Per Christum

The author of Retractiones has posted some great rebuttals of common myths about what people in the Middle Ages actually believed. For instance, did all people before the enlightenment think the world was flat? Nope. In fact Thomas Aquinas quite clearly says the world was round (some ancient Greeks believed it was conical, if I remember correctly). Were medievals burning witches all the time? Not by a long shot. Did popes invent Friday abstinence to strengthen the fishing industry around Rome? Umm…who makes this stuff up???

For more myths, stroll over to Retractiones and have a look at the whole post!

I read a recent article about a priest who called for new strategies to keep young people in Church. I agree that this should be a vital aspect of parish ministry. Vibrant parishes usually have a lot for youth, a lot for older people, a lot for families, but outside of university campuses almost nothing for single or married younger people. As someone who is still barely a young adult, I want to unpack some of the arguments made by Fr. Cusick (who is quoted in the article).

1. Churches need better music, preaching, and hospitality- I don’t know what he means by this, but I would agree as long as I can define what constitutes “better!” If he means putting drums near the altar to play 1970s songs in 1990s style then most young adults would probably pass. Keep the liturgy traditional and dignified and save the hip and contemporary stuff for the coffee and conversation afterward.

2. Create “satellite” sites away from the parish for social activity and discussion- As long as he’s not talking about informal masses in someone’s garage, then I agree. Finding a place to connect, hang out, and build social relationships is important. In many ways, evangelicals understand that young adults typically don’t have families close by and need social contact through their communities. Catholic parishes outside of campuses would do well to understand this too and create opportunities for social connection and fellowship, like Theology on Tap.

3. We need a “new apologetics”- Once again, I agree, as long as he’s not talking about dumbing down. If he wants to teach the Catholic Faith to postmodern people in a clear way without compromising the Truth, then we here at Per Christum are way ahead.

Thoughts?

6 Denominations in 6 Weeks

I’ve had an interest in Christian denominations since I knew they existed. I remember scanning Mead’s Handbook in High School, trying to decide where I would worship once I was on my own. This is an article I would have definitely related to 5 years ago and it’s a fun read even now.

If my religious experience were an ice cream truck, the only thing in the freezer would be vanilla pops. And, once every quarter, some grape juice.

and

Roman Catholic

At 8:55 a.m., the parking lot is almost full. I watch maybe two dozen people exit their cars and enter the building, but none of them are carrying a Bible. Huh. I leave mine in the car, too, because when in Rome …

. . .

Everyone does this routine—genuflect, cross, kneel, pray—before being seated. Me? I just plop down all Protestant-like. I might as well have been wearing a “Luther is my homeboy” T-shirt.

HT:  Ragamuffin

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

My brother’s mother in law died on Friday, May 2, 2008 (3 days ago) after 2.5 years of breast cancer which spread to her lungs, brain, and bones.

Her name was Delfina Rodriguez.

Into your hands, O Lord,
we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.
In this life you embraced them with
your tender love;
deliver them now from every evil
and bid them enter eternal rest.

The old order has passed away;
welcome them into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow,
no weeping nor pain,
but fullness of peace and joy
with your Son and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever.

Amen.

You think evangelicals memorize a ton of scripture?

Some do. But most, especially cradle evangelicals, have about 5-10 texts repeatedly reinforced throughout their lives. These they hide in their heart. These become their touchstones for their soteriology — their understanding of salvation. It’s somewhat like a child in a liturgical communion learning the Apostle’s Creed.

Now Catholics do this as well. Or at least we try.

But when I see “Verse for the Week” in my local non-denominational, evangelical service bulletin or missionary newsletter, I think, “why this one, and not another?”

It’s the Key Verse tradition.

crossposted at CINE

Dear all:

I would like to bring to your attention a great Catholic website dedicated to Catholic evangelical preaching. As a Chicago Catholic, I have become somewhat acquainted with local priest, Fr. Robert Barron, and his Word on Fire Catholic Ministries over the past few years. I’ve listened to his excellent talks/sermons on the internet and on the radio and I can only thank God for giving us such a good priest!

I would like all of you to please take a moment and visit his website. Among the things that you cannot miss looking into are:

• The Word on Fire Mission (Statement)
• The Catholicism Project (Catholicism will be a monumental, documentary series for high-definition TV and global release.)
• Word on Fire Audio Archives

Trust me on this one, you will not regret it!

P.S. Don’t forget to support this ministry with your prayers!

I know it is a little late for an “earth day” post, but I wanted to point our readers to a nice Catholic resource related to the environment: The Catholic Conservation Center. The center has as its goal to “promote ecology, environmental justice, and the stewardship of Creation in light of sacred Scripture and living Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.” Lest the word “environmental justice” raise a red flag, note that the site strives to be loyal to the Magisterium of the Church (and wants to be emailed if they aren’t). I think this is important, because some Christian conservation sites seem to be environmentalist first, and Christian last. One does not have to be a neo-pagan, pray to Gaia, or support PETA, to believe in the conservation and care of God’s creation.

I definitely support conservation and caring for the earth. I enjoy nature, and being out in it, and like many Church Fathers, I believe that we can know something about our Creator from His marvelous creation. I lament the destruction and exploitation of our world, although I believe it is our right to use the earth’s resources justly for our benefit.

When I was growing up, some in my evangelical church were suspicious of my enjoyment of nature; if someone enjoyed nature (or wanted to care for it), then he was deemed too close to paganism! However, when I became Catholic I entered an Incarnational church, a sacramental Church, where the physical is not divided from the “spiritual.” Fortunately, the Catholic Church has a solid understanding of the role of creation that is neither idolatrous nor semi-Gnostic.

Image taken by me, April 2008

Thank you, Cardinal Egan for standing up to the Truth, for being faithful to your God-given ministry as pastor and teacher of the Holy Catholic Church!!! Please do not stop! My prayers and those of thousands of people are with you. God bless you.

The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God. Throughout my years as Archbishop of New York, I have repeated this teaching in sermons, articles, addresses, and interviews without hesitation or compromise of any kind. Thus it was that I had an understanding with Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, when I became Archbishop of New York and he was serving as Mayor of New York, that he was not to receive the Eucharist because of his well-known support of abortion. I deeply regret that Mr. Giuliani received the Eucharist during the Papal visit here in New York, and I will be seeking a meeting with him to insist that he abide by our understanding.

Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, are you aware of what Holy Scripture affirms about partaking in an unworthy manner?

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. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Corinthians 11: 27-29)

 Can PC help to keep an Iraqi Catholic Seminary open?

  click to enlarge

 Project Number: 11909
Project Title: Keep Babel Open
Description: Baghdad’s Babel College for Philosophy and Theology, which educates Iraq’s seminarians, has been forced to relocate to Arbil. Help keep its doors open.
Amount requested: $15,000.00
Contributions from donors: $4,244.10
Amount needed to complete the project: $10,755.90

I just watched A Man for All Seasons two days ago and I must admit that I liked it very much. It is a relatively old movie (1966) but a good movie nevertheless. Personally, it was very inspirational to realize just how strong St. Thomas More’s faith was. In fact, his faith and love towards God was so strong that he preferred to be executed than to act against what he so firmly believed. Truly, St. Thomas More is a “Man for All Seasons”!

ST. THOMAS MORE, PRAY FOR US!!!

And for those wondering?  The composer of that gem is the one and only Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I’d like to introduce you to my new friend, Gianna Molla, in anticipation of her fourth feast day, which the church celebrates tomorrow, April 28.  I like this saint, because I think a lot of modern women can relate to her. Like so many out there, Gianna was a working mom.

Gianna Beretta Molla was born in Italy on October 4, 1922.  From childhood, she served God faithfully. She graduated from the University of Pavia with a medical degree in surgery with honors.  She opened a clinic with her brother, and since she loved babies, she obtained a certificate in pediatrics.  She later married Peter Molla, an engineer, in 1955.

Before she was married, she ministered to young girls through Catholic Action, a group involved with catechesis of young people.  She once said something to the girls, which would prove to some day be tested.  She said: 

“Eternal and earthly happiness depends on the fulfillment of your vocation. Your vocation is one to a material, spiritual and moral maternity, because God has placed in us an inclination to life.

“Each of us should make room for our vocation, for the giving of life.  If, perchance, we may have to die while carrying out our vocation, that would be the most beautiful day of our lives.”

Well, Gianna wanted a big family. She and Peter had a son, Pierluigi, then two daughters, Mariolina and Laura, followed by two miscarriages.  In the summer of 1961, Gianna became pregnant with another child.

Within two months, Gianna developed a large tumor in her uterus that threatened both her life and the life of her baby.  Her doctor advised her to have an abortion in order to save her life.  Instead, she opted for a riskier surgery that would remove the tumor to protect the baby while leaving her own life at risk.

The operation was successful in preserving her baby’s life, but as her pregnancy continued, Gianna had a premonition of what was to come.  She was ready to sacrifice her life so that her child could live.

A few days before the baby was due, she told her husband:  “If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: Choose the child; I insist on it.  Save the baby!”

On Holy Saturday, 1962, after a Caesarian section, Gianna gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing nearly 10 pounds.  The child was named Gianna as well.  (Today, “little” Gianna is also a medical doctor, a gerontologist.)

That same day, the mother’s condition began to deterioriate.  She was dying of septic peritonitis, an infection of the lining of the abdomen-a result of her choice to preserve the life of her child.  Gianna died a week later on April 28, 1962 (now her feast day).

Many saints aren’t formally recognized by the Church until centuries after their death.  But Gianna’s cause for canonization began within three decades after she died.  The miracles necessary for the process occurred in a relatively short period of time, so that her husband, three surviving children and siblings were all able to attend her canonization by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

Perhaps our God is trying to promote Gianna’s message of holiness in everyday life to our troubled world at this crucial time, in this culture of death.

Read more about Gianna here.

Prayer of Saint Gianna
Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to befall me,
make me only know Your will.
My most sweet Jesus, infinitely merciful God, most tender Father of souls,
and in a particular way of the most weak, most miserable, most infirm
which You carry with special tenderness between Your divine arms,
I come to You to ask You, through the love and merits of Your Sacred Heart,
the grace to comprehend and to do always Your holy will,
the grace to confide in You,
the grace to rest securely through time and eternity in Your loving divine arms.

- Abridged/adapted from article by Joseph Cunningham, J.D. - The Catholic Answer - November/December 2005 Edition

…the only problem is, the passage she often quotes isn’t there.

Apparently Pelosi is fond of saying, “The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, ‘To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.’” The problem is that biblical scholars aren’t really sure what she is referring to. I have read the Old Testament through, and taken Scripture classes, and I am not sure what verse she has in mind. Perhaps she is referring to a concept embedded in the Old Testament. I am not pretending to be an Old Testament expert, but I haven’t found that particular idea in any part of Scripture, that caring for creation is an act of worship. However, I am interested to hear opinions on this. Where did Nancy Pelosi get this idea?

This is not to say I don’t believe that Scripture addresses care for creation. While I am no radical environmentalist, I am concerned about overuse of fossil fuels, energy use, pollution, etc, and I am interested in part because we are supposed to be good stewards of God’s creation. Our dominion over creation does not mean we have the right to trash what God created. We are not supposed to be a bunch of frat boys who destroy their parents house while “caring” for it for the weekend.

On Wednesday April 16th, Carmel and I welcomed Grace Catherine into the world. She is healthy and happy and the entire family is doing well. Life is truly a miracle and Grace is a strong reminder of that. She was born during a papal visit and shares the same birthday as Pope Benedict. Not a bad start!

 I learned today that Pope Benedict insists that a crucifix be placed on the altar when he celebrates the mass.

I very much enjoyed the explanation provided by EWTN about this practice.  They said that it helps the Pope focus on the sacrificial element of the sacrament.  Because it sort of blocks the priest, it also centers all eyes on the sacrament, rather than the person offering the sacrament. 

As David over at Man with the Black Hat says, “The focus on the crucified Christ at the axis of worship, as opposed to the personality of the priest, is part of the Holy Father’s overall strategy to restore the sacred to Catholic worship.”

It makes the Holy Father more human when I realize that even he himself needs help in recognizing what is actually happening during the Eucharist.  What a truly humble man he is, thanks be to God.