Mark: So Much To Tell Us

As I mentioned in a recent post, I've been preparing for the re-opening of our parish Bible Study, which had essentially been shut down since the COVID pandemic hit us last March. 

Among the first and most difficult decisions...Where exactly to begin? As a result of COVID I had time to prepare many Scripture-based reflections that were really unconnected, each focusing on a unique passage or book of Scripture. I also prepared some new study guides (as I call them) for a number of books, and for some reason decided to address many of the minor prophets, a group of Old Testament books that tend to receive little attention. I had hoped to spend some of our first sessions discussing these books...but then I asked the Holy Spirit for some inspiration and direction, and surprisingly found myself being called to Mark's Gospel. Surprised because the idea of starting with Mark hasn't even crossed my mind. But trusting in the Spirit, we will, therefore, turn to Mark when we once again meet together next Monday and Wednesday.

The more I thought about it, though, the better it seemed. Mark is actually a wonderful place to restart our studies, for many reasons. We are currently in the midst of liturgical Year B, the year in which our Sunday Gospel readings are drawn largely from Mark. What we read during our sessions will then be reinforced at Sunday Mass...and vice versa. 

Mark also presents the Good News in an almost breathtaking fashion, moving quickly through Jesus' ministry and the formation of the disciples, but always pointing to and leading us directly to Our Lord's redemptive act: His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. 

As we accompany Mark on this journey we also come to a better understanding of mission. We see the mission of the Son, sent by the Father -- a mission of remarkable love. We see the mission of John the Baptist, foretold and planned from all eternity. And we come to realize that each one of us has also been assigned a mission by the Father. It's not something you and I choose, but something God has chosen for each one of us and to which He calls us. Have you prayed for the Spirit's guidance, asked for His light to shine on the mission that God has chosen for you? Studying Mark helps us recognize this need.

Mark will teach us this and so much more, if only we listen to the Word.

Sudden Unexpected Memories

Sometimes memories of people and events from long ago just pop into my aging brain. Only rarely can I articulate why this happens. Often enough there doesn’t seem to be an obvious cause. For example, yesterday evening, as Diane and I watched one of Agatha Christie’s “Miss Marple” mysteries, out of the blue I thought of Aunt Ella and Uncle Edgar. Neither had crossed my mind in years, but there they were, interfering with my ability to follow a sinister plot that led to multiple murders in a quaint English village.

"Aunt" Ella and "Uncle" Edgar were not actually my aunt and uncle. I'm pretty sure Edgar McManus was my dad's second cousin, the first cousin of my paternal grandfather, making him my third cousin. Ella, of course, was related to me only through her marriage to Edgar. Edgar was born on March 13, 1876 and Ella on May 29, 1883. Moved by the arrival of these unexpected memories, I looked all this up last night. Their dates of birth surprised me since this discovery caused me to realize I have known people who were born almost 150 years ago. But that was true as well for all four of my grandparents. I just never thought much about it. The only conclusion from this revelation: I, too, am getting old.

Both Ella and Edgar died in 1959, she on August 22, at the age of 76, and Edgar less than a month later on September 15. He was 83 when he died. My folks were very close to this wonderful couple who I discovered were married on June 12, 1907, two years before my mom and dad were born. Interestingly, I'm currently the same age (76) as Ella when she died, and like Diane and me, this couple had been married 52 years. To be brutally honest, I thought Ella was very, very old. Of course, in September 1959, I had just celebrated my 15th birthday.

Back in 1959, we lived in Larchmont, New York, and Edgar and Ella lived in Holyoke, Massachusetts. We visited them occasionally, perhaps once or twice a year but, sadly, were not informed of their deaths. Both had already been buried before we learned anything. I can recall how devastated my folks were when they found out. It seems that Edgar just gave up the will to live after Ella's death and simply longed to join her. 

Edgar was an executive in the Insurance industry and part of what my dad called the Protestant wing of the family. The religious difference was absolutely irrelevant, though. Dad truly loved his cousin and whenever they got together the conversation would cover the waterfront. I learned a lot just sitting nearby and listening to these two men as they talked. Mom and Ella would, of course, carry on a simultaneous conversation as we all sat in their Victorian-furnished living room. I sometimes slipped away into the kitchen where I could watch the birds and squirrels come up to Ella's kitchen window to eat the seed and nuts she placed on a platform Edgar had attached to the window frame. And Ella always had a ready supply of cake and cookies which she would tell me to "eat until your tummy tells you to stop."

Ella, whose maiden name was Mayhew, was a descendant of an old Yankee family that arrived in this country in the 1630s. Her branch of the Mayhews descended from Thomas Mayhew, one of the original settlers of Martha's Vineyard. Ella had a huge (3 foot by 4 foot), very elaborate, and beautifully framed Mayhew family tree made in the late 19th century. It was truly a work of art, and included the names of hundreds of Mayhew descendants, including Ella herself. A few years before her death she inexplicably gave this family tree to my parents, even though we certainly had no direct familial connection to the Mayhews. Years later, I "inherited" the tree which we displayed on the wall of our family room until the day of a remarkably serendipitous phone conversation.

I was on the phone with Chuck Smiley, my former commanding officer, a dear friend, godfather of our eldest child, and truly one of the best men I have ever known. Knowing we lived on Cape Cod, Chuck mentioned that in the course of doing some genealogical digging, he discovered that he was a direct descendant of a Thomas Mayhew of Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast of Cape Cod. Had I ever heard of him? I simply said, "Chuck, as we speak I am looking at Thomas Mayhew's family tree, which is hanging on our wall." I then asked, "Would you like it?" I had it safely packaged and shipped directly to Chuck and Sally who lived in San Diego. Both Chuck and Sally died not too long ago, but I expect one of their children now has the tree which for them must be a wonderful family treasure. I've always thought there was a reason, at the time unknown to all, why Ella Mayhew McManus gave that family tree to my folks. Just look where it is now.

You see, Ella and Edgar had no children...at least that's what I thought. Because my dad was almost like a son to this couple, I suppose giving the tree to my folks made some sense. On all those many visits I can recall no one ever mentioning children, but I do remember my mom once saying they were a childless couple. But then yesterday I found a photo of their gravestone on findagrave.com. The stone contains three names: Edgar, Ella, and a child with the unusual name of Lepha Duncan McManus. It seems they had a daughter who was born on May 9, 1909 -- just weeks before both of my parents were born -- and died only six months later on November 23, 1909. I was astounded and saddened, and wonder if my parents even knew about this contemporary of theirs who died so young. I was saddened, too, that nobody had added the year of their deaths after Edgar's and  Ella's names. 

All of this began with last night's uninvited memory, caused by who knows what, and yet led me to recall this wonderful couple about whom I really know so very little. I will add them and their infant daughter to my prayers. And maybe, if I ever again get to Springfield, Massachusetts, I'll stop by their grave and leave a bouquet along with a prayer.

So many people I have known, so many I have forgotten, so many memories to arise when I least expect them.

Bible Study Redux

Alleluia! 

After 16 months of, well, nothing much, our parish's Bible Study sessions will recommence on Monday, July 26. Back in March of last year, as COVID began to infect the world, we had to stop meeting together. At that time we had approximately 100 parishioners coming together weekly to strengthen and enliven their faith by studying and coming to a greater understanding of Sacred Scripture. Because the numbers of participating faithful had grown so much since I started our little study group 15 years earlier, we had to schedule three weekly sessions. We will follow this same plan as we restart the program: three sessions, on Monday morning, Monday afternoon, and Wednesday Morning.

Before the pesky virus tore people apart from one another, these sessions had become my three favorite hours of the week. Those who participate are wonderful, enthusiastic, faithful people who willingly share their faith and their experiences to help the rest of us understand the depth and breadth of God's Word. I've studied Sacred Scripture, formally and informally, for many years and thought I was pretty knowledgeable, but believe me, I came away from these weekly sessions with new insights and, more importantly, a deeper awareness of how God's Word enters directly into the lives and loves of His people. It was similar to what I experienced when, almost 54 years ago, I met this strikingly beautiful young woman named Diane, who over time deepened my love for Sacred Scripture. She was a former Baptist and Pentecostal who loved the Lord and knew her Bible. She kept me grounded in the Truth and has been an effective footbrake to keep from doing stupid things. 

If you managed to survive the COVID experience, you'll understand how a person needed to stay busy. As Diane once remarked, "You can watch only so many Hallmark movies," and watching the news...well, that was anything but cheerful. I did, however, listen to a lot of music -- mostly Baroque, thanks to Alexa and my SiriiusXM account. 

But that wasn't enough. Throughout the COVID weirdness, in an effort to keep my aging brain active and encourage our participants and other parishioners to turn daily to Sacred Scripture, I decided to write a series of weekly (more or less) Scripture-based reflections. The topics I chose were of an eclectic sort -- everything from Trees to Mercy to Prophecy -- but all tended to turn to the Bible for support. You can access all 30 of these reflections on the documents page of my parish Bible Study site. Here's the link; just look for the section entitled, COVID-19 Reflections:

    www.catholic-scripture.com/documents 

The parish then asked me to make video recordings of these reflections and these, too, are available online. Although not all of the reflections were actually recorded, those that were may be found on Rumble.com here: 

    Deacon Dana Bible Study Reflections (rumble.com)

From the start of our Bible Study years ago, I would write what I called "Study Guides," really rather lame overviews of specific books of Sacred Scripture. I didn't plan to refer to these guides during our sessions; rather they were intended to provide our participants with a little background on each book so it would make a bit more sense when they read it for the first time. As it turns out, during our year off, I revised several of these guides and wrote almost ten new ones. As I said earlier, I was more than a little bored. All the new and revised guides can also be found on the documents page of my Bible Study website (see the above link).

And so, with COVID behind us -- we hope! -- and a bright, God-in-charge future ahead of us, we can come together in faith and hope as we turn once again to His holy Word. How wonderful it will be to come to a deeper understanding of God's gift of the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Fr. Reese, S.J. and Pope Francis

There was an old joke that listed a few things the pope doesn’t know about the Church. As I recall (hard to do these days), one of those things was “what the Jesuits will do next.” Presumably this no longer applies since for the first time in history we have a Jesuit pope. Of course, even Pope Francis may not be able to predict what each of his fellow Jesuits decides to say or do or write. 

This week, for example, American Jesuit, Rev. Thomas Reese, S.J., wrote down a few of his thoughts on Pope Francis’ recent hospitalization. Fr. Reese, who writes a column for Religion News Service suggested that the 84-year-old pope’s illness, hospitalization, and surgery formed what might be a key event in Francis' papacy. According to Fr. Reese, “…even with the best prognosis, age is catching up with Francis. Barring a miracle, he will only be expected to continue as pope for five or six years. We may look back at his hospitalization as the moment that marked the beginning of the end of his papacy.”

As you might expect — after all, he is a Jesuit — Fr. Reese has a distinct point of view that does not always coincide with the Church’s teachings on a number of issues. A former editor-in-chief of America, the left-leaning Jesuit journal, and columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, Reese has espoused some interesting religious, political, and moral positions. For example, he really dislikes what he calls the “unreformed liturgy” — aka, the Latin or Tridentine Mass — and says that young people should not be permitted to attend such Masses. 

More troubling, however, were his comments during the 2020 presidential campaign when he declared approvingly that, “A Catholic Democrat might feel impelled to vote for Biden despite his position on abortion and gay marriage because of other morally grave reasons, for example, his positions on racism, immigration, global warming and COVID-19.” Since the Church considers abortion nothing less than murder, the slaughter of innocents, one wonders whether Fr. Reese would consider it okay to overlook a candidate's support for a new Holocaust or for Communist China's enslavement of Uyghurs and Kazakhs so long as his policies were correct when it came to issues like climate change. 

New York's Cardinal Dolan made this case in his public rebuke of Fr. Reese when he wrote that the priest's approach was nothing less than a "...capitulation to the abortion culture, and a grave weakening of the powerful pro-life witness...Thank God, those who believed that slavery was a moral horror, a cancer on our country, and contrary to the higher values of a lawful republic, could never accept this capitulation." 

Over the years Fr. Reese has been consistent in downplaying the Church's teaching on abortion. For example, he likes to quote the U.S. Bishops document, Faithful Citizenship, while avoiding its strong language regarding abortion. He also came out strongly against government defunding of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. In the same way he avoids mentioning Pope Francis' very public condemnation of abortion and abortionists, whom the pope compared to "Mafia hit-men." As the pope said, "Is it legitimate to take a human life to solve a problem? Is it permissible to hire a hitman to solve a problem?...human life is sacred and inviolable and the use of prenatal diagnosis for selective purposes should be discouraged with strength." One suspects Fr. Reese isn't very pleased to hear his fellow Jesuit speaking with such moral clarity.

In this latest column, Fr. Reese again avoids these life issues and seems more concerned that Pope Francis has perhaps not done enough to ensure his successor will follow in what Fr. Reese consider the correct ideological path: "If his papacy is reckoned a failure, it will be because Francis failed to replace or outlast the clerical establishment put in place by John Paul and Benedict. His papacy will only succeed if he is followed by popes who are in sync with his approach to Catholicism, and this is not guaranteed." No, indeed, Father, it is not guaranteed, thanks to the Holy Spirit. Fr. Reese also wrote that "Francis has rebranded the papacy for the 21st century with a pastoral, prophetic and inclusive voice." After the truly pastoral and prophetic papacies of Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI, this seems a rather odd thing to say, and I expect Pope Francis would agree.

Finally, Fr. Reese's comments about the pontiff's illness might also be an indication of the real and perhaps serious nature of Pope Francis' health. The Vatican has rarely been very open about popes and their health issues. Too often a pope must die before the world learns he was seriously ill.

It's all very interesting, though. And Fr. Reese will likely get lots of airtime on those networks that despise the Church and its teachings. But that's just another reason I always tell my friends not to believe a word you hear or read about the Catholic Church in the secular media. 

We are left with an ailing pope for whom we pray daily. We pray for his full recovery and for his wisdom in these times of moral relativism and political and social chaos. We need him to speak clearly and loudly to the world on faith and morals.

Pray for Pope Francis...oh, yes, and pray, too, for Fr. Reese.

The United Nations Human Rights Council

Did you catch the latest? I expect you did. Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State — yes, that’s our Secretary of State — has asked the United Nations Human Rights Council to visit the good ol’ systemic racist USA and investigate how badly we treat minorities, in particular our black Americans.

Yes, indeed, the nation that twice elected a black American as president, that currently has a black American vice president, that offers black Americans the highest standard of living in the world for people of their race, is considered by some the most racist nation on the planet. And, of course, we would hope the United Nations, the most corrupt global organization that has ever existed, will pass a fair and public judgment on us. I’m sure the Secretary of State is especially pleased that the membership of the UN Human Rights Council includes such human rights stalwarts as Communist China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, and so many other nations that imprison and slaughter the less desirable elements of their populations; i.e., those who disagree with their governments.

Encouraging our Secretary of State is the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet (of Chile), who has called on the United States to reform our nation’s criminal justice system and give reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans. In her words, "I am calling on all States to stop denying, and start dismantling, racism; to end impunity and build trust; to listen to the voices of people of African descent; and to confront past legacies and deliver redress," Gee, I thought we kinda did that in the Civil War in which over 600,000 Americans died in the midst of this effort to end the evil of slavery. 

Bachelet wasn’t finished, though, and added the following: "Systemic racism  needs a systemic response. There needs to be a comprehensive rather than a piecemeal approach to dismantling systems entrenched in centuries of discrimination and violence. We need a transformative approach that tackles the interconnected areas that drive racism, and lead to repeated, wholly avoidable tragedies like the death of George Floyd."

And then, in support of Black Lives Matter, the black supremacist, Marxist, terrorist organization, she added: "The Black Live Matter movement and other civil society groups led by people of African descent have provided grassroots leadership through listening communities. They are also providing people with the necessary agency and empowerment that enables them to claim their human rights. Such efforts should receive funding, public recognition and support."

BLM a "listening community?" I have to hand it to them because it must be hard to listen when you're burning down a city and looting a Walmart. And don’t you just love to hear corrupt U.N. bureaucrats tell us how evil we are? Oh, then she has the chutzpah to order us to support these domestic terrorist organizations with taxpayer funds! Not surprisingly, our Secretary of State, and presumably his boss, President Biden, agree with her. As Blinken tweeted: “Responsible nations must not shrink from scrutiny of their human rights record. Rather, they should be transparent with the intent to grow and do better. That is why I'm announcing a formal invitation for @UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism to visit the U.S.”

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait to hear what the communist and Islamist murderers and slavers have to say about the flaws inherent in our constitutional, representative republic. In the meantime the communist government of China is committing genocide against the Uyghar Muslims and the communist government of Cuba is arresting, beating, and killing Cubans who dare to protest the slavery under which they must live. Maybe their members on the Human Rights Council will be too busy handling matters at home.

One can only believe that Mr. Blinken and his boss are either fools or traitors. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they're just being a bit foolish. This, sadly, is the kindest thing we can say about them.

Marxists, Socialists, Communists, Liars, Haters, Disrupters, Purveyors of Chaos, Totalitarians

The title of this post consists of a series of words, synonyms really. Each describes the left of our country, which sadly, has commandeered the very core of the Democrat Party. Their ultimate goal is power and the primary means to achieve this is the destruction of our constitutional, representative republic. If you don't believe this, you are grossly misinformed, simply foolish, or invincibly ignorant.

I've probably already upset a few people, but I really don’t care. I’m sick of listening to the lies emanating from a corrupt media and from even more corrupt politicians, especially from the so-called “squad” and from our puppet-like president. Does anyone really believe these people are smart enough to understand the ultimate ends of the policies they espouse? They are perfect examples of Lenin’s “useful idiots” who do exactly as they are told, and later become expendable. Yes, the great unifying candidate has become the great dividing president who does the bidding, as best he can, of the committed leftists that surround and handle him and of the foreign powers that have bought their way into the Biden family’s graces. 

Marxism, in all its manifestations, never changes. The socialist, the so-called democratic socialist, the communist — they all believe the same monstrous ideology, all seek the same outcome, all accept the same tactics, and all desire one thing: power. Only the names they hide behind change, all in an effort to appeal to those who must be convinced, either to vote for them or to accept without resistance their revolutionary grab for power. Just look at the record. The Soviet Union, Communist China, Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, and all the rest followed the same path to power, a path littered with the bodies of those who dared to resist. These were not revolutions by the people. Each was a coup carried out by a relatively small group of committed, violent ideologues. For the Marxist, hatred between races and classes, disruption of the normalcy of civil society, undermining a nation's religious and historic foundation, chaos in the streets are all desirable. They create the crises needed to consolidate power. Should a people be foolish enough to vote a socialist government into power, as for example in Venezuela, they will never be permitted to vote them out of office. Once it seizes power, the Marxist state always fails its people and turns their nation into a poverty-stricken slave state. Marxists must become totalitarians because that is the only way they can maintain their power.

It’s happening here…right now. Note how the Biden administration welcomes all who cross our southern border and then resettles them throughout the country. That these immigrants enter the country in violation of federal law means nothing to an administration that simply ignores the law. Any attempt to change the law would hurt them politically, so they act as if the law doesn’t exist. These immigrants, of course, are rewarded with cash, housing, and a plethora of government assistance, including promises of quick citizenship so they will vote for those who let them in. 

Contrast DHS policy regarding our southern border with yesterday’s statement by the DHS Secretary. He warned the Cuban people not to try to make their way to the United States or they will be sent back to Cuba. Our borders are indeed open, but only for the right kind of people. Cubans, who for 62 years have suffered under a murderous, totalitarian, communist regime, are not welcome here because we all know they vote for the “wrong” kind of politicians. They will vote for freedom not more enslavement. Instead of welcoming these people, instead of supporting those who courageously resist communist tyranny, our government turns its back on them. According to the Biden administration, the Cuban people are upset not because of communist tyranny but because of COVID and our policy of sanctions against Cuba. The lies continue.

Note, too, how the protests in Cuba have resulted only in deafening silence from the far left of the Democrat Party. For years they have praised Cuba as a showcase of progressive ideology. Cuba has such wonderful healthcare, they tell us. But when we ask Cubans we hear something very different. Even with support from Russia, China, and many other nations, healthcare for the Cuban people hasn’t changed much since Fidel came to power in 1959. And, of course, Cuba’s famous literacy program, so highly touted by people like President Obama, ensured the people could read Fidel’s speeches and those of his successors, but little else. Trust me, and if you don’t trust me, trust those who left Cuba and escaped to this country, Cuba is no workers’ paradise. It’s been a slave state for decades and remains so today.

The Marxist left has captured most of the media, almost all of academia, certainly the entertainment industry, and far too many politicians. They hope to federalize the entire election system, create division in schools and families by means of Critical Race Theory, weaken our national defense, create a population dependent on federal largess, and so much more. 

Like the people of Hungary in 1956, the people of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the people of Poland in 1980, the people of Hong Kong and Cuba today, we should be willing to follow the lead of these courageous people and be prepared to resist those trying to take control of our nation and destroy our God-given freedoms.  

I, for one, intend to resist if necessary. I am not a martyr and have no intention of becoming one. God, of course, might have different intentions but I’ll leave that to Him. I am not of the school, one popular among many Catholics, that teaches active resistance to evil is not a valid option for the faithful. The Church, of course, teaches exactly the opposite. If my family and its freedom are threatened by those committed to the destruction of our nation, I not only have the right, but also the obligation, the responsibility, to resist using appropriate means. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states this clearly: “Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others” [CCC, 2265]. If you don’t believe you are at least partially responsible for defending those who depend on you, you might want to reconsider that belief.

Technology, Friend or Foe?

I expect this subject to demand more than one post, so today's will be only a start. But first, some background…my own, so you’ll know where I’m coming from, at least when it comes to technology. 

I’ve been wrapped up in technology for most of my life. As a teenager I became a licensed ham radio operator and took a math/science path through high school. Okay, I also studied Latin and German, but my real interests were in the sciences. Georgetown University accepted me as an astronomy major, but then my dad convinced me to ask the university if I could switch to its School of Foreign Service. Why I agreed to this, I can’t answer today, but Dad could be persuasive. Anyway, Georgetown agreed and I spent my freshman year with a bunch of budding diplomats — nice folks, but a bit odd. 

Everything changed when I received an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, a school where technology rules. Four year later I graduated from Annapolis with a specialty in electrical engineering and a minor in German. I’d always been fascinated by aviation, so naval flight school was the logical next step. After earning my Navy “wings of gold,” I spent the next decade flying, attending graduate school where I studied management and computer science, teaching computer science at the Naval Academy, and doing other exciting Navy stuff at sea and ashore.  

Diane and I enjoyed Navy life, but I was facing more sea duty, more time away from my family, and more moves. Once again my dad suggested a change, and asked me to join him in his sales and management training and consulting business. And once again, this time with Diane’s support, we agreed. I resigned my Regular Navy commission and transferred to the Naval Reserve, in which I served the country for another 15 years. In the meantime we moved to Cape Cod to begin this new chapter. I stayed connected with technology, applying it as a tool in our business. In fact, we had a computer long before the advent of the PC. There were other adventures: working as a low-level dean at Providence College; teaching business programs there and at Roger Williams University; and working for a Massachusetts-based hi-tech firm that specialized in programmable telecommunications switches.

Of course, throughout these years Diane and I tried to live faith-filled lives. I read and took courses in Scripture and theology in an effort to expand my knowledge and deepen my faith. About 30 years ago, I accepted a call to begin formation for the diaconate, and was ordained a permanent deacon on May 24, 1997. 

That, then, is my story in brief, at least part of it. I’ve long been somewhat of a techno-dweeb, but have also been concerned about technology’s pervasive presence and, in truth, its growing control over so many aspects of our lives.

Let me turn now to the real subject of this post by referring to a small book written almost a century ago by Romano Guardini (1885-1968), one of the Church’s great 20th-century theologians,. The book, Letters from Lake Como, first published in 1926, consists of a series of letters Guardini wrote several years earlier (1923). Focused on the increasing domination of human culture by technology, these letters are remarkably prescient and lead us to question whether technology is a human accomplishment to celebrate or a means to our ultimate subjugation. This, of course, is a question many ask today as we cope with technological intrusions, both overt and covert, into even the most private aspects of human life. I find it truly remarkable that Guardini could anticipate this possibility nearly 100 years ago.

At one point, in a discussion of tools, Guardini addresses their different forms. Basic tools -- for example , a hammer -- become extensions of the human body allowing us to accomplish tasks with greater ease, accuracy, and refinement. It would be hard indeed to hammer a nail with my fist, easier perhaps with a rock, but far more satisfactory using a hammer designed specifically for the task. 

At a higher level we find the development of tools whose function does not demand direct human interaction. For example, a millstone, designed to grind wheat or other grains, can be turned by water power without the direct application of human effort. This application of natural means allows the human, uninvolved in the tool's actual work, to control the process with minimal effort. In the same way, by using horses to pull wagons or other vehicles to transport people or material, the human interacts with and controls the natural means (the horses) by which the work is accomplished.

Guardini then addresses more capable machines that "relieve us of direct work; we need only construct and supervise them." Here he includes machines that work with other machines, controlling them to accomplish increasingly complicated tasks of the sort preformed in the factories of his day. The automobile and airplane would also fall into this general category.

At this point Guardini adds that many machines and instruments have become extremely complex, their development the result of expanding scientific knowledge and technological and engineering expertise. These concepts are not understood by non-experts, who no longer experience directly the totality of the tools being used; i.e., they no longer wield the hammer. They might operate the machine, and yet have little understanding of the science and technology needed to make and use it effectively.

This, Guardini believed, leads to a kind of societal polarization. Here I think it best to offer a rather long quote from an address he gave in 1959 that forms an addendum to the latest edition of his book. As you read these words, keep in mind they were written over 60 years ago.

"...machines give us constantly increasing power. But having power means not only that those who have it can decide on different things; it also means that these different things will influence their own position. To gain power is to experience it as it lays claim to our mind, spirit, and disposition. If we have power, we have to use it, and that involves conditions. We have to use it with responsibility, and that involves an ethical problem. If we try to avoid these reactions, we leave the human sphere and fall under the logic of theoretical and practical relations.

"Thus dangers of the most diverse kind arise out of the power that machines give. Physically one human group subjugates another in open or concealed conflict. Mentally and spiritually the thinking and feelings of one influence the other. We need think only of the influence of the media, advertising, and public opinion." [p. 105-106]

I was particularly drawn to his comment that "one human group subjugates another in open or concealed conflict," and could not help but consider the application of artificial intelligence in a wide variety of forms to many aspects of our lives by government agencies, corporations, social media, etc. These forms are designed not only to gather information about us as individuals and members of various groups, but more disturbingly to use that information, applying it in ways that can alter what we do, what we believe, and how we think about our culture’s most basic values. 

After rereading Guardini’s book this week, I opened the latest issue (August/September 2021) of First Things and encountered two surprisingly relevant articles. (Unfortunately, I don’t believe either is accessible online unless you are a paid subscriber.) One, by Ned Desmond and entitled “The Threat of Artificial Intelligence,” offers a rather dark glimpse into the kind of future we might well encounter as we face the “open or concealed” threat posed by A.I. as government and industry conspire to exert greater control over our lives. Hmmm…sounds a lot like old-fashioned, traditional fascism to me.

The second article, really a book review of a new novel, The Silence, by Don DeLillo, depicts how the characters cope with the sudden collapse of all technology. The book doesn’t really address causes so much as it examines reactions to it all. I’ve read only one of DeLillo’s other novels, Underworld (1997), in which the author looks at Cold War America and its obsessions. He is a skillful writer well worth reading.

Both articles, however, only highlight the truth of Guardini’s 100-year-old ideas about the dangers of a technology misunderstood and misused, dangers that seem to be far closer to reality than most of us think. Later in life Romano Guardini expanded on his earlier thoughts in his book, The End of the Modern World (first published 1950), a prophetic examination of how we arrived at the world we experience today. Every literate human should read it. It’s that important a book.

 

More on the subject in future posts. Right now I need a nap.

Signs of the Times

Watching or reading the news these days can certainly be disheartening, but if we ignore what’s happening in our world we run the risk of allowing evil to overwhelm the good, at least temporarily. And, believe me, there is much evil in this world. Let me share a few — ten to be exact — reports I’ve stumbled across recently. In most instances the headlines say enough, but I’ll add a link to each so you can read the entire story should you want to dig more deeply into one or more of these reports.

Some of these articles report on palpable demonstrations of real evil, while others depict the weakness of those afraid to counter its more subtle manifestations. In all of them, however, we encounter a betrayal of Judeo-Christian values and a rejection of the Gospel. Behind many of these stories is a hatred of the Church, which Marxists have always believed to be its most “dangerous” enemy.

European Union Parliament Declares Abortion a Human Right

Nellis Air Force Base Hosts First-Ever Drag Queen Show: “Essential to the Morale, Readiness”

Religion Professors Argue Evangelical Christians Are White Racists Who “may end up killing us all”

Paris Archbishop Laments Attacks on Catholics Honoring City’s Martyrs

In the Safe Spaces on the Berkeley Campus, No Jews Allowed

Catholic Senator Tim Kaine Compares Catholic Teaching on Abortion to “Sharia Law”

Catholics in the Big-Tech Crosshairs: De Facto Online Censorship Raises Concerns

Satanists Buy Billboard Promoting Abortion as Religious Ritual, Citing “Abortions Save Lives”

In an Affront to its Namesake, the Tolkien Society Goes “Woke”

Congressman Ted Lieu Promotes Abortion, Tells Bishops “I dare you to deny me Communion”

…that’s it for now, but enough to show how evil has infiltrated so much of our society, indeed, our entire world. 

Because I’m a deacon some people seem to think I have all the answers, or at least some of them. Of course, I don’t, and like the rest of the faithful struggle to find my way to salvation. As St. Paul instructed the Philippians, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” [Phil 2:12]. And that’s exactly where I am — just a servant overcome with awe, with fear of the Lord, and trembling over my own sinfulness. But still, I’m asked questions: 

As a Christian, how should I respond to the growing evil and hatred I see around me? 

Should I be politically active? 

What does God want us to do? 

What does He want me to do?

These, and similar questions, are asked by faithful Christians who want only to do what is right but are troubled by the conflicting words they hear and the signs they see emanating from politicians, clergy, academics, media people, and others, all competing for their attention, their allegiance…or their vote. My response? Turn to the Word of God and listen to what St. Paul told the Ephesians while he was imprisoned, “an ambassador in chains.”

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done it all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak [Eph 6:10-20].

Did you happen to notice the warfare and military metaphors St. Paul used? They’re hard to miss. He knew the Church will always be engaged in battle against the powers of darkness, not a physical battle, at least not often, but a spiritual battle. 

In the beginning, though, the Risen Jesus didn’t send those first disciples into the fray unprepared: 

“...He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit’” [Acts 1:4-5]. 

Here Jesus acknowledged that their mission would not be an easy one, that the disciples must be well-armed for the battle, armed with spiritual weapons only the Holy Spirit can provide. Only then can we "stand against the wiles of the devil...and boldly...proclaim the mystery of the gospel." 

We must realize, though, to engage in this battle does not mean responding to hatred with hatred. St. John Paul II certainly recognized this. In his encyclical,  Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), he showed he understood our struggles, reminding us that unlike the “culture of death,” Christianity is a love story. And St. Paul offers us even more specifics on how we should approach the fight:

"Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you" [Phil 2:14-17].

Is this easy? Not at all. Do you and I really "shine like lights in the world" or do we sometimes try to hide from the powers of darkness? Just like the Apostles, we can't do it on our own. We, too, need the gifts of the Holy Spirit as we struggle to carry out God's will in our lives.

Bible Study Guide: The Book of Haggai

Okay, I’m all excited because it looks like we’ll be restarting our parish weekly Bible Study sessions soon, probably in early August. After well over a year without being able to get together, it will be a joy to meet once again and study God's Word together. Throughout the pandemic, I've tried, not always successfully, to keep our participants at least somewhat involved. 

Using Zoom was ruled out simply because we have so many people, nearly 100 at last count. And to be honest, I really don't care for video meetings. Even in my business days I never really liked conference calls. Always preferred face-to-face meetings, where things actually got accomplished. But fortunately (for me at least) I'm retired from all that so it makes little difference.

As part of my ongoing effort to keep folks thinking about things Biblical, I've been writing a series of Study Guides. I actually started these 15 years ago when we first began our parish Bible Study. But since the pandemic hit us, I've been writing them at a record-setting pace...at least for me. The latest is Study Guide #46 and addresses the book of the minor prophet Haggai. We know absolutely nothing personal about this prophet other than what he tells us in his brief, two-chapter prophecy, a series of messages he proclaimed to the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem during the months of August through December 520 B.C.

But Haggai's message was a message of hope, perhaps just the kind of message we need today, a message in which God reminds the faithful:

"I am with you...My spirit remains in your midst. Do not fear!"

Yes, indeed, God is Emmanuel -- God with us.

If you actually want to read this latest Bible Study Guide, simply go to the "Documents" page of our Bible Study website, and scroll down to Study Guide #46. Or you can go directly to the PDF file here: Study Guide #46 - Haggai