Synod on the Family - A More Appropriate Outline

On October 16, Jadwiga and Jacek Pulikowski spoke to the synod fathers and asked them to "appreciate and encourage" the following:

• spouses who are faithful to each other and to God
• marriages raising many children
• responsible husbands
• mothers loving their children
• married couples who cannot have their own children but reject unethical methods of conception
• those who are left by their spouses but are still faithful to the sacramental wedding vows and live alone
• young people preparing for marriage and living in chastity
• all those who did not start own families but live alone and are faithful to the teaching of the Church.

These bulletin points seem to be a more appropriate outline for a document for the synod.

Their full speech can be viewed here.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (20th Sunday after Pentecost)

That as soon as a woman is pregnant, she should say some prayers or give some alms. Better still, if she can do so, she should have a Mass said to ask the Blessed Virgin to take her under her protection, so that she may obtain from God the blessing that this little child may not die without having received holy Baptism. If a mother truly had the religious spirit, she would say to herself: "Ah! If I could only be sure of seeing this little child becoming a saint, of seeing him for all eternity by my side, singing the praises of God! What a joy that would be for me!"

Excerpt from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 80.

A Bishop Addresses Catholic Men

This type of leadership is refreshing. Read Bishop Thomas Olmstead's exhortation to Catholic men here. While addressed to the Catholic men of his diocese (Phoenix), it is nevertheless applicable to all Catholic men.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (18th Sunday after Pentecost)

I do not believe that there is a more ugly and dangerous sin than envy because it is hidden and is often covered by the attractive mantle of virtue or of friendship. Let us go further and compare it to a lion which we thought was muzzled, to a serpent covered by a handful of leaves which will bite us without our noticing it. Envy is a public plague which spares no one. 

We are leading ourselves to Hell without realizing it.

But how are we then to cure ourselves of this vice if we do not think we are guilty of it? I am quite certain that of the thousands of envious souls honestly examining their consciences, there would not be one ready to believe himself belonging to that company. It is the least recognized of sins. Some people are so profoundly ignorant that they do not recognize a quarter of their ordinary sins. And since the sin of envy is more difficult to know, it is not surprising that so few confess it and correct it. Because they are not guilty of the big public sins committed by coarse and brutalized people, they think that the sins of envy are only little defects in charity, when, in fact, for the most part, these are serious and deadly sins which they are harboring and tending in their hearts, often without fully recognizing them.

"But," you may be thinking in your own minds, "if I really recognized them, I would do my best to correct them."

If you want to be able to recognize them, my dear brethren, you must ask the Holy Ghost for His light. He alone will give you this grace. No one could, with impunity, point out these sins to you; you would not wish to agree nor to accept them; you would always find something which would convince you that you had made no mistake in thinking and acting in the way you did. Do you know yet what will help to make you know the state of your soul and to uncover this evil sin hidden in the secret recesses of your heart? It is humility. Just as pride will hide it from you, so will humility reveal it to you.

Excerpt from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 35-36.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (14th Sunday after Pentecost)

If people would do for God what they do for the world, my dear people, what a great number of Christians would go to Heaven! But if you, dear children, had to pass three or four hours praying in a church, as you pass them at a dance or in a cabaret, how heavily the time would press upon you! If you had to go to a great many different places in order to hear a sermon, as you go for your pastimes or to satisfy your avarice and greed, what pretexts there would be, and how many detours would be taken to avoid going at all. But nothing is too much trouble when done for the world. What is more, people are not afraid of losing either God or their souls or Heaven. With what good reason did Jesus Christ, my dear people, say that the children of this world are more zealous in serving their master, the world , than the children of light are in serving theirs, who is God. To our shame, we must admit that people fear neither expense, nor even going into debt, when it is a matter of satisfying their pleasures, but if some poor person asks them for help, they have nothing at all. This is true of so many: they have everything for the world and nothing at all for God because to them, the world is everything and God is nothing.

Excerpt from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 16.

Amidst the undercover videos, NOW defends Planned Parenthood, accusing CMP of the "Big Lie" technique - but who's really using the "Big Lie" technique?

I recently came across the official statement of Terry O'Neill, who is president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), that defends Planned Parenthood in light of the undercover videos revealing Planned Parenthood's illegal work of harvesting and selling of body parts of aborted babies. The full statement, entitled "Video Attacks on Planned Parenthood Don’t Fool Us And They Shouldn’t Fool Congress," can be found here.

I was shocked by the accusation by O'Neill laid against the group that created and publicized the videos. She said,

We can’t—and we won’t—respond to every “attack of the day” video that spreads the lie that Planned Parenthood sells parts from aborted fetuses for profit.  This is the classic “Big Lie” technique of repeating a salacious, made-up allegation enough times until people start to believe it.

 O'Neill later concludes,

No one should be fooled by this campaign of lies, distortion and hate-fueled rhetoric.  The videos are phony and the accusations they contain will wither under scrutiny.  We’ve got enough phony news coming from the likes of Donald Trump.  Instead of giving oxygen to this video attack on Planned Parenthood, we should change the channel.

First of all, watch the videos. They speak for themselves. What lie are the investigators (The Center for Medical Progress, or CMP) speaking when it is Planned Parenthood's senior staff and executives themselves who, plainly and simply, speak of collecting and selling body parts of aborted babies? Again, the videos speak for themselves. No wonder O'Neill says, "We can’t—and we won’t—respond to every 'attack of the day' video," for the only next logical step would be admit the veracity of what's said, not by CMP but by the confessions made by Planned Parenthood's own executives.

As for the "Big Lie" technique, look who's talking. I only gave a sample of O'Neill calling CMP liars, but it's all over her statement. It is O'Neill, not CMP, who uses, in her words, "the classic 'Big Lie' technique of repeating a salacious, made-up allegation enough times until people start to believe it." Here's O'Neill in her short statement "repeating a salacious, made-up allegation enough times until people start to believe it" (the following emphases were added):

...an anti-abortion group purporting [emphasis added] to reveal unethical practices at Planned Parenthood...

...abortion opponents probably have gathered thousands of hours of deceptively gathered video... 

Their ultimate goal is not simply to embarrass Planned Parenthood, but to concoct a tissue of lies that Congress can use to further roll back reproductive rights...

...“attack of the day” video that spreads the lie that Planned Parenthood sells parts from aborted fetuses for profit.

No one should be fooled by this campaign of lies, distortion and hate-fueled rhetoric.

The videos are phony...

To O'Neill's audience, I say, watch the videos and decide for yourself. But wait, O'Neill doesn't want you to watch the videos: "Instead of giving oxygen to this video attack on Planned Parenthood, we should change the channel." Instead of watching the videos, O'Neill only wants you to hear her "repeating a salacious, made-up allegation enough times until people start to believe it."

So who really is using the "Big Lie" technique: CMP or O'Neill?

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (13th Sunday after Pentecost)

When will it be time to come for Holy Communion? Listen to St. John Chrysostom. He himself is going to tell us when it will be time for Holy Communion. Is it Easter, at Pentecost, at Christmas? No, he tells us. Is it at the point of death? No, he tells us again. When is it then? It is, he says to us, when we have renounced sin for good and al, and are fully resolved, with the help of God's grace, not to fall into it again.

Excerpt from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 124.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons from the Curé of Ars (12th Sunday after Pentecost)

All of our religion is but a false religion and all our virtues are mere illusions and we ourselves are only hypocrites in the sight of God if we have not that universal charity for everyone, for the good and for the bad, for the poor people as well as for the rich, for all those who do us harm as much as for those who do us good.

No, my dear brethren, there is no virtue which will let us know better whether we are the children [of] God than charity. The obligation we have to love our neighbor is so important that Jesus Christ put it into a Commandment which He placed immediately after that by which He commands us to love Him with all our hearts. He tells us that all the law and the prophets are included in this commandment to love our neighbor. Yes, my dear brethren, we must regard this obligation as the most universal, the most necessary and the most essential to religion and to our salvation.

Excerpts from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 166.

Mary: Model of Perfect Discipleship

We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;

despise not our petitions in our necessities,

but deliver us always from all dangers,

O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

What I appreciate about traditional church architecture is its ability to communicate the faith to its visitors. You see, for much of history, the vast majority of people were illiterate. The Church, then, in designing worship spaces, constructed churches in such a way as to catechize the faithful. Hence, the floorplan, the dimensions, the building material, the statues, the art, and so forth, were not empty in meaning. They were the “books,” so to speak, that the faithful read in order to learn their faith.

Several years ago, I visited a church in San Diego, CA called St. Mary Magdalene’s. Walking into the church, I had to tilt my head back – in a way that high ceilings command its occupants to do – and I couldn’t help but notice that it was designed as an upside-down ship hull. This design taught what the early Church knew so well: the Church is like a ship.[1] Apparently, the design of the upside-down ship hull has made an impression on the lexicon of church architecture, as the middle of church buildings – no matter how it is designed – is still called the nave, from the Latin navis, which means “ship.”

Like a ship at sea, we, the Church, are on a journey, in particular, we are on a journey toward heaven. However, this is not an easy journey. Like a ship at sea, the Church also experiences storms and is at risk of being capsized. The tempestuous storms of temptation and worldliness and the ship-turning threats of sin and vice try to steer us away from our heavenly destination.

In the midst of these dark storms, we have a guiding light: Mary, the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). Given the date of the Sub Tuum Praesidium (3^rd century), as well as the original Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (5^th century),[2] Mary, the Mother of God, has been for centuries a bright star guiding the Pilgrim Church at sea toward her Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

At the wedding at Cana, when there was no more wine, Mary told the servants, “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you” (Jn 2:5). Mary’s words reveal a fundamental orientation that characterizes the whole of Mary’s life, both in the Gospels and in the Church from its beginnings to the present-day: she always leads us to hear and do whatever Jesus tells us. Therefore, in this talk, I will briefly examine three events of Mary’s life in light of the Gospels and Church tradition: the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, Mary at the Foot of the Cross, and Mary’s first encounter with her resurrected Son. In these three events, I will focus on three characteristics of Christian discipleship that Mary perfectly modeled: embracing the will of God, perseverance, and contemplation. By examining these three events, I hope that we can once again be guided by this “Star of the Sea” and better orient our lives toward Jesus, without whom there is no salvation.

At the conclusion of the Angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, announcing the vocation of Mary’s motherhood to the Savior, Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). This phrase is oftentimes summarized in the Latin word fiat, literally, “let it be done.” Mary’s fiat was a complete embrace of God’s will. In our culture, where abortion is commonplace (an average of nearly 4,000 abortions occur every day in the United States alone), our minds have been formed into separating conception from motherhood. A baby in the womb does not mean you have to be a mother, says our culture. Mary’s vocation to conceive Jesus, however, was not merely a nine-month contract. It was a vocation to motherhood. What Mary embraced in following God’s will was not temporary. In fact, it is eternal. My mother will always be my mother. Your mother will always be your mother. Jesus’s mother will always be His mother.

Wouldn’t it be such an honor, a blessing, to be the mother of Jesus? Of course. However, her motherhood alone is not what makes Mary blessed. Luke 11:27-28 reads, “A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to [Jesus], ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” Mary’s hearing of the word of God, through the Angel Gabriel, and keeping it is what makes her blessed.[3]

Mary’s fiat teaches us that our discipleship to Jesus is not temporary. It is a complete embrace of God’s will, an embrace that lasts for eternity. Like Mary’s fiat, our own fiat to God should not be dictated by any voice other than God’s and His messengers. In the words of St. Peter, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

At the foot of the cross, Mary fully experienced what the Prophet Simeon prophesied nearly 33 years earlier: “a sword will pierce through your own soul” (Lk 2:35). The Church’s public worship, that is, the liturgy, has directed the faithful to reflect on Mary at the foot of the cross. The liturgical calendar dedicates a feast day to Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. In the old liturgical calendar, still in effect wherever the traditional Latin Mass is offered, Our Lady of Sorrows, specifically, the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, has two feast days a year: the Friday before Palm Sunday and the 3^rd Sunday of September. That has been the practice, beginning with local Missals, since the 15^th century. [4] The Stabat Mater, a hymn about the Sorrowful Mother, has been given beautiful musical scores from many classical composers. The hymn is also traditionally sung during the Stations of the Cross. The famous Pieta of Michelangelo, residing in none other than St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, attempts to depict this overwhelming emotional event in the Gospel.

Why this interest in Mary at the foot of the cross? It shows us what perseverance in Christian discipleship looks like. Mary’s fiat is constant, even at the foot of the cross. A mother never dreams of witnessing her son’s brutal murder. Yet, Mary shows us that even in this unbearable moment, she must remain with her Son. So in our own unbearable moments in being a Christian disciple amidst the storms of this life, we must remain with Mary’s Son. Meanwhile, in the midst of these unbearable moments, we must have hope in the resurrection.

While the Gospel of John records Mary Magdalene as the first witness of Jesus’s resurrection, tradition holds that Mary, as the mother of Jesus, was the first to see the resurrected Christ. First or not, it is reasonable that Jesus, at some point, visited the one who had remained with Him throughout His earthly life. What did that first meeting of Jesus with His mother look like?

The last memory Mary had of Jesus was His cruel crucifixion: she saw her innocent Son undergo an execution reserved for criminals. Before being laid in the tomb, we can imagine Mary asking to hold her Son, like the pieta. His moist blood clinged onto her own garments. She could feel her Son’s cold, lifeless body, as she caressed the man she bore in her womb for nine months. Other cherished memories came to mind, for Scripture records – twice – that “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).[5]

Then came the first Easter. When pondering in her heart the last 33 years with her Son – including His “hidden years” and even His promises of resurrection – there He was. No longer drench in His own blood, Jesus’s clothing was radiant with light. Obliged as a son, Jesus wiped Mary’s tears, and she could feel His hands not cold as when she last felt Him but warm again. The sound of Jesus’s voice: no longer the cry of agony but an invitation to hope and peace.

As vivid as these images are, Mary, here, gives us an example of contemplative prayer. Again, “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” The content of our prayer, like the content of Mary’s prayer, ought to be the life of her Son, Jesus. And that is the secret of the rosary, a treasured form of prayer recommended by the Church and her saints for centuries. The rosary is not the vain repetition of “Hail Marys.” It is essentially the pondering of Christ’s life – called “mysteries” – in our hearts with the one who has best pondered the mysteries of Christ’s life, Mary.

In this talk, we reflected on three events of Mary’s life that show her a “Star of the Sea” as we journey on our pilgrimage in the ship of the Church. I now want to conclude with three questions in light of our reflection: (1) What does it mean to give my life completely to the Blessed Trinity? (2) What does it mean to persevere and trust? (3) What does it mean to pray?

O God,

who chose the Mother of your Son to be our Mother also,

grant us that, persevering in penance and prayer for the salvation of the world,

we may further more effectively each day the reign of Christ.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.[6]

(Originally given as a talk to a Catholic singles group on May 13, 2015.)

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[1] Cf. Apostolic Constitutions (c. 367).

[2] The Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major was commission by Pope Sixtus III after the Council of Ephesus (431).

[3] See also Lk 1:45.

[4] Phyllis D. Carpenter, “A History of the Stabat Mater and an Analysis of the Stabat Mater by Giovanni B. Pergolesi” (master’s thesis, University of Rochester, 1948), 4, accessed May 12, 2015, http://hdl.handle.net/1802/4558.

[5] Lk 2:51.

[6] Collect of the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima (May 13), Roman Missal, Third Edition.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (11th Sunday after Pentecost)

There are some who, through envy [...] belittle and slander others, especially those in the same business or profession as their own, in order to draw business to themselves. [...]

A great many people slander others because of pride. They think that by depreciating others they will increase their own worth. They want to make the most of their own alleged good qualities. Everything they say and do will be good, and everything that others say and do will be wrong.

But the bulk of malicious talk is done by people who are simply irresponsible, who have an itch to chatter about others without feeling any need to discover whether what they are saying is true or false. They just have to talk. [...]

Yes, my dear brethren, one scandelmonger poisons all the virtues and engenders all the vices. It is from that malicious tongue that a stain is spread so many times through a whole family, a stain which passes from fathers to children, from one generation to the next, and which perhaps is never effaced. The malicious tongue will follow the dead into the grave. [...]

[W]here is your charity?

Excerpts from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 29-31.

The Fate of Planned Parenthood: What Did You Expect?

Two headlines:

(1) "De-funded: Federal money will no longer aid Planned Parenthood"

(2) "Vetoed: Efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood fail"

Which is more likely? For an organization that (literally) gets away with murder, was the revelation that it sells body parts of aborted babies going to push lawmakers to de-fund Planned Parenthood? No.

In a sane world, not only federal de-funding but also arrests and fines should be made against Planned Parenthood for selling body parts. However, in our world, Planned Parenthood is free to go on with business as usual.

Wisdom from the Saints: The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (10th Sunday after Pentecost)

Among the many great saints we find in the Catholic liturgical calendar this month is St. John Marie Vianney, the Curé of Ars.[1] To honor this great saint and preacher, we will begin posting short excerpts from his sermons according to the Sunday or liturgical feast we are celebrating. Since the "lectionary" used by the Curé of Ars follows that of what we now call the "extraordinary form" (i.e., the traditional Roman liturgy), the sermons posted will correspond to the traditional liturgical calendar.

Tomorrow (August 2nd) is the 10th Sunday after Pentecost. Therefore, below is an excerpt from one of St. John Vianney's sermons given on the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, referencing that day's gospel reading (Lk 18:9-14).

"I am not like the others!" [Lk 18:11] That, my dear brethren, is the usual tone of false virtue and the attitude of those proud people who, always quite satisfied with themselves, are at all times ready to censure and to criticize the conduct of others. [...] From this I conclude that pride is the source of all the vices and the cause of all the evils which have occurred, and which are still to come, in the course of the centuries. [...]

People take pride in their animals and in their households. They take pride in knowing how to go to Confession properly, in saying their prayers, in behaving modestly and decorously in the church. [...]

And I will add this to what I have just said. This sin is even more to be feared in people who put on a good show of piety and religion.

Excerpts from this sermon was taken from Una Morrissy, trans. The Sermons of the Curé of Ars (Rockford, IL: Tan Books and Publishers, 1995), 25-29.

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[1] St. John Vianney's feast day is August 4th, which is also the day of his death (or, as a saint, his passing to eternal life). It was previously August 8th, as the 4th was occupied by St. Dominic's feast day. However, with the reform of the liturgical calendar, the two feast days were switched (see http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/08/liturgical-notes-on-feast-of-saint.html#.VbWAX_lViko).

A Tale of Two Calendars

As I began studying and practicing many of the traditions of the Church over the past few years, it came to my surprise that not only does the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church have two liturgical calendars, but one calendar is superior to the other.

What Liturgical Year is it?

 After the Second Vatican Council an effort was made to modify the liturgical calendar in order to introduce more scripture into the Mass. The Mass up to that point consisted of a one year cycle of readings with a reading from an epistle and the gospel along with John 1:1-14 at the end of every Mass. Introduced in 1969, the new calendar consisted of a three year cycle of readings for Sundays and a two year cycle of readings for weekdays. Adding more scripture reading to the Mass is a noble cause and this is not why I consider the old calendar of the Traditional Latin Mass to be superior to the Ordinary Form of the Mass, but I do think it is a bit confusing. I am willing to bet that most people are not aware of what liturgical year it is. For those that are curious, we are currently in Year B1 (I had to look it up).

Where did all the Seasons go?

While I see the benefit of modifying the liturgical calendar to include more scripture readings, I do not understand the need to modify the seasons within the liturgical year. Within the Ordinary Form calendar there are six (or seven) liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Triduum, Easter, and Ordinary Time again. Within the Extraordinary Form calendar there are eight liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Time after Epiphany, Septuagesima, Lent, Triduum, Easter, and Time after Pentecost. On the surface level the only changes seem to be the removal of Septuagesima and the changing the names of Time after Epiphany and Time after Pentecost to Ordinary time.

 Even at this surface level both of these changes negatively affect the liturgical calendar. Septuagesima (or pre-Lent) is a penitential time that starts about seventy days before Easter. These three weeks before the start of Lent are meant to prepare us to enter more deeply into the season of Lent. There seems to be no good reason to remove the season of Septuagesima from the liturgical calendar. With regards to the name change to Ordinary Time, Ordinary Time makes the seasons after Christmas and Easter seem like they are mundane and ordinary.  The problem is that there is no ordinary time after the Incarnation! Every moment of the life of Christ presented to us within the liturgical year is anything but ordinary! Having these seasons named Time after Epiphany and Time after Pentecost give these seasons a point of reference and reflection. The names of these two seasons allow us to recall back to the mysteries of the Epiphany and Pentecost and continue to reflect on them throughout the year.

Besides the name changes and removal of a season, the seasons themselves have lost some of the richness that they have within the old calendar. The season of Christmas for example has been reduced from forty days (ending on the Feast of Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd) to twelve days (ending on the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th) and the Octave of Pentecost is no longer celebrated. Moreover Ember days and Rogation days have been completely removed!

What does the Second Vatican Council Say?

As I read the Second Vatican Council's Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy in preparation for this blog post, could not find anything within the document that would lend itself to justify such drastic changes to the liturgical calendar. Moreover I found the document stating that the traditional customs and discipline of the sacred seasons were meant to be preserved or restored! I do not see how the removal and reduction of seasons preserves or restores the traditional customs and discipline of the sacred seasons. For those reasons I consider the calendar for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to be superior to the calendar for the Ordinary Form of the Mass.

The liturgical year is to be revised so that the traditional customs and discipline of the sacred seasons shall be preserved or restored to suit the conditions of modern times; their specific character is to be retained, so that they duly nourish the piety of the faithful who celebrate the mysteries of Christian redemption, and above all the paschal mystery. If certain adaptations are considered necessary on account of local conditions, they are to be made in accordance with the provisions of Art. 39 and 40. (Sacrosanctum Concilium 107) 

Reflection on Luke 10:38-42 for the Feast Day of St. Martha, Virgin

Jesus’s encounter with Martha and Mary seems to be a private visit. The plural ‘they’ is used in the beginning of this passage from Luke’s gospel to indicate that Jesus was travelling with a group, namely, His disciples. However, the singular ‘he’ is used when Jesus enters the village of Bethany where Martha and Mary reside. It seems as though Jesus was taking advantage of His trip through Bethany by visiting His close friends Martha and Mary, just as we may visit close friends along the way of a long journey.

So how did this so-called “private visit” become “public record” for centuries of Christians to hear and read as a basis for their own reflection and assimilation? Ultimately, we must say that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. On the practical level (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit), we can suspect that either Martha or Mary (or both) shared their experience with the newly formed Christian community, and it was believed to contain a universal lesson from which all Christians can learn. In other words, this passage from Luke’s gospel is not just information about Jesus with Martha and Mary left for historical consideration; rather, it contains formation for all Christians in the very essence of discipleship. So what does this gospel passage teach not only Martha but all of us as Christ’s disciples?

To recount the story, Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his [Jesus’s] teaching” (Lk 10:39), whereas Martha “was distracted with much serving” (Lk 10:40). From Martha’s perspective, however, it was Mary who was distracted, and her reaction was quite audacious: for Martha questions whether the Lord even cares if she’s serving alone and then commands the Lord to have Mary help her if He really does care. Instead of acceding to Martha terms, Jesus corrects Martha’s perspective: amidst the many duties in life, “one thing is necessary” (Lk 10:42). Thus, Mary has “chosen the better part” (Lk 10:42), which will endure.

We now return to our question: what does this gospel passage teach not only Martha but all of us who wish to be strengthened in our relationship with the Lord? The answer to this question can take several paths. For one, St. Augustine says that Martha was busy preparing a meal for the Lord. He then contrasts Martha with Mary: “Mary was feasting” (Sermon 103) as she sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His teaching. Complementing the gospel theme that Jesus nourishes us, the hunger of Mary’s soul was being satisfied.

To be sure, the gospel passage does not specify what Martha was busy doing, whether it was preparing a meal or doing something else. What we do know is that Martha was busy “with much serving” (Lk 10:40). In the Latin, it reads, frequens ministerium. Ministerium, meaning ‘service’, is where we get the English word ‘ministry.’ This is not to suggest that Martha was busy doing parish ministry as we now conceive it. Nevertheless, performing the ministry, or service, of the Lord – in whatever form – can become a distraction. Yes, good things can become a distractions from the “one thing necessary,” especially when it becomes a source of self-pity, which occurs when our work is not grounded in the Lord through prayer. The universal character of the story is that we are tempted like Martha, being distracted by good works from what must be the motivation and purpose of our work: Jesus Christ. Hence comes the universal lesson: we must choose the better part and find ourselves not only busy serving but busy sitting at the Lord’s feet, busy listening to His teachings.

How do we sit at the Lord’s feet today? Where is His presence, so that we might sit there? We sit at the Lord’s feet today when we visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Although we might have a lot to say, we must not forget that, like Mary, we must also listen. When we do not have the occasion to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and rest in His presence sacramentally, we can always pause and recall His presence in us and in the world, knowing that Jesus is always with us (cf. Mt 28:20).

In taking seriously this lesson to frequently be in the Lord’s presence each day amidst our busy schedule, let us remember that Martha had to learn and overcome this struggle. After all, the Church recognizes her as a saint. If we persevere, we can become a saint, too. 

Necessity of Prayer: Reflection on Mark 1:35-39

Mark 1:35-39 (RSV- CE)

And in the morning, a great while before day, he [Jesus] rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him followed him, and they found him and said to him, “Every one is searching for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Reflection

This gospel passage from St. Mark is set within the context of Jesus beginning His public ministry of preaching and healing: After His baptism, Jesus “was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan” (Mk 1:13). Now, He is in Galilee, “preaching the gospel of God” (Mk 1:14). In the midst of His work – having preached in the synagogue, healed the sick, and exorcised the possessed just the day before (Mk 1:21-34) – Jesus “rose and went out to a lonely place” to pray (Mk 1:35). Afterward, He continued to preach and heal. While reflecting on His public ministry of preaching and healing is worthwhile, we will focus on Jesus taking an apparent “break” or “pause” from His work when He went to a lonely place to pray.

“A lonely place.” Other translations render the Greek as “a solitary place” or a “deserted place.” The notion here is to contrast what Jesus experienced just the evening before while at Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s house: “the whole city was gather together about the door” to be healed or exorcised (Mk 1:33). Although the whole city was not literally bombarding Jesus, the literary device (called a hyperbole) that St. Mark makes in his gospel is clear: there were many people surrounding Jesus and, from a human perspective, the work was overwhelming. Early the next morning, we find Jesus in a lonely, or solitary, place to pray.

What was Jesus praying about? Although there are times when the gospels reveal the content of Jesus’s prayer to the Father, St. Mark does not reveal it here. What we do know is that He did pray.

That Jesus prayed has caught the attention of Christians for centuries. The question that eventually comes up is, if Jesus is God, why does He need to pray? Several theologians have responded to this inquiry at various times and in various ways. Among them, we believe that Jesus, though a divine Person, is likewise man. In the Nicene Creed, which we profess every Sunday, we say, while bowing, that Jesus “was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” In His human nature, therefore, Jesus can pray to the Father.[1]

Also, Jesus, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity (and therefore distinct from the Father), is not praying to His own divine self but to another divine Person, namely, the Father, the First Person of the Holy Trinity. It is not unusual for the three Persons of the Trinity to communicate. Indeed, they are always communicating.[2]

Finally, we hear from the eminent theologian and Doctor of the Church St. Thomas Aquinas that Jesus “wished to offer prayers to the Father, not as though He were incompetent, but for our instruction.” St. Thomas goes further and explains that Jesus wished to instruct us about Him coming from the Father and “to give us an example of prayer.”[3]

Returning to the passage from St. Mark’s gospel, what example of prayer is Jesus giving to us? As mentioned earlier, other gospel passages reveal the content of Jesus’s prayer, that is, what Jesus says in prayer, and therefore giving an example of what to pray. This is not the case in this particular passage. We can then conclude that the example of prayer Jesus is giving to us is not so much the content of prayer but the context of prayer. We have already examined the context of Jesus’s prayer in the gospel passage from St. Mark: in the midst of His work, when “the whole city” had been coming to Him and when He would again “go on to the next towns,” Jesus goes to a deserted place to pray. Therefore, in the midst of our own work and responsibilities, even if we feel as though we are bearing the whole city on our shoulders and yet there is still more to do, we must pause and find a solitary place to pray. We cannot use the excuse, “I am too busy to pray.” Jesus was not too busy to pray.

Furthermore, Jesus taking time to be alone in prayer shows us that prayer is not separate from work, especially the apostolate). Rather, prayer is His work’s conclusion after droves of people came to Him for healing. Prayer also begins His work, as after praying He goes to the next towns. Our work, too, must begin and end with prayer, for work without prayer is empty work. Without prayer, our work is in vain. Work – even good work – can be a tool of the devil to distract us from the source and summit of our work: prayer.[4] Neglecting prayer in order to work does not make us Christians but makes us workaholics.

A final note. St. Mark takes the time to identify the time of day when Jesus prayed: “in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went…” (Mk 1:35). Although the Church has never obliged the faithful in terms of the hour in which one prays, many saints have put into practice the example of Jesus’s time of prayer. Hence, we have the practice of a number of religious orders who have prayer vigils or community prayer in the middle of the night. The example offered in this gospel passage from St. Mark shows Jesus praying first thing in the morning, right after rising from sleep. The first appointment of the day is prayer: God is first. There is also a practical dimension to praying “a great while before day”: the distraction of the day’s work will not be able to “steal” prayer from us.

So a point we can learn from St. Mark’s gospel is that we must follow the example of Jesus and go away to a lonely place to be with God the Father and pray. Preferably, we can set this time of prayer early in the morning.

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[1] Summa Theologica III, q. 21, art. 1

[2] Summa Theologica III, q. 21, art. 1, ad 3.

[3] Summa Theologica III, q. 21, art. 1, ad 1.

[4] Especially the prayer of the Mass, the Eucharist. Cf. Lumen Gentium, no. 11.

Humanae Vitae Sunday: Garbage Cans in Church Vestibules to Throw Away Contraceptives

Tomorrow (July 25th) marks the 47th anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI that, among other things, reiterated the Church's teaching on contraception: it's still a mortal sin.

Inspired by Pope Francis's recent comments on "protest art," the following picture is a suggestion for pastors to remind their parishioners this weekend about Humanae Vitae and the teaching it contains in art-like form. It could be placed in the church vestibule.

In light of another encyclical -- the recently promulgated Laudato Si' by Pope Francis on caring for the environment -- pastors may find it beneficial to place a second garbage can in the vestibule:

Planned Parenthood scandal: will they be held accountable?

From a friend:

Please take a moment to contact your Congressional representatives and senators regarding the latest evil at Planned Parenthood, the selling of baby body parts.  Besides being morally reprehensible, this is illegal.  Congress is investigating. 

Brit Hume of Fox News had a good commentary on this which was also picked up by Catholic Vote: 

www.catholicvote.org [or www.catholicvote.org/brithumevideo go straight to the video]

Here's what we can do.  Call the Capitol switchboard in D.C. at 202-224-3121, and ask to be connected to your representatives and senators.  Demand that all taxpayer-funding of Planned Parenthood stop immediately.  Any taxpayer-funding of this evil organization is an outrage.  Something else we can do is to contact the 2016 GOP presidential candidates and urge them to stay on top of this.  When communicating with political staff, it's best to be respectful, yet clear and direct.  For legislative and policy matters, it's best to contact their DC offices instead of their local offices which focus on constituent services.   

Politicians don't usually act, except for an issue they care about, until they feel the heat.  It's up to us to see that they do, especially on something as horrendous as this!    

Guest Post: "We need to stand strong on marriage and resist the attempts to redefine it."

From a friend:

I know that many of us are disappointed and angry about the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay "marriage" in all 50 states.  One issue concerns states' rights and whether or not county clerks should be forced to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  Another issue concerns religious liberty and whether or not this will be upheld--for clergy who refuse to officiate at the "weddings" of same-sex partners and for business-owners who refuse services to same-sex “weddings” on religious grounds. 

It's important to know that there is no enabling legislation which legitimizes SCOTUS's ruling on marriage.  The majority opinion of the Court expressed sentimental views, but did not make a constitutional argument in support of this.  It was raw judicial activism and tyranny (judicial tyranny bypasses the process of laws).  Therefore, state governors and attorneys general should not be too quick to say that gay "marriage" is the law of the land.  When lawless judges of a Court exceed constitutional authority or limits, this needs to be challenged and resisted.  Until this ruling is reversed, or is overturned by a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, there are other ways to resist an unjust law.  St. Augustine said that an unjust law is no law at all.  We need to remind people that the USA is a free country, and that our Republic, and democratic societies in general, are characterized by shared decision-making.  This does not include activist judges who shred the Constitution and use a court case to force their political will, which lacks objective merit, on the rest of us!  The framers of the U.S. Constitution provided ways to rein in out-of-control judges, and all options need to be on the table.  The last thing we should do is to throw in the towel and accept as legitimate an unjust law passed by unelected politicians.  If we do that, then we only defeat ourselves.  Marriage is a sacred institution established by God, and, especially in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, the Biblical Law of God transcends human law.  We need to stand strong on marriage and resist the attempts to redefine it.

This is important.

Taking Back the Rainbow

The rainbow today has become synonymous with homosexuality and so called gay pride. Tracing back the origins of the gay rainbow flag, I was not all that surprised to find out that the rainbow flag was designed in San Francisco by Gilbert Baker in 1978. The flag originally had eight colors: hot pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise blue for art, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit. By  the 1979 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco, the  flag design changed to only include six colors as hot pink was not a commercially dye and indigo was removed to have an even six colors. Over time the rainbow flag become recognized all over the world as part of the active homosexual movement.

This is travesty to Christians as the rainbow has been a Judeo-Christian symbol for thousands of years. From the first book of the bible God has revealed the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with mankind. The first rainbow can be found within the story of Noah found in Genesis 5-10. After God had destroyed the earth with a flood due to the wickedness of the people, God formed a covenant or family bond with Noah promising to never destroy the earth again with a flood.

I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” Genesis 9:11-17 RSV

God established the rainbow as a sign of his mercy on us and as a promise not to flood the earth because of our wickedness. The actively homosexual community claim the rainbow flag represents the diversity of the their community, but whether they realize it or not it has also become a sign of rebellion against God's mercy. God has provided us with the rainbow to remember the flooding of the earth caused by the wickedness and sinfulness of mankind. Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered mortal sins and are one of the four sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance. The rainbow is a sacred sign of God's mercy, associating it with homosexuality could very well be considered sacrilegious! It is time for us as Christians to take back something that until 37 years ago was ours!

This is not what the rainbow should represent!

This is what the rainbow really represents!

"Should Marriage Be Limited to One Man and One Woman?"

Here's a short and reasonable video on marriage and society and why the government, which ought to be ordered to the good of society, should limit marriage to one man and one woman. Note: The arguments in the video, while contextualized within the same-sex marriage debate, are also valid in addressing other diversions from marriage, including polygamy, divorce, etc.

Marriage: Two Tales of June 26

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right (for the Opinion of the Court and the four dissenting opinions, click here).

Today is also the 40th anniversary of the death of Msgr. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei and a canonized saint of the Catholic Church.

The former audaciously declared what marriage supposedly is. The latter humbly accepted what marriage is and exhorted couples to fully live out that vocation.

It was unfortunate -- to say the least -- that such a decision by the Supreme Court was made on an important day for the Catholic Church. However, we can look to St. Josemaria, not the Supreme Court, every June 26 and decide how to approach marriage: either as soft clay to be reshaped according to our whims or as a precious gift to be received and lived to the full.

For reflections by St. Josemaria on the marriage vocation, click here.