Just a quick note on a blockbuster movie that is soon to be released in NZ (perhaps May). I can’t find the exact date but There be Dragons tells of the life and message of a catholic saint very close to my heart and one that has changed the face of Catholicism with regard to the role of the laity, and their role in the church. I’m proud to say that I call St Josemaria Escriva a spiritual father; he is personally responsible for changing my life, the way I work, and my friendships and ultimately my relationship with the Lord. You can view the trailer here if you’re interested.
Archive for March, 2011
31
Mar
There be Dragons
Lent provides us with new ways of reflecting on life and our attitudes to life. An article on Zenit reports that Bishops in Arizona have released a statement calling for an end to the Death Penalty in the States.
Their statement holds ”that capital punishment is state-sanctioned vengeance that is not in keeping with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” – they argue that it does not uphold the dignity of human life, and that there are other means of keeping society safe from dangerous criminals – capital punishment does not directly defend anyone, so is therefore wrong.
At risk of quoting the whole article, you can read it here: http://www.zenit.org/article-32158?l=english
How should we approach the death penalty? As Christians we’ve moved past the ‘eye for an eye’ rule of law; as a society we’ve moved past the days of the Wild West and its rudimentary prisons. Without a doubt, we need strong prisons and penalties that protect civilians from dangerous criminals – but what the Bishops say rings undeniably true – except in those rare cases when the death penalty is required to defend others, there are certainly now other means of keeping society safe from criminals.
Is the death penalty, however, a deterrent that it would be unwise to throw away? They say that barbarism is the absence of standards to which an appeal can be made; perhaps the consequence of death is the only thing that will deter some people from committing serious crime. One could argue that in an increasingly amoral, relativist society, such a ‘deterrent’ is necessary. One can also argue that this is merely ambulances at the bottom of the cliff, which it is.
But the question then still remains – who swings the axe? Who presses the button on the electric chair? Who administers the lethal injection? And if a prisoner is sentenced to death, the possibility of redemption or true contrition and a change of heart does become somewhat impossible. Do we really have any right, legal or moral, to deprive a fellow human being of his life?
Marty was heading north recently, and dropped in on Palmerston North.
My word.
What he appreciated about this haven of western civilisation, aside from the weather, was the rather distinctive spire of St Patrick’s parish (now known, since 1980, as the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit). PN has a few tall(ish) buildings, but it is pleasant, when visiting a developing metropolis such as PN, to see a spire (connected to a Catholic church, what is more) as one of the more distinctive high-rise features of the city skyline.
Marty found a little time, during his stay, to visit the former St Patrick’s parochial church. It was a pleasant experience. In its ‘reincarnation’ as the Cathedral of the diocese, some work was obviously done on the church. On the whole, tastefully, in Marty’s opinion.
Retained is the memorial High Altar (constructed in 1963) – although the parish history speaks somewhat disparagingly of it. Removed are the pews, kneelers, confessionals – retained are the beautiful stained glass windows. There is a pleasant Blessed Sacrament chapel to the left of the High Altar, and a nice ‘day chapel’ behind the main sanctuary for week day Masses. The pipe organ is impressive.
One thing Marty did want to mention was the Holy Week timetable. Marty thinks it has much to offer.
Rite I confessions are on offer on Monday and (especially) Wednesday of Holy Week. The schedule for the Triduum in particular has been well ‘crafted’. Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday will begin with Morning Prayer of the Church at 8.30 and on Holy Thursday will finish with Night Prayer of the Church at 10pm; on Good Friday with Evening Prayer at 7pm. These are awesome initiatives in Marty’s book – tying the faithful into the solemnity of the Triduum more fully, if they avail themselves of it.
Build it, and they will come. Well done, Bishop Peter.
The Cathedral website may be found here.
For those of you in the diocese who still attend Mass and the other sacraments of the Church, I would recommend availing yourselves of these opportunities. I’m sure those in other dioceses will find similar initiatives at their own Cathedrals.
28
Mar
11th Commandment
Sitting through the Gospel yesterday got me thinking about the Ten Commandments. We don’t hear much about them these days.
There’s a lot of mischief said about the Catholic Church rewriting the Ten Commandments – even removing the reference to idolatry (despite this actually being included in the full version of the Commandments in the Catechism).
1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honour your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
So why just Ten? We’re told the Ten Commandments are the bare minimum we should uphold. But why just stop at Ten? Why not Twelve, like the twelve tribes of Israel?
If there had been an Eleventh Commandment, what would it be?
The story of Moses also made me recall that Moses was barred from the Promised Land due to the incident in the Desert where the Israelites wanted water. God punished Moses for striking the rock, as opposed to speaking to it. For that disobedience, God banned him from seeing the Promised Land.
Pretty tough love there for a man who had worked for tirelessly on God’s behalf to free the Israelites from Egypt.
Looking online, I also found that Moses is actually not a Catholic Saint, which surprised me – but then again, I guess he was never a Catholic and so the Church can’t quantify whether he’s in heaven or not. But I’d take a punt and say he probably is enjoying Paradise.
St. Venturino of Bergamo, pray for us.
Ok, so in my little 3-part series I’m now up to the vow of obedience. Where, some may ask, is the ‘beauty’ in obedience? For me, it is in the total giving of one’s will to the Lord. We are all called to strive for a letting-go of our own will. In the Lord’s Prayer we say ’Your will be done’ to God the Father, but then are often very good at conveniently forgetting this or complaining when we don’t get our own way. This evangelical counsel is based on the modelling of Christ who was ‘obedient even unto death, death on a cross’ (Phil 2:5-8).
Sr Mary Dominic Pitts OP, in the book ‘Foundations of Religious Life’, says that ‘vowed obedience is preeminently and mysteriously the seal placed on the totality of response to the Lord who calls”. This is an offering of one’s own will as a sacrifice, a gift to God.
Obedience cannot exist without faith and trust. I think it’s a pretty big ask for someone to give up some of the big decision-making moments in their life, or even some of the little ones. One must have an absolute faith and trust that God will be working His will through the superior of the order they belong to. Sr Mary Dominic also says, ‘In the theology of religious life, faith allows a religious to see in the commands of superiors the manifestation of the will of God’. I think this is probably a stumbling block for many and I have heard one religious recently say that his vow of obedience is to God and not his superior. I guess this is how some of us feel when the Bishop or our Parish Priest makes a decision we don’t agree with (or feel we know better).
I want to finish with a quote from ‘Foundations of Religious Life’:
In recent years some have questioned whether superiors in fact “hold God’s place” and mistakingly equate compliance with obedience. They call for a “theology of discernment” and a “theology of mediation”, stating that each religious can best mediate her own situation and determine her own life… St Basil the Great’s blunt observation from the fourth century comes to mind: “If [the monk]…wishes to do his own will, why has he placed himself under the obedience of a superior?” In reality, the vow of obedience is rooted in the willed choice of an individual…Obedience is not conformity. Its exercise is voluntary and responsible. Acting in true obedience, the religious, far from being repressed and dehumanised, is exercising the most mature act that the will can make.
Following in Christ’s footsteps…beautiful.
26
Mar
But it’s so hard!
Lenten sacrifices, prayer life, living a moral life, and generally just trying to be faithful to God can all be tough in this day and age. How many times a week do we renege on our promises or sacrifices, how many times do we willingly do what we know to be wrong, how often do we lead ourselves into sin.
Well if you are like me, you are still struggling along the road to perfection.
The good news is that Jesus came to meet us. Christianity is not about us trying to climb an impossibly high mountain by ourselves, striving to reach heaven on our own merits. Rather, Christ comes down to the bottom of the mountain to meet us, and if need be, carry us up.
There is also the Church Triumphant, right now praying for our salvation. Their example provides invaluable lessons for all of us, as this one concerning the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste does. There are a few different versions of the story, but this one is particularly easy to read.
So next time something is too hard in the Christian life, think of a martyr (or 40!!) and ask for their intercession, turn to Jesus and ask him to help you through your pain.
Forty men disrobed in the bitter winter air and waded waist deep into the lake, joyfully prepared to die for the One who died for them. The icy waters tried unceasingly to cool their fervor, but the men held fast to their faith, which was handed down to them through the Church from Christ Himself. They continually warmed their hearts by singing hymns and prayers of praise as their bodies trembled and convulsed in the freezing waters.
Behind them, soldiers were preparing what promised to be a warm and soothing contrast to the slow, torturous death that lay before them. Tubs with steaming hot water and tables set with tempting foods awaited them all, if only they would simply renounce their faith.
The soldiers stood watch, waiting for the men to come ashore to warm themselves and deny their Catholic faith. Some scoffed at the stupidity of the martyrs, but others watched, silently impressed at the strength the 40 men displayed. And one soldier in particular deeply pondered the scene before him. What could make a man go so cheerfully to such a painful death? He himself was getting quite cold, and could hardly imagine the torture these Christians must have been enduring.
Then, as if receiving an answer to his question, the soldier’s gaze turned towards Heaven. To his great astonishment, he beheld 40 crowns slowly descending towards the Christian prisoners – glorious crowns of martyrdom, whose splendor far exceeded any earthly crowns the soldier had ever seen!
But as he watched these crowns continue their descent, however, one Christian could no longer bear the icy tortures. He left the others, and hurried toward shore. Who could blame him? Surely he shouldn’t have to endure so much to gain a Heavenly reward! Perhaps he would repent sometime later if the persecutions in his country eventually stopped. Yes, he concluded, I can indeed save my life today and my soul tomorrow! But as he emerged from the water toward the cheering soldiers, one abandoned crown ascended back towards Heaven.
By grace, the one soldier was allowed this vision. In an instant he understood what was at stake and suddenly no price was too high to pay for such a glorious inheritance. The soldier flung his armor aside and plunged himself into the water, joining the other martyrs to claim the lost man’s glory for himself.
Meanwhile, the Christian who renounced his faith climbed into the warm tub of water, craving nothing but the temporal comfort and relief it promised. But the shock to his body was so great he died instantly, and the crown formerly prepared for him hovered securely above the soldier’s head instead.
Soon, God, in His mercy, chose to slowly warm the waters for them, putting an end to their bitter suffering. This relief was to be short lived, however, for the discouraged soldiers decided to take matters into their own hands. And when torture was unable to kill the martyrs’ spirit of love for Our Lord, the soldiers burned the men alive. Not one of these men faltered in their faith, and as the smoke rose toward the heavens, their souls were crowned with glory.
While some details of this story vary slightly from one storyteller to the next, the Church has proclaimed these 40 Martyrs of Sebaste as Saints and their story is worthy of reflection. Their feast day falls in March, giving us a prime opportunity to meditate on the 40 martyrs during the 40 days of Lent.
For most of us, the conditions these men had to endure to live and die for their Catholic faith is mind-boggling. We have not had to suffer as they did for the faith, and to think that such a sacrifice might be required of us is almost unimaginable. But beware – many souls have found that sometimes it is harder staying faithful in the little, day-to-day things than it is to stand firmly in the faith in large matters. When it seems nothing is at stake, it is easy to cave in to our temptations. “Maybe just a few chocolate chips,” we tell ourselves. Then, when we cater to our temporal desires and comfort and nothing “bad” happens, it makes it that much easier to cave in again. And again. And pretty soon Lent seems hardly a time for penance at all.
If you have had a hard time completing your Lenten penance in the past, try using these powerful martyrs to help you persevere by keeping these men in the forefront of your mind for the remainder of Lent. Every day you succeed in completing your Lenten penance, imagine a crown being placed on the head of a martyr. And should you fall, repent immediately and jump right back into that icy water! Don’t give up and assume you will do better next year. Remind yourself that like the man who died in the tub, next year may never come.
Lent is not only the perfect time to strengthen your resolve to remain true to the faith through self-mortification, but it is a great time to evangelize to others as well. As Lent goes on, you may find that others may be silently watching you during this season – a neighbor, an in-law, or your child. And your example of mortification very well could be the example Our Lord uses to inspire that soul to shed its worldly ways and join you on your quest to obtain your crown in His heavenly Kingdom!
40 Martyrs of Sebaste, pray for us this Lenten season!
By Cassandra Pope, http://catholicmom.com/2011/03/21/40-martyrs-to-help-you-during-lent/
Unemployed this week but have picked a good week to do it. Nice and sunny spring weather here in London and it was even warm enough to venture out in just a t-shirt a couple of days ago (and jeans of course). It is quite a pretty place in the sunshine, and there is so much history on every corner in the City itself. Another plus of my current situation is being able to watch lots of Planet Earth which I had purchased months ago from HMV. I love my documentaries especially those directed by David Attenborough. Mmmmm David Attenborough. As an aside, have you seen the letters he has after his name – OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA… at least one of them must be made up. But no, they’re all there on his Wiki page.
Whilst meditating on the latest episode of Planet Earth I concluded that should the Buddhists be correct and we get another chance on the wheel of life (oooo controversial) I would not like being a land based herbivore of moderate size. Death is prettty much just around every corner. I’m not sure I could deal with the stress. I’ve heard
Although I guess that’s not too much different from our current circumstance. Especially now with tensions cranked up again with what’s going on in Libya. Gaddafi doesn’t appear to be the stablest of characters and with his track record in the terrorism stakes, it’s probably not good that the US, UK, and France are all publicised as ‘leading’ the enforcement of the no-fly zone. I’ve read some people saying that this decision to invervene in Libya is more about oil than anything humanitarian. And maybe they have a point because there has been relatively little in the way of intervention in other civil war type conflicts (Rwanda? Sudan? Maybe I’m just misinformed… wouldn’t be a first of course). But the oil was flowing quite freely under Gaddafi anyway, so it’s not like the allied forces have to prise him out to get access to the oil.
I wonder if this is going to set a precedent now whenever we see these sort of revolutions taking place. If not, then I have to wonder if this current situation is being driven by a base need of caring and looking after the downtrodden, or by the oil that Libya is so rich in.
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