One of my mother’s comments was never prayer for patience because God has already given it to you, so you will be given circumstances to help you discover what you have. I don’t know if this is true, but it sounds good. We are finally arriving at the heart of the encyclical and learning what hope is about. If you have stuck with me so far, don’t pray for patience because I will slow down further, but pray for God to push me along.
In the section The true shape of Christian Hope, we finally arrive at what has only been hinted at so far. We are shown the difference between the material and moral realm. Pope Benedict writes that the material realm offers us continuous progress as generations continue to build upon the previous generations discoveries and knowledge, but every generation must renew itself in morality because morality does not progress. We can hand the advancements of science and technology on to students who becomes professors. Morality must be rediscovered by each generation, the knowledge of morality can be passed along, but each succeeding generation has the ability and freedom to accept or reject it. We might argue that we can hand on structures that keep morality, but putting people in a structure destroys their freedom and becomes a prison. Pope Benedict states, “this means that every generation has the task of engaging in the arduous search for the right way to order human affairs; this task is never completed (#25).”
Pope Benedict next states rather simply “man is redeemed by love (#26).” While the statement is simple the argument that explains the statement is complex. He states, “When someone has the experience of a great love in his life, this is a moment of ‘redemption’, which gives new meaning to his life (#26).” How many of us can remember a moment where we knew we were loved and knew that we were needed, and this knowledge of a need satisfied generated a renewed desire to live better? When we take these many moments we probably discover them as fleetingly happiness, but when we look at the absolute love of God, we can then begin to know how love is redemptive. This is the love that allows us to hope and desire eternal life. Yet, this is not a moment of solitude, but we will discover that this life “is about relationship (#27).” This love will motivate us to be with others; this is the realization of being created in the image and likeness of God. Pope Benedict explains about being in relationship with God, “who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we ‘live’ (#28).” When we are in communion with Jesus we have established a relationship with God (#28). But being in relationship with Jesus demands that we are in relationship with others. Pope Benedict states, “Love of God leads to participation in the justice and generosity of God towards others. Loving God requires an interior freedom from all possessions and all material goods: the love of God is revealed in responsibility for others (#28).” An obvious example of St. Augustine is used to illustrate the above. Pope Benedict recounts the story of Augustine encountering God and wanting to retreat to a contemplative life, but is called to be a Bishop and lead the community of Hippo.
Love of God and love of neighbor are two points that are important in discernment for everyone. In a family, it is the parent’s responsibility to teach their children in the matters of faith, but as the child grows up, it is the responsibility of the child to discover and accept the gift of faith and freely cooperate with God’s grace. Parents need to understand that it is their responsibility to educate and encourage the child to grow in faith, but it is the responsibility of the child to discover and accept the gift of faith. The second point, love of neighbor, is important for discernment in that it helps us to discover concretely if we are living in hope. Love of God impels us to want to live for others. The main point for reflection is this: are we are more concerned with our belongings and ourselves than cooperating with God? This does not mean that material objects are evil, but if we are more inspired to accumulate and protect rather than to share and give, then we should ask ourselves how well are we cooperating with God’s grace. Are we really experiencing redemptive love and allowing God to work through us and responding generously to others?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Spe Salvi as a discernment tool, part 5
When I was a little kid, I used to go with my grandfather to visit his mother. Time with my grandfather was always a time of wisdom and happiness. I remember one time looking at my grandfather and stating, “I am concerned that by the time I grow up everything will have been invented.” His reply at first was laughter and then he reassured that there would always be a need for new things. He stated that we will always be making advances in technology, but he stated that human nature always remains the same. I did not understand what he meant by that until I studied philosophy in the seminary.
Pope Benedict writes that the modern age has brought about the idea that science can explain nature, which has elevated science. Which is an attempt on the part of humanity to assert dominion over creation that we had lost by being expelled from the Garden of Eden. We are now tempting to find answers in science instead of looking to God. We have fallen back to the idea that we can redeem ourselves. That given enough studies we will find the answer. Pope Benedict points to two historical events that have helped to show how this thought has taken root in the world. The first is the French Revolution, which started the process of placing freedom and reason in the political reality. The second was Karl Marx, who thought that politics would free man, so that man could share everything equally because politics would create a situation where man would “want the best” for each equally.
Pope Benedict points out the reasons why both of the historical events failed. There was no plan for after the revolution. It was as if is man would naturally want the best for each without any structures helping this to occur. And “man always remains man (#21)”, which Pope Benedict means that just as we have the ability for good we also have the ability for evil. Marx thought that economics would free man, when materialism corrupts a person. A culture in search of progress has the potential to arrive at the good and also at the evil.
Pope Benedict reminds us that, “man needs God, otherwise he remains with hope (#23).” We are reminded that God does enter into the world and engage us in conversation. So we need to know that our reason needs faith, a divine Substance, to be complete. Faith and reason need to be dependent upon each other.
This should be a valuable lessen for those who are discerning God’s call. Young men need to know that discerning is not dependent upon their own ability to reason what God needs of them, but that they need their reason inspired by faith to be able to truly hear what God has to say. That if we are not reliant upon faith in our discernment, we risk not being where God needs us to be and where we will discover the most joy.
Pope Benedict writes that the modern age has brought about the idea that science can explain nature, which has elevated science. Which is an attempt on the part of humanity to assert dominion over creation that we had lost by being expelled from the Garden of Eden. We are now tempting to find answers in science instead of looking to God. We have fallen back to the idea that we can redeem ourselves. That given enough studies we will find the answer. Pope Benedict points to two historical events that have helped to show how this thought has taken root in the world. The first is the French Revolution, which started the process of placing freedom and reason in the political reality. The second was Karl Marx, who thought that politics would free man, so that man could share everything equally because politics would create a situation where man would “want the best” for each equally.
Pope Benedict points out the reasons why both of the historical events failed. There was no plan for after the revolution. It was as if is man would naturally want the best for each without any structures helping this to occur. And “man always remains man (#21)”, which Pope Benedict means that just as we have the ability for good we also have the ability for evil. Marx thought that economics would free man, when materialism corrupts a person. A culture in search of progress has the potential to arrive at the good and also at the evil.
Pope Benedict reminds us that, “man needs God, otherwise he remains with hope (#23).” We are reminded that God does enter into the world and engage us in conversation. So we need to know that our reason needs faith, a divine Substance, to be complete. Faith and reason need to be dependent upon each other.
This should be a valuable lessen for those who are discerning God’s call. Young men need to know that discerning is not dependent upon their own ability to reason what God needs of them, but that they need their reason inspired by faith to be able to truly hear what God has to say. That if we are not reliant upon faith in our discernment, we risk not being where God needs us to be and where we will discover the most joy.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Spe Salvi as a discernment tool, part 4
It is taking longer to move through this than I thought. I do thank you for your patience and I hope this exercise is beneficial. I know it has been for me because it has helped me to really understand what Pope Benedict is stating about the Church and the world. I remember often as I read this document what Bishop Campbell said to a Mass full of college students, he told them to remember that they were pursuing truth and for us truth is a Person.
When we begin to talk about heaven, the information that we have is known from the negative means of arguing, that is what we know about heaven is from what we know it will not be. This has historically led to a perception of an idealized life in this world. In order to attain heaven we must abandon everything of this world and live life alone. In order to be saved one has to abandon life and cut one self off. This is the perception, and yet is the perception correct?
Pope Benedict uses to people of authority to demonstrate the error in this perception. Henri de Lubac, a Jesuit priest of the last century, cites several references in the Letter to the Hebrews that show salvation is a communional action. He even showed that sin was understood by the early “Fathers as the destruction of the unity of the human race” and that salvation “appears as the reestablishment of unity.”(#14) Today we often see sin as a very private matter that should have no reflection upon the community, so we can see how this perceived reality does actually exist. The other person that the Pope uses is Bernard of Clairaux, a French Abbot and reformer of Cistercian monasteries. Many men were have perceived to flock to the monastery to escape life; but Bernard believed that the monastery “perform[ed] a task for the whole Church and hence also for the world.”(#15) Bernard considered manual labor an effective means of cultivating the soul. Manual labor allowed for the soul, so that the substance of faith that God gives us can flourish. That “no positive world order can prosper where souls are overgrown.”(#15)
Pope Benedict outlines two reasons for a man who is considering the priesthood to be in the seminary. The Church is a community and so we must realize that to hear God’s call, then we need to be a community. The seminary is not a place to escape and become a priest, but it is to be a place where a man who is called to the priesthood is to have soul properly prepared for service in God’s Church. We can probably state a number of reasons for why we should do what we want, but we should see this as disunity and potentially sinful. We should realize that listening to God unifies us with others and allows God’s grace to maximize unity.
When we begin to talk about heaven, the information that we have is known from the negative means of arguing, that is what we know about heaven is from what we know it will not be. This has historically led to a perception of an idealized life in this world. In order to attain heaven we must abandon everything of this world and live life alone. In order to be saved one has to abandon life and cut one self off. This is the perception, and yet is the perception correct?
Pope Benedict uses to people of authority to demonstrate the error in this perception. Henri de Lubac, a Jesuit priest of the last century, cites several references in the Letter to the Hebrews that show salvation is a communional action. He even showed that sin was understood by the early “Fathers as the destruction of the unity of the human race” and that salvation “appears as the reestablishment of unity.”(#14) Today we often see sin as a very private matter that should have no reflection upon the community, so we can see how this perceived reality does actually exist. The other person that the Pope uses is Bernard of Clairaux, a French Abbot and reformer of Cistercian monasteries. Many men were have perceived to flock to the monastery to escape life; but Bernard believed that the monastery “perform[ed] a task for the whole Church and hence also for the world.”(#15) Bernard considered manual labor an effective means of cultivating the soul. Manual labor allowed for the soul, so that the substance of faith that God gives us can flourish. That “no positive world order can prosper where souls are overgrown.”(#15)
Pope Benedict outlines two reasons for a man who is considering the priesthood to be in the seminary. The Church is a community and so we must realize that to hear God’s call, then we need to be a community. The seminary is not a place to escape and become a priest, but it is to be a place where a man who is called to the priesthood is to have soul properly prepared for service in God’s Church. We can probably state a number of reasons for why we should do what we want, but we should see this as disunity and potentially sinful. We should realize that listening to God unifies us with others and allows God’s grace to maximize unity.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Spe Salvi as a discernment tool, part 3
Pope Benedict asks the tough question, one that certainly needs to be asked of anyone seriously discerning God’s call. He wants to know “is the Christian faith also for us today a life changing and life sustaining hope?” Certainly the answer needs to be yes for those who are seeking out God’s call and truly want to follow it. He returns to the performative or informative idea. Does the gospel influence our actions or is simply more information that can be pushed aside by newer information.
Pope Benedict illustrates the point in two ways. The first illustration is that of parents having their infant baptized. There is a dialogue that is part of the liturgy that takes place between the parents and the priest. The priest asks two questions after receiving the name of the child from the parents. The priest is attempting to have the parents answer faith to the first question and eternal life to the second question. The parents want the child baptized, they want their child to be part of the community of the Church, but ultimately the parents want the child to be in heaven. I remember often when I was growing up my mom used to say, “don’t do anything that would prevent you from seeing me in heaven.” That line has caused me to think about my behavior and keep it aligned with the gospel. Pope Benedict demonstrating here faith at work. Not only do parent’s want their child to be happy but also they know heaven is the place where that will occur. The second illustration though is the paradox that we as humans have. That is our desire to live forever, but our seeing eternal life as a curse and/or something to fear. St. Ambrose stated this, we don’t want to die, but we don’t want to live forever. These two illustrations seem to be odds with each other. The parents want for their children seem to have been forgotten in their own life.
The answer to these points is that in baptism we receive the gift of faith. We start the formal introduction to God. In baptism we are sealed by God and claimed by God. This seal and claim come from the substance that God gives and in this situation it is the gift of faith. God’s grace is driving us to desire heaven. What is causing us fear and despair is our own thoughts, which cannot comprehend heaven, and our sins. Pope Benedict ends this section with how we should view eternal life:
This joy will be so complete time will not even be a thought. This is why Pope John Paul II proclaimed, “be not afraid” so loudly. It is why Pope Benedict said give everything to God because He gives back with more. Fear is part of being human, but we have been invited to heaven and we have been made ready by God’s grace given to us in the Church.
Pope Benedict illustrates the point in two ways. The first illustration is that of parents having their infant baptized. There is a dialogue that is part of the liturgy that takes place between the parents and the priest. The priest asks two questions after receiving the name of the child from the parents. The priest is attempting to have the parents answer faith to the first question and eternal life to the second question. The parents want the child baptized, they want their child to be part of the community of the Church, but ultimately the parents want the child to be in heaven. I remember often when I was growing up my mom used to say, “don’t do anything that would prevent you from seeing me in heaven.” That line has caused me to think about my behavior and keep it aligned with the gospel. Pope Benedict demonstrating here faith at work. Not only do parent’s want their child to be happy but also they know heaven is the place where that will occur. The second illustration though is the paradox that we as humans have. That is our desire to live forever, but our seeing eternal life as a curse and/or something to fear. St. Ambrose stated this, we don’t want to die, but we don’t want to live forever. These two illustrations seem to be odds with each other. The parents want for their children seem to have been forgotten in their own life.
The answer to these points is that in baptism we receive the gift of faith. We start the formal introduction to God. In baptism we are sealed by God and claimed by God. This seal and claim come from the substance that God gives and in this situation it is the gift of faith. God’s grace is driving us to desire heaven. What is causing us fear and despair is our own thoughts, which cannot comprehend heaven, and our sins. Pope Benedict ends this section with how we should view eternal life:
It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time – the before and after – no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy. (#12)
This joy will be so complete time will not even be a thought. This is why Pope John Paul II proclaimed, “be not afraid” so loudly. It is why Pope Benedict said give everything to God because He gives back with more. Fear is part of being human, but we have been invited to heaven and we have been made ready by God’s grace given to us in the Church.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Spe Salvi as a discernment tool, part 2
Pope Benedict has a very readable style, but it is thick with thought. So it takes time and patience to move through the letter. In reading his letter you will be able to begin to appreciate his love for God and the Church.
Sometimes when we think about God we unconsciously think of God in human terms and concepts. So we might be tempted to see Jesus in light of a social revolution, in that, Jesus is going to teach us how to be a better society. But the encounter is SO MUCH more. When we encounter Christ, we encounter the Lord of Lords. In this encounter we are transformed, we are no longer simply human, but we have the ability to participate with the Divine. In this encounter we are made anew and so being in the community of the Church we now become brothers and sisters. While we might not share the same DNA or bloodlines, but we are one family in that we belong to God. Pope Benedict uses examples from St. Paul and St. Gregory of Nazianzen to illustrate the wonder of this encounter. St. Paul discusses the difference between life in God and life in the “elemental spirits of the universe” in Colossians 2:8. St. Gregory puts forth the idea that once the Magi followed the star to Christ, astrology ended because God was moving the star. Christ, not the laws of nature, governs the universe.
Pope Benedict then points out the image of Christ holding a staff and the Book of the Gospels that was very important to the early Christians and marked their tombs. Christ is the true philosopher and the shepherd. The philosopher was one that helped a person live authentically; they helped a person discern. The shepherd was perceived to have the simple and tranquil life. These symbols linked with Christ showed that He knew how to help us be authentic and that He knew the path through death to eternal life. As the philosopher and shepherd He is the truth and the path.
Pope Benedict then returns to the recurring theme of the link between faith and hope. In Hebrews 11:1, he points out that faith is a substance. Meaning that it is something real; we in the Catholic Church know it is a theological virtue. A theological virtue is supernatural and is infused in us by God, so faith is not something you and I can learn or gain possession by ourselves. Faith must come from God. And as Pope Benedict points out this supernatural gift gives us something of heaven now; it makes the future present in the now. Or as he writes, “the things of the future spill over into those of the present and those of the present into those of the future (#7).” He points out further in Hebrews 10:34 how we are to take security in the gift of this new substance that is faith. We might lose the information on our hard drive, we might lose our cell phone, we might be stripped of our possessions, but we cannot lose the supernatural gift of faith given by God.
Pope Benedict then points about the difference of endurance and shrinking in Hebrews 10: 36 and 39. Endurance is defined as the ability to wait patiently through activity and shrinking is defined as lacking courage. So we need to be people who have the ability to wait for the arrival of what we have already begun to share in and that is Heaven. This takes courage!
Sometimes when we think about God we unconsciously think of God in human terms and concepts. So we might be tempted to see Jesus in light of a social revolution, in that, Jesus is going to teach us how to be a better society. But the encounter is SO MUCH more. When we encounter Christ, we encounter the Lord of Lords. In this encounter we are transformed, we are no longer simply human, but we have the ability to participate with the Divine. In this encounter we are made anew and so being in the community of the Church we now become brothers and sisters. While we might not share the same DNA or bloodlines, but we are one family in that we belong to God. Pope Benedict uses examples from St. Paul and St. Gregory of Nazianzen to illustrate the wonder of this encounter. St. Paul discusses the difference between life in God and life in the “elemental spirits of the universe” in Colossians 2:8. St. Gregory puts forth the idea that once the Magi followed the star to Christ, astrology ended because God was moving the star. Christ, not the laws of nature, governs the universe.
Pope Benedict then points out the image of Christ holding a staff and the Book of the Gospels that was very important to the early Christians and marked their tombs. Christ is the true philosopher and the shepherd. The philosopher was one that helped a person live authentically; they helped a person discern. The shepherd was perceived to have the simple and tranquil life. These symbols linked with Christ showed that He knew how to help us be authentic and that He knew the path through death to eternal life. As the philosopher and shepherd He is the truth and the path.
Pope Benedict then returns to the recurring theme of the link between faith and hope. In Hebrews 11:1, he points out that faith is a substance. Meaning that it is something real; we in the Catholic Church know it is a theological virtue. A theological virtue is supernatural and is infused in us by God, so faith is not something you and I can learn or gain possession by ourselves. Faith must come from God. And as Pope Benedict points out this supernatural gift gives us something of heaven now; it makes the future present in the now. Or as he writes, “the things of the future spill over into those of the present and those of the present into those of the future (#7).” He points out further in Hebrews 10:34 how we are to take security in the gift of this new substance that is faith. We might lose the information on our hard drive, we might lose our cell phone, we might be stripped of our possessions, but we cannot lose the supernatural gift of faith given by God.
Pope Benedict then points about the difference of endurance and shrinking in Hebrews 10: 36 and 39. Endurance is defined as the ability to wait patiently through activity and shrinking is defined as lacking courage. So we need to be people who have the ability to wait for the arrival of what we have already begun to share in and that is Heaven. This takes courage!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Spe Salvi as a discernment tool
If you have not read Spe Salvi, the latest encyclical, from Pope Benedict, then it would be good Lenten undertaking. Pope Benedict has a very readable style, though it might take several attempts in each section. Don’t be afraid of the struggle, it will make you work your prayer muscles. I intend to summarize the 11 sections of the encyclical with a bias towards discernment.
Pope Benedict starts the encyclical with the idea that salvation is not “a given.” We have to understand Heaven as a goal that we need to aspire. God has given us a challenge. And it is not an easy challenge; it requires labor and probably some suffering. But the end result is the Beatific Vision, which is a lofty goal that easily justifies the effort.
Pope Benedict next shows that words faith and hope are almost interchangeable for the early Christians. He sites as examples Hebrews 10:22 & 10:23 and 1 Peter 3:15. The early Christians were aware of the fact “trustworthy hope” was a gift that had received from Jesus. Benedict sites scripture to prove this point, they are Ephesians 2:12 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13. The Christians began to realize that they had a future and it was not death. Since they knew their future they were able to live fully in the present.
The Christian message is one of Good News. Pope Benedict points out that the news is both informative and performative. Meaning that the news makes Christ known and that the news “makes things happen and is life-changing (#2).” The Message is dynamic; the message is God at work. Grace takes hold of us and motivates us. This motivation allows us to live selflessly instead of selfishly, this but one example. We no longer have to be concerned about ourselves and we have the ability to be concerned about others. This allowed the early Christians to live differently. We can see it in the martyrdom of many early Christians. While they may have felt fear for how death was coming they were comforted by the fact that death was not their end.
A more modern example is St. Josephine Bakhita, whom Pope Benedict sites. She was an African woman taken into slavery. Her hope early in life was to be with a less abusive master. She was finally sold to someone who introduced her to Christianity. She found “the great hope: ‘I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me – I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good.’” She later enters the Congregation of the Canossian Sisters. She wants everyone to know about this hope.
Pope Benedict wants to know this great hope that we have. He also wants us to know that the challenge of God is a lofty goal. Sometimes I think we set goals that we know that we can reach and take joy in an empty accomplishment. We might think about priesthood, but be discouraged by apparent lack of skills or perceived short coming in needed qualities, so we look to skills and qualities that we demonstrate rather easily and ask ourselves what can I accomplish in life with these. This cheats us from an experience that God really wants us to have. Don’t be satisfied with mundane goals, we need to cooperate with God and seek after divine goals.
Pope Benedict starts the encyclical with the idea that salvation is not “a given.” We have to understand Heaven as a goal that we need to aspire. God has given us a challenge. And it is not an easy challenge; it requires labor and probably some suffering. But the end result is the Beatific Vision, which is a lofty goal that easily justifies the effort.
Pope Benedict next shows that words faith and hope are almost interchangeable for the early Christians. He sites as examples Hebrews 10:22 & 10:23 and 1 Peter 3:15. The early Christians were aware of the fact “trustworthy hope” was a gift that had received from Jesus. Benedict sites scripture to prove this point, they are Ephesians 2:12 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13. The Christians began to realize that they had a future and it was not death. Since they knew their future they were able to live fully in the present.
The Christian message is one of Good News. Pope Benedict points out that the news is both informative and performative. Meaning that the news makes Christ known and that the news “makes things happen and is life-changing (#2).” The Message is dynamic; the message is God at work. Grace takes hold of us and motivates us. This motivation allows us to live selflessly instead of selfishly, this but one example. We no longer have to be concerned about ourselves and we have the ability to be concerned about others. This allowed the early Christians to live differently. We can see it in the martyrdom of many early Christians. While they may have felt fear for how death was coming they were comforted by the fact that death was not their end.
A more modern example is St. Josephine Bakhita, whom Pope Benedict sites. She was an African woman taken into slavery. Her hope early in life was to be with a less abusive master. She was finally sold to someone who introduced her to Christianity. She found “the great hope: ‘I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me – I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good.’” She later enters the Congregation of the Canossian Sisters. She wants everyone to know about this hope.
Pope Benedict wants to know this great hope that we have. He also wants us to know that the challenge of God is a lofty goal. Sometimes I think we set goals that we know that we can reach and take joy in an empty accomplishment. We might think about priesthood, but be discouraged by apparent lack of skills or perceived short coming in needed qualities, so we look to skills and qualities that we demonstrate rather easily and ask ourselves what can I accomplish in life with these. This cheats us from an experience that God really wants us to have. Don’t be satisfied with mundane goals, we need to cooperate with God and seek after divine goals.
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