Commander-in-Chief?

I prefer not to get too political on this blog, except when I believe politics touches on moral issues in ways that need to be addressed. But today I'm making an exception. I simply could not overlook something the president said at the recent National Prayer Breakfast.

While praising an American serviceman of Haitian descent who was working aboard a hospital ship off the coast of Haiti, President Obama twice called him a "corpse-man". The man, of course, was a Navy corpsman, or medical technician. I find it hard to believe that an educated man who has risen to the position of president of the United States would not know how to pronounce corpsman. But what can one expect from someone who until he became president  quite likely never gave a second thought, and certainly never a positive thought, to those who wear the uniform of our nation. He was probably far too busy organizing communities to pay attention to those whose sacrifices guaranteed those communities' continued existence.

Navy corpsmen are the true unsung heroes of the naval service. Every U.S. Marine Corps unit has corpsmen attached, and these young heroes have far too often given their lives on the battlefield while tending to the wounds of marines. (I wonder if the president also pronounces the Marine Corps, Marine Corpse.)

I've included a clip of the video below:

Pope Benedict on Christian Unity

On January 25 Pope Benedict XVI, at a Vespers service closing a week of prayer for Christian unity, preached  about the need to be a "witness of the Risen Christ in accordance with the mandate he entrusted to his disciples..." Included in this mandate is Christ's constant call for unity among Christians. And yet today we are, in the Holy Father's words, plagued by "the contradiction posed by division among Christians. Indeed," Pope Benedict continued, "how can non-believers accept the Gospel proclamation if Christians, even if they all call on the same Christ, are divided among themselves?" A good question, and one that seems to be the centerpiece of Benedict's approach to Christian unity. 

The pope, of course, is correct. Lacking the unity that Christ called for, the Christian message is as fractured as the Christian community. How did Jesus put it? 

"I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." [Jn 17:20-21]

"...that the world may believe." And so Jesus tells the Apostles and us that it is only through Christian unity that worldwide conversion will ever take place. Is it any wonder that the urgency of responding to Christ's call for unity has been so strongly stressed during the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI? 

Benedict, who like his predecessor is a true ecumenist, does not minimize the obstacles to unity: "Unfortunately, the issues that separate us from each other are many, and we hope that they can be resolved through prayer and dialogue." He does not stop there, however, and encourages a united witness to the world based on those common elements of our shared faith: 

"There is, however, a core of the Christian message that we can all proclaim together: the fatherhood of God, the victory of Christ over sin and death with his Cross and Resurrection, and faith in the transforming action of the Spirit."

The pope also addressed the additional obstacle to evangelization posed by the growing hostility of many to Christianity, and the need to develop new means to spread Christ's message of hope in a world where despair is so prevalent: 

"In a world marked by religious indifference," he said, "and even by a growing aversion to the Christian faith, it is necessary to discover a new, intense method of evangelization, not only among the peoples who have never known the Gospel but also among those where Christianity has spread and is part of their history."

And lastly Pope Benedict called on all of us to work toward unity among Christians, always remembering that it is God who will ultimately bring our hopes to fruition.  

"Each one of us is called to make his or her contribution towards the completion of those steps that lead to full communion among the disciples of Christ, without ever forgetting that this unity is above all a gift from God to be constantly invoked."

How fitting the the Holy Father should preach this homily in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Roman church dedicated to the Apostle to the Gentiles, the disciple who did so much to bring Christian unity to the early Church.

For the complete text (in English) of Pope Benedict's homily, click here.

God's peace... 

Some WWW Favorites

I've been playing around with the Internet since before it was the Internet. I had my first exposure back in 1973 when I was teaching computer science at the Naval Academy and was introduced to the Internet's predecessor, the ARPANet, a Department of Defense project designed to interconnect computer installations around the globe using the telecommunications infrastructure. The network used packet switching, as opposed to circuit switching, which enabled a communications link among multiple computers and did not require a dedicated circuit. In those days, we used teletype-like terminals with paper printouts and I still have copies of some of those early adventures on the ARPANet. (ARPANet, by the way, was an acronym for the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network.) 

I even got involved with email fairly early when I signed up for an MCI Mail account back in 1984 using my trusty IBM PC-XT. Of course in those days everything was done with dial-up modems and slow baud rates, but that didn't bother me. The very fact that I could communicate with clients and colleagues was wonderful. All of this, of course, was long before Al Gore's 1991 "information superhighway" bill. 

This early involvement with global computer-based telecommunications was fascinating. And I believe it gave those of us who took part an early glimpse into the future, which probably prevented us from being too surprised by the remarkable advances that followed one on top of the other during the succeeding years. Today the World Wide Web has redefined virtually every aspect of our lives. I do almost as much shopping on the web as I do in stores, perhaps more. I do our banking via the Internet, and plan and book all our travel and vacations on the web. I rarely write letters, but communicate with friends and family largely via email. I get most of my news from the web, which has also become a major source of research material for the courses I teach. This blog, and countless others like it, is a perfect example of how the Internet spawned the development of something totally new, something for which there was no real pre-Internet equivalent.

Given the breadth of the Internet it's easy today to get lost, and to waste an awful lot of time, browsing among the millions of websites in cyberspace. And so I tend to focus on a few favorite sites. Some I check daily because they are updated frequently and always seem to have something interesting to pass along. Others I look in on less frequently but turn to them as the need arises. Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you...

The Catholic Thing (http://www.thecatholicthing.org). A relatively new website, produced by Brad Miner, that offers an always interesting daily commentary on a timely subject by many of today's best Catholic writers. The "In the News" page is also worth a daily glance.

Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org). A wonderful, comprehensive site about all things Catholic. I especially enjoy the commentaries of Deacon Keith A. Fournier.

Intercollegiate Studies Institute (http://www.isi.org). If you're not a conservative, you will probably dislike this site -- although if you spend much time on it, you just might change your political and philosophical stripes. ISI was founded back in the 1950s "to further in successive generations of American college students a better understanding of the economic, political, and moral principles that sustain a free and humane society." They have published some very important books on a wide range of subjects, and I recommend joining their "readers' club" so you can receive a substantial discount on all book purchases. I have also downloaded many of their audio and video lectures which I play back while driving the car or at other opportune times. As a good introduction to ISI and its worldview, you might try some of Russell Kirk's lectures and books.

First Things (http://www.firstthings.com). This is the website of First Things, an interreligious journal published by the Institute on Religious and Public Life. The journal and the institute were both founded by the late Father Richard Neuhaus, who was a major influence on much of the true ecumenical progress that has been achieved in recent years. Be sure to check out their blogs, always a source of good information. If I had to give up all my magazines but one, First Things is the one I'd keep. If you are a First Things subscriber, you get enhanced access on the website -- another good reason to subscribe.

Vatican Radio (http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/index.asp). This link will take you to the English language site for Vatican Radio where you will be able to listen to all recent programming, including news shows and any English language talks by the Holy Father. Another related site is the Vatican's YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/vatican) which includes lots of current videos from the Vatican.

The above include the sites I visit most frequently, but I'd be happy to hear suggestions about some of your favorite websites. I have intentionally omitted blogs because I stop by so many during any given week just to see if something interesting has been posted. The list would be far too long.

And let's not forget the patron saint of the Internet, St. Isadore of Seville
(d. 636; feast day: April 4). 

God's peace...

Auchincloss & Salinger

I suppose J. D. Salinger's death this past week received appropriate attention. After all, he was certainly a best-selling author and his decades-long life as a recluse in rural New Hampshire was enough to pique the interest of most literary critics and reporters.

Reading his most popular novel, The Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, became a rite of passage of sorts for teenagers during the past half-century. I suppose I was 17 or 18 when I read the book and, unlike most of my friends, was not particularly impressed. And I certainly didn't experience much of a connection with his character, the troubled and alienated Holden Caulfield. But apparently most folks my age (65) disagree and closely identified with this rather odd teenager.

Now that Salinger has died we will no doubt be subjected to a whole new wave of criticism and speculation about the man and his works. And I suspect all those rumors about a stack of unpublished novels locked up in a safe in his home will just increase in the months ahead. All very interesting.

But lost in all the publicity surrounding Salinger's death was the death of another novelist, Louis Auchincless, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 92. I've read only three or four of Auchincloss' many published novels, but enjoyed them all and always intended to read more. Perhaps now I will. His novels, mostly about wealthy New Yorkers, are wonderfully entertaining and offer a glimpse into one side of New York life that most of us will never experience. He was also a remarkable good writer. For an excellent overview of Auchincloss and his fiction, read Christopher Caldwell's review first published in the Weekly Standard in 2002: Louis Auchincloss.

You can view an excellent 1997 interview of Auchincloss by Charlie Rose below. The first part of the video is a conversation with filmmaker Curtis Hanson about his film "L.A. Confidential. It is followed by the Auchincloss interview. To go directly to the Auchincloss interview, go to the 24th minute of the video.

Ralph McInerny, a postscript

For those who might not have been exposed to the teachings and writings of Dr. Ralph McInerny, who died Friday morning, I have included below a brief (8-minute) video clip of a lecture he gave on ancient philosophy.

Youtube video clips of brief portions of several other of Dr. McInerny's lectures can be found here: Youtube clips of Ralph McInerny 

Ralph McInerny wrote dozens of books, both fiction and non-fiction. His most recent, published just a few months ago, is well worth reading, particularly if, like me, you have a special love for Dante's Divine Comedy. The book, Dante and the Blessed Virgin, explores the prominent place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dante's great work. It is also a deeply philosophical book and, despite being Dr. McInerny's last published work, provides an excellent introduction to his writings.

Ralph McInerny, 1929-2010, R.I.P.

This morning we lost one of the great Catholic intellectuals of our time. Ralph McInerny, professor of medieval studies at the University of Notre dame, passed away peacefully and returned to the Father whose love he celebrated throughout his life. But Dr. McInerny was much more than just one illustrious academic among many. He was a philosopher of note, the author of many serious philosophical books, a writer of best-selling fiction including the famous Father Dowling series of mystery novels, a published poet, a translator of St. Thomas Aquinas' works, and the father of seven. There is so much more one could say about him. He was a truly remarkable man,

I met Dr. McInerny once, about ten years ago. It was one of those brief chats after a speech he had given at a conference I was attending. He answered my question and then, liked a good teacher, asked a few of his own. Our conversation lasted perhaps two minutes before I stepped aside so others could meet him. I can't recall the details of our conversation, but I haven't forgotten how pleasant and gracious he was, or how truly interested he was in what I had to say.

He has taught me much through his books and countless articles. I shall miss his presence in the world. May he rest in the peace of the Father's embrace.

Click here to read an excellent tribute to this wonderful man,

Homily: Wednesday, 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

Readings: 2 Sm 7:4-17; Ps 89; Mk 4:1-20
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The books of Samuel and Kings are filled with wonderful stories about remarkable people. And right up at the top of the list has to be David.

Now our understanding of David depends largely on our understanding of Scripture itself. By “understanding Scripture” I mean how we think about Scripture and, accordingly, how we read it. For example, if we read Scripture strictly as a collection of historical documents – the way we might read the Declaration of Independence or the Magna Carta – we might learn something about the people of the ancient Middle East, but we won’t learn very much about God. And just as important, we won’t learn anything about ourselves and about God’s plan for us, about His love for us. 

After all, how could these ancient documents, written in long-dead languages by forgotten, anonymous men so long ago…How could they have anything to do with you or me? Sadly, that’s how a lot of people think of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament. And their lives are spiritually impoverished because of it.

But if we view and read Scripture as the Living Word of God, as God’s love letter to His people, to all of His people, to all of creation…well, if we see it that way, everything changes. According to the early church fathers everything in Scripture points to one thing, to one person… everything in Scripture points to Jesus Christ. And David is no exception.

In today’s reading, the prophet Nathan carries God’s message personally to King David. Now, David is pretty comfortable and settled; there’s peace; he lives in a palace. Life is good. And fittingly He desires to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant, a house for God. At first Nathan tells him to do what he wants, but then Nathan is sent by God to, in effect, tell David: “You don’t need to build a house for me; rather I will build a house for you.”

God also tells David that his son will build God’s Temple, as Solomon ultimately did. And He goes on to say, “…I will make his royal throne firm forever.” And it is here that we get a first glimpse of the Davidic covenant with God – the promise of an eternal king from the line of David, a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This is where we come in. God’s promise to David -- “God will make you great; God will make you a house” -- is also fulfilled in us and will continue on with our children, our grandchildren, and their grandchildren…because with the promise of the New Covenant, God lives within us, he lives in our hearts, our hearts of goodness, of peace, of His love.

How did the psalmist put? “Forever I will maintain my love for him; my covenant with him stands firm. I will establish his dynasty forever…” Ah, but then today we hear the parable of the sower and again we hear that everything, even life itself, eternal life…we hear that everything depends on how we receive God’s Word.

Now, all these thoughts led me to see today’s Gospel reading in a new light. You see, Jesus wants us to dig deep into that soil, whether it’s rocky or covered with thorns or on the wrong path. He’s wants us to examine it; and if it’s not in good shape, to do something about it.

I’m always telling young people that the people they hang out with can have a major influence on them. Doesn’t the same thing apply to us? We, too, can be easily influenced. If we spend most of our time playing golf, or going out for dinner and drinks, or going to neighborhood activities, or just being a couch potato…well, our soil probably isn’t in the greatest shape.

How much more fertile would it be if we were all well connected with our parish, if we were actively involved in one or more ministries? Or how about reading Scripture daily? Or improving our “listening to God” skills by making an occasional weekend retreat? Or spending an hour or two a week in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament? Or praying together daily with a spouse or friend? These influences ground us in our Faith, making our soil receptive to God’s Word, helping us see Jesus in those around us.
 
How will you and I receive the Word tomorrow, next week, for the rest of the year?
 
Not only did the Holy Spirit give us Sacred Scripture, but Jesus gave us His Church and her sacraments, her engines of grace, to help us and guide us. We can till our soil through the sacrament of reconciliation. And then we can enrich it with God’s own presence in the Eucharist, allowing Him to live within us.

Homily: 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Ps 19; 1 Cor 12:12-30; Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

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If you’ve ever been inside St. Mark’s cathedral in Venice, you might have noticed, in the baptistry, a striking 14th century mosaic of Jesus’ baptism. The water that washes over Jesus looks remarkably like a shroud, and Jesus seems to be rising up out of it. At the same time, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descends on him from the brightness of the Father’s presence.

Well, that same Spirit is present with Jesus in today’s Gospel reading as he travels through Galilee preaching the Good News and then eventually visits his hometown. How does Luke put it? “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” He returned, Luke tells us, “…to Nazareth, where he had grown up…”
 

Now here’s something interesting.
 

It’s in that same Spirit, St. Paul tells the Corinthians – and he tell all of us – that “…we were all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” And so it is through this Spirit of God, Paul says, that we are the body of Christ. What the Spirit is for Christ, the Spirit is for us. What the Spirit does for Christ, the Spirit does for us.What the Spirit sends Him to do, the Spirit sends us to do.

And what does the Spirit send Jesus to do? Exactly what He told the people of Nazareth. Quoting Isaiah, Jesus says that the Sprit sends me "to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

The Spirit sends Jesus to heal, to free, to restore, to bless, to bring to fulfillment. This is God’s desire for all of humanity, and Jesus embodies that desire. He makes it present and makes it felt in His own time and place.
Now here’s where it gets really interesting…

You and I are called to do exactly the same thing. That’s right, brothers and sisters, by His death and resurrection, Jesus makes it possible for us, as members of His Body, to make that desire – that  desire of God for all of humanity – to make it present and felt in our own time and in our own place. Jesus not only makes this possible, but He intends it; he expects it of us. It means that each of us is called to heal, to free, to restore, to bless, to bring to fulfillment. Have you done much of that lately?
 

Every Sunday we come to this place and we hear the Word of God proclaimed – and when that Word is proclaimed it is Christ himself who speaks – just as He spoke to the people gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth. But do we really believe this? If we did truly believe it, wouldn’t we be completely focused on what we were hearing? Wouldn’t we be sitting on the edges of our seats excited about what God has to say to each of us? 

In our first reading we heard Ezra read God’s Word to the people of Jerusalem, a people who had returned home from a long exile. In our Gospel passage, we find Jesus returning home to read and preach God’s Word in the synagogue of Nazareth. Today we listen to these same words – to this same Word – but does it change anything? Or are they just nice, comfortable words that we hear again and again, year-after-year, Sunday-after-Sunday, changing nothing but making everything familiar and comfortable? What does this Word have to do with us? What does this Word do to us when we hear it? “The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free?”
 

Are you and I oppressed? Do we need to be set free? Are we imprisoned or exiled, or downtrodden? Nope, none of that applies to me. And, anyway, all those folks in prison…isn’t that where they belong? And the poor? Well, the poor could stop being poor if they’d only go out and get jobs. And the blind? The disabled and the disadvantaged? Don’t we have laws and government programs to take care of them? What do these people have to do with us? Jesus was obviously speaking to someone else…maybe next Sunday’s readings will actually apply to me.
 

But what if Jesus had said: “I have been sent to pay off your mortgage and your credit card balances, to correct those terrible mistakes you made years ago, the hurt you caused, the damage you did, to cure your cancer, your heart disease, your diabetes.”? Would that make a difference? Would Jesus have our attention then?

But that isn’t what he said, is it? And so maybe those real words of Jesus were meant to unnerve us. Maybe those words were supposed to make us sit up and think, to examine our behavior, and to get us to live our lives differently. Maybe Jesus was trying to challenge our attitudes and confront our biases. Just maybe Jesus was attempting to show us that our faith has everything to do with justice, with life, with illness, with pain and hurt, with poverty…

Does hearing His Word really make a difference to us? Do we try to live better lives? Are we more understanding, more generous in our community and our parish? And as Jesus said, His words are supposed to be fulfilled in our hearing. That can happen only if we bring those words to life — if we give them voice, if we walk with them, if we act with them. Without us, brothers and sisters, those words become barren and lifeless. We make them real. You and I. And for us it’s a matter of faith. Do we really believe the words we hear?

Moved by the Holy Spirit, Jesus went to Nazareth to preach the Kingdom. For the first time, Jesus preached a living Word to the people of His home town. Some rejoiced, some repented, others became hostile, and all wondered what this Word was going to do to them when they heard it.

Well, what about us? God has sent us His Spirit, brothers and sisters. And the Spirit speaks to us through His Word. He speaks to move us, to change us, to lead us to repentance and conversion. Just remember, coming here every week isn’t a social visit. When we enter this sacred space every Sunday, when we open our ears, our minds, and our hearts to God’s Word, we place ourselves at grave risk. You see, God expects His Word to bring about change in us.