Sunday, April 30, 2006
Update on Andrea Clark: No Transfer to Illinois  

Both Blogs for Terri and Wesley Smith are reporting that the plan to move Andrea Clark from St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, TX to a facility in Illinois has been cancelled. Apparently, the Illinois facility would not be able to provide the level of care that Ms. Clark needs.

The problem with this is that the Houston hospital now has the legal right to stop providing Ms. Clark care as of today, April 30th. Despite some assurances given, perhaps only given verbally, it is not clear whether the hospital will permit Ms. Clark to continue to receive care until a suitable facility may be found for her. Ms. Clark's sister is naturally trying via an attorney to get a written assurance that the hospital will not stop her sister's care over the weekend and perhaps even until Tuesday.
She said that they told her that they won't do it over the weekend. However, they have the right to disconnect Andrea, according to the law, on Sunday, April 30, unless they agree to do otherwise in writing. This means that, at any moment, on Sunday, or afterwards, they can go up to Andrea's room and turn off her respirator, without notifying anyone of this decision, without her family by her side as she dies, without allowing anyone to say goodbye.
Ms. Clark, her family, and supporters on the ground need our prayers and action. Click here for information on who to contact.

Posted by David at 12:47 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Pope St. Nicholas V List: Smart Sex  

The most recent recommendation from the Pope St. Nicholas V list is Smart Sex: Finding Life-Long Love in a Hook-Up World.
Fear is at the heart of the sexual revolution—fear of other people, fear of relationships, fear of permanence—and its most fitting monument is the "hook-up." In a provocative new book, Jennifer Roback Morse exposes the sexual revolution’s fraudulent promise of freedom and points the way to the most thrilling human adventure of all: life-long love.
Morse explains why marriage is in crisis and why we should care. Strong, lasting marriages, she argues, are essential for the survival of a free society, not to mention basic human happiness. She fires the opening shots of a new sexual revolution and shows how everyone, married or single, can help. By the end of the twentieth century, most people had joined the once-radical sexual revolutionaries in embracing a pair of badly flawed ideas—that freedom means being unencumbered by relationships, and that sex is a purely private activity with no moral or social significance. Morse shows how these ideas reduced sex to a commodity--"consumer sex"--and left millions of people miserable.
Morse fearlessly explodes some of modern society’s most cherished, and destructive, myths. She argues that reproductive freedom is an illusion, recreational sex isn’t really fun, and sex is neither morally neutral nor essentially private. She offers a radically different yet compelling view of sex, based on the law of self-giving inscribed in our human nature.
A practical book by a practical woman, SMART SEX is about why and how to stay married. While most books on relationships deal with feelings and communication, SMART SEX is focused on the nature and meaning of sex and marriage, leading the reader to an appreciation of the demanding yet rewarding commitments they require.
I cannot say that I have read this book, but it certainly looks like a good read. For information which you would need to request the book for your local public library, click here. Also, consider joining the Pope St. Nicholas V email list to receive the emails with all of the information and suggested books.

Also, the author of this book, Jennifer Roback Morse, is currently involved in an online debate on the question of whether contraception is good for society. The debate is hosted by Marriage Debate. (Scroll down to the beginning of the debate.)

Posted by David at 12:30 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Saturday, April 29, 2006
Good News for both Clark and Vo  

There is an update on the two women Andrea Clark and Lang Yen Thi Vo who have been facing the prospect of dying in hospitals because the hospitals refused to provide them the care which they need. In both hospitals, under a Texas futile care law, the decision has been made to terminate the necessary care that each woman needs. The law provides for 10 days before either the patient is removed or the hospital stops the care which they consider to be futile. Neither woman is terminally ill, but under the provisions of the law, the hospitals have determined that the care the women receive is only prolonging their dying. In the case of Andrea Clark, 54, who has suffered from bleeding in her head following a January surgery on her heart, the St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, TX had determined that April 30th would be the last day that Ms. Clark would receive dialysis and respirator care. For Ms. Vo, 63, who has suffered a number of strokes, the North Austin Medical Center hospital in Austin, TX was prepared to stop life support tomorrow.

After negotiations between the family and the St. Luke's hospital, Andrea Clark will be transported from to a facility in Illinois. The facility in Illinois has agreed to continue Clark's care. Naturally, the family is disappointed in being forced to have Ms. Clark transported to a facility which is so far from Texas. However, given the inhuman futile care law in Texas, Ms. Clark and the family might be very grateful to be outside of Texas.

In Ms. Vo's case, the family has been able, through a court action, to extend the ten day deadline that is provided by law. The hospital has agreed to extend the deadline until June 3. The extra time is only given to allow the family to find another facility which would provide Ms. Vo the care which she needs.

We can thank God for this good news for both of these women. It comes in the face of what is really quite an unbelievable occasion. In both cases, the hospitals are not refusing to provide treatment which had not yet been given. Instead, they are deciding to stop providing treatment which has already been given and proven effective. Members of both families want to see that their loved one continues to receive care, and in the case of Ms. Clark, she has been able to express her wishes to live. Also, in Ms. Clark's case, she has private insurance which is paying for her care. (I am not certain of Ms. Vo's insurance situation.) All of this has not seemed to matter to the hospitals who have been quick to use the Texas futile care law to demand that the patients be removed or left to die within 10 days of the hospitals' decisions. Ms. Vo has correctly received an extension because it is simply an absurd request to give only 10 days to transport someone to another facility. And, given the hospital climate in Texas based on this law, it almost forces the patient to leave the state. I pray that she too is sent to a facility that will give her the care which she needs.

Source

Posted by David at 12:09 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Friday, April 28, 2006
Andrea Clark's Fight Continues  

The situation for Andrea Clark in Texas continues to worsen. The hospital in Houston where the fully conscience and privately insured patient is now receiving care, is prepared to stop her respirator and dialysis treatment on Sunday, April 30th. As the family continues to look for another facility in Texas which will take Ms. Clark and provide her with the care that she needs, the hospital that is ready to terminate her life has offered a deal to the family. According to a post dated April 27, 2006 on Blogs for Terri,
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has just notified the family that they are willing to pay the almost $17,000 to move Andrea to Illinois if they will immediately - that's TODAY, move Andrea out of St. Lukes to the Illinois facility. If the family waits until tomorow to decide, St. Lukes will only pay half. And if the family can't make a decision by tomorow, the hospital may consider to pay absolutely nothing. In other words, the hospital is attempting to force Andrea out of the hospital in order to stop the financial drain of the cost of her care.
The family is urging people to contact the hospital to let the hospital know that what is being done to Ms. Clark is unacceptable. The hospital may be contacted via:

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
6720 Bertner Ave., Houston, TX 77030
(832) 355-1000 (Main number)
generalinformation@sleh.com

Posted by David at 8:13 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Thursday, April 27, 2006
Two Texas Women slated to die  

There are currently two women in the state of Texas who are living under a sentence of death. Neither has committed a crime. Neither are they currently incarcerated. Instead, they are guilty of requiring medical care which their physicians have determined should no longer be provided them despite their own wishes and the wishes of their family members.

There is a provision under Texas law which allows hospitals to refuse to give care despite the expressed desires of the patient and their families. In both of these women's cases, the hospitals have invoked these law provisions to decide that within ten days of the hospitals' decisions, the care will either be suspended or the patients will have been moved to other facilities.

The more widely known case is that of Andrea Clark who has been a patient of St. Luke's in Houston since November of last year. In January of this year she underwent open-heart surgery, and in February she began bleeding in her head. She currently requires a respirator and dialysis. However, she is not terminally ill, and her health care is being provided through her own private insurance. The attending physician has determined that continued care is futile. Under the provisions of the Futile Care Law, the physician's decision was reviewed by a hospital ethics committee who agreed with the decision.
Under Chapter 166 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, if an attending physician disagrees with a surrogate over a life-and-death treatment decision, there must be an ethics committee consultation (with notice to the surrogate and an opportunity to participate). In a futility case such as Andrea's in which the treatment team is seeking to stop treatment deemed to be non-beneficial, if the ethics committee agrees with the team, the hospital will be authorized to discontinue the disputed treatment (after a 10-day delay, during which the hospital must help try to find a facility that will accept a transfer of the patient). These provisions, which were added to Texas law in 1999, originally applied only to adult patients. In 2003, they were made applicable to disputes over treatment decisions for or on behalf of minors. One of the co-drafters in both 1999 and 2003 was the National Right to Life Committee. Witnesses who testified in support of the bill in 1999 included representatives of National Right to Life, Texas Right to Life, and the Hemlock Society. The bill passed both houses, unanimously, both years, and the 1999 law was signed by then Governor George W. Bush. The statute was designed to keep these cases out of court. Source
However, provisions in the law also require that the hospital and the attending physician assist in any type of transfer of the patient. The family of Andrea Clark, indicate that hospital has not cooperated in their efforts to have Andrea transferred.
Clark's sisters, Lanore Dixon and Melanie Childers, point out that under a little known Texas law, a self-appointed ethics committee can decide to forcibly remove care from a patient. Once that decision is made, the patient and family have 10 days to find another hospital to provide care for their family member.

But they say the law also requires that the attending physician help with the transfer which they say hasn't been done in Andrea's case. They say that the hospital has unlawfully and unjustly transferred responsibility to them, a denial of due process.
...
Houston hospitals have a policy in that once the medical treatment of a patient has been deemed "medically futile" no other hospital in the area will accept transfer of that patient to their facility. This means that the patient, who is usually in a very delicate condition anyway, has to be transported over a long distance, in order to receive care, her sister explains.

When asked if Andrea is capable of being transferred to another facility, the hospital hedges but reluctantly admits that she could be, according to the sisters. Hospital representatives will not discuss the case with media.
Source
Andrea's family and Andrea herself have expressed her desire to live.
Family members say that even though their sister can't speak, they know her wish is to live. They say that she can communicate by moving her lips and blinking her eyes.

"If their ethics committee makes a decision, it doesn't matter what the patient wants," Dixon said. "It doesn't even apparently matter what the patient's condition is, because our sister is not in a coma, she's not brain dead," Dixon said.
...
"Andrea, until a few days ago, when the physicians decided to increase her pain medication and anesthetize her into unconsciousness, was fully able to make her own medical decisions and had decided that she wanted life saving treatment until she dies naturally", Childers said. "We have learned that this is part of the process, when hospitals decided to declare the "medical futility" of continuing treatment for a patient.

"Andrea, when she is not medicated into unconsciousness (and even when she is, and the medication has worn off to some degree) is aware and cognizant", her sister said. "She has suffered no brain damage to the parts of her brain responsible for thought and reason or speech. She has only suffered loss of some motor control. The reason that the physician gave to medicate her so much is that she is suffering from intractable pain in the sacral region (in other words, she has a bedsore that causes her pain). This is not reason enough, in our books, and we are trying, as we speak, to get Andrea's medication lowered so that she can speak to us.

"There is also some disagreement as well as to whether Andrea is really in that much pain. When she is not medicated to this degree, and she sees her son, Charles, she smiles. She also mouths words (Andrea is very vocal, normally, even with a trach, and asks for food, etc., when she is not overly medicated) Andrea has voiced her wishes, over and over again, an d if she were not on so much pain medication, she would voice them again", Melanie says. Source
Another woman, Yelang Vo, finds herself in the same straits. According to Jerri Lynn Ward of the Texas Advance Directives Blog,
Ms. Vo is in her 60's. She is a patient at St. David's North
Austin Medical Center here in Austin, Texas. She has been diagnosed with persistent vegetative state--but that is disputed by the family. Ms. Vo's daughter, Loann Trihn, is an emergency room doctor and she disputes the diagnosis. Such a diagnosis is very subjective and involves clinical assessments. Dr. Trihn and her father have both witnessed her mother being responsive.

The attending physician wishes to withdraw dialysis, That is not acceptable to the family--and it against the express wishes of the patient expressed before she became unable to communicate. Ms. Vo needs a new shunt surgically implanted for her dialysis. She is receiving it by a different means at the present. The physician, apparently, does not believe that her state of life justifies the surgery.

Withdrawal of dialysis with no further attempt at creating a surgical access port not only condemns Ms. Vo to a rapid and untimely death, but prevents any initiation of dialysis on an outpatient basis should her sepsis be successfully treated and maximum medical improvement be obtained. The family have all observed signs that the mother retains certain cognitive abilities which may well improve with continued treatment. Removing dialysis is a preemptive and premature act which deprives her of a more natural path toward a peaceful end of life and is contrary to her expressed wishes to fight with all her strength until her time has come. Dialysis is no longer an extreme procedure and is performed for many patients on a routine outpatient basis and can in some case be self administered. To deny such a service in a critically ill patient without family consent and access to judicial due process is ethically, morally and very possibly legally wrong. The care for this lady should continue according to the highest current medical standard. Source
Ms. Vo is facing the same problem that she would require a transfer to a distant medical facility.

The irony in this is, of course, how the law that is being used to provide cover for those who are taking the lives of these two women was supported by pro-life organizations and unanimously passed by both Texas houses and signed into law by then Governor Bush. In other words, a great number of people who thought they were doing a good thing to keep these type of health care disputes out of courts have given the power to hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies to determine whether people should receive adequate care or not. As these two cases illustrate, the law has actually stripped away a patient's protection from those who would want to deny them adequate care. Patients now find themselves in the hands of people who seem far more concerned about costs than about people. Clearly, the supporters of this law did not read the language very carefully. Or perhaps some, such as the Hemlock Society, who testified in support of the law, did understand the implications of the law. Because what the law does is provide just yet one more inroad for euthanasia.

H/T: Blogs for Terri

Posted by David at 7:50 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Tuesday, April 25, 2006
St. Mark and Inspiration  

Today is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. It is through him that we have one of the four precious Gospels which present the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Gospel he wrote was a product of his relationship with St. Peter. Tradition indicates that he was baptized by St. Peter, and after he came to Rome with St. Peter, he was asked by the church in Rome to write down an account of Jesus' life. Numerous scholars have thought that the structure of the Gospel may take its form from the preaching of St. Peter. In addition, the influence of St. Peter is evident from the details which St. Mark provides regarding our Lord's relationship with the first bishop of Rome. The humility of St. Peter comes through in the accounts that do not hide his flaws and mistakes.

I think it is quite fascinating how God worked through the various writers to produce Sacred Scripture. The various styles and influences of the writers can be discerned even through translations of the Scriptures from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. And when one can appreciate the original languages, the individuality of the writing is even more pronounced. My limited experience during seminary of translating parts of the New Testament showed me that there is a vast difference between the way that St. Paul and St. Mark write. Translating St. Mark's Gospel was relatively easy compared to struggling to with St. Paul's complex sentence structure. Nonetheless, God used these differences to produce the very message He wanted written.
God is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."

"For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself."

God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. "To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."

The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."

Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book." Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, a word which is "not a written and mute word, but the Word is incarnate and living". If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures." CCC, 105-108
The Catechism expresses very beautifully how this relationship between God and the authors produced Sacred Scripture. Full use of their abilities was made in God's plan to have written the very words God desired. It is certainly a mystery as to how that worked, but it is not without some connection to other mysteries in our lives. God desires the birth of a child, yet He uses the human agents of the child's mother and father to bring the child into the world. Certainly our free will comes into play, but God is so great that He can work in and through our free wills for His purposes. The struggle and the key, it seems to me, is that I strive to cooperate with His purposes in order that He is able to work through me rather than in spite of me.


Posted by David at 8:09 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Monday, April 24, 2006
John Paul the Great and Divine Mercy  

During yesterday's recitation of the Regina Caeli by Benedict XVI, he recalled the influence that the message of Divine Mercy had upon John Paul the Great:
In consideration of this, the Servant of God John Paul II, valuing the spiritual experience of a humble religious, St. Faustina Kowalska, wanted the Sunday after Easter to be dedicated in a special way to divine mercy, and providence disposed that he should die precisely on the vigil of that day (in the hands of Divine Mercy).

The mystery of the merciful love of God was at the center of the pontificate of my venerated predecessor. Let us recall, in particular, the encyclical "Dives in Misericordia" of 1980, and the dedication of the new shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, in 2002.

The words he pronounced on that last occasion were as a synthesis of his magisterium, evidencing that devotion to Divine Mercy is not a secondary, but an integral dimension of a Christian's faith and prayer. Source
Indeed, last year, at the funeral mass, Cardinal Ratzinger recalled John Paul's teaching of the connection between Divine Mercy, suffering, and evil.
He interpreted for us the paschal mystery as a mystery of divine mercy. In his last book, he wrote: The limit imposed upon evil "is ultimately Divine Mercy" (Memory and Identity, pp. 60-61). And reflecting on the assassination attempt, he said: "In sacrificing himself for us all, Christ gave a new meaning to suffering, opening up a new dimension, a new order: the order of love ... It is this suffering which burns and consumes evil with the flame of love and draws forth even from sin a great flowering of good" (pp. 189-190). Impelled by this vision, the Pope suffered and loved in communion with Christ, and that is why the message of his suffering and his silence proved so eloquent and so fruitful. Source
The, then cardinal, touches upon the importance of divine mercy as something that is lived. While St. Faustina was asked to promote the message of Divine Mercy, her most important mission was to live it out in her daily life. Similarly, John Paul the Great did not simply teach about God's great Divine Mercy, he lived it out through the three-fold parts of the message.

The first part is to ask for God's mercy. I recall the Holy Father's example during the Jubilee Year of 2000 when he asked pardon for the sins committed by Christian men and women over the past several centuries. In particular, I remember the very moving picture of the Holy Father slowly making his way to the Wailing Wall, leaving a prayer for pardon, and pausing to pray.

The second part is to be merciful. John Paul the Great did not forget that although he was the pope, he was first a priest and a bishop. As the Gospel reading from Divine Mercy Sunday indicates, the apostles and their successors were given by Christ His authority to forgive sins.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:21-23
During His pontificate, He would make a point of hearing confessions on Good Friday. This example demonstrated the mercy of God as he allowed himself to be a minister of God's mercy in the sacrament of confession.

The third part of the message of Divine Mercy is the need to trust in Jesus. The image of Divine Mercy which St. Faustina had painted includes the words at the bottom, "Jesus, I trust in You." Certainly, John Paul the Great trusted in Jesus. His last years were lived out with visible suffering that demonstrated his complete abandonment to the will of God. Undoubtedly, his trust in his savior who had called him to the Petrine office enabled him to continue serving despite all that he suffered.

As Cardinal Ratzinger indicated in the homily for the funeral of John Paul the Great, it his example of abandonment to God's Divine Mercy that is so eloquent. I think it is also the secret behind the beauty and attractiveness of his life.

Posted by David at 8:12 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Sunday, April 23, 2006
Celebrating Mercy  

Today, the second Sunday in Easter, by a decree issued in 2000 by John Paul the Great, the Church celebrates the Feast of Divine Mercy. Because it is a new feast and the message of Divine Mercy is only slowly permeating local parishes, there are many places that do not proclaim the nature of this feast day. It is very unfortunate because it really is a feast to remind us of who God is and the way He relates to us. He comes to us to give us mercy in order that we may no longer be slaves to ours sins.

The origin of the feast can be traced to the private revelations which the Polish nun St. Maria Faustina Kowalska received during the 1930s. In several places in her diary, which she wrote under obedience to her spiritual director, she records Jesus' words to her concerning the nature of the Feast of Divine Mercy:
Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary 300)

This Feast emerged from the very depths of My mercy, and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. (Diary 420)

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to our neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to absolve yourself from it. (Diary 742)

I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109)
What is revealed here is really quite beautiful. It is not a new message, because it has been the consistent message of the Church that God's infinite mercy is extended to all who will receive it. Instead, it is a fresh reminder and celebration of this wonderful truth that God's mercy is greater than any person's sin, indeed it is greater than all of the sins ever committed.

It is also a wonderful reminder to us that this is the essence of God's love for us and the basis for Christianity. God is reaching out to everyone He has created in His mercy in order to offer His mercy to us because we have gone astray. All of salvation history is God seeking His lost sheep in order to offer them the free gift of mercy and pardon for sins. Today is no different. He extends the same free gift. We simply have to trust in Him.




Posted by David at 8:13 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Much needed rain  

Much needed rain has fallen in my area since Friday. It is an answer to prayer, as it has been far too dry. We have received about fifty percent of the rain that normally would already have fallen in the year. Although it has not reached the crisis we had several years ago when we had a very serious drought, it is not a good trend as normally the month of April is quite wet. (April showers and all of that apply here quite well.)

It was almost strange for our nineteen-month-old daughter to be in a rain storm as we drove around doing errands yesterday. She really has not seen much rain since she has been old enough to understand what it is. And she definitely found, what we would consider a familiar situation, to be quite new and unfamiliar.

It was also of interest to us to see this rain because we are considering purchasing another home. We have done quite a bit of work to learn about this home, and one of the questions we had was how it would hold up under a rain storm. It is new construction, and although it is not in a flood plane, there is a small stream in the back and it is close enough to a major road that it will get significant runoff from the road. In addition, the back area of the house is not a backyard per se, but instead it is very soft ground with some trees and shrubs which cover a distance of just over a hundred feet to the stream which is the back border of the property. After yesterday's rain, there was some water in several areas of the property, but no in any place that I would not have expected it. I have been asking the county officials whether they have any concerns about erosion and water management, but I have not yet gotten any information to cause me concern.

The backyard is one area we are concerned about, and I think the next step is to have a landscaper look at it to determine what options we have. One of the limiting factors is that the county ordinance provides for a one hundred foot stream buffer which severely limits what can be done in the back because the back of the house is only about twenty to twenty-five feet outside the stream buffer. I need to read more about what, if anything, can be done in the stream buffer, but more importantly I would like a landscaper to give me an idea of what can be done to make the backyard more like a regular backyard.

Some people enjoy the house hunting and house buying experience. It seems to always be quite a chore for us. I think it is all of these small details that make it quite a tedious process. However, I must say, we are very grateful for our current home, even if it took an excruciating amount of time and effort to purchase it. It looks like the next one will be purchased in the same vein. However, God willing, it will be not so much the home we want, but the home we need.

Posted by David at 7:47 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Friday, April 21, 2006
Mending our ways  

Lent is a time for us to consider again our sinfulness and our desperate need for the saving act of the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. Although we are now on the other side of Easter and no longer in Lent, we cannot forget the power of the cross. In fact, we are called in a deeper way to appreciate the impact that the cross has upon our lives and the life of the Church. Throughout the Easter season, there are no Old Testament readings. Instead, the Church presents us with readings from the Acts of the Apostles. It is as if we are being asked to recognize how Christ's salvation touched the lives of the apostles and the others who heard the Gospel for the first time in order for us to appreciate how the good news has affected us.

After forty days of Lent, we can become quite aware of our sinfulness. The hope of Easter is that we are not stuck in our sinfulness. Instead, through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we can be forgiven our sins and begin anew. As one commentator has noted, the sacrament of confession is quite a bargain. We come to the priest with all of our sins, and we leave with sanctifying grace. Our sins have been absolved, and we have been given the grace we need to overcome the very sins which led us to the confessional.

Part of confession is reparation. Often, although our sins might be great, we are given a penance which is quite light. However, we also know that there are some sins the effects of which we must undo. This, too, is reparation. In today's Gospel reading (John 21:1-14), we read of the disciples, after the resurrection, encountering Christ on the shore of the lake after He has directed them how to catch fish. (It is interesting to note, as Mother Angelica once commented, the disciples never catch any fish in the Gospels without the help of Christ.) Although today's reading does not include the latter portion of the story, we know what happens. Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him. Three times, Peter replies that he does. It must have been very painful for Peter to have to answer that he indeed loved Jesus. However, in His compassion for Peter, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make reparation for the three-fold denial of Christ during His Passion.

We might not like the idea of having to undo what we have done, but it is necessary if we are going to move forward. Peter would not have been able to preach as he did on Pentecost and the subsequent early days of the Church if he had not made reparation for his sins. However, because he had been forgiven and he had repaired what he had destroyed, he was able to abide in Christ and speak of the power of the cross to save lives.

I, too, need to take seriously the need to make reparation for my sins. It might be easy to simply do the penance I have been given by the priest, but in my heart I know that there is more that can be done. And there is more that needs to be done. Peter is my example. He, who had fallen so far, was raised up by the mercy of Christ. When he raised him up, Jesus gave him the opportunity to undo what he had done. Peter's response was love.

Posted by David at 8:11 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Parish Revival  

Although I have only been a Catholic for five years, I think that, similar to many other Catholics, my experience of Catholic parish life has been quite mixed. The parish where my wife and I attended RCIA classes was a growing parish that provided many opportunities for people to express and live out their faith. At the heart of the parish was liturgy and devotion. The Sunday masses were well-attended and they were faithful to the rubrics of worship. The parish had for some time, even before we attended, been supporting a perpetual adoration chapel. There was also a very good adult formation session on Sundays. And the midweek RCIA classes we took were not only full of candidates and catechumens, they were also attended by many parishoners who simply came to deepen their understanding of their Catholic faith.

On the other hand, I have also experienced Catholic parish life which is struggling. In one of these parishes, the parishoners attend, but they all seem to be going through the motions in order to meet their Sunday obligation. The life of the parish is centered around social programs and fun activities. No one seems particularly proud to be a Catholic, and you suspect, if questioned, that they would be hard pressed to really explain their faith, let alone express why it is important to believe.

From my experience, the unsurprising driving force behind parish life is the pastor. In the first parish, the pastor was faithful to the teaching of the Church in his homilies, his administering of the sacraments, and his efforts to energize the parishoners. My understanding is that the parish was a success story because when the pastor arrived, the parish was just the opposite of where he left it after 12 years of service. On the other hand, in the other parishes I have experienced, the pastors have not been particularly concerned about being faithful to the doctrines of the Church. Instead of giving the people solid, healthy food, they have fed them fast food homilies on Sundays and virtually starved them during the rest of the week. They have eschewed devotion, and the celebration of the liturgy and the administration of the sacraments have been left open to interpretation at the whim of the priest.

How is it possible to revive a parish? Certainly, change must be based on the priest. Because of John Paul the Great's influence, I suspect that there a number of new priests who are being assigned to parishes which are in tremendous need of a revival. The spirit of these young, enthusiastic priests is willing to make the changes, but where should they begin? Father Peter Grover, Director of St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Boston's Back Bay thinks that the answer is to provide means for the parishoners to express their faith. In an article on GodSpy, Harold Fickett speaks with Fr. Grover about his success in reviving two different parishes through his efforts to give the laity voices to express their faith.
Catholics are starving for a deeper spiritual life. The order to which he belongs, The Oblates of the Virgin Mary, is devoted to feeding that desperate hunger. He's seen two parishes, St. Clement, and St. Andrew's in Avenel, New Jersey, revive under his direction. How did it happen? He made it possible for his parishioners to study the Scriptures and talk about their faith.
...
"We can't just tell people about Christ's life," Fr. Peter says. "We have to inspire our people to want Christ's life inside them. You can only have joy by living God's life. You've got to fall in love. The Lord asks Peter: 'Do you love me?' You've got to answer that question. Then the good works follow."
...
That's what's going on at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine under Fr. Peter Grover's direction. "You've got to give people environments where they can talk about their faith," Fr. Peter says. "Normally, the priest does all the talking. He gets all the fun because he gets to talk about the faith, which is the greatest thing. But a lay person, he never gets to talk about the faith. You go to work, you can't talk about the faith—there you talk about the football game, politics. Maybe you go home and your wife and kids aren't interested. Where can you talk about the faith? It's the best thing in your life and you can't talk about it to anybody."
...
St. Andrew's and St. Clement were renewed by putting worship and catechesis first. Fr. Peter minimized the "happy get-togethers," parish dinners and the like, and took his parish leadership on retreats instead. By giving lay leaders opportunities to talk about their faith, he inspired them to claim that faith as their own and prepared them to lead others in doing the same.
...
Then he introduced a truly radical and hopeful notion: he thinks that the religious vocation crisis in the Western European Church today is being used by the Holy Spirit to correct the clericalism of the past. The clergy and the laity must now join in a true evangelistic partnership in which the clergy and religious focus on feeding the people and the people bring the world to Christ. "God's running the Church, hang in there," he told me, gently chiding my pessimism. "God's doing a good job, He's directing the Church to where it's going."

In this new partnership priests are being directed to concentrate on the essence of the priestly vocation. "I can do three things that you can't do," Fr. Peter tells me. "Say Mass, anoint the sick, and hear confessions. Preaching as well—those four things, although the laity can preach in certain instances. I have to stay on mission in these things. To sacrifice hearing confessions to go to meetings, planning boards, or being a builder, that gets me further and further away from my mission."
...
As we concluded our talk, Fr. Peter emphasized that the laity can undertake its role in the new evangelization by virtue of their experience. He used the example of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac. After the demoniac was healed, and his demons were dispersed to a herd of swine who plunged over a cliff, the man asked Jesus if he could come with him and be his disciple. Jesus told the man to remain in his home territory. He was simply to tell his neighbors what God had done for him. The next time Jesus visited the area, Gennesaret, everyone knew him. They brought all their sick and afflicted to him to be healed. That's how powerful the testimony of the former demoniac had been. "You don't have to complicate it with theology," Fr. Peter says. "Just tell what God has done for you."
...
It's not hard—in fact, it's a lot less time-consuming than the usual activities that consume so much of local parish life at present. The clergy need to stay on mission—to do what only they can do—while the laity must assume its diverse and multifaceted role in bringing Christ to the world. Source
I can only add an "Amen" to the ideas that Fr. Grover is implementing. He understands that if the shepherd feeds his flock with solid, healthy food, the sheep will grow and mature. In turn, they will help one another grow in their faith. It is not a difficult concept, but it requires faithful priests and faithful lay people. The priests, as Fr. Grover indicates, need to be faithful to their vocation as ordained ministers, and the lay people need to be faithful to their vocation as the laity who are reaching out to one another and to those outside the parish. The key does seem to be the priest. The lay people can only do so much without a good pastor. And the parish can do so much more with a faithful pastor.

Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9:38


H/T: La Nouvelle Théologie

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Tuesday, April 18, 2006
It's not fair!  

Probably countless times when we were children, we questioned the justice of some situation and declared to whoever was present at that moment that the situation was just not fair. We were receiving the short end of the stick. We did not appreciate it. And we wanted someone to make the situation right. By declaring that things were not fair, we hoped that the universe through the agency of our parents would tip the balance back in our favor and make things fair.

We would like to think that sometime during our childhood we would learn that much of life simply is not fair, or more accurately, it is not fair according to our selfish understanding of what is fair. However, even as adults, we can get very easily caught up in the fairness of various situations in our lives. We find ourselves again on the wrong side of the scales, and we want someone to correct the injustice.

One thing that is clear from Jesus' teaching is that divine mercy is not fair. At least, it is not fair according to normal human standards. I realized exactly how unfair God is when I recently read the parable of the laborers in St. Matthew's Gospel.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last." Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus makes it clear from the beginning that this is a parable that describes the nature of the kingdom of heaven. God goes out to hire laborers for His vineyard. Some are hired at the beginning of the day and work the entire day for the agreed upon denarius. Others are hired throughout the workday, even until the last hour. When the day is done, the vineyard owner has the men come forward to receive their pay. The last are paid first. They receive the same amount that those who began their work at the beginning of the day were promised. The vineyard owner does this in front of all the workers to demonstrate his generosity. However, it is lost on those who have worked all day. Instead, similar to what would be my reaction, they note the unfairness of the identical payments. But God is not moved by such pleas for justice. His justice is to be generous and give more than would be expected.

Early Church Fathers such as Origen have commented on how the image of the vineyard should lead us to recognize how God began his work of salvation through Israel. The Israelites have borne the burden of the labor in God's vineyard. It is only late in the day that the Gentiles have been grafted in to work in the vineyard of the Lord. The late arrival of the Gentiles is no matter to God. He will freely give to all who are willing to labor for Him.

We can also recognize God's mercy in that He always leaves open the door for those who have yet to come to Him. It might be late in a person's life, even at the hour of death, but God's mercy is open to receive even such a latecomer. It might not seem fair to the ones who have labored for the Lord lo these many years. But that is because we do not understand God's idea of fairness. He is fair to all those who come to Him. He grants them the reward of eternal life as payment for their willingness to stop being idle and to begin to work in His vineyard, even if were only for one hour.

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Monday, April 17, 2006
Is this Heaven?  

Still basking in the glow of Sunday's Easter celebration, I came across Daniel Nichols' recent post on the beauty of the liturgy of Eastern Rite Catholics. I think it is a wonderful post which captures an important aspect of our worship, namely that it should be child-like. As the parent of a young child, I am very familiar with my daughter taking such joy in some activity that she desires to do the activity over and over without stopping. (There are several of my daughter's books which I now have well committed to memory.)

One of the reasons that people gripe so much about the liturgical abuses found throughout the Catholic Church is because people know how very important the liturgy is. It is our "work" of worship that we give to God. It grounds our relationship with God. That is why I appreciate Daniel Nichols' reflection that our worship should be child-like. God is our Father, and we are able to approach Him most fittingly as children who recognize our utter dependence on Him. Naturally, as profound an observation about worship must have been initiated by a child.
On Palm Sunday, in the middle of the Divine Liturgy, dazzling in its beauty, my three year old daughter, Maria, turned to me and asked "Is this Heaven?"

Yes, I told her, on Sundays we get to visit Heaven.

A lot has been written about the beauty of the Byzantine Liturgy, but Maria's wonder sums it up better than any scholarly tome.

...

The East, on the other hand, has a liturgy that seems to be made up by children. Is something worth doing? Then do it over and over again. I think of Chesterton's comment that God is like a child in this regard. If an adult is performing some act that delights a child, like tossing the child up into the air, the adult's arms will ache before the child becomes bored. "Do it again!" is the child's tireless refrain. And so, Chesterton says, God makes the sun rise day after day, saying "Do it again!" in His delight.

...

There is a childlike sensibility, too, in the Byzantine approach to the senses. Do we have incense burning? Yes, of course: incense is used at every Divine Liturgy, not just on feast days, and the sweet smell delights our senses even in Lent.

But this evidently wasn't enough. What else can we do? "I know," someone said, deep in our history, "Let's add some bells to the censer!" And so they did, and the sound of jingle bells accompanies the act of censing to this day.
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I have been to an Eastern Rite liturgy. Although, after reading this piece, I believe I would be quite remiss to never participate in such a liturgy. The closest I have come is to visit several Orthodox parishes, and once, I attended a Russian Orthodox liturgy in the suburbs of Chicago. Although at the time, I was not a Catholic, and I knew virtually nothing about liturgy, I did appreciate the other-worldly nature of the mass. In particular, I fond that the chanting of the priest and the choir was extremely moving. Also, I have also always appreciated icons, and the iconography in the particular church I attended was very beautiful. All of this added up to a beautiful experience which I do not think I had been fully able to appreciate until I read Daniel Nichols' post.

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Sunday, April 16, 2006
He is risen, indeed!  

V. Christ is risen!
R. He is risen, indeed!

Thanks be to God, Christ is risen. Today, on this feast of all feasts, we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death. I think that the message of Christ's victory and the celebration of God's mercy toward us in Christ's resurrection is beautifully captured in the following Easter homily from St. John Chrysostom.
Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
Source
I appreciate how St. John captures the depth of the mercy of God. He very beautifully describes how Christ welcomes all to join Him at His feast. Maybe you had a fruitful Lent, maybe you did not. Perhaps you have grown in devotion, perhaps you have not. You might have stood by our Lord, or you might have fallen again and again. No matter. God opens wide His arms to receive all those who will come to Him. This is a message that all the world can understand. Come to God. He is waiting for you at His feast. He has a place just for you. He will not drag you there, but neither will He stop inviting you to come.


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Saturday, April 15, 2006
Ora della Madre  

Waiting, especially for those of us who struggle with patience, can be about the worst possible way to occupy a space of time. Ironically, much of what many of us do is to wait. We spend much of our time waiting. We wait in traffic. We wait in lines at the grocery store, the bank, the ATM, and the toll booth. The information age has brought waiting on hold on the telephone as you wait for the next available representative. Even when we are participating in leisure, we wait in lines at the movie theater, the lift line, and the amusement park.

Today is a day of waiting. Jesus has given all on the cross. He has died, and He has been buried in a borrowed tomb. For most of His followers, everything had been lost. Jesus, who days before was teaching and preaching in Jerusalem, was no longer alive. He had been cruelly snatched from the disciples. Just a week before, He had been riding triumphantly into Jerusalem. Now, all that they had hoped for and longed for was dashed to pieces. Scared and disillusioned, they had all fled.

Only Mary trusts the words of her Lord. She understands that the cross is not the end for her son. Her hope is in Jesus who always proclaimed that He would be raised from the dead. In response, she waits and prays. Her heart is quieted by the hope that death has not had the final word.
According to tradition, the entire body of the Church is represented in Mary: she is the "credentium collectio universa"(152). Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as she waits near the Lord's tomb, as she is represented in Christian tradition, is an icon of the Virgin Church keeping vigil at the tomb of her Spouse while awaiting the celebration of his resurrection.

The pious exercise of the Ora di Maria is inspired by this intuition of the relationship between the Virgin Mary and the Church: while the body of her Son lays in the tomb and his soul has descended to the dead to announce liberation from the shadow of darkness to his ancestors, the Blessed Virgin Mary, foreshadowing and representing the Church, awaits, in faith, the victorious triumph of her Son over death. Directory on popular piety and the liturgy, 147

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Friday, April 14, 2006
Life from Death  

Today, on Good Friday, we mourn the death of the Lord Jesus Christ who gave up everything, including His life, for the sake of all humanity. It is for this very reason that He took on flesh: He came to earth in order to die. And we focus on His death--His holy sacrifice--especially on this Friday of all the Fridays in the year.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice:
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?",
that is:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Matthew 27:45-46,50
On one level, it is extremely difficult to grasp that Jesus died. After all, He is God Incarnate, yet, He submitted Himself into the hands of sinners who decided that the best thing do was to have Him crucified. The key to understanding His death seems to be grasping what the outcome of His death is.

Just before He gives up His spirit, quotes the opening line of Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" For a long time, I understood those words to simply be ones of despair. Indeed, the words from the Psalm begin a long description of the plight of psalmist which prefigure what Christ experienced on the cross.
But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;
"He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!" 6-8

Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet --
I can count all my bones -- they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots. 12-18
However, as I had pointed out to me, the psalm does not end in despair. Instead, throughout the psalm, the psalmist asks for God's help, and at the end he recognizes that God will answer his prayers and save him.
You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
he afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,
and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has wrought it. 23-31
By quoting the opening line of the Psalm, Jesus was using a shorthand notation for quoting the entire Psalm. In referencing the entire Psalm 22, He is showing His fulfillment of all Scripture. In this case, it is not just the horrific things described in the psalm, but also the victory that God gives to the one who cries out to Him. Jesus is indicating that the purpose of His death is for God's glory. God's glory is manifested in His merciful salvation. Jesus will not simply die. He will die to be raised to new life. From His complete giving of Himself on the cross, He rises again to give new life to all who will receive Him.

On this day, I am especially reminded of this reality because today is the fifth anniversary of when my wife and I entered into the Catholic Church. At the Easter Vigil, five years ago, we received the sacrament of confirmation. On that same night, we also first received the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. From Christ's holy sacrifice on Good Friday, we received new life in Him by receiving Him. In that first Eucharist, we, for the first time received new life from Him because He had received new life in His resurrection. He did not despair, but entrusted Himself completely to His Father, and through His death and resurrection, He invites us to also place our trust completely in the One who is able to save us from death.

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Thursday, April 13, 2006
New Priests for Life Blog  

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has started a blog. In his most recent entry, he discusses the important issue of what type of legislation should be supported in order to further the pro-life cause. The context of his post is the recent passage by the Idaho Senate of a bill that requires a woman who is getting an abortion to receive information about the development of her child and the risks for her that are associated with having an abortion.
The measure would stipulate that doctors present women with information on a developing fetus and the potential psychological effects of having an abortion. Women also have to wait 24 hours before the procedure. If doctors don't disclose the information, they could be fined up to one hundred dollars every month they continue to perform the procedure. (Source)
In response to Fr. Pavone's favorable response to passage of this bill, he received criticism from some pro-life supporters who did not like the fact that the bill only regulates abortion rather than outlaws it.

Fr. Pavone responds with a very clear argument of why it is important to support incremental efforts to promote a culture of life.
The fact that it will limit abortions is good. The fact that abortions are still permitted is bad. But the fact that they are permitted doesn't come from this law, and the people working for this law do not necessarily agree that abortion should be permitted at all. It's just that they don't have the votes to do anything about that just yet. The choice to make it legal in the first place was somebody else's choice, not the choice of these lawmakers.

Should it be their ultimate goal to eliminate abortion altogether? Absolutely! That is our goal; it is our duty, and we will achieve it. Nobody should look at laws that simply limit or regulate abortion as the sum total of our pro-life legislative responsibilities, or as the final goal of our movement. Nobody should ever think that regulatory laws can ever substitute for our obligation to end every abortion and protect every child.

But neither should anyone who wants to protect every child despise efforts to limit the evil as much as possible on our way to the final goal.
I remember debating this issue with other pro-life students when I was in college. The discussion was quite passionate from all of the students, some of whom were getting arrested for their acts of non-violent civil disobedience at abortion clinics. The ones who took the extreme view saw all other legislative efforts as watered-down compromises that did not send a clear pro-life message. The other side took a more pragmatic view that since this was about politics it necessarily involved compromise. Now many years from then, I find it difficult to believe that someone can take an extreme position that only legislation that completely prohibits abortion can be supported. In addition, Fr. Pavone makes an important point that it is laudable for people today to correct the wrongs made by people in the past. Through his viewpoint that this is only one piece of the pro-life effort, he expresses the truly compassionate position which is for pro-life supporters to push back evil where it is possible while continuing to work for an even greater promotion of the culture of life.

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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Getting the Inside Story  

One of the beautiful gifts I have received as a Roman Catholic has been a better understanding of Scripture. Prior to being received into the Church, I learned various methods for interpreting Scripture. Some were better than others, but none contained the systematic understanding which is found in the magisterium.

The Church teaches that one of the important methods for interpreting Scripture is the use of typology. Much of the Old Testament can be understood as prefigurement and preparation for events which are fulfilled in the New Testament. For example, in John 3 when our Lord is speaking with Nicodemus, he explains that the event of Moses raising a bronze serpent on a pole in order for the Israelites to be saved from the serpents' bites was a prefigurement of how He would be raised on the cross to save sinners.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15
The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents this teaching in this way:
Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen. Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself. Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament. As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. CCC 129
The recent release of a translation of the Gnostic Gospel of Judas illustrates this idea in the negative. One of the problems with such a gospel, and perhaps one of the reasons that the Church rejected it, is that it does not have a foundation in the Old Testament. In other words, one can tell that the Gnostic gospels are erroneous because they do not present events which are the fulfillment of Old Testament accounts. However, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do present fulfillments of Old Testament events. Accordingly, Michael Barber at Singing in the Reign presents the real inside knowledge on the story of Judas:
If you really want to know the story "behind" Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus, you need to know the Old Testament.

In 2 Samuel 15 we read about the "betrayal" of David by Ahithophel.

2 Sam 15: 23 And all the country wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness...

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered; and all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

Later, we learn of Ahithophel's fate; he hanged himself (2 Sam 17:23).

Sound familiar?

Jesus, the Son of David, is betrayed by a member of his inner circle. While his betrayer is out planning his demise, he, like David, goes to the Mount of Olives (Matt 27:30), crossing the Kidron valley (John 18:1). As David prayed that the Lord would confound Ahithophel's plans, Jesus similarly prays for deliverance (Matt 26:29-34). In the end, Jesus' betrayer's fate is the same as that of David's betrayer's: he "hangs" himself (Matt 27:5). We might also note that the women weep for Jesus as the people wept for David (Luke 23:27).
When I read such a clear interpretation of Scripture, I become quite excited about reading Scripture. This type of understanding demonstrates the marvelous and supernatural nature of Scripture, and it also underscores how God is indeed the author of history even through the free will of humans.

H/T: The Way of the Fathers

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Denying Humility  

From today's Gospel reading:

"My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you. Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." Peter said to him, "Master, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." John 13:33,36-38
When I read this today, I was struck with the amount of irony that is found in the exchange that our Lord has with Simon Peter. Jesus, of course, knows that Simon Peter will deny him three times in the next several hours. He also knows that one day Peter will follow Jesus where He is about to go when Peter, too, will be crucified. However, long before that time, Peter will commit the ultimate sin of denying Christ.

Peter, at some level, actually knows where Jesus is going because after asking Jesus where he is going, he adds that he is ready to lay down his life for Jesus. In his heart, he knows what Jesus is asking him to do because he vaguely understands what Jesus is about to do. Throughout His entire ministry, Jesus has spoken and lived a message of giving Himself for others. In particular, Peter, knows that Jesus has given Himself to Peter. He also recalls that Jesus has spoken about laying down His life. Although Peter may have only understood this in some very loose way, he knows that it is important idea, and he wants to do what his master teaches.

How often have I found myself exactly where I see Peter in today's Gospel! I have some vague understanding of what God wants me to do, but I am in no way ready to accomplish the task. Instead of doing His will, I end up doing the exact opposite.

The problem for Peter and for me seems to be a lack of humility. When our Lord states that Peter cannot follow Him now, but that he will follow Him later, that should have been the final word for Peter. Jesus knows us perfectly and when He says something is true about us, it is true. There is no point in trying to convince Him otherwise. Peter does not want to believe he is limited in his devotion to Christ. He fancies that he is devoted enough to Christ that he is ready to die for Christ. The reality is that Peter cannot even speak up for Jesus, much less be ready to suffer for Him.

Humility, on the other hand, helps us to simply accept our limits and to recognize that God knows them much better than we do. Jesus knew that for Peter everything was about to be turned upside-down. Instead of a triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus was about to be arrested by the religious authorities. All the disciples were to abandon Jesus. Suddenly, Peter would find himself looking in on his master, the prisoner. This situation was too much for Peter. Jesus knew it, but Peter did not. And instead of humbly accepting Christ's words, he probably thought he would show Jesus otherwise. When the moment came to stand up for Jesus, his lack of humility had not prepared him, and he failed miserably.

The key, as I have heard it said, to mental health is acceptance. It also seems to be the key to the spiritual life. In order to grow in Christ, I need to accept who I am right now. The fact is that I, like Peter in today's Gospel, am more ready to deny Christ than I am to stand up for Him. Jesus knows it, but I do not. The peace in my heart and the opportunity to serve Christ begins with accepting who I really am, not who I would like to be. If I accept who I really am, I am in a position to be used by God because I have not put a barrier of a false picture of myself between the Lord and me. As long as I keep that barrier, I will only add to my struggles. Peter learned the hard way, but he apparently remembered the lesson because, as Jesus stated, he eventually did follow Him where he was going.

Posted by David at 7:41 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Sunday, April 09, 2006
Palm Sunday: Following the crowd  

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week for Latin Rite Roman Catholics. It begins with Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion. At the beginning of today's liturgy, there is a special procession into Mass that includes readings from Scripture which recount our Lord's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. In the liturgy, we recite the words which were cried out when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a path covered by palm branches and the cloaks of the people:

Hosanna to the Son of David,
the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The palm branches we receive help us to place ourselves back in the first century. I can imagine being an onlooker who rushes over to see what is happening. As I push through the crowd, I begin to catch glimpses of the procession. I can hear what sounds to be the singing of one of the messianic psalms. This is incredible. Who, I wonder, is coming into Jerusalem. It certainly is not a Roman because the people would not be excited. And they would not be singing. I cannot go any farther because of the swarm of people so I stop to ask those around me. One man says it is that prophet we have been hearing about. Another questions if it is indeed the Galilean. Finally, a third man confirms that it is Jesus of Nazareth. He is riding into Jerusalem on a colt and the people are throwing down their cloaks before him. Others are ripping off branches from the nearby trees to scatter before him in the path.

The crowd moves as a unit as people try to draw closer to Jesus. Through the heads and shoulders I can see part of the procession. I strain to get a better view. Wait, there he is. Just as the man said, I can see that he surely is riding into Jerusalem. How can he do that? All kinds of thoughts rush into my head, as I try to figure out what is happening. Surely the Romans will do something? This might strike them as an act of rebellion. After all, the only people who ride into Jerusalem like this are their cruel generals and their wicked politicians. If the Romans won't do anything, what will the Pharisees and Saducees think? They have been downplaying this prophet and claiming that he is crazed man who is only going to arouse the anger of the Romans. This just might be too much for them. He almost seems to be doing this just for this reason. His followers might think he is the messiah, but now they have this crowd believing it too.

As the crowd continues to follow the procession, some of the temple guard come out to disperse the crowd. It looks as if the Pharisees and Saducees alerted them to what was happening. Some of the crowd continues to follow the procession into Jerusalem to find out what will come of all of this. Others, once they see the temple guards, are not so brave and they decide it would be best for them to go about their business. If this is a revolutionary movement, I decide I need to keep some distance in case the Romans do get involved. In my caution, I follow a group of people who look curious, but who do not strike me as the type who are ready to take up arms against the Romans. All the same, I keep my thoughts to myself while maintaining what I think is a safe distance between the main part of the procession and me.

Posted by David at 11:59 PM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Saturday, April 08, 2006
Freedom from the devil and freedom from sin  

I recently came across an interview of a priest in the German magazine Die Welt. The interview is from the December 2, 2005 issue, and it is extremely interesting because the priest presents the Catholic Church's teaching on evil, hell, and exorcisms. He also provides a fascinating comment regarding demonic reaction to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The questions were fielded by Father Pedro Barrajon who is a professor of theological anthropology at the Athenaeum Pontificium Regina Apostolorum in Rome. He is also a member of the Legionaires of Christ.
How could God permit evil in the first place?

For our freedom! Evil is linked implicitly to the gift of freedom. God made man free. In choosing whether to ban evil or give the gift of freedom, God opted for freedom. Without the possibility to choose between good or evil, there would be no freedom. That means that God values freedom more than all our sins. Animals are not evil - but they are also never free. With freedom, God elevated us above animals.

...

Where are demons at home? Hell?

Yes. Hell was made for them, not for people.

So Hell was made too?

Yes. Angels were created, thus fallen angels and thus hell. It is no self-creation. Hell is not a place, it's a state. It's the state in which demons can be themselves, united in their hatred of God. It's the state of the negation of love. God is love. Hell is anti-love, it's hatred. Hell is a notion of the state of these spirits. Hell is the state of an eternal anti-love. It's also the eternal refusal to accept the love of God.
Then there is a long series of questions and answers about exorcisms which closes out the article. Naturally, we are all curious as to what an exorcism is like. Fr. Barrajon helps us understand.
Are there objective criteria that can be used to determine if a person has been possessed by a demon?

The new ordinance on exorcism summarizes the criteria for the event of possession very well. The clearest for me as a priest is the deep aversion to holy objects such as the cross, the rosary or the sign of the cross. Also an aversion to the word God - when it is spoken, such people get very nervous. Less significant indications are the supernatural capabilities that these people can suddenly develop. They can speak foreign languages that they've never learned. They can levitate; they can float, they can overcome gravity. Sometimes they become inexplicably strong and violent. But it's not that easy to diagnose cases of possession. I usually suggest that people see a neurologist or a psychiatrist before I get involved in their case. If I am advised by these experts that they can't help, then I can begin a spiritual treatment. As a rule, I would say that of ten people who request an exorcism, one is truly possessed.

Are there reasons for possession?

We don't know them. Nor can we say why one person gets cancer and another doesn't. We have no explanation for that either. We only know that God's power and love is greater when it comes to our physical and spiritual illnesses. That's how possession has to be seen.

How does an exorcism work?

The church demands from a priest who is undertaking such an "expulsion" the moral certainty that it is indeed a case of possession. But there is no absolute certainty. So it is very important that an exorcist be a man of prayer and fasting.

And then?

The exorcism is a major official prayer in which the power of the church is very present. That's the main thing. Sometimes holy water is used or incense, and there is always a crucifix in the priest's hands. Several people should be present, in addition to the priest, in the event that the possessed person gets violent. People can be transformed by the expulsion of the devil. They don't remain the same. During this rite, the demon exposes himself, given the presence of God and the many people praying together. It often becomes violent, because it knows that it has been defeated in a way. The voice of the possessed person usually changes and becomes very unpleasant.

Also frightening?

Not at all. In such moments, I only feel sorry for the possessed person because he's suffering and you see that he's suffering. But at the same time you're happy because you know that the exorcism will free him from this anguish. Every exorcism begins with the invocation of the trinity: the father, the son and the holy ghost. Then there's a reading of excerpts from the Bible, before a kind of dialogue between the exorcist and the possessed person begins, in which the exorcist asks for the name of the demon. That's always a difficult moment. Evil never wants to reveal itself. It often lies.

Why doesn't he want to reveal his name?

The name discloses his being. Franz Rosenzweig once said the name is not "sound and smoke", as Goethe says, but "word and fire". The name Jesus means "God saves". Isaac, Jacob, all these names have a particular meaning. And it always discloses the person's being. When I say my name, I'm also saying: I am here. No Demon ever wants to say its name.

And once it's said it?

At the end, the priest says to the demon, "Go away! Disappear!" The demon usually answers, "No, I don't want to." It rebels and revolts. Sometimes it says "You have no power over me. You are nothing to me." But after a while, its resistance weakens. This usually happens after the invocation of the Holy Mother, she's very important for that. No demon ever dares to insult her during an exorcism. Never.

Does he have more respect for Mary than for God himself?

Apparently. Otherwise no holds are barred, and everyone is insulted: the priests, everyone present, the bishops, the Pope, even Jesus Christ. But never the Virgin Mary. It's an enigma.

And then?

An exorcism can last up to one hour - and it ends with prayers. It's advisable not to let it last too long because this battle is very difficult and stressful for all those present - also for the person being exorcised. After the exorcism, everyone feels enormously relieved, as though they can breathe again. But in many cases a new exorcism is necessary. I know of cases in which people were only truly free to begin a new life after several exorcisms. They often say it's like being born again.

There is so much evil in the world. Look at all the wars, all the massacres, the tyrants and murderers. Is it not strange that the devil still plays his games with lonely and poor people, taking them over? Couldn't he do better, or rather worse? Isn't he busy enough already?

That is truly a mystery. Cases of possession seem to me to be the evil flip-side of miracles, which are equally inexplicable, but which we can also observe. The devil is present everywhere that evil things happen within the normal laws of nature. In anyone who says: I don't accept love, the love of my brothers and sisters, the love of God. And in many places, in all massacres, in every murder, in physical catastrophes, in every concentration camp, in all evil. Sometimes he shows himself, strangely, but also in cases of possession. But he's much more dangerous where he doesn't let himself be seen, where he can't be done away with through exorcism. No question.
I was struck by two things in particular from the answers that Fr. Barrajon gave. First, was the enigma, as he described it, that the demons will not insult the Mother of God, although they are willing to insult everyone else including God Himself. This reminds me of an account recorded by St. Louis De Montfort. He describes an exorcism by St. Dominic in which the demons made it clear that the Blessed Virgin Mary is more feared than all the other saints combined. One reason they give is that her intercession is so powerful that many souls, who would otherwise be damned, are saved by her powerful intercession.

Second, the way that Fr. Barrajon described the demonic possession and exorcism reminded me of our efforts to overcome our attachment to sin. For instance, he indicates that the priest performing the exorcism should be a man of prayer and fasting. These are two practices that the Church, backed up by the experience of the saints, insists are part of freeing ourselves from sin. In addition, similar to the demon's struggle to retain possession, there is always a fight, even a very violent one, as we struggle to overcome the particular sin in our lives. Our flesh often wants to cling to the sin, although our will knows we must let it go. Also, the naming of the sin is similar to determining the name of the demon. As even psychology has come to understand, we must name our problem or properly understand what the issue is in order to successfully address it. Then, Fr. Barrajon made the point that instead of being frightening, he saw the suffering that the possessed person was undergoing. This is the same as the deep suffering we know when we are caught up in a sin, and we simply cannot become detached from it. Often, we do not know how much we are suffering until we have been freed from the attachment to that sin. And more often that not, it takes our having experienced much suffering before we realize our need to change. Fr. Barrajon noted the importance of Scripture and how the crucifix must be present. It is through God's word and Christ crucified that we can be transformed. Particularly, this captures the absolute truth that it is only through Christ's Holy Sacrifice that we are able to overcome any sin in our lives. Through the cross, grace is poured out for use which enables us to triumph over evil. And, as Fr. Barrajon, noted, a person who is freed from demonic possession will change. Similarly, when we allow God to heal us of sin, we will change, perhaps even as dramatically.

Posted by David at 8:41 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Friday, April 07, 2006
Recommending Books through Pope St. Nicholas V  

I recently came across Maureen Wittman's blog via Mike Aquilina's blog, The Way of the Fathers. On her blog, I learned about Pope St. Nicholas V, who is a pope with whom I was not familiar. He was a tremendous patron of the arts, and during his pontificate from 1447 until 1455, he sought to make Rome a place where the arts flourished. As the Vicar of Christ, he accomplished many things, but he is best known for translating his love of the arts, and literature in particular, into beginning what would later become the Vatican Library. To begin the collection of works of literature, he contributed his own personal library. As a bibliophile, who had also read many of the books he owned, he had developed quite a collection of books through his years of service to the Church prior to assuming the chair of St. Peter. In addition, he had works collected from numerous monasteries where the precious literature would otherwise have been discarded or ruined through neglect.
In this way he accumulated five thousand volumes at a cost of more than forty thousand scudi. "It was his greatest joy to walk about his library arranging the books and glancing through their pages, admiring the handsome bindings, and taking pleasure in contemplating his own arms stamped on those that had been dedicated to him, and dwelling in thought on the gratitude that future generations of scholars would entertain towards their benefactor. Thus he is to be seen depicted in one of the halls of the Vatican library, employed in settling his books" (Voigt, quoted by Pastor, II, 213). Source
In the spirit of Pope St. Nicholas V, Maureen Wittman has established an email list through Yahoo Groups, named after the saint, which periodically provides information about a quality Catholic adult or children's book. The information is designed to be used by the email recipients in order for them to assist in enhancing the collection of their local public libraries. With an increasing number of public libraries having online access, it is much easier to determine if the library already has a certain book, and, in many cases, if the book is not held, to fill out an online request for the library to purchase the book. I thought that this idea was tremendous because it motivated people to share their appreciation for good Catholic books with a much wider audience. In addition, it gave people an opportunity to become involved in their communities through an important resource in the community that is often neglected--the public library. Libraries, like many other institutions, respond to the vox populi. When the public shows an interest in a particular genre of book or a particular book, it will respond by purchasing copies of the book.

In my own case, as I went through the archives of the group and thought of other books that I like, I performed searches on my local library's Web site. To my surprise, I found that a number of the books already existed in the collection. In addition, I found that my public library had an online request form that could not be easier to use. And thanks to the Pope St. Nicholas V group I had all of the required information available at my fingertips to enter it into the Web form. I am anticipating that I will be using this quite a bit.

For more information on the Pope St. Nicholas V group, click here.

Posted by David at 4:36 AM  |  Comments (1)  | Link

Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Blogging the Fathers  

One of the things that interested me when I attend seminary was the opportunity for studying the early Church Fathers. My primary exposure in Patristics came through my course on Church history prior to the Reformation. I was taken by all of these early Christians giving witness to their faith in Christ in the midst of periodic and often very intense persecution. And of course there was their own writings which demonstrated that the Church which Christ had established with his apostles continued through the early centuries through the successors to the apostles. These were powerful witnesses to me about faith in Christ and the fact that their faith was not like my faith. Instead it was full of sacraments and liturgy, and it was strong despite the fact that the culture in which they lived was opposed to this new faith in Christ.

It is through many of these writings, in particular St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Athanasius, that much groundwork was laid for my eventual reception into the Roman Catholic Church.

Needless to say, I get very interested in things Patristic. I recently learned that Mike Aquilina has begun a Patristics blog entitled The Way of the Fathers which is the same title as one of his books. I have already enjoyed some of his early posts. For anyone who has an interest in the early Church Fathers, this might be one to add to the bookmark list. (I have added to the list of Blogs of Interest on the right side of this page.)

H/T: Open Book

Posted by David at 7:48 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Tuesday, April 04, 2006
St. Isidore of Seville: Patron Saint of the Internet  

Today is the optional memorial of St. Isidore of Seville, Spain. He is a doctor of the Church, and, if not officially, at least somewhat officially, he has been made the patron saint of the Internet. He is also the patron of computer technicians, computer users, computers, schoolchildren and students.
Son of Severianus and Theodora, people known for their piety. Brother of Saint Fulgentius, Saint Florentina, and Saint Leander of Seville, who raised him after their father's death. Initially a poor student, he gave the problem over to God and became one of the most learned men of his time. Priest. Helped his brother Leander, archbishop of Seville, in the conversion the Visigoth Arians. Hermit.

Archbishop of Seville c.601, succeeding his brother to the position. Teacher, founder, reformer. Required seminaries in every diocese, wrote a rule for religious orders. Prolific writer including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world beginning with creation. Completed the Mozarabic liturgy which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. Presided at the Second Council of Seville, and the Fourth Council of Toledo. Introduced the works of Aristotle to Spain. Source
He is the patron of the Internet because much of his own writing consisted in gathering together the wisdom of previous generations in order to make available for his contemporaries.
As a writer, Isidore was prolific and versatile to an extraordinary degree. His voluminous writings may be truly said to constitute the first chapter of Spanish literature. It is not, however, in the capacity of an original and independent writer, but as an indefatigable compiler of all existing knowledge, that literature is most deeply indebted to him. The most important and by far the best-known of all his writings is the "Etymologiae", or "Origines", as it is sometimes called. This work takes its name from the subject-matter of one of its constituent books. It was written shortly before his death, in the full maturity of his wonderful scholarship, at the request of his friend Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa. It is a vast storehouse in which is gathered, systematized, and condensed, all the learning possessed by his time. Throughout the greater part of the Middle Ages it was the textbook most in use in educational institutions. So highly was it regarded as a depository of classical learning that in a great measure, it superseded the use of the individual works of the classics themselves. Not even the Renaissance seemed to diminish the high esteem in which it was held, and according to Arevalo, it was printed ten times between 1470 and 1529. Source
I appreciate the fact that St. Isidore was so learned and eventually declared a doctor of the Church despite the fact that in the beginning, his school career gave no indication that he would achieve success in the field of academics. It is interesting to note that it seems that God is not as concerned with our beginnings as much as He is concerned about our endings.

St. Isidore humbly gave over his poor academic abilities to God, and like the fishes and loaves, God multiplied the poor gift into a bountiful feast of knowledge which was shared with many. This is a powerful lesson for me that God wants me to give Him everything, but I should be especially eager to give him my weaknesses. Who knows? He may make the weakness into a gift for others. Even if He does not, I will know that I have placed it in His hands to dispose of as He sees fit.

Update
Thanks to Laura Gibbs of the Bestiaria Latina Blog, I can point to a post which has a number of links to St. Isidore's texts which are available online. Click here for more information on St. Isidore and his writings. Also, check out her site for resources for brushing up on your Latin, or in my case, picking it up for the first time.

Posted by David at 7:38 AM  |  Comments (1)  |