You are receiving not a perishable but a spiritual shield. Henceforth you are planted in the invisible Paradise. Thou receivest a new name, which you had not before. Heretofore you were a Catechumen, but now you will be called a Believer. You are transplanted henceforth among the spiritual olive-trees, being grafted from the wild into the good olive-tree, from sins into righteousness, from pollutions into purity. You are made partaker of the Holy Vine . Well then, if thou abide in the Vine, you grow as a fruitful branch; but if thou abide not, you will be consumed by the fire. Let us therefore bear fruit worthily. God forbid that in us should be done what befell that barren fig-tree, that Jesus come not even now and curse us for our barrenness. But may all be able to use that other saying, But I am like a fruitful olive-tree in the house of God: I have trusted in the mercy of God for ever —” an olive-tree not to be perceived by sense, but by the mind , and full of light. As then it is His part to plant and to water , so it is thine to bear fruit: it is God’s to grant grace, but thine to receive and guard it. Despise not the grace because it is freely given, but receive and treasure it devoutly. — Lecture 1. An Introductory Lecture to those who had come forward for Baptism.
After this, He says, “What think ye? A man had two sons; and he says to the first, go, work today in the vineyard. But he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go sir: and went not. Whether then of them two did the will of his father? They say, the first.”
Again He convicts them by a parable, intimating both their unreasonable obstinacy, and the submissiveness of those who were utterly condemned by them. For these two children declare what came to pass with respect to both the Gentiles and the Jews. For the former not having undertaken to obey, neither having become hearers of the law, showed forth their obedience in their works; and the latter having said, “All that the Lord shall speak, we will do, and will hearken,” in their works were disobedient. And for this reason, let me add, that they might not think the law would benefit them, He shows that this self-same thing condemns them, like as Paul also says, “Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” For this intent, that He might make them even self-condemned, He causes the judgment to be delivered by themselves, like as He does also in the ensuing parable of the vineyard.
And that this might be done, He makes trial of the accusation in the person of an other. For since they were not willing to confess directly, He by a parable drives them on to what He desired.
But when, not understanding His sayings, they had delivered the judgment, He unfolds His concealed meaning after this, and says, “Publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of Heaven before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not; but the publicans believed him; and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterwards, that you might believe him.”
For if He had said simply, harlots go before you, the word would have seemed to them to be offensive; but now, being uttered after their own judgment it appears to be not too hard.
Therefore He adds also the accusation. What then is this? “John came,” He says, “unto you,” not unto them, and not this only, but; also “in the way of righteousness.” “For neither with this can you find fault, that he was some careless one, and of no profit; but both his life was irreprehensible, and his care for you great, and you gave no heed to him.”
And with this there is another charge also, that publicans gave heed; and with this, again another, that “not even after them did ye. For you should have done so even before them, but not to do it even after them was to be deprived of all excuse;” and unspeakable was both the praise of the one, and the charge against the other. “To you he came, and you accepted him not; he came not to them, and they receive him, and not even them did ye take for instructors.”
See by how many things is shown the commendation of those, and the charge against these. To you he came, not to them. You believed not, this offended not them. They believed, this profited not you. — From Homily 67.
Ben Myers of Faith & Theology has several postings on Propositions on Christian Theology, a new book by Kim Fabricius. See Propositions on Christian theology: a new book by Kim Fabricius! and Endorsements for Kim’s new book.
The book consists of Mr. Fabricius’ “10 propositions” series as well as poetry and hymns he has written. These propositions have informed many of my homilies. They are more than an exposition of thoughts, or rubrics on theology, they are an series of unveilings. Each word and phrase takes you deeper and deeper into our life in God, opening new doors, new expectations. Before you know it, you begin to imagine yourself as someone who can understand the deepest theology. You begin to think that you can comprehend God.
The following is from Mike Higton’s foreword:
You will find some propositions in this book on dull sermons and others on holy laughter, some on the Nicene Creed and others on the nature of heresy, some on human sexuality and others on all-too-human hypocrisy, some on the role of angels and others on the location of hell, and still others on fasting and feasting, peace and policing, grace and gratitude —“ but don’t be fooled into thinking that it is simply a scattershot miscellany. Proposition by proposition, aphorism by aphorism, this book provides a solid training in how to think theologically —“ how to break and remake your thought in the light of God’s grace.
I highly recommend Propositions on Christian Theology: A Pilgrim Walks the Plank (Carolina Academic Press, 2008), 228 pp. It is currently available from Amazon, or at a pre-publication discount from the publishers.
First reading: Ezekiel 18:25-28
Psalm: Ps 25:4-9
Epistle: Philippians 2:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
The righteous do not see the dirty. That is the Lord’s warning to us. It is His call to us. We are to open our eyes to life as a Christian, as a follower of Christ.
Think of the key words from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: encouragement, solace, participation, compassion, mercy, joy, love, unity. These are the attributes of the Christian community and of His followers. These attributes are the markers by which we are to define ourselves. They are the signs the world is to see when they look to us.
Paul goes on in one of the most beautiful hymns in all the scriptures – the great Christological hymn, wherein he tells us that Christ:
emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
He humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
The Christian way of life is the open way. It is the way that welcomes and accepts all those who come. It is the way that sees Christ when our neighbor approaches. It is life in a community that lays out all its gifts to those who approach.
This lesson is not the result of moral stories, Jesus coming as a beggar, and our call to open the door, but rather because Christ did come as man. In doing so He raised up humanity. He intrinsically joined humanity to God in His incarnation. As such we are to honor, serve, and open our gifts to all men.
In coming Jesus came as the poor, as the itinerant. Jesus was the focus of condemnation from the powers that be. Jesus was the one who came and who had no place to lay His head.
Brothers and sisters,
Jesus knows the hearts of men. He knows that we can easily fall into a comfortable state. That state is the place where we feel assured – of salvation, of God’s favor, of our regeneration. He warned the chief priests and elders:
“Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.—
He warned them and warns us, because like them we often fail to see the dirty, the broken, those who come to us in search of the gift. We fail to see those who reach out to us in so many ways every day – just looking for Christ to be made present to them, in our words and actions. The chief priests and elders didn’t see God in their poorest of brothers, in the outcasts and untouchables. They only saw themselves.
Jesus goes on to say:
—When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him—
John was derided as well. An outcast, living a dirty and miserable existence in the wilderness. A crazy man who proclaimed an indictment against the unrepentant rich and powerful. Yet those who felt trapped in unrighteousness, who came seeking the gift, were the ones who saw John for what he truly was. Jesus says:
“but tax collectors and prostitutes [believed him].”
My friends,
We are blessed. We have the solace and comfort of the Holy Church. We have every advantage a believer can have. Our call is to take that advantage and solace — all the gifts we have — and bring them to those caught in unrighteousness, those trapped without hope, those without the Word, those seeking the gift, those who ask in big and small ways — please show me Jesus.
We must reawaken ourselves from our slumber. We must see anew with the eyes of Christ — in each and every interaction. We are called to see beyond appearance, beyond politics, beyond the false walls built upon the stereotypes and dangers the world sees. We are to see those who need, those who search, those who ask.
We have great gifts in encouragement, solace, participation, compassion, mercy, joy, love, and unity. We have the example of Christ whom the world did not recognize (John 1:10-11):
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.
He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.
…and we know that God is the God of salvation.
So we must be careful to recognize, to see, to share the gifts; to share each and every day with each and every person That is what we must do to be like the son who recanted and did the will of his father. We cannot simply say yes, yes, nod, and slumber away our days in righteousness. We must see with eyes wide open. We must offer all we have. We must do! Otherwise we will have missed the sign and Jesus may well say of us:
—Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds”
Amen.
As to the delay of the Incarnation, it was necessary that human degeneracy should have reached the lowest point, before the work of salvation could enter in. That, however, grace through faith has not come to all must be laid to the account of human freedom; if God were to break down our opposition by violent means, the praise-worthiness of human conduct would be destroyed. —” Chapters XXIX through XXXI.
From IWJ:
I would like to invite you to participate in IWJ’s “Immigration Through the Lens of Faith” training, which will take place November 9-11 in Chicago. This training is designed for staff and leaders of IWJ affiliates, religious or community outreach staff of unions, community services representatives, and organizing staff of faith-based organizations.
In the training, participants will learn how to:
- deepen outreach to the religious and labor communities
- provide a closer look at the intersection of worker justice and immigrant worker rights
- implement examples of best practices around issues that effect immigrant workers and how to implement them
- tackle the problem of wage theft and join IWJ’s national campaign to prevent it
To register contact Renaye Manley at 773-728-8400 x15 or visit the registration website. There are a limited number of spaces available.
George Weigel posits a question in a column from The Pilot: CAMPAIGN 2008: Marriage, civility, persecution
Will the Catholic Church have to get out of the civil marriage business (i.e., priests no longer serving as officers of the court for purposes of validating a marriage)? Will Catholic marriages in the United States eventually resemble marriages in, say, communist-era Poland: a sad joke of a civil ceremony, followed by the liturgical ceremony?
At least in Poland people were honest enough to stop at the civil step if that was all they wanted.
Frankly I hope that such a turn of events does occur. Clergy should not be “officers of the court” for any purpose. We do not represent earthly government, nor should we align ourselves, or encumber ourselves, with the requirements governments put upon us. We should use great care in not equating the sacrament of marriage with a legal contract between two people (which is all a civil marriage is)
Such a move, getting the government out of the Church’s sacrament and the Church out of the government’s business of contract oversight, would only serve to bring a greater level of honesty to the whole process. The Church and couples should be free from the hypocrisy of it all — freedom from the notion that the Church is only a way point for marriage, later for the baby naming ceremony, later for the funeral.
I have seen faith filled couples come to church because that’s where they want to be. I have also seen people go through the motions, lying to themselves and to the Church for months, just for the pretty ceremony — the one grandma wants. Tens of thousands of dollars for lies and shame. Money that could be saved if only they had stopped by the local court, put down $10, and signed a contract. That was all they really wanted. If the word ‘sacrament’ passed through their minds for more than a millisecond I’d be surprised.
Let’s not make churches “officers of the court” as part of an elaborate faí§ade – filled with pretense and business opportunities for wedding consultants. Let’s not make the Church a party to corruption. Let those who come to Church come freely. When they come they will find the doors open to them, doors that open to a lifetime of faith.
As an aside, no Mr. Weigel, you don’t need a government ‘ceremony.’ It can be as simple as putting pen to paper, signing off on a legal agreement as it were. Why play make believe?
Frankly I think Mr. Weigel is full of beans. He cannot see beyond John Paul/Poland shrine he has built to the stuff John Paul really believed in. God’s Kingdom and His Church are greater than human folly.
The word from the NY Times: Talks Implode During Day of Chaos; Fate of Bailout Plan Remains Unresolved
The meeting opened with Mr. Paulson, the chief architect of the bailout plan, —giving a status report on the condition of the market,— Tony Fratto, Mr. Bush’s deputy press secretary, said. Mr. Fratto said Mr. Paulson warned in particular of the tightening of credit markets overnight, adding, —that is something very much on his mind.—
Matched against today’s word from the Word:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. — Psalm 1:1-3 (RSV)
So let us meditate on and delight in the Lord – then shall we prosper.
This article: Diocese’s recommended consolidations reflect move away from ethnic parishes, which appeared in The Citizens Voice was such a propaganda piece that I just had to comment.
The article attempts to give a history of Roman Catholic parishes in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania:
More than a century ago, a congregation of people of German heritage decided to start St. Boniface Parish in Wilkes-Barre. Parishioners previously had to travel down to the German parish, St. Nicholas on Washington Street, or go to one of the territorial parishes for Mass and school.
—Children had to cross railroad tracks to get to school; it was dangerous,— Brother DePorres Stilp said. —So they tried to make a new church here in the neighborhood.—
Stilp’s grandfather was one of the founding members, and for years the parish, which celebrated Mass in German and English
More likely in Latin only – but he wouldn’t know that. , was a center for the German Catholic community in the area.Many of the national parishes in Luzerne County that are historically attended by people and practice traditions from one ethnic background grew up in this manner, according to the Rev. Hugh McGroarty, senior priest at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pittston.
Fair enough. Then the article goes on to say:
The first immigrants to the area were mostly Irish, and they built Catholic parishes. However, when immigrants from other areas of Europe came, many lived in the same communities and wanted to worship with people who spoke their languages and shared their culture…
Are they saying that Irish = Catholic? That sets the tone for this:
So the Catholic Church gave many of these groups of immigrants national parishes, and made the parishes built by the Irish territorial so anyone in the area could attend.
—There’s no Irish church,— McGroarty said. —There was one church in the area, and so the Polish made their own. And the Slovaks came in, and so on. The other church, which they called Irish, was for everyone.—
The problem of course was that the area church was Irish – right Fr. McGroarty. You had to fit in or get out. They didn’t want the Poles, or Slovaks, or Ukrainians, or Italians. You wore green, spoke English, and worshiped St. Patrick like a good “Catholic” or you got out.
I like the way he implies that these other nationalities were “given” parishes while the Irish parish was the Catholic one. Does that mean that the Poles, etc. had a slightly less than Catholic parish, and the the only truly Catholic parish was the Irish one? Is that because Irish = universal?
What a bad retelling of history. These industrial and mining towns didn’t have homogeneous R.C. parishes. You either fit with the crowd in the Irish parish or you did not. The Poles wouldn’t give in, and wouldn’t turn their assets over the the local [Irish] R.C. bishop as demanded of them (no one was “given” a church) thus in part the genesis for the PNCC.
Later in the article Fr. McGroarty says:
Many parishes held on to their roots, but, McGroarty said, there aren’t nearly as many traditions and ethnic bonds as in the past.
—There isn’t that much,— he said. —The tradition is with the old people.—
I guess you ought to cancel the St. Patrick’s Day parade Father, and dump the corn beef and cabbage down the Susquehanna — it’s only for the old folks anyway. Tradition is only for the old? Kind of like the all that funny old Catholic stuff like devotions, the Traditional form of the Holy Mass, etc.? Sorry Father but those are all things the PNCC hasn’t had to rediscover (í la Benedict XVI) because we retained them – because we listened to the people. The Church’s Tradition is universal, consistent, and is for all people.
A patient, to be healed, must be touched; and humanity had to be touched by Christ. It was not in “heaven”; so only through the Incarnation could it be healed. —” It was, besides, no more inconsistent with His Divinity to assume a human than a “heavenly” body; all created beings are on a level beneath Deity. Even “abundant honor” is due to the instruments of human birth. — Chapters XXVII., XXVIII.