part, Catholics have a stronger understanding of authority than Anglicans, something most Catholics know and accept before getting into positions of leadership. Also, you can have 3 Anglican bishops, one who believes Jesus is God, another who believes he was a good man, and the other who believes Jesus’ father was a Roman soldier, who are all bishops in good standing, all legitimately Anglican  (at least in their own minds). I think this creates a dynamic where someone like Duncan feels a strong obligation to fight for his vision of the Anglican Communion,  which (at this point) means leaving (TEC), but also staying (Anglican), whereas a disaffected Catholic bishop would probably just leave, realizing the Catholic Church, because of the way it is structured, isn’t going to change. It is late and I feel like I may not be making my thoughts too clear here…

6 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Misconceptions About the Apostolic Churches

September 18, 2008

Dave Hartline and others have linked to an interesting article written by a Protestant who is seriously considering Orthodoxy. The post is almost a year old, so maybe he already is Orthodox.  The post is entitled 3 Myths and Misconceptions about the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It is worth a read.

There really are a lot of misconceptions out there about Catholics and Orthodox. I don’t know if most people intentionally distort what we believe or not (I am sure some do), but generally I think human nature is the reason why our beliefs are constantly distorted (and why some Catholics distort Protestant beliefs in a similar fashion). It is far easier to think you know what somebody believes based on your own initial impression, than to actually look into someone else’s beliefs more deeply over time. So when a Protestant hears a Catholic pray to Mary, the reasoning goes something like this: “I pray to God as a part of my worship, Catholics pray to Mary, therefore they must worship her like a god.” Since this individual may not care for Catholics anyway, he is content to let this “logic” stand, and will even defend it when presented with evidence by Catholics (who, he is likely convinced, are ignorant of their faith anyway). Of course, this reasoning ignores the Apostolic Churches’ distinction between worship and veneration, but also shows ignorance of the Catholic understanding of “praying to the saints.” When Catholics pray to saints, we are asking them for their prayers, joining our prayers to God, with theirs, which are also directed to God. You really have to have at least a basic understanding of the communion of the saints to begin to appreciate it. But understanding this belief of ours is something that requires a little research and effort, and many people just don’t want to put that sort of effort in to learn about a church they are suspicious of.

I think W.E. Messamore (the author of the post linked above) does a good job explaining and understanding some of the common myths surrounding Catholicism and Orthodoxy, and this is because he a) is open to them, and b) has done careful research so as to know what we actually believe, rather than presenting strawman assertions.

No Comments » | Catholic, General, Evangelical, Orthodoxy | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Don’t Put Your Trust…

September 16, 2008

in commodities (cause they are dropping)…

in subprime mortgages (because the credit crunch is here)…

in mutual funds (see below and above)…

or the stock market (the Dow dropped over 500 points)…

because you will be disappointed, especially during times like this. Instead, trust in God.

I have no issues with capitalism (with certain Catholic caveats), and think it ultimately works better than other economic systems, but isn’t it funny how now that all these banks are failing because of poor choices, there is talk of government bailouts?

A word to Wall Street: the good times don’t last forever, especially when you make bad financial decisions you know darn well won’t work in the long haul. With credit card addiction, a negative savings rate, buying houses that can’t be afforded, I can’t help but wonder what happened to the cardinal virtues among the American people? Prudence? Temperance? There is a reason greed is a deadly sin, because it blinds people.

We would be wise not to stake our value as persons on the dollar. As Jesus said,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:19-24, RSV).

1 Comment | News | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Episcopal Bishop Duncan to Be Desposed

September 15, 2008

Episcopal church Presiding Bishop Katharine Schori will attempt to depose Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan for attempting to lead the TEC diocese of Pittsburgh out of the Episcopal church. Conservative Episcopalians are justifiably upset about this, but this has got to be expected, and I would think, even welcomed. If the Pittsburgh diocese is getting ready to leave TEC, they should consider this a badge of honor, and just  ignore this act of “punishment” from an entity that they recognize has no moral authority to punish them anyway, and join up with an Anglican province that believes in classical Christianity. I am a little surprised that some conservative TEC bishops suddenly start caring about the authority of TEC once they are deposed. I can understand they probably feel justified in pointing out that the current leadership of TEC has virtually no moral authority to suddenly start enforcing canons when they made a living out of violating them in the past, but if you believe TEC is corrupt, and will soon die out, then get out, let them depose you, and let TEC keep declining.

5 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

John of Damascus on the Cross

September 14, 2008

Appropriate for the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross:

The word ‘Cross’ is foolishness to those that perish, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.  For he that is spiritual judges all things, but the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit. For it is foolishness to those who do not receive in faith and who do not consider God’s goodness and omnipotence, but search out divine things with human and natural reasonings. For all the things that are of God are above nature and reason and conception. For should any one consider how and for what purpose God brought all things out of nothing and into being, and aim at arriving at that by natural reasonings, he fails to comprehend it. For knowledge of this kind belongs to spirits and demons. But if any one, under the guidance of faith, should consider the divine goodness and omnipotence and truth and wisdom and justice, he will find all things smooth and even, and the way straight. But without faith it is impossible to be saved. For it is by faith that all things, both human and spiritual, are sustained. For without faith neither does the farmer cut his furrow, nor does the merchant commit his life to the raging waves of the sea on a small piece of wood, nor are marriages contracted nor any other step in life taken. By faith we consider that all things were brought out of nothing into being by God’s power. And we direct all things, both divine and human, by faith. Further, faith is assent free from all meddlesome inquisitiveness .

Every action, therefore, and performance of miracles by Christ are most great and divine and marvellous: but the most marvellous of all is His precious Cross. For no other thing has subdued death, expiated the sin of the first parent , despoiled Hades, bestowed the resurrection, granted the power to us of contemning the present and even death itself, prepared the return to our former blessedness, opened the gates of Paradise , given our nature a seat at the right hand of God, and made us the children and heirs of God , save the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For by the Cross all things have been made right. So many of us, the apostle says, as were baptized into Christ, were baptized into His death, and as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Further Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Lo! the death of Christ, that is, the Cross, clothed us with the enhypostatic wisdom and power of God. And the power of God is the Word of the Cross, either because God’s might, that is, the victory over death, has been revealed to us by it, or because, just as the four extremities of the Cross are held fast and bound together by the bolt in the middle, so also by God’s power the height and the depth, the length and the breadth, that is, every creature visible and invisible, is maintained .

This was given to us as a sign on our forehead, just as the circumcision was given to Israel: for by it we believers are separated and distinguished from unbelievers. This is the shield and weapon against, and trophy over, the devil. This is the seal that the destroyer may not touch you, as says the Scripture. This is the resurrection of those lying in death, the support of the standing, the staff of the weak, the rod of the flock, the safe conduct of the earnest, the perfection of those that press forwards, the salvation of soul and body, the aversion of all things evil, the patron of all things good, the taking away of sin, the plant of resurrection, the tree of eternal life.

So, then, this same truly precious and august tree , on which Christ has offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sakes, is to be worshiped as sanctified by contact with His holy body and blood; likewise the nails, the spear, the clothes, His sacred tabernacles which are the manger, the cave, Golgotha, which brings salvation , the tomb which gives life, Sion, the chief stronghold of the churches and the like, are to be worshiped. In the words of David, the father of God , We shall go into His tabernacles, we shall worship at the place where His feet stood . And that it is the Cross that is meant is made clear by what follows, Arise, O Lord, into Your Rest . For the resurrection comes after the Cross. For if of those things which we love, house and couch and garment, are to be longed after, how much the rather should we long after that which belonged to God, our Saviour , by means of which we are in truth saved.

Moreover we worship even the image of the precious and life-giving Cross, although made of another tree, not honouring the tree (God forbid) but the image as a symbol of Christ. For He said to His disciples, admonishing them, Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven, meaning the Cross. And so also the angel of the resurrection said to the woman, You seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified. And the Apostle said, We preach Christ crucified. For there are many Christs and many Jesuses, but one crucified. He does not say speared but crucified. It behooves us, then, to worship the sign of Christ . For wherever the sign may be, there also will He be. But it does not behoove us to worship the material of which the image of the Cross is composed, even though it be gold or precious stones, after it is destroyed, if that should happen. Everything, therefore, that is dedicated to God we worship, conferring the adoration on Him.

The tree of life which was planted by God in Paradise pre-figured this precious Cross. For since death was by a tree, it was fitting that life and resurrection should be bestowed by a tree . Jacob, when He worshipped the top of Joseph’s staff, was the first to image the Cross, and when he blessed his sons with crossed hands he made most clearly the sign of the cross. Likewise also did Moses’ rod, when it smote the sea in the figure of the cross and saved Israel, while it overwhelmed Pharaoh in the depths; likewise also the hands stretched out crosswise and routing Amalek; and the bitter water made sweet by a tree, and the rock rent and pouring forth streams of water, and the rod that meant for Aaron the dignity of the high priesthood: and the serpent lifted in triumph on a tree as though it were dead , the tree bringing salvation to those who in faith saw their enemy dead, just as Christ was nailed to the tree in the flesh of sin which yet knew no sin . The mighty Moses cried , You will see your life hanging on the tree before your eyes, and Isaiah likewise, I have spread out my hands all the day unto a faithless and rebellious people. But may we who worship this obtain a part in Christ the crucified. Amen. From An Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV:11

No Comments » | Fathers of the Church, Liturgy and Worship | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

« Previous Entries