Papa Benny 16, being Augustinian Again

I love our Pope, because he is so Augustinian, and such a pastoral theologian.

"To have Christian hope means to know about evil and yet to go to meet the future with confidence. The core of faith rests upon accepting being loved by God, and therefore to believe is to say Yes, not only to him, but to creation, to creatures, above all, to men, to try to see the image of God in each person and thereby to become a lover. That's not easy, but the basic Yes, the conviction that God has created men, that he stands behind them, that they aren't simply negative, gives love a reference point that enables it to ground hope on the basis of faith."
— Pope Benedict XVI

The Person of Jesus - The Subject of the Sacraments

On my retreat this weekend I had a sort of mini revelation. I just wrote down on a piece of paper: 'Lex Christi est Persona Christi' (probably incorrect Latin) - The Law of Christ is the Person of Christ. After I made a few minor errors during Confession I felt like I had 'done it wrong' and then fears began coming up of Baptismal invalidity, etc. I then remembered St. Ignatius' important warning to discern between the voice of God and the lies of the Devil - Indeed, it's the Scriptural admonition to 'test the spirits'. I was reminded of the theology of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI where he constantly reminds us that the Truth is not a theory or a system, but a person. I remembered that the whole purpose of the sacrament of confession is the God-given grace of contrition - sorrow for one's sins. This isn't something I can conjure up on my own, it's not something that exists in words and formula. It is God's work and my cooperation in the soul. It is a matter of the theology of the heart. I remembered that I was repenting to Christ, not performing a ritual, and that it was as St. Augustine said "heart speaketh unto heart". As ridiculous as it sounds, I need to be reminded daily that God is a person, that Jesus is a friend to me. When I understand that, it becomes so simple, one's reason is amazed at the gap bridged between the unknowable divine essence, and a friend. It reminds me of the whole purpose of the sacrament and the priesthood. To make an invisible reality a visible sign. The most powerful image I remember when I think of this is the embrace between Robert Deniro and Jeremy Irons in "The Mission", when Robert Deniro has finally made peace with God and himself.



Anyway, all of this connected to a quote I found this morning from Papa Benny, so I thought I'd post it:

"Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. Only he gives the fullness of life to humanity! With Mary, say your own “yes” to God, for he wishes to give himself to you." - Pope Benedict XVI

The Reality of Satan

Today my beloved parish priest who is fairly orthodox excepting occasional slips into Liberalism. As someone who hasn't given anything remotely resembling the dedication and service he has given to our Church, I want to clarify that I'm not attacking him or his ministry, just the idea he deseminated from the pulpit.

The reading for today was Matthew 4, the Temptation of Christ by Satan. He called this episode folklore that probably resulted from Jesus hallucinating in the desert conditions but that it might have been an inward spiritual experience.

I think this line of argument is dangerous as Satan is a key player in the story of Humanity. Lest we forget, I'll just repeat some of his big moments in the annals of time:
-Primary rebel to God's reign
-author of Sin/innovater of finite good (evil) over infinite good
-chief tempter of humanity which led to our entire fall as a race
-destroyer of Job's life
-ruiner of souls
-tempter of Christ
-accuser of the saints (all Christians)
-prince of this world/this present darkness

C.S. Lewis reminds us that there is an immense danger in acting as if he and his angels (demons) aren't real. And "The Usual Suspects" (good film) reminds us that "the best lie the devil ever told was that he didn't exist".

If we fail to understand the spiritual battle around us, we will be at a loss. Christ died to destroy the works of the devil, and ransom our souls. If that whole story was folklore, someone could've saved Jesus alot of pain and told him to grow up and read Voltaire.

As Catholics we used to have a prayer at the end of our Mass, a prayer that reminded us of all these 'medieval' (*read: biblical) things we believed. I pray that Papa Benny will bring it back.



"Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen."

Even if the prayer isn't re-instated liturgically, I'm glad when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, that Pope Benedict XVI has reminded us of the reality of the Devil and evil in the Ratzinger Report, and pointed out that Vatican II frequently mentions the Evil one.

On a lighter note, the new movie Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke movie preview features the St. Michael's prayer prominently, so as the Boondock Saints taught a generation the Signum Crucis, hopefully this will teach others the St. Michael Prayer

Canada's Newest Saint

I really don't care about the Olympics, an orgy of flesh-worship based on pagan religion, and a further financial burden to our country and what have you. I get annoyed as people keep telling me "we" won another medal. Well I have something else that I find more exciting that "we" now have.

Papa Benny said this week that Canada is getting another saint! Brother Andre! (He even shares my name) of Montreal

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/02/19/Vatican-declares-Canadian-brother-a-saint/UPI-41371266592464/

I love his story. He was an orphan and he became a lay brother in the Church, and worked as a janitor, and prayed for people and they were healed by God through him. Just the thought that God has and does work through the most everyday people, in the lowest stations of life in such a miraculous way. It inspires me, and reminds me of Jesus (which is what the saints are meant to).

I'm excited because our Newman club is thinking about doing a pilgrimage on the day he is officially canonized.

More thoughts on Gaudium et Spes

The language of # 17 of Gaudium et Spes was called by Ratzinger, "downright Pelagian", and I'm shocked that I didn't notice it until re-reading it. My Pelagianism sensors are probably on the fritz with it's overabundance in many parts of the Church. Anyway, of what I've read so far, while I will admit it is overly optimistic, I feel like it makes up for this in it's pastoral nature.

I also find it interesting that the current Pope called a conciliar document heretical in language/emphasis. It gives me a better sense of how one can feel about certain decisions in the Roman Church and still remain orthodox. Alot of my doubts about Peter Kreeft were lessened after that.

I found an interesting article on the whole thing here: http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/08/from-ratzinger-to-benedict---17

Christ and Vatican II (pt.1)

"The Church firmly believes that Christ, who died and was raised up for all, can through His Spirit offer man the light and the strength to measure up to his supreme destiny. Nor has any other name under the heaven been given to man by which it is fitting for him to be saved. She likewise holds that in her most benign Lord and Master can be found the key, the focal point and the goal of man, as well as of all human history. The Church also maintains that beneath all changes there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, Who is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Hence under the light of Christ, the image of the unseen God, the firstborn of every creature, the council wishes to speak to all men in order to shed light on the mystery of man and to cooperate in finding the solution to the outstanding problems of our time." - Gaudium et Spes - Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

After finishing the Ratzinger Report - a really long interview with Cardinal Ratzinger at the time, now, Pope Benedict XVI. He encourages those who wish to be truly faithful to the teaching of the Church not to return to Latin liturgy and pre-conciliar neo-scholasticism, but rather to go boldly into the future and to look directly at the documents.

I am reading Gaudium et Spes now (I'm pretty sure I've read Lumen Gentium and Dei Verbum before) and I just had to put this quote up because it was so Christocentric. I love that they say that all of human history finds it's focal point in Jesus. Amen.

The Joy of Teaching Romans

In the Baptist church my father taught classes on Romans and almost every debate we've had theologically has had to do with the exegesis of that book. But tonight my friend and I who have a bible study decided to go into it.

I was able to teach the Catholic doctrine of justification by infused grace through faith and the doctrine of initial justification by faith alone, and progressive justification by God's grace and our cooperation/acceptance of it. I enjoyed sharing the differences in terminology (ie. Justice is God giving you what you deserve, Mercy is God not giving you what you deserve/punishment, Grace is God giving you something you don't deserve/gift), and teaching the non-imputation of sin and God's loving forbearance, and how it is contrasted with the Judaizer's doctrine of salvation by works/pelagianism.

It's always wonderful for people to learn that we don't have to try to work to God, he has come to us, we must only let him in. (to use some Baptist language).

As well I noticed verses about the "obedience of Faith" which Zwingli & the Anabaptists talked about and showed how it countered Anti-Nomianism. So with the condemnation of Pelagianism and Anti-nomianism as well as the Augustinian doctrine of justification by God's infused grace through an obedient/loving faith, we went through Romans 1-4. It's always a joy to do Romans, a beautiful epistle. I also used Luther's preface to his commentary on the epistle to the Romans to explain how the one seeking works will find only frustration, and the one seeking faith and works will likewise fail, but to the one who trusts in God will come faith and works and love. I'm glad that I'm able to use Zwingli and Luther's teachings (partially) to explain the proper Catholic doctrine.

"since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus...Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law." - Romans 3:23-26,31

In Catholicism, it's Christ merit and superabundant grace (via the Holy Spirit, or the Sacraments, inside or outside the Church), accepted in faith leading to love and obedience (works), all of which are a part of the process of justification, by which we mean being declared just and being made just, lost by mortal sin, regained through perfect contrition and repentance, or the sacrament of reconciliation. (the 'difficult gospel', not easily slogan-ized. Although Papa Benny has called it "justification by love alone")

Oxford Movement, Personal Note, and Mariology

Today I wrote a fascinating paper on the Oxford Movement and the birth of Anglo-Catholicism as well as the conversion of the Ven. John Henry Cardinal Newman. It was a great story to hear and to see how it was tied to the lives of other eminent Victorians I'd studied like William Gladstone and Lord Palmerston, etc, was really cool.

I have alot more respect for Newman now, after seeing the way his life played out, but also no naivety about the clear flaws in his character. Like one story about him said that a man who entered the Oratory apparently offended him with one comment (he didn't even know how) and Newman didn't say a single word to the man for over a decade (i want to say it was something like 18 years). He had a capacity to hate for sure.

But I also found it interesting how his biographers wrote that Newman had the courage to follow through with the logic he had started. As we study Victorian society it's hard to stress how much propriety and social standing meant and for someone to throw it all away - which even today is quite a gesture - was a great witness back then.

I feel like Keble and some of the others were a bit cowardly in that sense.

Then I read about the Ritualists and the work of the Anglo-Catholic priests among the poor in the London Docks. Allegedly that is where priests in England began being referred to as 'father', which I don't know if I believe, but if it's true, how ironic, that the Anglicans started it.

It also reminded me of the historical disagreement I have with some people who say the Anglican church was purely a Reformed/Calvinistic church with Bishops. When I think of Nicholas Ridley, of Lancelot Andrewes, and even to some extent Cranmer I don't see how this could be true. But perhaps I need to study more. Certainly the majority did fall under Calvinist influence in some areas, and yes it did only get gradually more "Catholic" over time, but there was -I think- a distinct belief in the continuity of the Catholic faith, etc. (in a way not shared by other Reformation churches)

On a personal note, I've made it 1 day without falling into mortal sin by the superabundant grace of God. I prayed the rosary twice today and felt so much peace from it. I'm starting to understand the beginning of the phrase "De Maria Numquam Satis" - a phrase my level of Latin can actually deal with: "of Mary enough can never be said" or "Of Mary there is never enough". It helped to read more Mariology about how she is never admired in and of herself, but almost as an empty shell which Christ occupies. In many ways it's not so much the actual person of Mary as much as the typology she represents, of cooperating with God, of having Christ within us, etc. But that sounds dangerously modernist as if I were Bultmann describing the resurrection or something.

Read Ratzinger/Papa Benny on Mary and was sold, he responds so kindly to Hans Kung even though you can tell he considers Kung to be a complete heretic.

I'm not even trying to be Marian at all, it's just happening. In some ways like I've mentioned before I'm stilling being nagged by Protestant soteriology a bit, but I feel like the Rosary is becoming a strong part of my devotional life. As well I read somewhere an Augustinian phrase the other day which was "solus christianus nullus christianus", 'A solitary Christian is not a Christian'. In this book on the Catholic doctrine of grace it talks about how at the end of the day, the doctrine of grace cannot in the Augustinian system be separate from the doctrine of the Church, they are both intrinsically tied. This has all been helpful, as has Pelikan's description of the near universal acceptance of the Anselmic model of atonement which is acceptable for Catholics, i.e. that Christ has made satisfaction for our sins and offered God something better than we ever could have, which ties nicely into the doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass as Christ holding himself and his sacrifice before us and allowing us to partake in it and be cleansed of sin and acceptable and blameless before God.

So it's all good, and I'm wanting to go on a pilgrimage now to see the Oratory in Birmingham, and possibly, Our Lady of Walsingham.