- " 'Eternal Life is Yours, Live It' "
(April 15, 2012)
A sincere 'thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his homilies in this blog.
More reflections:
"...Charity does not exclude knowledge, but rather requires, promotes, and animates it from within...."I liked the metaphor in that section of Caritas in Veritate, about wisdom seasoning knowledge with the salt of charity.
("Caritas in Veritate," 30)
"...Deeds without knowledge are blind, and knowledge without love is sterile...."
"...Human knowledge is insufficient and the conclusions of science cannot indicate by themselves the path towards integral human development. There is always a need to push further ahead: this is what is required by charity in truth[76] Going beyond, however, never means prescinding from the conclusions of reason, nor contradicting its results. Intelligence and love are not in separate compartments: love is rich in intelligence and intelligence is full of love."
("Caritas in Veritate," 30)
"This means that moral evaluation and scientific research must go hand in hand, and that charity must animate them in a harmonious interdisciplinary whole, marked by unity and distinction. The Church's social doctrine, which has 'an important interdisciplinary dimension'[77], can exercise, in this perspective, a function of extraordinary effectiveness. It allows faith, theology, metaphysics and science to come together in a collaborative effort in the service of humanity...."Faith and reason, science and religion, get along just fine. Or, rather, they should. I've said this before. A lot:
("Caritas in Veritate," 31)
"...The excessive segmentation of knowledge[80], the rejection of metaphysics by the human sciences[81], the difficulties encountered by dialogue between science and theology are damaging not only to the development of knowledge, but also to the development of peoples...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 31)
"Some rules apply in every case:'Don't do evil so that good may follow.' 'Do to others what you'd like them to do to you.' It doesn't sound complicated. I don't think ethics is, really. Not when folks bother to look at the basics.
(Catechism, 1789)
- "One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
- "the Golden Rule: 'Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.'56
- "charity always proceeds by way of respect for one's neighbor and his conscience: 'Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ.57 Therefore 'it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble.'58"
"...The scientific ethos, moreover, is - as you yourself mentioned, Magnificent Rector - the will to be obedient to the truth, and, as such, it embodies an attitude which belongs to the essential decisions of the Christian spirit. The intention here is not one of retrenchment or negative criticism, but of broadening our concept of reason and its application...."
("Address at the University of Regensburg," Benedict XVI (September 12, 2006))
"...we'll be celebrating Mass that day at Our Lady of the Angels Church, here in Sauk Centre.That, in my considered opinion, is a pretty big deal.
"Which means that, as I understand it, we'll be at the Mass at St. Peter's Square, too, and the Passover meal we call the Last Supper, and Golgotha - in a way. (Catechism, 1326, 1330, 1545)"
(April 23, 2011)
"...Catholics recognize a prolonged dry period like that as the dark night of the soul - a name that comes from "The Dark Night," by St. John of the Cross, which described and discussed this part of a soul's growth. ... Many saints, and many Catholics who haven't been canonized, went through that experience. I can't think of one who was given as long a dark night of the soul as Mother Teresa's, though...."
(August 26, 2009)
"SOUL: The spiritual principle of human beings. The soul is the subject of human consciousness and freedom; soul and body together form one unique human nature. Each human soul is individual and immortal, immediately created by God. The soul does not die with the body, from which it is separated by death, and with which it will be reunited in the final resurrection (363, 366; cf. 1703)."Living forever is a sort of good news, bad news, proposition. Like I said earlier, I need to make really long-range plans: because how I spend eternity is up to me:
(Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church) [links added]
"Death puts an end to human life as the time open to either accepting or rejecting the divine grace manifested in Christ.592 The New Testament speaks of judgment primarily in its aspect of the final encounter with Christ in his second coming, but also repeatedly affirms that each will be rewarded immediately after death in accordance with his works and faith. The parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts speak of a final destiny of the soul-a destiny which can be different for some and for others.593Being all 'on fire' with faith, without doing something about it, doesn't make sense to me. Maybe because I've read this sort of thing:
"Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification594 or immediately,595-or immediate and everlasting damnation.596
"At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love.597"(Catechism, 1021-1022)
"See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.That bit from James gets me into faith and works: and that's yet again another topic.
"And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?
"For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
(James 2:24-26)
"Bishops Welcome Repeal Of Death Penalty In Connecticut"I've felt like killing someone. That doesn't make it right, though:
USCCB News Release (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) (April 26, 2012)
"The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) congratulated the Connecticut bishops, the Connecticut Catholic Conference, Catholic Mobilizing Network, and all dedicated advocates against the death penalty for their work to bring about the repeal of the death penalty in Connecticut. Governor Dan Malloy enacted the legislation April 25, making Connecticut the 17th state to repeal the death penalty.
" 'As Catholics we are dedicated to promoting a consistent ethic of life, which values all human life as full of dignity and inherent worth – even those convicted of the worst crimes,' said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. 'We welcome the courageous decision by the governor and the legislature to abolish the use of the death penalty in Connecticut. We stand in solidarity with all those who work for a just and safe society that protects its citizens and upholds the sanctity and dignity of all human life.'
"Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor John Paul II, has called for the end of the use of the death penalty. In November 2011, Pope Benedict expressed support for efforts for 'political and legislative initiatives being promoted in a growing number of countries to eliminate the death penalty.' "
"Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.
If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.
Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm—without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself—the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity 'are very rare, if not practically non-existent.'68" (Catechism, 2267)
"NY Times writer defends Church teachings in online series"I'm a Catholic convert myself. Most of the Catholics I know are 'cradle Catholics,' who grew up going to Mass and absorbing our heritage. I missed out on quite a lot by growing up outside the Church.
Benjamin Mann, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (April 25, 2012)
"New York Times writer Ross Douthat has defended Catholic theological and moral teachings, in a series of articles explaining how the Church is not 'fundamentalist' but simply 'orthodox.'
" 'What I describe as "Christian orthodoxy" is not identical to everything that calls itself conservative Christianity in the United States, and it's certainly not identical to Christian fundamentalism,' wrote Douthat, a Catholic convert known for his conservative social and political outlook, in an April 16-19 online exchange with Slate magazine author William Saletan...."
"...The Catholic columnist pointed out that Biblical 'fundamentalism' is actually a modern phenomenon, originating in the 19th and 20th centuries. By contrast, Christian orthodoxy 'is an ancient thing, dating back to the early centuries A.D., when Christian doctrine was first codified.'I didn't become a Catholic because the Church is ancient, quite. But I've been a historian: and I know how wildly improbable it is for an institution to hold together for two millennia. Particularly with the sort of leadership the Church had now and then. I've been over that before. (January 13, 2011)
"While Christian orthodoxy accepts Scripture as inspired by God, it does not employ it for inappropriate purposes – such as predicting the end of the world, ruling out scientific discoveries, or interpreting natural disasters as forms of divine retribution...."
"The Changing Image of Benedict XVI"I was very glad to see that last phrase in the excerpt: "to proclaim Christ to the world." It looks like at least one reporter 'gets it.'
H. Sergio Mora, ZENIT (April 24, 2012)
"The Pope as Seen by Vatican Reporters"
"Initially the media portrayed Pope Benedict XVI as God's Rottweiler, the stern protector of the faith. Seven years later he is now seen as a gentle and humble intellectual who has learned to move among the people, and a paternal figure who has made himself loved.
"He is also seen as a reformer who has never lost sight of his objective: to proclaim Christ to the world and bring everyone closer to the Church. A Pope who has faced up to tremendous problems such as the sexual abuses.
"This is the image that emerges from some interviews that ZENIT held with correspondents and Vatican experts who follow Benedict XVI's pontificate, even if some of them hold that he has a difficulty with communication that still persists.
"According to Giovanna Chirri, Vatican expert for the Italian Agency ANSA, 'This Pope is a theologian who, although he became a reformer, never lost sight of his objective: to proclaim Christ to the world.'..."
"Canadian media criticized for irresponsible 'exorcism' reporting"Exorcisms are real. The Catholic Church has specialists who deal with that sort of thing: and procedures that filter out situations that are better-handled by counseling, detox, or some other less-drastic intervention.
Benjamin Mann, CNA (Catholic News Agency) (April 24, 2012)
"Canadian news outlets are sensationalizing an event that was not treated as demonic possession and did not prompt a search for an exorcist, according to the Diocese of Saskatoon's communications office.
"Communications coordinator Kiply Yaworski told CNA that the public had been misled by 'headlines that were completely false,' suggesting that an exorcism had been performed by a local priest in March.
" 'There was no rite of exorcism,' said Yaworski. 'No one here was calling it that.' She said media outlets were erroneously connecting the 'blessing of a distraught man' to the topic of possession and exorcism, 'just to get people to click on their stories.'
"Yaworski was eager to clear up misunderstandings about an event reported by CBC News on April 13, under the headline 'Exorcist expertise sought after Saskatoon "possession".'..."
" 'Non-biased' is part of the picture. I think some of the apparent 'bias' is more of a complete lack of understanding.
"There are times when I suspect that if football games were covered with the same expertise as 'religious' stories, we'd hear announcers discussing the hole-in-one made by the goalie."
(Comment on a post by Lisa Hendey (March 28, 2012)) (March 28, 2012)
"...CBC's article acknowledged that the priestly blessing the man received was 'not a formal exorcism.' Bishop Donald Bolan, the only Catholic leader named in the article, reportedly said it was unclear whether the man was possessed or merely mentally disturbed.I think using anonymous sources makes sense. Sometimes. Let's say that a reporter learned that space aliens had infiltrated the U.S. Department of State. The reporter wouldn't have paid attention, except the source was the department's Executive Secretary: who had hard evidence. In that (wildly improbable) situation, keeping the source anonymous might be a good idea. ('Space aliens?!' I'll get back to that.)
"But his comments were placed alongside those of the unnamed 'church leaders,' who were said to be 'considering whether Saskatoon needs a trained exorcist' after 'a case of what is being called possible demonic possession.'...
(CNA)
"...During the incident, the diocese said, 'a priest blessed a distraught and emotional man with holy water and prayed with the family, before advising them to call the police.'Like the bishop said, supernatural evil is real. So are families, the police, and Saskatoon.
"In his statement on the matter, Bishop Bolan stressed the reality of supernatural evil, but confirmed that no exorcism had occurred in the March incident.
" 'In Jesus' ministry there were exorcisms, and so it is not something that we can lightly dismiss,' he said.
" 'But the headline that the bishop of Saskatoon is looking for an exorcist was a vast oversimplification. Catholic dioceses, like other Christian communities, must look at how best to respond to requests in this area.'..."
(CNA)
"EXORCISM: The public and authoritative act of the Church to protect or liberate a person or object from the power of the devil (e.g., demonic possession) in the name of Christ (1673). A simple exorcism prayer in preparation for Baptism invokes God's help in overcoming the power of Satan and the spirit of evil (1237)."(May 17, 2011)
(Catechism, Glossary, E) [links added]
"...'Our resurrection faith is that life is stronger than death, that God brings hope out of despair and light out of darkness,' Bishop Bolen said. 'It is more important to affirm the goodness of the love of God than to speculate about the nature of events such as these.' "
(CNA) [emphasis mine]
"It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble. It's the things we know that just ain't so."
(attr. humorists Mark Twain,11 Artemus Ward, Kin Hubbard, and Will Rogers; inventor Charles Kettering; pianist Eubie Blake; baseball player Yogi Berra (once, by Al Gore))
"There are not a hundred people in America who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions of people who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church - which is, of course, quite a different thing."
(Bishop Fulton Sheen,12 Foreword to Radio Replies Vol. 1, (1938) page ix, via Wikiquote)
"Vatican Web Page Releases Widget"I've seen the www.vatican.va widget, think it looks pretty good. It's also seems like a pretty good way to get at-a-glance announcements of at least some of the latest Vatican posts. There are also tabs for "Angelus," "Audiences," and "Bulletin."
ZENIT (April 20, 2012)
"To mark Benedict XVI's seventh anniversary as Pope on Thursday, the Vatican internet service announced that a new www.vatican.va widget is available...."
"...The 'Focus' area of the homepage www.vatican.va contains the mail address at which users may request the code to insert on their own pages the 'vatican.va widget'."
"Obama: Reported details of prostitution scandal fall short of Secret Service standards"
FoxNews.com (April 15, 2012)
"President Obama, in his first public remarks on the prostitution scandal involving members of the Secret Service, said Sunday that he will be 'angry' if the reported allegations against the agents turn out to be true. He said Secret Service personnel, like the rest of any U.S. delegation abroad, must 'observe the highest standards.'..."
"...Details are still emerging, but the behavior of the agents initially attracted attention during a dispute at the Hotel Caribe over payment for an extra 'guest.'
"According to a senior law enforcement official, an employee approached at least one Secret Service agent and demanded that he pay extra money for having an additional overnight guest in his room.
"The agent balked, which eventually resulted in a confrontation and forced diplomatic intervention.
"The official said the guest involved apparently was a prostitute...."
"Promises must be kept and contracts strictly observed to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just. A significant part of economic and social life depends on the honoring of contracts between physical or moral persons-commercial contracts of purchase or sale, rental or labor contracts. All contracts must be agreed to and executed in good faith." (Catechism, 2410)I suppose I could argue that the secret service agent didn't have to pay the hotel for an additional guest, since his contract to the hotel was valid "to the extent that the commitments made in them are morally just" - - - and she didn't count, since she's 'just a prostitute.'
"Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
"You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
"You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment.
"So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. 13 But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.'
"He said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.' "
(Luke 7:47-48)
"Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, '"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?'Forgiveness is important. But Jesus also said "...from now on do not sin any more." Pretty good advice, I think.
"She replied, 'No one, sir.' Then Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.' "
(John 8:10-11)
"Report: Secret Service involved in second prostitution scandal"I put a longer excerpt at the end of this post.2
CNN (April 26, 2012)
"A day after U.S. lawmakers were briefed on an alleged prostitution scandal in Colombia involving Secret Service members, a report emerged Thursday of similar allegations, this time in El Salvador..."
"...The men drank heavily at the club, and most of them paid extra for access to a VIP section where they were provided sexual favors in return for cash, the source told the station....
"...The owner said his club routinely takes care of high-ranking employees of the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador as well as visiting agents from the FBI and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, KIRO said. The owner said his reputation for 'security' and 'privacy' makes his strip club popular with 'those who want to be discreet.'
"The government contractor source said he told the agents it was a 'really bad idea' to take the strippers back to their hotel rooms, but several agents bragged that they 'did this all the time' and 'not to worry about it,' KIRO reported...."
"Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties...."Bottom line? The Church won't let me see women as sex objects.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2354)
"Prostitution does injury to the dignity of the person who engages in it, reducing the person to an instrument of sexual pleasure...."
(Catechism, 2355)
"The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it:"Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design.40"(Catechism, 1935)
"Tourism Must Be Enlightened by the Word of God, Says Pope"Full text of Benedict XVI's message at Cancun:
ZENIT (April 23, 2012)
"Calls for End to Human Trafficking"
"With a message from Benedict XVI, the 7th World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Tourism opened today in Cancun, Mexico, on the topic 'Tourism That Makes a Difference.'...
"...The Pope points out three areas on which the pastoral care of tourism must focus its attention.
"In the first place, 'we need shed light on this reality using the social teaching of the Church and promote a culture of ethical and responsible tourism, in such a way that it will respect the dignity of persons and of peoples, be open to all, be just, sustainable and ecological....'
"In the second place, 'our pastoral action should never lose sight of the via pulchritudinis, "the way of beauty." Many of the manifestations of the historical and cultural religious patrimony are "authentic ways to God, Supreme Beauty; indeed they help us to grow in our relationship with him, in prayer. These are works that arise from faith and express faith"...'
"And, in the third place, 'pastoral activity in the area of tourism should care for Christians as they enjoy their vacations and free time in such a way that these will contribute to their human and spiritual growth. Truly this is "an appropriate moment to let the body relax and to nourish the spirit with more time for prayer and meditation, in order to grow in personal relationship with Christ and become ever more conformed to his teachings"....'..."
"Report: Secret Service involved in second prostitution scandal"
CNN (April 26, 2012)
"A day after U.S. lawmakers were briefed on an alleged prostitution scandal in Colombia involving Secret Service members, a report emerged Thursday of similar allegations, this time in El Salvador...."
"Seattle TV station KIRO, a CNN affiliate, cited an unnamed U.S. government contractor who worked extensively with the Secret Service advance team in San Salvador prior to President Barack Obama's trip there in March, 2011.
"The source said he was with about a dozen Secret Service agents and a few U.S. military specialists at a strip club in the city a few days before Obama arrived, KIRO reported.
"The men drank heavily at the club, and most of them paid extra for access to a VIP section where they were provided sexual favors in return for cash, the source told the station.
"KIRO said the owner of the strip club corroborated the allegations. The owner confirmed that a large number of Secret Service agents, and some military escorts, 'descended on his club' that week and were there at least three nights in a row, KIRO reported.
"The owner said his club routinely takes care of high-ranking employees of the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador as well as visiting agents from the FBI and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, KIRO said. The owner said his reputation for 'security' and 'privacy' makes his strip club popular with 'those who want to be discreet.'
"The government contractor source said he told the agents it was a 'really bad idea' to take the strippers back to their hotel rooms, but several agents bragged that they 'did this all the time' and 'not to worry about it,' KIRO reported...."
" 'God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.'218 Man occupies a unique place in creation: (I) he is "in the image of God"; (II) in his own nature he unites the spiritual and material worlds; (III) he is created "male and female"; (IV) God established him in his friendship."Backing up a bit more, I'm a practicing Catholic, so I have to believe that God created everything: and that what God created is good. (Genesis 1:1-31; Catechism, 337-338) Which isn't the same as believing Bishop Ussher, or hating science: and I've been over that before. (March 14, 2012, January 18, 2012)
(Catechism, 355)
"The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic LANGUAGE when it affirms that 'then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.'229 Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God."There's more about body and soul, with emphasis on "and." (Catechism, 362-368) One of the important points is that man isn't two natures, body and spirit, welded together. We're body and spirit, united to form a single nature. (Catechism, 365)
(Catechism, 362)
"The human body shares in the dignity of the image of God: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:232I'm not supposed to worship my body, either, and that's another topic. (April 15, 2012)
Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.233"(Catechism, 364)
"A man said to the universe:I've run into folks who seem to think that God shouldn't exist, because there are places in the universe where we need to use our brains to survive. I don't see it that way: but like I said, I grew up in a place where winter happened.
'Sir, I exist!'
'However,' replied the universe,
'The fact has not created in me
'A sense of obligation.' "
("War is Kind," Stephen Crane (1899), via Project Gutenberg)
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