Engaging the Faith in Our Times

The Formation of Society - Part 4

This week we continue with our review of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on the Rosary with a closer look at the Glorious Mysteries and they can assist us with a spiritual outlook of the future.

Commending Devotion to the Rosary

Third Influence: Forgetfulness of the Future - The Glorious Mysteries

What the Problem Looks Like:

• chiefly characteristic of the times in which we live
• sinful attachment to the things of earth by a contempt of the things of heaven thought of our true Fatherland of enduring happiness is not only set aside, but... banished and entirely erased from memory, notwithstanding the warning of St. Paul, "We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one which is to come" (Heb. xiii., 4)

Causes of this Forgetfulness:

• many allow themselves to believe that the thought of a future life goes in some way to sap the love of our country... against the prosperity of the commonwealth. No illusion could be more foolish or hateful
• our future hope is not of a kind which so monopolizes the minds of men as to withdraw their attention from the interests of this life

[Comment: I think this is true in our day as well, though our language would be different. Today, there is a great focus on the immediate pleasures of life and little thought is given to the future glory. It may be thought, though perhaps not admitted, that being a Christian means putting all of one's hopes in the future of heaven to the exclusion of any fun or pleasure in the here and now. While this is partially true, Christians are called to make prudent judgment with their time and money, it is a great waste and sadness to shun the hope of an eternity with God at the thought of losing some comforts in the here and now.]

God: Author of Nature and Author of Grace:

• Christ commands us... to seek the Kingdom of God, but not in such a manner as to neglect all things else
• the use of the goods of the present life, and the righteous enjoyment which they furnish, serve both to strengthen virtue and to reward it
• the splendour and beauty of our earthly habitation, by which human society is ennobled, may mirrorthe splendour and beauty of our dwelling which is above
• God, who is the Author of Nature is the Author of Grace, willed not that one should collide or conflict with the other, but that they should act in friendly alliance, so that under the leadership of both we may the more easily arrive at that immortal happiness for which we mortal men were created

Remedy: The Glorious Mysteries:

• learn that death is not an annihilation which ends all things, but merely a migration and passage from life to life
• learn that the path to Heaven lies open to all men
• recall the sweet words of Christ and His promise, "I go to prepare a place for you"
• remember that a time will come when "God will wipe away every tear from our eyes," and that "neither mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow, shall be any more," and that "We shall be always with the Lord," and "like to the Lord, for we shall see Him as He is," and "drink of the torrent of His delight," as "fellow-citizens of the saints," in the blessed companionship of our glorious Queen and Mother
• dwelling upon such a prospect, our hearts are kindled with desire [for heaven]
• discover the true relation between time and eternity, between our life on earth and our life in heaven
• form strong and noble characters. When such characters can be counted in large numbers, the dignity and well-being of society are assured. All that is beautiful, good, and true will flourish in the measure of its conformity to Him who is of all beauty, goodness, and truth the first Principle and the Eternal Source

Concluding thought: The rosary is one of the best devotions that can help us to see how our divine Lord comes down to earth, accompanies us through very human experiences, and how these experiences, transformed through grace, helps us to get ready to go to heaven to live there for all eternity. The rosary shows us that grace can be found in every different moment of our life. Though moments of joy, sorrow, light, and glory God is there to teach us His eternal truths. This timeless letter from Leo XIII expresses, with great understanding, the benefit of meditating on and seeking God's grace for ourselves and for the formation of society. What a treasure!

I'll leave you with a question: For what ill in society would the Luminous Mysteries be a remedy?

To read the letter in full text please go to:

LAETITIAE SANCTAEENCYCLICAL

OF POPE LEO XIII

COMMENDING DEVOTION TO THE ROSARY

The Formation of Society - Part 3

This week we continue our  detailed look at the mysteries of the rosary and how they can help us to understand the wealth of grace God gives us to face some of our greatest weaknesses. Today's topic is the repugnance of suffering and the Sorrowful Mysteries as found in Pope Leo XIII's 1893  encyclical called

 

Commending Devotion to the Rosary

 

Second Influence: Repugnance to Suffering-The Sorrowful Mysteries

 

What the Problem Looks Like:

• eagerness to escape whatever is hard or painful to endure
• dreams of a chimeric civilization in which all that is unpleasant shall be removed
• desire of living a life of [only] pleasure
• belief that all that is pleasant shall be supplied

Negative Consequences:

• freedom of mind robbed, minds of men are weakened
• demoralization
• sink under the hardships of the battle of life

Remedy: The Sorrowful Mysteries

• train one's mind to dwell upon the sorrowful mysteries of Our Lord's life, and to drink in their meaning by sweet and silent meditation
• contemplate, also, the grief of the most Holy Mother, whose soul was not merely wounded but "pierced" by the sword of sorrow, so that she might be named and become in truth "the Mother of Sorrows"

Christ's Example:

• see how Christ was subjected to the judgment of the unrighteous, laden with insults, covered with shame, assailed with false accusations, torn with scourges, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, accounted unworthy to live, and condemned by the voice of the multitude as deserving of death
• realize that the sufferings which were hardest to bear were those which He embraced with the greatest measure of generosity and good will
• witnessing these examples of fortitude, not with sight but by faith, who is there who will not feel his heart grow warm with the desire of imitating them?

Our Hope in Following the Way of Christ:

• freedom of mind is reward of those who do what is right, undismayed by the perils or troubles to be met with in doing so
• there will be no evil which the envy of man or the rage of devils can invent, nor calamity which can fall upon the individual or the community, over which we shall not triumph by the patience of suffering
• it belongs to the Christian to do and to endure great things, for he who deserves to be called a Christian must not shrink from following in the footsteps of Christ
• it is the patience which is obtained by the help of His grace; which shirks not a trial because it is painful, but which accepts it and esteems it as a gain, however hard it may be to undergo
• Christians are able to re-echo, not with [our lips], but with [our] life, the words of St. Thomas: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John xi., 16)

Let us continue to implore heaven for the grace to understand the role of suffering in our life and may we turn to the Blessed Mother for intercession in life's most difficult moments. Next week, we shall conclude this four-part series on Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on the rosary, taking a careful look at the Glorious Mysteries.

Writing the Gospel with Our Lives

A few weeks ago, I attended a biblical studies conference on St. Paul.  It was entitled “The Gospel According to St. Paul.”  I had never thought about St. Paul as an author of The Gospels.  Yet, indeed that is who he was.  And he is uniquely qualified to be addressed as such, with his immense background in the Scriptures and their predictions of the messiah.  Paul had deep insight concerning the Old Testament passages that referred to the coming messiah, even before Christ revealed Himself on the road to Damascus. So it was with some excitement that I attended this event.  It promised to be more than just another commentary on the subject.  Three serious students of biblical theology were speaking: Dr. Scott Hahn, Dr. Brant Pitre, and Professor Michael Barber.  There was no reason to fear disappointment in attending.

 

The first presentation by Dr. Hahn presented the question of Paul’s conversion - was he really converted?  There are paintings so entitled, and we often mention his so-called conversion. In reality, Dr. Hahn suggests, Paul was simply called by the Messiah he had long awaited, and had served to the best of his ability and with great vigilance, hence his murderous mission to Damascus persecuting the Christians.  It gave me pause to think about how often I pray for conversion.  In the sense that I, like all sinners, need to turn from sin and realign my life with Jesus in faithful obedience to the Father, accepting the help of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I am praying for conversion. 

 

But Paul’s encounter with the Risen Lord was really “a call.”  Though very dramatic, involving three days of blindness, followed by healing and a whole transformation of life for Paul, it is still very much like the calls we receive each day in our own lives.  For example, very much like the call I received inviting me to become a part of the University of Sacramento as adjunct faculty.  Very much like the call from a parish to become part of an RCIA team, or to take over a catechism class for children.  We are all writing little “gospels” according to our own lives. 

 

It might be an interesting experiment to write down the number of people to whom you have spoken of Jesus and His Good News.  Don’t limit the list to your family members only. Include non-Catholic friends to whom you have spoken of the wonderful news of your Catholic life.  Include also the members of the parish you attend, the people you work with, the clerk at the grocery, and the other chance encounters you have throughout your everyday life. In the second column, next to the name, record what part of the Creed you spoke about.  Paul was always about speaking the Creed.  The Father who sent Jesus, Jesus who always did the will of the Father, the saving love of the Cross.  What part of your belief did you speak aloud? (Remember that there are two who are listening: you and the person you speak to.)  What we say aloud we embed more firmly in our hearts and minds.  How firmly Paul embedded the Gospel is witnessed in the many trials he endured, and even his martyrdom.  Speak the Word!

 

Finally ask yourself, what else is in the Creed that I do not speak?  As Paul worked and traveled, he saw in every encounter a chance to speak the Gospel, to explain the Creed so that the Body of Christ would grow and live in grace.  That kind of “conversion” – the knowledge and communication of the Gospel – is what we are all called to.

The Formation of Society - Part 2

This week we continue with our review of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on the Rosary entitled:

 

Commending Devotion to the Rosary

 

This very helpful letter describes some of society's greatest obstacles to grace and the antidotes found by meditating on the mysteries of the holy rosary. This week's posts will look at the culture's dislike of poverty and the remedy found by meditating on the Joyful Mysteries. The phrases in this outline are taken from the text of the encyclical with minor edits to make reading easier in this bullet format. Enjoy!

 

First Influence: Dislike of Poverty - The Joyful Mysteries

 

Examples in the Home:

• contempt of those homely duties and virtues which make up the beauty of humble life
• children who withdraw from the natural obligation of obedience to the parents
• impatience of any form of treatment which is not of the indulgent and effeminate kind

Examples at Work:

• tendency to desert his trade
• to shrink from toil
• to become discontented with his lot
• to fix his gaze on things that are above him
• to look forward with unthinking hopefulness to some future equalization of property.
• eagerness to exchange the life of the rural districts for the excitement/pleasure of the town
• mind become a prey to jealousy and heart-burnings

Remedy: The Joyful Mysteries

• a fixed order of prayer
• devout meditation on the life of Christ and His Blessed Mother

Some Lessons to Learn from Jesus' "earthly and divine home of holiness"

• learn object lesson of the chief virtues
• see how easy, how abundant, how sweetly attractive it is to lead an honest life
• behold simplicity and purity of conduct, perfect agreement and unbroken harmony, mutual respect and love - not of the false and fleeting kind - but that which finds both its life and its charm in devotedness of service
• understand the patient industry which provides what is required for food and raiment; which does so "in the sweat of the brow," which is contented with little,which seeks rather to diminish the number of its wants than to multiply the sources of its wealth
• find there that supreme peace of mind and gladness of soul which never fail to accompany the possession of a tranquil conscience
• find examples of goodness, of modesty, of humility, of hard-working endurance, of kindness to others, of diligence in the small duties of daily life, and of other virtues, and once they have made their influence felt they gradually take root in the soul, and in course of time fail not to bring about a happy change of mind and conduct
• see that in virtue "work is no longer lowly and irksome, but grateful and lightsome, and clothed with a certain joyousness by his sense of duty in discharging it conscientiously"

Let us pray for growth in our understanding and acceptance of the gifts found in poverty! We shall continue next week with a look at the Sorrowful Mysteries and how they can help us combat despair, and grief when facing suffering.

The Rosary and the Formation of Society

In 1893, Pope Leo XIII wrote an encyclical called"Commending Devotion to the Rosary." The letter has a very simple but remarkably useful structure. After an introduction, the Holy Father addresses how the prayers of the rosary benefit the individual and society. He makes an introductory statement on the labor of the Church and her effort to contribute to the good of society. He affirms that the Church "shall ever continue to labour - to promote the civil prosperity of mankind." This civil prosperity, apparently, involves the moral formation of those with sovereign power and of the citizens.

 

Of the leaders of the world he says that the Holy See, and presumably the Church at large, has repeatedly "admonished those who are invested with sovereign power that they should neither make nor execute laws except in conformity with the equity of the Divine mind. When he speaks here of laws that are in "conformity with the equity of the Divine mind" he is not speaking exclusively of Laws revealed through Divine Revelation - such as the 10 commandments - but also of laws that are able to be discern through reason and are known, or able to be known, by all of humanity. Some things that help guide our reason with regard to law-making, for example, is the recognition of human dignity and everyone's responsibility to uphold the common good. Through the intellect we are able to understand these things, and be in conformity with the mind of God, because our intellect is an integral part of the soul which is created by God and is made to return to God in love.

 

Secondly, he address the formation of the individual. He writes, "we have constantly besought citizens who were conspicuous by genius, industry, family, or fortune to join together in common counsel and action to safeguard and to promote whatever would tend to the strength and well-being of the community." Here he is speaking of the principle of the common good. Everyone in society ought to use their talents, skills, and good fortune to make a contribution to the common good of society. In fact, this is part of the universal call to holiness. God calls every person, as seen in the multiplication of the loaves and fish, to give what they have for the good of all. In order for that to happen, though, citizens must come together for "common counsel and action." We have to be willing to get together, to talk things over, and make guided decisions as to what we can do to strengthen the community.

 

The rest of the encyclical is structured around the three sets of mysteries of the rosary and ways in which meditating on these mysteries can heal damaging influences in our society. Influences that he later calls "evils of the age and the fatal sores of society."The letter presents a beautiful play between the person and his role in society. In it, Pope Leo entreats the faithful to reflect on some common negative influences in society and calls them to turn to the Life of Christ, through meditation on the mysteries, to to formed in the will of God which will, in turn, help to heal the community:

"There are three influences which appear to Us to have the chief place in effecting this downgrade movement of society [referred to earlier as a loosening of 'sound principles of life and conduct']. These are:

First, the distaste for a simple and labourious life;

Secondly, repugnance to suffering of any kind;

Thirdly, the forgetfulness of the future life."

Next week, we shall continue this four-part series on Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on the rosary and these influences on society and how the rosary can benefit us in our effort toward spiritual growth.

Engaging the Faith - Catechetics

As the newness of the Christmas Season wanes behind us, we are still energized with the wonder and the grace of Christ’s Presence among us. This is a wonderful time to rekindle the joy and enthusiasm that surrounds our Catholic faith.  Here at the University of Sacramento we are renewed in our commitment to assist the Church in her task of handing on the faith “whether in season or out of season.” This has always been the task of Church in her catechetical mission.

 

One of our main areas of focus here at the University is to form, train and equip catechists and teachers of religious education to respond fully to this universal task that has been entrusted to the Church by Christ himself. Our graduate program in Catholic Faith Formation, as well as our catechist certificate programs, focus on the disciplines of theology, philosophy and catechetics. Although theology and philosophy are somewhat familiar to most, catechetics is often not well understood.  One of the services this blog will provide is a better understanding of catechetics and its central place in the life and mission of the Church.

 

To begin then with a definition: “Catechetics is the systematic study of the divine truths of the faith as contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition as articulated by the Magisterium and handed on through the Church for our eternal salvation.” Over the course of the next few months this definition, as well as some of the principles and practices of catechetics, will be considered in some detail.  As with any definition, key terms within the definition will need to be clearly understood. In addition, comparison and contrast will serve as useful tools in helping us come to a greater and more accurate understanding. Therefore, future posts will consider the similarities and the differences between theology and catechetics, catechetics and apologetics, as well as evangelization and catechesis.

 

The blog will also report on current catechetical issues; common shortcomings in the area of catechesis; strong as well as weak approaches in catechesis; an ongoing overview of sound catechetical resources; and last but not least – a sounding board for your questions, comments and insights in this rich area of our Catholic faith.