God our Father, You give us joy each year in honoring the memory of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. May her prayers be a source of help for us, and may her example of courage and chastity be our inspiration.
Preach we now the Word of life,
Not with show of worldly learning,
But with fervor of our faith
Open hearts to Spirit’s yearning.
Christ alone be ever knowing,
And Him crucified be showing.
Dominic, called by the Lord,
Preaching, teaching, daily blessing,
Living poor and common life,
Contemplation’s fruit expressing;
Thus he formed his Preachers boldly,
Showing graces manifoldly.
God the blessed Three in One,
Love beyond all human telling,
Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
Throned in heav’n and with us dwelling,
With the Word of Truth now feed us,
In Your holy ways now lead us.
78 78 88
suggested tune: Liebster Jesu
James Michael Thompson, (c) 2009, World Library Publications
In this context, the theme of integral human development
takes on an even broader range of meanings: the correlation between its
multiple elements requires a commitment to foster the interaction of the
different levels of human knowledge in order to promote the authentic
development of peoples. Often it is thought that development, or the
socio-economic measures that go with it, merely require to be implemented
through joint action. This joint action, however, needs to be given direction,
because “all social action involves a doctrine“. In view of the complexity of
the issues, it is obvious that the various disciplines have to work together
through an orderly interdisciplinary exchange. Charity does not exclude
knowledge, but rather requires, promotes, and animates it from within.
Knowledge is never purely the work of the intellect. It can certainly be
reduced to calculation and experiment, but if it aspires to be wisdom capable
of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his final ends, it
must be “seasoned” with the “salt” of charity. Deeds without knowledge are
blind, and knowledge without love is sterile. Indeed, “the individual who is animated
by true charity labours skilfully to discover the causes of misery, to find the
means to combat it, to overcome it resolutely.” Faced with the phenomena that
lie before us, charity in truth requires first of all that we know and
understand, acknowledging and respecting the specific competence of every level
of knowledge. Charity is not an added extra, like an appendix to work already
concluded in each of the various disciplines: it engages them in dialogue from
the very beginning. The demands of love do not contradict those of reason.
Human knowledge is insufficient and the conclusions of science cannot indicate
by themselves the path towards integral human development. There is always a
need to push further ahead: this is what is required by charity in truth. Going
beyond, however, never means prescinding from the conclusions of reason, nor
contradicting its results. Intelligence and love are not in separate
compartments: love is rich in intelligence and intelligence is full of love.
This
means that moral evaluation and scientific research must go hand in hand, and
that charity must animate them in a harmonious interdisciplinary whole, marked
by unity and distinction. The Church’s social doctrine, which has “an important
interdisciplinary dimension”, can exercise, in this perspective, a function of
extraordinary effectiveness. It allows faith, theology, metaphysics and science
to come together in a collaborative effort in the service of humanity. It is
here above all that the Church’s social doctrine displays its dimension of
wisdom. Paul VI had seen clearly that among the causes of underdevelopment
there is a lack of wisdom and reflection, a lack of thinking capable of
formulating a guiding synthesis for which “a clear vision of all economic, social,
cultural and spiritual aspects” is required. The excessive segmentation of
knowledge, the rejection of metaphysics by the human sciences, the difficulties
encountered by dialogue between science and theology are damaging not only to
the development of knowledge, but also to the development of peoples, because
these things make it harder to see the integral good of man in its various
dimensions. The “broadening [of] our concept of reason and its application” is
indispensable if we are to succeed in adequately weighing all the elements
involved in the question of development and in the solution of socio-economic
problems.
(Caritas in veritate, 30-31; emphasis mine)
Msgr Lorenzo Albacete points to a lack of understanding of the principle of subsidiarity that’s going to challenge President Obama’s healthcare reform work. AND what is the principle of subsidiarity? It’s principle that nothing should be done at macro level that ought to be done at the micro level. So, the state should not impose its method on a municipality because the municipality ought to find a solution. If it can’t then you move up to the next reasonable level. See a sketch of the principle.
Since 1908 the Church has called upon us to join in prayer with
other Christians around the world during the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity. We do this work of prayer as an education in hope for spiritual and actual Christian unity realizing that the Holy Spirit is the only one capable of bring unity among various groups of Christians. The proposal for a week of prayer was initiated in the USA by Franciscans of the Atonement Father Paul
Wattson and it is held from January 18 – 25. Today the observance is international in scope.
It is generally held that the 1910
World Mission Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, marked the beginnings of the
modern ecumenical movement.
In tribute, the promoters of the Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, the Commission on Faith and Order and the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, invited the Scottish churches to prepare this year’s
theme. They suggested: “You are
witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48).
The 2010 theme is a reminder that as the
community of faith those reconciled with God and in Christ, “You are witness of
these things“–witness to the truth of the power of salvation in Jesus Christ
who will also make real his prayer,
“That all may be one…so the world may believe.” *Witness gives praise
to the Presence who gives us the gift of life and resurrection; by knowing how
to share the story of our faith with others; by recognizing that God is at work
in our lives; by giving thanks for the faith we have received; by confessing
Christ’s victory over all suffering; by seeking to always be more faithful to
the Word of God; by growing in faith, hope and love; and by offering
hospitality and knowing how to receive it when it is offered to us.
Materials
to observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are available from the
Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars
of the Atonement.
For more information visit www.geii.org
Christ Jesus, the brightness of the Father and the image of His substance, upholding all things by the word of His power, effecting man’s purgation from sin, has deigned to appear this day in glory on a high mountain.
Archbishop Mauro Piacenza writes that holiness is our concern for today, not something we should put off until tomorrow. His letter
to priests exerted below speaks of some elements that are important for those observing the Year of the Priest. Piacenza highlights the fidelity that Saint John Vianney had even when he wanted to
abandon the ministry in Ars, that is, being faithful and not creating some ambiguous, heroic sensibility is not coherent to the ministry of Christ. This is what alerts us that Vianney is a model worth following: grace truly building on nature. A theological concept that I associate most with
John Paul II in his theology of the body, that of “self-gift,” is applied here in the context of the life of the priest
and to the sacrament of the Church. In time we’ll here more about the role of self-gift as it applies to priesthood because it is an essential fact in the “becoming” of a priest of Christ and the richness of giving and receiving of that particular grace. Plus, the theology of self-gift, if really lived, might eradicate some evident sacred cows that diminish the flowering of life of holiness. Finally, let me draw our attention to the archbishop’s last sentence because it is worth the time reflecting on, not because he happens to be right but because he reminds us
what we are made for–God.
Sing the God of awesome wisdom
Who has chosen for his own
Those of ev’ry age and nation
To hold fast to God alone
Through all changing styles and customs,
Hearts that only Christ enthrone.
In a faithless time of torpor,
John Vianney loved the Lord,
Preached the truth with ceaseless fervor,
Led his flock by deed and word,
And by his example fearless
Caused our God to be adored.
Lovingly he coaxed the sinner
To submit to Jesus’ way;
In humility and patience
To his Lord he knelt to pray
And, obedient to his calling,
Lived his teaching ev’ry day.
To the Trinity give glory,
Father, Son, and Paraclete:
Those on earth with those in heaven
Joining in one anthem sweet:
As the saints on earth gave witness,
Let us each our course complete!
87 87 87
PICARDY, ST. THOMAS
James Michael Thompson (c) 2009, World Library Publications
“O my God, come to me, so that You may dwell in me and I may
dwell in you.”
Father of mercy, you made Saint John Vianney outstanding in his
priestly zeal and concern for your people. By his example and prayers, enable
us to win our brothers and sisters to the love of Christ and come with them to
eternal glory.
Pope Benedict’s letter proclaiming the Year of the Priest for the 150th year of Saint John Vianney’s death
A Litany in Honor of Saint John Vianney
A brief biography of Vianney
A Benedictine monk and priest for more than 50 years reflects on his vocation as a missionary in Africa. His call from the Lord may be spoken of as a call within a call found in a call. After all, he said he abandoned his will into the hands of the Divine Will. Father Damian Milliken is a monk of a missionary group of Benedictine monks who work around the world in local monasteries while doing proper missionary work of friendship, evangelization and projects of social concern. Read Father Milliken’s story.