Charles Péguy

In my spare time I've been reading Charles Péguy's long poem, "The Portal of the Mystery of Hope." Even in translation, it's a remarkable poem and the poet's beautiful, life-giving words are an antidote to the despair that so plagues the world.

Written in the first years of the twentieth century, the poem is quite long. The text itself is over 130 pages, and so I've been reading only a few pages each day.

This evening I came across some particularly moving verses on the parable of the prodigal son which I'd like to share with you.





A man had two sons. Of all God's parables
This one has awakened the deepest echo.
The most ancient echo.
The oldest, the newest echo.
The freshest echo.
Believer or unbeliever.
Known or unknown.
A unique point of resonance.
The only one that the sinner has never been able to silence in his heart.
Once this word of hope has bitten into his heart
Into his believing or unbelieving heart,
No pleasure will ever more be able to erase
Its teeth marks.
Such is this word. She's a word that stays with you.
She follows like a dog
That remains even though you beat it.
Like a mistreated dog who always comes back.
She remains faithfully, she comes back like a faithful dog.
There's no use kicking her or beating her with a stick.
She's faithful
With a special fidelity,
She thus accompanies man into his greatest
Follies.
She is the one who teaches that all is not lost.
It is not God's will
That a single one of these little ones should perish.
She's a faithful dog
Who bites and who licks
And by both sustains
The inconstant heart.
When the sinner turns away from God, my child,
As he turns away, as he buries himself in lost countries, as he loves himself.
He tosses along the way his most precious goods,
Among the stones and bramble, as things useless and heavy and which hinder him. His most sacred possessions.
The word of God. His purest treasures.
But there is one word of God that he does not throw away.
Over which every man has cried so many times.
Over which, because of which. By which.
And he's like the others, he too has cried.
There is one of God's treasures, when the sinner turns away
To the growing darkness,
When the shadows
The lengthening shadows
Veil his eyes, there is one of God's treasures that he will not toss among the bramble at the side of the road.
Because she's a mystery that follws, she's a word that follows
Into the most extreme
Engagements.
There's no need to look after her, and to carry her.
      It's she.
Who looks after you and who carries herself and who makes sure she is carried.
It's she who follows, she's a word that stays with you, a treasure that accompanies.
The other words of God don't dare accompany man
Into his greatest
Follies.
But in truth she is shameless.
She holds man by the heart, at a point that only she knows, and does not let him go.
She's not afraid. She's not ashamed.
And as far as man might stary, this man who loses himself,
In whatever country,
In whatever darkness,
Far from the hearth, far from the heart,
And whatever shadows he may have buried himself in,
The shadows that veil his eyes,
A spark will always keep watch, a flame will always keep watch, a tongue of flame.
Always a light that will keep watch and that will never be placed under a bushel basket. Always a lamp.
Always a simmering pang. A man had two sons. A pang he knows well.
A source of anxiety within false contentedness, a source of hope. All the other words of God are modest. They don't dare accompany man into the shamefulness of sin.
They aren't forward enough.
Into his heart, into the shamefulness of his heart.
But she in truth is not shameful.
You could say that she is rather adventurous.
She's a little sister of charity who's not afraid to handle a sick person or a poor person.
She has, as it were,
And even truly, delivered a challenge to the sinner.
She has told him: Wherever you go, I'll follow.
You'll see.
With me you will havce no peace.
I will not leave you in peace.
And it's true and he knows it. And ultimately he loves his persecutor.
In the depths of his heart, secretly.
Because at the very bottom of his heart, at the bottom of his shame and of his sin he loves (better) not having peace. It's kind of reassuring.

A point of suffering remains, a point of thought, a pont of anxiety. A bud of hope.
One light will not go out and it's
the third Parable,
the third word of hope. A man had two sons.

_____________

God's peace...

Verbum Domini and more

For all of you Bible Study folks out there and for all others who seek God's truth in His Word, here's a another wonderful document from the Vatican. As you might recall, in 2008, the Pauline Year, Pope Benedict XVI hosted a synod on the Word of God to address the Church's commitment to the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the Church. As a continuation of the synod's work. Pope Benedict XVI has recently published a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation entitled, "Verbum Domini" ("The Word of the Lord") which addresses the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church. It was presented to the faithful in early November 2010 by the Holy See Press Office.

(Now here's a little piece of irony for you...I didn't realize it had been published because I was away from home when the announcement was made by the Vatican Press Office and didn't really check the usual Church websites during my absence. Where was I? On a vacation in Spain and Italy. Indeed, I was probably in Rome when the announcement was made. Fortunately, one of my Bible Study participants mentioned it to me the other day, so I was able to locate it and pass it along here.)

Like all documents published by the Holy See, Verbum Domini is available online at the Vatican's website. You can also download it in pdf format. Because I simply prefer my reading material in standard book format, I purchased a copy online via Amazon. Click here to check it out.

Another excellent book, containing a few of the Holy Father's more important writings on Holy Scripture, is God's Word: Scripture - Tradition - Office, published in 2008 by Ignatius Press. Pope Benedict, of course, is a theologian and unless he is writing specifically for regular folks like you and me, he writes in a theologian's language. Don't let this deter you from reading his work, though. As I often do, you might find it challenging and need to take it slowly as you work your way through his writings and come to an understanding of his thinking. But, I can assure you, it will be worth it.

Ignatius Press has performed a wonderful service to the English-speaking world by publishing so much of Pope Benedict's work. If you have never read any of the pope's writings, just take a few moments to browse through his books listed on their website and choose one that piques your interest. (Click here to view a page listing all of his books published by Ignatius.) One you have read him, I promise you will come back for more.

Another publication -- or more accurately, series of publications -- is published by Dr. Scott Hahn's St. Paul Center for Bible Theology. It's a journal entitled Letter and Spirit, is published annually by the Center, and is filled with articles and papers by some of the best of the Church's scriptural scholars, both past and present. Each annual volume has a specific theme addressed by the contributors. So far five volumes have been published:

• Letter & Spirit, Volume 1, 2005, Reading Salvation
• Letter & Spirit, Volume 2, 2006, The Authority of Mystery
• Letter & Spirit, Volume 3, 2007, The Hermeneutic of Continuity
• Letter & Spirit, Volume 4, 2008, Temple and Contemplation
• Letter & Spirit, Volume 5, 2009, Liturgy and Empire

You can purchase them individually on the St. Paul Center's website: click here.

God's peace...

Martyrs and More Martyrs

I haven't posted very much lately, largely because I've been consumed by the preparations for a 10-hour mini-course on Sacramental Theology I will teach this weekend. The course is part of our diocesan catechist certification program and so my audience will consist of about 30 catechists and Catholic school teachers from this northern end of our diocese.

Normally I would have completed my preparations long before the start of the course, but the recent visit of our daughter and her family happily kept me from the PC for a couple of weeks. Of course, I could have done all the necessary work before their visit, but that would have required some long-range planning, a virtue not often practiced by us supposedly retired folks. In any event, I have paid the price for my procrastination.

As you know if you've inexplicably followed this insignificant blog for any length of time, I have devoted quite a few posts to the subject of the ongoing persecution of Christians throughout the world. I was just about to add another, this time on the very recent murders of seven Coptic Christians in Egypt. (These murders were in addition to the Christmas Eve bombing of the Coptic Church that killed 21 innocent people.) But then I came across Robert Royal's excellent article, "The New Martyrs", published today by one of my favorite websites, TheCatholicThing.org. It's definitely required reading for any Christian who has remained oblivious to the continued and increasing attacks on Christians, and especially on Catholics, in recent years. Oh, and a few years ago Royal wrote a splendid book on 20th Century martyrs that is also well worth reading: The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century.

Keep our persecuted brothers and sisters in your prayers.

God's peace..

Egyptian Muslims Shield Christians from Terror

So often, it seems, when Christians are attacked or persecuted in Muslim countries, the majority of Muslims say little or nothing in their defense. But things are very different this week in Egypt. As you have no doubt heard, Islamist extremists bombed a Coptic church on Christmas Eve killing 21 people. Muslims in Egypt have apparently decided they have had enough of the terrorists who kill in the name of their religion. A number of very prominent Egyptian Muslims have not only condemned the attacks against Christians, but have also called on Muslims to act as human shields outside Christian churches during religious services.

One of the key people involved in this initiative, Egyptian journalist Ekram Youssef, stated that "It is time to change and unite...it is time for Egyptian citizens to act to revive the true meaning of national unity." Although many Muslims have joined the effort and stood alongside Christians at last night's Masses celebrating the Coptic Christmas, their reasons for doing so vary. Some see acts of terror against Christians as a major threat to national unity. Some are acting to express solidarity with their Christian neighbors. For others it is more personal since they knew one or more of those killed in the bombing. Youssef, in explaining her own presence, stated, “We all have Christians as part of our family. I am a Muslim but I’m sure my great grandfather was a Christian.”

Those involved include the famous and the not-so-famous. Several popular movie actors and entertainers have joined with a number of Muslim preachers as well as President Hosni Mubarak's two sons. In addition to these Egyptian celebrities, thousands of their countryman are taking part. As one Muslim student stated, "This is not about us and them. We are one. This was an attack on Egypt as a whole, and I am standing with the Copts because the only way things will change in this country is if we come together.” He acted on his words by attending mass at Virgin Mary Church on Maraashly.

Perhaps the example of these courageous people, both Muslim and Christian, will be recognized in other nations and inspire the same kind of solidarity. It's certainly something to pray for.

To read more, click here: Egypt's Muslims Serve as Human Shields.

God's peace.

Happy New Year...Slightly Delayed

After an absolutely wonderful visit with us here in Florida, our elder daughter, our son-in-law, and five of our beautiful grandchildren returned to their Cape Cod home three days ago. Having them all here for Christmas was a special treat for us, for there's something about Christmas -- the celebration of Our Savior's birth -- that demands the presence of children. And with five little ones -- ranging in age from nine years to three-months -- staying with us for two weeks, their presence was certainly evident. We loved every minute of it.

But now the house is once again empty and silent...well, relatively empty and silent since Diane and I don't take up too much space and live a pretty quiet life together. I've resisted taking down the Christmas decorations because I enjoy them so much and their absence seems to make the house a bit less joyful. But I will finally take on that task today, place them in their boxes, and try once again to find room in the attic. Like the Church, as it makes its way through the liturgical year, we will return to more "ordinary" time and begin to focus on Our Lord's pilgrimage to Calvary and the promise of the Resurrection, along with our own pilgrimage as we strive to live the Christian life.

That we are now in the eleventh year of the 3rd millennium boggles the mind. As I age each new year seems to come more rapidly, as if time itself has been compressed making each subsequent year appreciably shorter. I'm pretty sure this apparent shortening of days is a universal perception, something we all experience, and probably results from the busyness that fills our adult lives and the fact that we have ceased being surprised at, or even noticing, what the world places before us. Most children lead lives of relative leisure, as they should. And in that leisure they are able to observe and absorb the surprises that creation offers them. So much that children encounter is new and they tend to savor that newness, enjoying all that comes their way.

If we adults could be more like children and take the time to appreciate and enjoy the remarkable creation that God has given us, perhaps time for us would slow down as well. Here in Florida, for example, we are blessed with all kinds of interesting creatures, everything from alligators to egrets, marvelous animals and birds that show off God's creative power. I particularly enjoy the large birds that gather daily in the ponds near our home. I took the photo below last year during a day-trip to the town of Dunedin on Florida's west coast. We had walked to the end of a small pier when a large egret landed right next to us, obviously looking for a handout from some of the locals who were fishing off the pier. As I approached the large bird, he obligingly turned his head, presenting me with his best side. I love the photo because in the details one can view the perfection of God's creative act. I hope you enjoy it as well. (Click on the photo to view it in higher definition.)

May God bless you all in this new year, helping you grow in faith and love.

Pope Benedict's Address for World Peace Day

The Vatican has released, in advance, the Holy Father's annual address for World Peace Day, January 1, 2011. In his address Pope Benedict focuses largely on religious freedom and the growing and widespread religious persecution throughout the world.

I've included just a few interesting excerpts below. [Any emphasis included in the original address.]

Here Pope Benedict condemns the persecution of Christians...

At present, Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith. Many Christians experience daily affronts and often live in fear because of their pursuit of truth, their faith in Jesus Christ and their heartfelt plea for respect for religious freedom. This situation is unacceptable, since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity; furthermore, it is a threat to security and peace, and an obstacle to the achievement of authentic and integral human development.

...and those who would deny life and religious freedom. 

Respect for essential elements of human dignity, such as the right to life and the right to religious freedom, is a condition for the moral legitimacy of every social and legal norm.

 He also looks to Western nations that have lost their own sense of religious identity.

A freedom which is hostile or indifferent to God becomes self-negating and does not guarantee full respect for others...it is inconceivable that believers should have to suppress a part of themselves – their faith – in order to be active citizens. It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one’s rights.

The pope goes on to stress the importance of the family and the marriage bond between a man and a woman.

The family founded on marriage, as the expression of the close union and complementarity between a man and a woman, finds its place here as the first school for the social, cultural, moral and spiritual formation and growth of children, who should always be able to see in their father and mother the first witnesses of a life directed to the pursuit of truth and the love of God. Parents must be always free to transmit to their children, responsibly and without constraints, their heritage of faith, values and culture.

He continues at some length, discussing the importance of religious freedom not only as a moral issue, but also as a key element of the development of society. And he does not disguise his condemnation of those who would deny religious freedom or distort its application.

Fanaticism, fundamentalism and practices contrary to human dignity can never be justified, even less so in the name of religion. The profession of a religion cannot be exploited or imposed by force. States and the various human communities must never forget that religious freedom is the condition for the pursuit of truth, and truth does not impose itself by violence but “by the force of its own truth”

And pursuing this same train of thought, the Holy Father, goes on to equate fanaticism and secularism because both, although in different ways and for different motives, seek to deny religious freedom.

It should be clear that religious fundamentalism and secularism are alike in that both represent extreme forms of a rejection of legitimate pluralism and the principle of secularity. Both absolutize a reductive and partial vision of the human person, favouring in the one case forms of religious integralism and, in the other, of rationalism. A society that would violently impose or, on the contrary, reject religion is not only unjust to individuals and to God, but also to itself. God beckons humanity with a loving plan that, while engaging the whole person in his or her natural and spiritual dimensions, calls for a free and responsible answer which engages the whole heart and being, individual and communitarian.

I encourage you to read Pope Benedict's entire address. You can find it here: World Day of Peace.

Pray for peace...

Persecution Watch: Indoneisa

According to the Indonesian constitution, citizens of every religion have the right to practice their faith, and no one can prohibit religious celebrations and services. In this Muslim-majority country, however, extremist Islamic groups have been putting pressure on local governments to prohibit Christian worship. And in direct violoation of the nation's constitution, these local officials have been going along with the extremists.

In West Java, for example, Catholics have been denied a building permit and so the local officials have prohibited them from conducting religious celebrations of any kind, even on their own property. Despite the government's illegal prohibition, the 3,000 parishioners of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church decided to hold their Christmas celebration anyway, and to hold it in the parking lot of their elementary school. Hundreds of parishioners attended the outdoor Mass.

Indonesian Catholics celebrating Christmas outside

This kind of not-so-subtle persecution is typical in Indonesia. These same parishioners were prevented from celebrating Mass at Easter due to threats of violence by Muslim extremists.

Interesting, isn't it? The future of the Catholic Church seems to be in Asia and Africa and South America, and not in Europe and North America. It is in these former mission territories that the church is suffering its greatest persecution; and yet, in the face of that persecution, the Church is growing in both numbers and in faith.


Pray for these courageous Christians and for their persecutors.

To read more, click here:  Java Catholics Deny Ban

Homily: 5th Day in the Octave of Christmas

Readings 1 Jn 2:3-11; Psalm 96; Lk 2:22-35
_____________

In today’s Gospel passage from Luke, we witness the Holy Family in Jerusalem to fulfill the demands of the Law of Moses: the purification of the mother and the presentation and redemption or buying back of the first-born.

According to Leviticus, the mother of a male child was unclean for forty days, when she underwent a rite of purification. Mary, though sinless and certainly not unclean, submitted to the Law.

You and I, though, should follow her example, for we all need purification and atonement. We also need God’s love, the fire of God’s love to cauterize our souls. We can learn so much from Mary and Joseph.

They were also there to offer sacrifice for their first-born son as the law required, for in Exodus God claims every first-born male for Himself. To show that Jesus, the first-born, belonged to God as His special property, a rite of redemption was performed. This involved a sacrifice – a lamb, or if they were poor, a pair of doves or pigeons. As St. Paul tells us, Our Lord, though He was richer than all of creation, became poor so that by his poverty we might become rich. And so He chose to have a poor man’s offering made on His behalf.

There in the Temple, Mary and Joseph encounter Simeon, whom Luke describes as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will. Filled with the Spirit, Simeon recognizes Our Lord, even as a Baby, and addresses Him as a servant would address his master. Simeon, who has waited his entire life in expectation of the Lord’s coming, is almost overwhelmed when he realizes this moment has arrived, this divine piercing of time, this moment that explains his entire life. When he takes the Child in his arms, he knows. He knows, not through study or intellect; no, he knows through a gift, a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations.

Simeon's canticle, which is prayed by the universal Church every night of the year in the Liturgy of the Hours, is more than praise and thanksgiving. It’s also a prophecy. The first part, an act of thanksgiving, expresses profound joy at having seen the Messiah. The second, prophetic part reveals the blessings the Messiah brings to Israel and to the world. And this is key: Simeon’s canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception – something foretold in throughout the Old Testament.

Simeon is filled with joy, but he’s also humbled because he himself had seen what so many patriarchs, prophets and kings had yearned to see. And here Simeon was, holding the long hoped-for Messiah in his arms.

Mary and Joseph marveled too, not because they didn’t know who Jesus was – for Gabriel had already revealed that to them.  No they were in awe at how God was revealing Him to the word.  And once again this Holy Family teaches us to contemplate the many wondrous mysteries surrounding the birth of Christ.

But Simeon wasn’t finished, and neither was the Holy Spirit. After blessing them, Simeon added another prophecy about the Child’s future. Yes, Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, but He will also be a sign of contradiction because some people will obstinately reject Him – and for this reason He will be their ruin. But for those who accept Him with faith Jesus will be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life.

And then he spoke the words that must have affected Mary deeply, that she will be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work. The sword tells her that she will have a share in her Son's sufferings; that an unspeakable pain will pierce her soul. Yes, brothers and sisters, Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forge the sword of Mary's pain. And so, we have a duty to atone not only to God but also to His Mother, who is our Mother too.

The birth of Christ is revealed by three kinds of witnesses each in a different way: the shepherds, led by an angel; the Magi, guided by a star; and Simeon and Anna, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Do you see that no matter how insignificant some lives seem in the eyes of men, they can become instruments of the Holy Spirit to make Jesus Christ known to others?

In His plan of salvation, God chooses whomever He wishes to do great things. The Spirit is always working, always providing opportunities for you and me to take God’s love to others.

Don’t let those opportunities pass you by.

The Vatican: 2010 In Review

Rome Reports has put together a five-minute video addressing what it considers the top ten news stories from the Vatican in 2010. It seemed fitting to include it in a post here as the year comes to an end.

Blessings...

Another Miracle

With all the strangeness in the world to distract us, it is easy to forget that God continues to bless our lives with one miracle after another. The most recent miracle in our family is our eighth grandchild, little Benedito (named after our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI). He's all of three-months old but has already developed quite a unique personality of his own, so different those of his four older siblings. A truly happy baby, he loves to smile and laugh and be hugged and held. As long as he's the center of attention, he's perfectly content.

I've included a photo I took on Christmas Eve. A perfect blend of Brazilian, Irish and English heritage, Ben is quite the handsome boy.

God's peace...

al-Qaeda Threatens Copts

The growing antipathy toward Christians in much of the Muslim world has taken a new twist. The leading jihadist terrorist group, al-Qaeda, has published the names, addresses and telephone numbers of 100 Egyptian-Canadian Coptic Christians it claims are responsible for encouraging Muslims to convert to Christianity. Calling those named the "dogs of diaspora" an al-Qaeda website threatens to "cut off their heads."

Such threats should not be taken lightly, particularly after a team of terrorists linked to al-Qaeda slaughtered dozens of Catholics in a Baghdad church a few weeks ago. Since then al-Qaeda has labeled Christians as "legitimate targets" and encouraged its supporters to kill them.

All of this, plus the seeming growing support among Muslims for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah, makes one wonder exactly where the majority of Muslims stand. And even if a majority reject terror, would that really make very much difference? I suspect not.

Is Islam a religion of peace?

Or is it something else entirely?











These seem to be questions only Muslims can answer for the rest of the world. I believe I can safely say that we Christians will never cease our peaceful evangelistic efforts, even among Muslims. To do so would be a rejection of the great commission Jesus gave us: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." [Mt 28:19-20] It would seem, then, we are faced with what appears to be an inevitable conflict, certainly one that cannot be resolved by human means. Recent history seems to bear this out, as one peace effort after another crumbles under the weight of hatred.

I'm reminded of the prayer Pope Benedict prayed at Ground Zero during his visit to New York in 2008:

O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here — the heroic first-responders: our firefighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness.

Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering. God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth.

Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events.

Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain. Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.

Here we encounter the Holy Father praying for the conversion of those who would carry out such horrendous acts of terror. Perhaps we should all make this our prayer as well.

God's peace...

Homily: Feast of the Holy Family

Readings: Sir 3:2-6,12-14; Ps 128; Col 3:12-21; Mt 2:13-15,19-23
_______________

As a deacon, husband, father and grandfather, there are two days in the liturgical year that have special meaning for me.

One is St. Stephen's Day, when we honor St. Stephen, the first deacon and the first martyr. The other is the feast of the Holy Family. And this year they both fall on the same day…today.

Like most of you whose children are grown, coming together as a family is increasingly rare. What Diane and I once took for granted are now special times, moments to anticipate and cherish.

Family relationships are certainly different, aren’t they? We’re drawn to each when crises arise. And for most of us, it’s wonderful to be surrounded by one's family. I’d like to be able to say our family is the ideal, populated by perfect people, but you’d know I was lying. We’ve had our share of problems and crises and arguments and slammed doors and tears. But, you know, the problems are eventually solved, just as each crisis is invariably overcome. And the arguments and slammed doors? Well, they always seemed to end in apologies and forgiveness and hugs, with the tears wiped away.

I’d like to take the credit, for even a small piece of it, for all the good things, but again I’d be lying. Despite 42 years of crises, large and small, Diane and I realize we’ve been blessed when it comes to our children and the love we have for each other and for our family. We’ve come to realize that it’s God who works His Will through us and through our weaknesses. And so we continue to struggle to discern His Will in the life of our family.

Now I know that many of today’s families have very serious problems, indeed. And many households are really not families at all, but simply groups of individuals who happen to share the same accommodations.

The Holy Family (Raphael)

Oh, how we need the example of the Holy Family in today's world, a world openly hostile to marriage and the family. By most statistical measures, the family is an institution in sharp decline. The symptoms are all around us in a profound shift in cultural values away from family commitment and toward self-fulfillment, away from self-sacrifice and toward self-gratification. The divorce rate is well over 50%. 40% of today’s children are born outside of marriage. The plague of abortion has devalued not only the child, but human life itself. Large numbers of fathers abdicate their parental responsibility and abandon both mother and child.

Some few years ago our elder daughter was teaching 2nd grade in an inner city school in California. The fathers of 40% of the children in her class were in prison. But even in affluent families, mothers and fathers spend increasingly less time with their children, or devote themselves to their children’s material well-being and success at the expense of their spiritual well-being and moral character.

Single parenthood is a fact of life today, and it carries with it a whole set of financial, emotional, and psychological burdens. If raising a child today is a challenge for a two-parent family, just imagine what’s it’s like to do it alone. Most single parents love and care for their children admirably, but can we really expect them to be both mother and father? What have we lost when the beneficial effects of a loving, caring father are lacking? When masculine role models are found only outside the family, too often in objectionable ways?

Now I’m no sociologist, so I won’t even attempt to explain these problems and their causes. But today, on the Feast of the Holy Family, we might do well to consider an often overlooked figure in the Gospels. As Matthew relates the story of the conception, birth and childhood of Jesus, there emerges a quiet, modest figure, the perfect model for fathers today, St. Joseph.

Just consider the sort of man he must have been. Out of all the men who ever lived, God the Father chose Joseph as the guardian, teacher, and guide of His only Son. And He chose Joseph to love and protect Mary, the virgin Mother of the Son of God. Yes, Joseph must have been a very special man indeed.

* a courageous man of honor determined to protect Mary’s reputation. Why? Because he’s a righteous man and this is what God would want.

* a man who then takes Mary as his wife even though the child she carries is not his. Why? Because God told him to take the Child and His Mother to himself. And so Joseph obeys.

* a man who, to protect his young family, leads them into exile, into an unknown future. Why? Because God told him to do so.

Joseph doesn’t stop to think it over; he doesn’t even spend a day planning the trip. No, he leaves immediately in obedience to God’s command. He “rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.”

What a mystery! That God, to protect His Son, the uncreated Word of God, should choose to do so through the mediation of a humble carpenter. It’s all part of the greater mystery of the Incarnation, in which the Father and the Holy Spirit now relate to the Son not only as Divine Word but also as incarnate Man.

Flight into Egypt

Matthew glosses over the flight to Egypt in a few words, but the reality was surely a nightmare. Traveling by night and hiding by day, the Holy Family would have required several weeks to travel the 300 miles through an inhospitable desert from Jerusalem to Egypt. Then, as homeless refugees, the family would rely solely on Joseph to earn a living during their exile. And just when Joseph had probably established himself in this foreign land, God tells him to return to Israel. Once again he obeys.

The murderous Herod is dead, but in Judea and Samaria, Herod's son, Archelaus now rules, and Joseph fears him. And rightly so, since Archelaus began his rule by slaughtering 3,000 of Judea’s most influential citizens. And so Joseph, again in obedience to God’s command, guides Mary and Jesus far to the north, to the safety of a small town nestled in the hills of Galilee, to Nazareth. It’s through the obedience of Joseph that the prophecies are fulfilled. “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” And “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

Notice how, throughout Matthew’s brief narrative, God doesn’t reveal everything to Joseph at once. No, Joseph remains continually dependent on God’s next word. For Joseph, the just man, is nevertheless fully human, and like all of us must learn to grow in God’s love and grace. He must experience, as we all must, the trial of faithfulness, the trial of perseverance in seeking out the will of God in our lives. And so Joseph waits patiently for God to speak, just as God waits patiently for Joseph to grow in fidelity to His will.

It’s in Nazareth, in the home of this family, that Jesus grows to maturity. It’s here that Joseph, according to Jewish custom, teaches Jesus to recite his prayers, to sing the age old Psalms of David, and to read from the Torah, the Law of Moses. It’s from Joseph that Jesus learns to appreciate, first hand, the importance of following the laws and customs of His people. In Nazareth, working alongside Joseph in his carpenter's shop, Jesus comes to recognize the value and dignity of work. Here, in the home of Joseph, Jesus encounters daily a man happy to be poor in spirit, happy to be meek, happy to be just and merciful, happy to be pure of heart, to be singlehearted.

Later, when Jesus begins His public ministry, he often speaks of God the Father as “Abba” or Daddy. And it was from the loving and caring Joseph that in his humanity Jesus first learned what a daddy was. At the very heart of Joseph’s sanctity is obedience, an unquestioning obedience to accept the will of God in his life…and to act on it. And because he obeys, God comes to him again and again. God walks in Joseph’s soul just as He walked with Adam in the Garden. Is it any wonder He entrusts to Joseph what is most precious to Him?

Mary and the child Jesus remain almost hidden in this Gospel narrative, contained in the decisions and actions of Joseph. Joseph leads, but doesn’t dominate. He leads by serving – by serving His God and by serving His family. Then, his task complete, Joseph seemingly disappears from view. His work is finished. Jesus, whom he has loved, taught, and protected, must now step forward into the light of history. Joseph, like John the Baptist, like you and me: "He must increase. I must decrease."

On March 19th, in the Preface of the Mass of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the celebrant honors Joseph with these words:

He is that just man, that wise and loyal servant, whom you placed at the head of your family. With a husband’s love he cherished Mary, the virgin Mother of God. With fatherly care he watched over Jesus Christ your Son, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We Catholics have always prided ourselves on our devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. How it would please her to see us, and especially those of us who are fathers, deepen our devotion to her husband. With Jesus we owe honor to Joseph, and honored indeed would Joseph be if fathers today would accept him as their model. And if single mothers would turn to him, asking for his fatherly intercession in the lives of their children.

Today, on this beautiful feast of the Holy Family, let us pray for our families, and especially for fathers. Would that all fathers were just men like Joseph -- wise and loyal servants of the Lord who cherish their wives and watch over their children with fatherly care.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

The President and America's Religious Identity

Although it hasn't received very much coverage by the mainstream media, our president has been habitually misquoting the Declaration of Independence. On several occasions he has quoted the document by saying, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable [sic] rights..." The document actually reads, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights..." Why has the president repeatedly omitted any reference to "the Creator"?

Signing of the Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull

It's all a bit troubling, especially since his misquoting of the Declaration was repeated at several different venues. That could hardly be accidental. And it's particularly troubling given that, during a trip to Indonesia, he stated that our national motto was "E Pluribus Unum" or "Our of Many, One." In truth, however, our national motto is "In God We Trust" and has been for decades. As president, he should know this.

Perhaps he suffers from a form of theophobia, and prefers to avoid any mention of God, particularly when his audience is likely to include some ACLU members.

In the below video the president is addressing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and includes one of his misquotes of the Declaration.

Thomas Kidd, writing an opinion piece in USA Today, addresses this issue further: Watch Your Religious Language, Mr. President.

"A Christmas Carol" by G.K.Chesterton

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world's desire.)

The Christ-child stood on Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

 

Pope Benedict's Christmas Message

Pope Benedict XVI delivered a special Christmas greeting to the people of the United Kingdom and, indeed, to all English-speaking people. It was broadcast yesterday evening on BBC radio. You can listen to his words below:

The following is a complete transcript of the Holy Father's BBC broadcast:

Recalling with great fondness my four-day visit to the United Kingdom last September, I am glad to have the opportunity to greet you once again, and indeed to greet listeners everywhere as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. Our thoughts turn back to a moment in history when God's chosen people, the children of Israel, were living in intense expectation. They were waiting for the Messiah that God had promised to send, and they pictured him as a great leader who would rescue them from foreign domination and restore their freedom.

God is always faithful to his promises, but he often surprises us in the way he fulfils them. The child that was born in Bethlehem did indeed bring liberation, but not only for the people of that time and place - he was to be the Saviour of all people throughout the world and throughout history. And it was not a political liberation that he brought, achieved through military means: rather, Christ destroyed death for ever and restored life by means of his shameful death on the Cross. And while he was born in poverty and obscurity, far from the centres of earthly power, he was none other than the Son of God. Out of love for us he took upon himself our human condition, our fragility, our vulnerability, and he opened up for us the path that leads to the fullness of life, to a share in the life of God himself. As we ponder this great mystery in our hearts this Christmas, let us give thanks to God for his goodness to us, and let us joyfully proclaim to those around us the good news that God offers us freedom from whatever weighs us down: he gives us hope, he brings us life.

Dear Friends from Scotland, England, Wales and indeed every part of the English-speaking world, I want you to know that I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy Season. I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time. I pray especially for the elderly and for those who are approaching the end of their days. I ask Christ, the light of the nations, to dispel whatever darkness there may be in your lives and to grant to every one of you the grace of a peaceful joyful Christmas. May God bless all of you!

Of course, the pope also delivered his traditional Christmas greetings to the crowds who had gathered in St. Peter's Square. The complete text of that message follows:

Dear brothers and sisters listening to me here in Rome and throughout the world, I joyfully proclaim the message of Christmas: God became man; he came to dwell among us. God is not distant: he is “Emmanuel”, God-with-us. He is no stranger: he has a face, the face of Jesus.

This message is ever new, ever surprising, for it surpasses even our most daring hope.

First of all, because it is not merely a proclamation: it is an event, a happening, which credible witnesses saw, heard and touched in the person of Jesus of Nazareth! Being in his presence, observing his works and hearing his words, they recognised in Jesus the Messiah; and seeing him risen, after his crucifixion, they were certain that he was true man and true God, the only-begotten Son come from the Father, full of grace and truth (cf. Jn 1:14).

“The Word became flesh”. Before this revelation we once more wonder: how can this be? The Word and the flesh are mutually opposed realities; how can the eternal and almighty Word become a frail and mortal man? There is only one answer: Love. Those who love desire to share with the beloved, they want to be one with the beloved, and Sacred Scripture shows us the great love story of God for his people which culminated in Jesus Christ.

God in fact does not change: he is faithful to himself. He who created the world is the same one who called Abraham and revealed his name to Moses: “I am who I am … the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob … a God merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (cf. Ex 3:14-15; 34:6). God does not change; he is Love, ever and always. In himself he is communion, unity in Trinity, and all his words and works are directed to communion. The Incarnation is the culmination of creation. When Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, was formed in the womb of Mary by the will of the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit, creation reached its high point. The ordering principle of the universe, the Logos, began to exist in the world, in a certain time and space.

Our home is blessed today with the presence of our elder daughter, her husband, and their five little ones. We all attended the Vigil Mass yesterday evening (I returned to assist at the Midnight Mass) so the children were up bright and early this morning. After singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and thanking Him for sharing His gifts with us as He does every Christmas, we turned to the tree and all the beautifully wrapped presents piled beneath it. It was an wonderful morning. We are truly blessed.

Our entire family wishes you all a happy and holy Christmas.

God's peace...

A Christian in a Saudi Jail: Brian O'Connor's Story

Asia News, the Catholic online news organization, is an excellent source of information on the worldwide persecution of Christians. It also played a major role in the release of Brian O'Connor, an Indian Evangelical Christian who spent over seven months in a Saudi jail on trumped-up charges of spreading Christianity, selling alcohol, and possession of pornography. Arrested by the Muttawah, the dreaded Saudi religious police, O'Connor was subsequently tortured and placed in a communal cell with murderers and other criminals. An international campaign to secure his release was ultimately successful. When asked if he now regretted his earlier decision to accept a job as a baggage handler for Saudi Airlines, O'Connor replied:

"No! As I said, it was a blessing in disguise. In 2003 I was offered a job in Great Britain but I turned it down. Perhaps, it was the Holy Spirit's doing.  If I had accepted I would not have been able to bear witness to the Gospel in a Saudi prison."

 Click here to read the full story on Asia News: A Christian in a Saudi Jail.

A Happy and Holy Christmas!!

Our daughter, son-in-law and their five beautiful children have arrived from Massachusetts and will monopolize most of our waking moments (and even a few of the non-waking ones) for a while. I do not expect to post very much during their stay, so I want to wish a Happy and Holy Christmas to all who read this blog and to your families. If I can I'll post a photo or two once in a while.

As my gift, here are a couple of neat little videos I stumbled across on YouTube. They inject some of our current technical and networking capabilities into a very special first century event.

Tessa Dahl, Benedictine Nun?

Tessa Dahl, the daughter of two famous people, Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal, has spent much of her adult life fighting addictions and surviving bad marriages and relationships, all the while searching for inner peace. It appears she has finally found that peace at age 53 in Regina Laudis Benedictine Abbey in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Although many doubt the depth if not the sincerity of her conversion, it appears to be genuine. Read more here: A Tale of the Unexpected.

Tessa Dahl with her mother, Patricia Neal, in happier times

Spencer and Kreeft debate Islam

The below video is a debate between Robert Spencer and Peter Kreeft on the subject of Islam and its impact on Christianity. It took place in November at Thomas More College in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Mr. Spencer takes the affirmative in the debate which centers on the statement, "The only good Muslim is a bad Muslim," while Dr. Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy at Boston College, takes the other side of the question. This debate between two Catholics with different views on Islam is certainly worth watching...although you'll have to set aside a lot of time to watch it all.

Abortion, Ireland and the EU

Just to demonstrate how far we have fallen morally in the West, of the 27 nations that now make up the European Union only two -- Ireland and Malta -- prohibit abortion. Both of these largely Catholic countries have so far resisted continued attempts to change their laws and allow the murder of unborn babies. But the pressure is on.

An EU agency with a contradictory name, European Court of Human Rights, has ruled that Ireland is breaking European human rights law by prohibiting abortion. The Irish government has repeatedly refused to legislate in favor of abortion despite a 1992 Irish Supreme Court ruling. In its defense the government has also stated that it's laws prohibiting abortion had their basis in "profound moral values deeply embedded in Irish society." God bless them for that!

Although the Irish government has not yet indicated whether it will appeal the ruling, some legislators want to held a referendum on abortion to show how strongly the Irish people support the current law and thereby overturn the Irish Supreme Court's earlier decision. A recent poll supports the idea of a pro-life referendum, with 70% favoring the abortion ban and only 16% wanting it overturned.

Pray that the Irish people, and their government, maintain their sanity and their faith.

To read more, click here: European Court Rules Against Ireland