St Peter Canisius

Lord, you gave Saint Peter Canisius wisdom and courage to defend the Catholic faith. By the help of his prayers may all who seek the truth rejoice in finding you, and may all who believe in you be loyal in professing their faith.

“Have you read you Canisius today,” was the question school kids would ask each other referring to reading the catechetical texts composed by Fr Peter Canisius. His catechetical writings focussed on the Liturgy and the sacraments. The hallmark of Canisius and then his writings was his profound personal friendship with Jesus.

While we don’t use the saint’s catechism today, at least not in the USA, the question remains the pertinent to us –have we studied our catechism today?

Read Pope Benedict XVI’s 2011 brief biography on Canisius can be read here.

Vsevolod remembered

Today is the anniversary of death of Archbishop Vsevolod (Maidansky) of Scopelos. The Archbishop was a member of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA. He reposed in the Lord in 2007, six days after his 80th birthday.

Archbishop Vsevolod was man of great humanity and intelligence. I met him at several of the ecumenical meetings he was at and enjoyed is company. His commitment to an on-going dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches was remarkable and helpful.

May God draw Archbishop Vsevolod to Himself.

Eternal memory, dear friend.

Recalling Fr Schmemann today

On this day in 1983 Father Alexander Schmemann died. He is a favorite liturgical theologian of the Orthodox Church. A prolific speaker and author, a man of great vision. May Father Alexander’s memory be eternal.

“Man is a hungry being. But he is hungry for God. Behind all the hunger of our life is God. All desire is finally a desire for Him.”

St Ambrose

Today is the liturgical memorial of the great St. Ambrose of Milan (c. A.D. 340–397).

You know the narrative: born in what is now France, a successful lawyer and politician in Milan, Italy; following the death of the bishop of Milan, the people demanded that the catechumen Ambrose and not yet a Christian, become the successor. (Ambrose hid in an attempt to escape the nomination; even the emperor forbade giving him shelter, forcing him to give himself up and submit.)

Ambrose was a holy leader: author of hymns, theology, correct teaching, serving the poor and donating his patrimonial land to the Church, and being available to all. Bishop Ambrose defended orthodox doctrine against the pervasive Arian heresy which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. As a beekeeper and as one who appreciates and loves liturgical theology, I have an appreciation for Ambrose’s nickname: “honey-tongued doctor.” In fact, one of hives is named for St Ambrose.

Bishop Ambrose introduced lectio divina to his local church: the practice of prayerfully meditating on the Sacred Scriptures. This method of prayer spread all over the Church. You will recall that it was Ambrose as the bishop who converted and baptized St. Augustine of Hippo. He is one of the four original Doctors of the Church, and his statue is one of four that upholds the Chair of St. Peter inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Today, prayers for the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation meeting in NYC’s Mother Cabrini Shrine for the Advent Day of Recollection. 40+ are gathering. A fitting day for us since Communion and Liberation was founded in the Diocese of Milan.

St Andrew –first called

O Glorious St. Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Son of God. With your friend, St. John, you remained with Jesus, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.
Just as you led your brother, St Peter, to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to Him.
Teach us how to lead them, solely out of love for Jesus and dedication to His service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and carry our daily crosses without complaint, so that they may carry us to God the Almighty Father. Amen.

New Nuncio to the UN appointed

On Saturday, the Pope made news for the USA: Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia is the new representative of the Holy See to the United Nations. He succeeds Philippine Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who was named by the Pope as Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and Andorra. Since September 12, 2017, Archbishop Caccia has been serving the Church as the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. We pray that he will be accessible to both the UN, the Church in the USA and in New York.

According to the Vatican News Service, says the following of Archbishop Caccia:

Born in Milan, northern Italy, on 24 February 1958, he has ordained to the priesthood on 11 June 1983.  After serving in a parish for three years, he was sent to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome where obtained a Doctorate in Theology and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Upon graduation in 1991, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See.  His first assignment was at the Apostolic Nunciature in Tanzania, where he served for two years, until in 1993 he returned to Rome to work in the First Section (for General Affairs) of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican.

On December 17, 2002, he was appointed Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State. On July 16, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon and also an archbishop.

He was consecrated bishop on September 12, 2009, by Pope Benedict. On September 12, 2017, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.

Archbishop Caccia will arrive in New York to assume his new responsibilities on January 16, 2020.  He speaks English, French and German.

Archbishop Caccia becomes the seventh Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York since the Holy See became a Permanent Observer State on April 6, 1964.

Speaking about his new responsibility, Archbishop Caccia said, “I have really loved my time in the Philippines and will miss this beautiful country and its faithful people, to whom I express my deepest gratitude.”

He hopes to be able to fulfil well the new task that Pope Francis has entrusted to him, “seeking to bring the light of Catholic social teaching to the discussions and debates of the international community.”

The UN is celebrating its 75th anniversary next year, and Archbishop Cassia says he is looking forward to helping the Holy See assist the world body in “renewing its commitment to the pillars of its Charter, preventing the scourge of war, defending human dignity and rights, promoting integral development, and fostering respect and implementation of international law and treaties.”

Blessed John, the Scot

Drawing on the work of John Duns Scotus, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854. John Duns Scotus, the “Subtle Doctor,” was beatified in 1993.

With the Latin Church we pray, Lord God, source of all wisdom, in Blessed John Duns Scotus, priest and champion of the Immaculate Virgin, you have given us a master of life and thought. Grant that enlightened by his example and nourished by his doctrine, we may remain faithful followers of Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

I am grateful to J. Michael Thompson for alerting me to a comment made by Father Charles Balic, O.F.M., the foremost 20th-century authority on Scotus, who wrote: “The whole of Scotus’s theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1105).

In another place it is said, “Intelligence hardly guarantees holiness. But John Duns Scotus was not only brilliant, he was also humble and prayerful—the exact combination St. Francis wanted in any friar who studied. In a day when French nationalism threatened the rights of the pope, Scotus sided with the papacy and paid the price. He also defended human freedom against those who would compromise it by determinism.”

Today when thinking is at an all-time-low, especially in the Church, it may be worth our time to remember that “Ideas are important. John Duns Scotus placed his best thinking at the service of the human family and of the Church.”