If any one affirms that the flesh of Christ is consubstantial with the divinity, and refuses to acknowledge that He, subsisting Himself in the form of God as God before all ages, emptied Himself and took the form of a servant, even as it is written, let him be anathema. — Topic 2
I am the LORD.
That phrase occurs over and over in the Book of Leviticus. The Book of Leviticus is a book of Law given by God to the Hebrews. It is a legislative document. Throughout the book God lays out His Laws and commands, and at the end of each He says —I am the Lord.— or —I, the LORD, am your God.—
He is asking us to recognize that fact.
We are sixty days from Easter, two weeks out from the start of Lent.
In this time of preparation the Church reminds us of something very key. She reminds us of what God has asked us to recognize. While we may recognize it in the intellectual sense it bears hearing. God is our Lord. God commands us, rules over us, and is in charge of our lives. We are to recognize that intellectually and from the gut.
We are to recognize that in our baptism, and in our coming here, we surrender to God. We pray that He makes use of us. We ask that He take our will, our very being, for His purposes.
Brothers and sisters,
That is the hardest choice. The choice to give oneself to another. To put our trust into the hands of someone else. To give up our will, our knowledge, our desires, and to replace those with knowledge of God, God’s will, and God’s desire. It is even more difficult because we know that God is demanding, that God has all sorts of requirements we do not really, and let’s be honest here, that we do not really like.
Look at the Gospel – turn the other cheek to those who strike you. Someone wants your shirt, given them your coat as well. Your boss or spouse asks you to go the extra mile, go two. Give to whomever asks, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
Is God crazy? Doesn’t He know about credit risk, painful cheeks, and the fact that it gets pretty cold in upstate New York without a shirt or coat? He wants us to love Osama, and the atheists who think we are all delusional and schizophrenic?
Yes, that’s right.
Further, God wants us to give up sin. That little moment of selfish pleasure, cast it aside. That rush we get when we show ourselves as superior to another – let it go. More than let it go, repent of it and do it no more.
St. Paul goes on to tell us that we shouldn’t delude ourselves with pride in our own wisdom:
If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise.
My friends,
The fact is this. God created the world, and each of us, setting us on the road of return. We are all bound to Him and for Him, each according to the measure of grace that we have been given.
As we walk that path, drawing ever closer to God, we must recollect and remember these things:
First, that our Lord is God.
Second, that our wisdom, our personal strength is nothing if it not conformed to God. We can say we know everything. We can be astrophysicists, accountants, attorneys, surgeons – and all of it is lacking if we do not count ourselves as fools because we lack in the knowledge and wisdom of God.
Third, we must place ourselves into God’s hands. We are safe there, even when the world hits us, takes our coat, demands our work, and persecutes us.
Fourth, God demands repentance, a true inner change. We must reorder our way of thinking and living, aligning it with God’s direction.
Fifth, we must recognize God’s presence in all. God is in all, and all are called to return to Him, regardless of their station, class, religion, or the good or bad they have done. He is most particularly in us for as St. Paul tells us:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Of these things some will ask, Well how do I know what God wants? How can I know when it is all so unclear, so uncomfortable?
When asking that question recollect and remember, God has sent His Son to teach us. We have Sacred Scripture and Tradition to guide us, and the Holy Church, ever present, to instruct us. Not only that, we know that God promises an eternity of joy with Him if we conform ourselves to Him.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
There is nothing unclear in the beatitudes, in Jesus’ instruction to:
be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
As we approach Lent let us set our sights on re-ordering our lives. Let us resolve to live in union with God and His Church. Let us listen to God as He tells us:
Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
If any one says that the body of Christ is uncreated, and refuses to acknowledge that He, being the uncreated Word (God) of God, took the flesh of created humanity and appeared incarnate, even as it is written, let him be anathema. – Topic 1
In the past week we learned that Louis de Cazenave, France’s second last surviving World War I veteran passed away on Sunday, January 20th.
Now we learn that Germany’s last World War I veteran predeceased France’s second last veteran by nearly 20 days. The BBC reports in Germany’s ‘last’ WWI veteran dies that Erich Kaestner died January 1st.
I just found it to be an interesting juxtaposition.
Wikipedia has an interesting page on the deaths of World War I veterans. It indicates that the last German survivor also predeceased the second last remaining Polish veteran, Stanisław Wycech who died on January 12th. Other surviving veterans are listed here.
In any event, may they all rest in peace.
We took my son out for dinner tonight – to his favorite diner. He wanted a root beer float with chocolate ice cream – dad taught him that one.
A conversation in the car on the way:
Son and daughter: “Do you know that there are people who don’t believe in heaven?”
Dad: “Yeah, that’s sad, because they think that when they die – well that’s it.”
Son and daughter: “They think they’re just dead.”
Dad: “That’s right – they think their life it over, they have no hope.”
Son: “That’s why we need to have pastors, to go and teach people about heaven, to tell them the truth, to make them believe and have hope.”
A great gift – insight and zeal for souls. We didn’t have to buy that gift – it came by the grace of God.
From Gazeta Wyborcza via China View: Seriously calculated: mail slower than snails
A serious calculation has led to a couclusion that a postal delivery is even slower than snails in Poland, according to local Daily Gazeta Wyborcza Thursday.
An IT worker, after receiving a letter on Jan. 3 that was sent on Dec. 20 as priority mail, calculated that a snail would have made it even faster to his home than the letter.
The daily said Michal Szybalski calculated that it took 294 hours for the letter to arrive at his home.
He also said the distance between his home and the sender was 11.1 kilometers.
Given the distance and the time, the speed of the letter was 0.03775 kilometers per hour.
Szybalski calculated that a garden snail travels at around 0.048 kilometers per hour.
When I send things to Poland, typically gifts and supplies to teachers, I try to use Express Mail. An Express Mail package mailed before Christmas took about the same amount of time. Funny thing, the U.S. Postal Service’s website was advising me that the package was over the Atlantic for the majority of that time. Slooooow plane to Poland.
“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” Why not in Jerusalem? why not in Damascus? That there might be no opening for different persons to relate the occurrence in different ways, but that he alone should be the authentic narrator, he that went for this purpose. In fact, he says this [both in his oration on the stairs], and when pleading before Agrippa. “Fell to the earth“: for excess of light is wont to shock, because the eyes have their measure: it is said also that excess of sound makes people deaf and stunned (as in a fit). But him it only blinded, and extinguished his passion by fear, so that he should hear what was spoken. “Saul, Saul,” says He, “why do you persecute me?” And He tells him nothing: does not say, Believe, nor anything whatever of the kind: but expostulates with him, all but saying, What wrong, great or small, have you suffered from Me, that you do these things? “And he said, Who are You Lord?” thus in the first place confessing himself His servant. “And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.” think not your warring is with men. And they which were with him heard the voice of Paul, but saw no person to whom he answered—”for (the Lord) suffered them to be hearers of what was less important. Had they heard the other Voice, they would not have believed; but perceiving Paul answering (some person), they marvelled. “But arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” Observe, how He does not immediately add all, but first softens his mind. In the same way He called the disciples also a second time. “It shall be told you,” etc.: He gives him good hopes, and (intimates) that he shall recover his sight also. “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus” — Homily 19
There is much consternation out there over several issues that have come to the fore, seemingly simultaneously.
As I look through these events I continually ask myself – what do we as Catholics believe, what is our foundation, and why does any of this worldly stuff matter to us.
Of course our foundation – our rock – is Jesus Christ, true God, true man, the second person in the Holy Trinity. Acknowledging that, everything else becomes rather secondary. Politics – bleh. The media – huh? Sports celebrities, talking heads, pundits, actors – who they?
If that is our faith, and I am certain it is, I propose a new tactic in dealing with the idiosyncrasies of the worldly, the worldly that surround, and may indeed, outnumber us. That tactic is prayer and silence.
I will start with a few recent hot button issues.
ESPN controversy
It appears that some commentator as ESPN wishes to have intercourse with Jesus. A person by the name of Dana Jacobson went off on an anti-Christian tirade at a recent ESPN function honoring ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. The vulgar speech has raised the ire of various defense and anti-defamation leagues. All the callings on the carpet, chest beating, call for apologies, and subsequent apologies do not really amount to too much. If a professional person can do something of this caliber – without thinking twice before speaking – well I am sorry for her.
Rather than react, I propose that we pray, and bear these insults in Holy silence. That tongue biting we do is our penance for the times we ourselves have spoken callously of others. In addition it is the kind of sacrifice – the kind of silence – that brings results.
Clergy bless abortion clinic
In my neck of the woods — LifeSite News reports: Pro-Abortion Clergy Bless New York Abortion Business as “Sacred Ground”
…a group of pro-abortion clergy in Schenectady held a ceremony at a local abortion business to bless it and call it “sacred ground.” Religious officials who are pro-life call the ceremony sacrilegious by blessing a place that kills the life God creates.
Rev. Larry Phillips of Schenectady’s Emmanuel-Friedens Church dedicated the ground, according to a report in the Albany Times Union.
…
Another minister prayed for safety for the abortion business and a local rabbi blew a shofar to dedicate the building as an honorable place in the community.
My gut reaction is that this is horrible. A good dressing down of the Rev. Phillips and the others involved? Outrage? Scathing criticism? Rather, prayer and Holy silence.
Jews, and Muslims, and Hindus, oh my
The Western Confucian (thanks to the Young Fogey for the link) discusses the rage of the Hebrews. Good points in the quid-pro-quo sense. This, along with events like the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles’ apology to the Hindus (thanks again Fogey) are issues best left to God – and beyond the value of discussion.
In the PNCC we certainly pray for the conversion of all who do not believe in Christ or for that matter believe in God at all. That includes a pretty large chunk on the world. Our neighbors in the Hindu Temple – yep, them. The Jews at Chabad House in Colonie – yep. The Muslims in Albany – yes. The Mormons in Latham – them too. Unitarians, agnostics, atheists, and anyone else who does not believe in God as He revealed Himself – One and Trinitarian.
Better yet, on Holy Saturday, after the Third Exhortation we pray:
Lord God,
You are an immovable power
and an eternal Light.
Look graciously on this mystery,
which is Your whole Church,
and the vehicle of our salvation,
with unceasing direction and sufficient assistance.
May the whole world witness
that You raise up the humble,
and make old things new.
May all humanity come to know
that all things return to their pristine existence
through Jesus Christ, Your Son…
…and after the Fourth we pray:
Almighty Eternal God,
in Jesus Christ You showed us
the best example to follow.
Grant that all nations of the world
will unite in Him with love for You…
In these, and all the prayers of the Holy Church, we acknowledge God as He is – and we really do not think anyone else has a clue or insight that can beat God’s self revelation. They may well be on the road to salvation – and they are well within God’s merciful hands – something we in the PNCC acknowledge in our Confession of Faith:
I BELIEVE that all peoples as children of one Father, God, are equal in themselves; that privileges arising from differences in rank, from possession of immense riches or from differences of faith, sex and race, are a great wrong, for they are a violation of the rights of man which he possess by his nature and the dignity of his divine origin, and are a barrier to the purposeful development of man.
…and
I BELIEVE in immortality and everlasting happiness in eternity in union with God of all people, races and ages, because I believe in the Divine power of love, mercy and justice and for nothing else do I yearn, but that it may be to me according to my faith.
But still, we do not deny our faith, or refuse to offer them our prayers, our Holy silence, and our wish that they come to Christ – because doing so is Christian charity.
We truly do believe in God. We believe that He offers all that we need. As such the vices of the world cannot harm us. Our responses to provocations and the ways of the worldly must be borne of complete charity – which is love – and that love finds its fulfillment in our prayer, our sacrifice, and most particularly the ultimate prayer – the Holy Mass.
The fact is that prayer and Holy silence will actually accomplish more than our words, protests, and blogging will ever accomplish. They are proactive in the sense of calling down grace. They place us in the experience of the Divine interlude. It is the music of the place that is between heaven and earth. It is where we stand in the breech, bringing the world to God and God to the world. Couple our prayer and Holy silence with some fasting and works of charity – and most of all love toward these sad folks – folks who are angry, hate-filled, resentful, misguided, and ultimately apart from those whom they disparage – and we will be doing the work of God.
A family member recently noted that Christians pray for the faithful. She wondered why we do not pray for those without faith – because they need the prayers. She is right. Both the faithful and the faithless need prayer – in equal amounts. The faithful so that they remain true. The faithless so that they are brought to God’s self revelation in accordance with God’s timing and God’s grace.
If we love rather than react with rage it is not capitulation. Silence is not acquiescence. Prayer is not useless. We must remind ourselves – do not volunteer yourself onto someone else’s stage, and if you are dragged there – He will give you the words. We must act on the eternal stage and bear a witness to truth that is beyond time and place. Surely we are to speak the truth, but on our stage – and on the terms set down by the Heavenly Father.
Those who hate cannot be won by argument or voices raised in protest. Only the grace of God can change their hearts. For this we pray. Lord have mercy on us. Amen.
Kacper, a 16 year old web designer from Poland, living in Sweden, has linked up to my Gadu-Gadu WordPress plugin. Dziękuje Kacper.
An updated version will be posted to the WordPress plugins directory in the next few days.
Providence, then, is the care that God takes over existing things. And again: Providence is the will of God through which all existing things receive their fitting issue. But if Providence is God’s will, according to true reasoning all things that come into being through Providence must necessarily be both most fair and most excellent, and such that they cannot be surpassed. For the same person must of necessity be creator of and provider for what exists: for it is not meet nor fitting that the creator of what exists and the provider should be separate persons. For in that case they would both assuredly be deficient, the one in creating, the other in providing. God therefore is both Creator and Provider, and His creative and preserving and providing power is simply His good-will. For whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in heaven and in earth, and no one resisted His will. He willed that all things should be and they were. He wills the universe to be framed and it is framed, and all that He wills comes to pass. — Book II, Chapter XXIX