I find one of the most consistently reliable persons that we ought to read is Peggy Noonan. Her considered opinion is needed today. She’s a published author of 8 books on culture, religion, politics and history. You may remember Ms Noonan as an assistant to President Reagan.
Saint Margaret Clitherow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The English Catholic martyrs, in my opinion, ought always to amaze the believer whether he or she is English or not. All of them really lived and died in a noble way and with conviction that shames most. One of the 40 martyrs canonized at the same time (here’s the list), Margaret Ward, was killed for her faith during the era of Elizabeth I on the charge of helping Father William Watson, a Catholic priest escape. She kept Father Watson’s confidence and for that act was tortured.
Margaret Ward, canonized by the Servant of God Pope Paul VI on 25 October 1970, is recognized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The Church generally recognizes the date of her canonization as her feast day. However, the Dioceses of Birmingham, Leeds and Shrewsbury liturgically recall today as the feast for Saints Margaret Ward, Margaret Clitherow and Anne Line. And, so do I. Join me in prayer for the Church of England, Scotland and Wales.
No doubt Cardinal Dolan’s presence to give the Benediction at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions is history in the making. A cardinal from a prominent US See and president of the USCCB is in front of world politics. Does he know what he’s doing? Certainly, he’s following the method of Pope Benedict –and John Paul II before him– engaging in the conversation. Presence vs. absence is seen as a key value. AND it is. BUT…….
In view of the
swan episode that I experienced a few weeks ago St Louis Abbey with their swan walking the street, I thought you’d want to know
that Abelard the Abbey swan was found dead yesterday morning by the maintenance staff
of the Priory School (St Louis Abbey). My friend Father Ambrose wrote me about
this event. They think he was probably killed by coyotes or maybe by a big dog.
Whether you have a liking for birds, I am sorry about this. Abelard was a
beautiful animal. He was already 18 years old; in captivity, swans can live
into their twenties. So he was already old by swan standards; and I think his
mind was going. In fact, after I left, he wandered off several more times and
had to be brought back. I think he had the swan version of Alzheimer’s. Also,
several of the monks think he missed Father Michael (who used to take care of
him and give him bread scraps, etc.). So he was old and debilitated, and in the
natural order of things, another species brought about his demise.
Now the
Priory has all those odious Canada geese.
Abeland died on my friend’s priestly
ordination anniversary, the feast of St. Augustine. Abelard came to live with the
monks as a gift from Father Bernard, back in 1998.
You may want to see Father Augustine’s update on the Juniors at St Louis Abbey!!!
O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should
go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died
a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of
what you teach.
You know Salvatore Cordileone’s name –he’s the new archbishop of San Francsico. A high profile appointment made several weeks ago by Pope Benedict XVI. He was arrested for a DUI charge on August 25. He’s admitted wrong-doing, spent 11 hours in jail, paid the bail and is due in court on October 9, just 5 days following his scheduled installation in SF.
LET me speak of
another celebrated conquest of God’s grace in an after age, and you will see
how it pleases Him to make a Confessor, a Saint, Doctor of His Church, out of
sin and heresy both together. It was not enough that the Father of the Western
Schools, the author of a thousand works, the triumphant controversialist, the
especial champion of grace, should have been once a poor slave of the flesh,
but he was the victim of a perverted intellect also. He who, of all others, was
to extol the grace of God, was left more than others to experience the
helplessness of nature. The great St Augustine (I am not speaking of the holy
missionary of the same name, who came to England and converted our pagan
forefathers, and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, but of the great
African Bishop, two centuries before him)–Augustine, I say, not being in
earnest about his soul, not asking himself the question, how was sin to be
washed away, but rather being desirous, while youth and strength lasted, to
enjoy the flesh and the world, ambitious and sensual, judged of truth and
falsehood by his private judgment and his private fancy; despised the Catholic
Church because it spoke so much of faith and subjection, thought to make his
own reason the measure of all things, and accordingly joined a far-spread sect,
which affected to be philosophical and enlightened, to take large views of
things, and to correct the vulgar, that is, the Catholic notions of God and
Christ, of sin, and of the way to heaven. In this sect of his he remained for
some years; yet what he was taught there did not satisfy him. It pleased him
for a time, and then he found he had been eating for food what had no
nourishment in it; he became hungry and thirsty after something more
substantial, he knew not what; he despised himself for being a slave to the
flesh, and he found his religion did not help him to overcome it; thus he
understood that he had not gained the truth, and he cried out, “Oh, who
will tell me where to seek it, and who will bring me into it?”
Archbishops Youssef Anis Abi-Aad, 72, and Jean-Clément Jeanbart, 69, have taken refuge in other places since their residences were ransacked in the past few days. Clashes between Assad’s forces and other groups are to blame. It is said that “unidentified groups, who want to foster a sectarian war and involve the Syrian people in a sectarian strife.” Not a much more is known at this point.
We continually need to get to the heart of who our influences are as people. That is true of Father Luigi Giussani who is being spoken of not only as the founder of the ecclesial movement of Communion and Liberation but also because his cause for canonization is now being studied. Father Ignacio Carbajosa Pérez, 45, said of Father Luigi
Giussani, “For me the most striking thing was to hear this man with this love
for my humanity, finally, to find someone who knew very well what is my
humanity and then looked upon it in a sympathetic way.” (Read more of what Father Ignacio told David Kerr here at The Rimini Meeting 2012.)
THE most significant cultural and religious meeting in the world is held in the late August: “Rimini Meeting” in the seaside town of Rimini (Italy). From 19-25 August, The Meeting coordinated by members of Communion and Liberation attracts numerous speakers and more than 800K.