Communio – Page 504 – …bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Pope signed off on the Charity in Truth

As expected, today the Pope signed off on his latest
encyclical, Charity in Truth. This latest work of the Pope’s is a social
catechesis that will address issues of concern for the poor, globalization,
solidarity with brothers and sisters. The work will be published soon (when the
translation can be settled on). It’s expected before the G8 meeting (hopefully
around July 6 or thereabouts).

The said in part introducing his work: “The publication of my third encyclical is
now near, which has the title Caritas in Veritate. Taking up the social themes
contained in Populorum Progressio, written by the Servant of God Paul VI in
1967, this document — which is dated precisely today, June 29th, the Solemnity
of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul — aims to deepen a few aspects of
integral development in our age in the light of charity in truth. I entrust to
your prayers this new contribution that the Church offers to humanity in her
commitment for sustainable progress, in full respect for human dignity and
everyone’s real requirements.”

John
Allen’s article
on the forthcoming encyclical.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Peter, blest Shepherd! hearken to our cry,

And with a word unloose our guilty chain;

Thou who hast power to open the gates on high

To men below, and power to shut them fast again.

O thou great Doctor, Paul, we here beseech of thee

Lead thou our spirits up to heavenly mystery,

Tills ends the partial knowledge that to us is given

While here below, and we receive the fuller light in heaven.

May everlasting honor, power, and glory be

And jubilation, to the Holy Trinity,

The One God, ever ruling all things mightily,

Throughout all endless ages of eternity. Amen.

O
God, Who has made holy this day with the martyrdom of Thine Apostles Peter and
Paul, grant that Thy Church may in all things follow the precepts of those from
whom it first received the faith.

Saint Irenaeus of Lyons

In your manner a participant,
And in your throne a successor of
the Apostles,
You discovered action an entrance into visions,
O inspired one of God.
Therefore directing the Word of Truth,
You suffered for the faith even unto blood.
O Bishop and Martyr Irenaues,

Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved!

(Troparion, Tone 4)

Give perfection to beginners, O Father; give intelligence to
the little ones; give aid to those who are running their course. Give sorrow to
the negligent; give fervor of spirit to the lukewarm. Give to the perfect a
good consummation; for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

(Prayer of Saint Irenaeus)

Pope Benedict XVI March 28, 2007 catechesis on Saint Irenaeus is helpful to read.

We cling to our faith because of the witnesses that go before us, those who point the way to the Lord. Our Catholic faith is born of the faith of another. Therefore, we hold fast to apostolic faith given to us by the Apostles and we in turn pass the orthodox faith onto others. As Irenaeus said, “Hold in suspicion those who depart from the primitive succession” and “those who put forward their own compositions, boasting that they possess more Gospels than there really are.” One interesting note about Saint Irenaeus is that he is the first theologian to insist that we follow the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because they were trustworthy, and no others.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Rejoice we all in the Lord, as we keep festival in honor of
the Blessed Virgin Mary: whose solemnity makes angels joyful and sets them
praising the Son of God. Joyful the thoughts that well up from my heart, I
shall speak of the works of the King

Mother of Perpetual Help,

with the greatest confidence

we come before your holy picture

to be inspired by the example of your life.

We think of you at that moment when,

full of faith and trust,

you accepted God’s call

to be the mother of his Son.

Help us, your children,

to accept with joy our own calling in life.

When you learned that your cousin Elizabeth was in need

you immediately went to serve her

and offer your help.

Help us, like you,

to be concerned for others.

We think of you, Mother,

at the foot of the cross.

Your heart must have bled

to see your Son in agony.

But your joy was great

when he rose from the dead,

victorious over the powers of evil.

Mother of Sorrows,

help us through the trials and

disappointments of life.

Help us not to lose heart.

May we share with you and your Son

the joy of having courageously faced up

to all the challenges of life.

Amen.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria

O God, Who did make blessed Cyril, Thy Confessor and
Bishop, the invincible champion of the divine motherhood of he most Blessed
Virgin Mary; grant through his intercession, that we who believe her to be
truly the Mother of God, may be saved through her maternal intercession.

Saint Cyril’s (of the 5th cent.) importance for us even today deals with matter of Christology: Who is Jesus Christ and why is He important? As patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, he was known as a competent theologian and orator. At the Council of Ephesus he defended the humanity and divinity as a unity of Jesus Christ against those who taught otherwise. What today’s opening prayer emphasizes more is Cyril’s defense of Mary being the mother of Word made flesh, contradicting the infamous heretic Nestorius.

Two essential facts of orthodox Christian faith taught by Saint Cyril: that Jesus was begotten by God the Father before all ages; and that Jesus was also begotten in the flesh of the Virgin Mary.

ACLU sides with Bridgeport Diocese

Rarely does one see the ACLU agree with the Catholic Church never mind agree with a local Church prelate on constitutional matters. Here the officials of Diocese of Bridgeport can justifyably claim that they were correct in their reading of the First Amendment and stating that they’re not a lobbyist. The ACLU runs contrary to Carol Carson of the State of Connecticut Ethics Committee’s ascertion that the Diocese violated state law. The CT Post ran a story today (of course it was not on page one).

In its filed brief the ACLU stated: “The Supreme Court, keenly aware of the need to carve out a protected zone, for petitioning activity, that lobbying statutes cannot reach, has defined lobbying narrowly, as involving only ‘direct communications with members of the [legislature]’ or indirect communications occurring ‘through an artificially stimulated letter campaign.” The brief backs up my thinking that a clearer definition of what a lobbyist is and how a lobbyist works in congress is needed. The governor’s office or one of legislators ought to propose a revision of existing law so as not to bog down the good work of the State in the future. I wonder how money was spent on this foolish exercise!

Nevertheless, there remains a lot of work to do on the education front: What is the purpose of the Catholic Church, how does it engage in the public square and what is a believing Catholic’s response, how do people of good will mobilize to express regret with their lawmakers?

June is the month of the Sacred of Heart of Jesus

When they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came out Blood and Water. (Magnificat antiphon, S. Heart feast)

Since June is the month of the Sacred of Heart of Jesus (and last Friday we observed the liturgical memorial of the the SH) I propose praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart. Friday is a day on which we prayerfully recall the Lord’s death and this is apt to pray this Litany. Pray it for bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians.

The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

ADL wants to revise Catholic theology

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) wants the US Catholic bishops to revise the statement, Reflections on Covenant and Mission (2002) to emphasize that Catholics don’t want to convert Jews to Christianity. Here’s the US Bishops’ recent statement on clarifications made to RCM. This is not a document of the Roman Catholic Church, i.e., the Magisterium, nor of the US Bishops. It is a work of a group of theologians, Jewish and Catholic, reflecting on mutual interests in theology.

Our theology is such that Jesus Christ is The Way, the Truth and the Life: all people come to salvation in and through Jesus Christ; God’s promises through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are fulfilled in Jesus as the definitive revelation of God. Jews are not the singular group here; Catholics believe this is true for all the world’s peoples. This is revealed by the Lord Himself. It was not dreamed up by a committee. Having said all this, the Church’s missiology is governed by the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate which understands Judaism in special light when it comes to evangelization but nowhere in Vatican II theology (or praxis) does it say that the Church capitulates to another faith group because of its belief is “controversial.”

If someone doesn’t understand or even like or wants to reject this theology, OK. We propose belief in Christ as salvific and not impose this belief on others. We have to be clear on what we believe so as to be clear on the method of sharing our belief. But why does the ADL presume to tell the Church what to believe. Do Catholics tell the Jews what remove from their theology because Catholics don’t like it? Not likely.

I think RCM is fair-minded and accurate.

Hans Urs von Balthasar: 21 anniv of death

Just two days before he was to receive the cardinal’s red hat from Pope John Paul II (an honor he declined to accept before) the Swiss theologian Father Hans Urs von Balthasar died. He was preparing to celebrate the morning Mass when the Lord called him home.

Von Balthasar was a prolific author of articles and books. He’s widely known as the kneeling theologian, the starting point from he believed theology ought to be done. With Cardinals Henri de Lubac, Walter Kasper and Joseph Ratzinger he founded the Communio journal (which is published in a numerous languages).

O Lord, we pray Thee that the soul of Thy priest. Thy servant Hans Urs von Balthassar, which, while he abode in this world, Thou didst adorn with sacred gifts, may ever rejoice in a glorious place in heaven. Amen.

A short biography of Father von Balthasar can be read here.

Those wanting a fine and accessible introduction into the thinking of Hans Urs von Balthasar ought to read Jesuit Father Edward T. Oakes’ book, Pattern of Redemption.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá

God our Father, you chose Saint Josemaría to proclaim the universal call sanctity and apostolate in the Church. By his example and prayers grant that in faithfully carrying out our daily work in the Spirit of Christ, we may be formed in the likeness of your Son, and together with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, serve the work of redemption with an ardent love.