Ho Kai Paulos

Fr. Mitch Pacwa on Verbum Domini and Scripture Scholarship

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As we finish the last parts of Verbum Domini, here is Fr. Pacwa teaching with the apostolic exhortation:

God's Answer to Suffering

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:25:00 +0000

Continuing the third and final part of Verbum Domini, we look at the Holy Father's words on suffering. "It is in times of pain that the ultimate questions about the meaning of one's life make themselves acutely felt." Pope Benedict continues:"...the word of God makes us see that even these moments are mysteriously 'embraced' by God's love."

What an excellent word: embrace. This comes from the prefix "em-" or "to put into" or "to surround", and "brace" for "arms". In our suffering, God's arms are around us. God's arms are around our sufferings.

Christ took the cross up in his arms. He embraced it. That is God's answer to suffering - neither to flee from it nor to seek it out, but to take it up in your arms when it comes. The cross itself looks like a figure with arms outstretched, ready to take up what comes; it is a reminder of what we're to do with our own crosses.

"We contemplate the culmination of God's closeness to our sufferings in Jesus himself, 'the Word incarnate. He suffered and died for us. By his passion and death he took our weakness upon himself and totally transformed it' [CCC 346]."

We can never say to God, 'you don't understand!' Jesus is with us in our sufferings because He is with us in suffering.

This comes back around. Just as Jesus is with us in our sufferings, we can be part of Jesus' closeness to others who suffer. Among the means to prolonging Jesus' closeness to the suffering throughout the Christian era, the Holy Father includes "men and women of good will, and in charitable intiatives undertaken with fraternal love by communities..." Men and women can "lend their hands, eyes and hearts to Christ, the true physician of body and soul."

Pope Benedict instructs that "(t)hose who suffer should be helped to read the Scriptures and to realize that their condition itself enables them to share in a special way in Christ's redemptive suffering for the salvation of the world." (One such outreach is the Militia Immaculata's Knights at the Foot of the Cross.)

The Holy Father notes, though, that suffering is not a good to be pursued. We are to embrace suffering when it comes, but not look for it masochistically. "In her proclamation of God's word, the Church knows that a 'virtuous circle' must be promoted between the poverty which is to be chosen and the poverty which is to be combated". I suspect this applies in a way, too, to suffering - sometime embraced, sometime combated, especially combated when it is the suffering of others. That is what we see in the of Christ, who was both a healer and a victim.

Freedom in the Word

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:50:00 +0000

Continuing the third and final part of Verbum Domini, the Holy Father writes about the true meaning of freedom in his words on "the proclamation of the word of God and young people". He cites his own words from a homily just six days into his papacy: "If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed..."

In his words on "the proclamation of the word of God and migrants", he reminds us that the faith "is to be proposed, not imposed." Pope Benedict talks about the "kerygma" that all are entitled to hear. This is the initial preaching or proclaiming of the Good News, which comes before any religious education. All are entitled to that first contact with the Gospel, to hear what Jesus Christ has done for them out of love, that the way to eternal life is open, that the Bread of Life is waiting for them to take and eat.

That is the real freedom - not freedom to sin but freedom to follow Christ.

If I decide to pick up the ball and run, I am no longer free to play soccer. If I drive on the wrong side of the road or choose to ignore red lights, soon enough I will no longer be free to drive a car. If I don't follow the rules of good health, I will no longer be free to live an active life. Too often, we confuse the word "freedom" with "license". As strange as it sounds to many modern ears, freedom does not mean release from all rules but comes from following the rules.

Only in friendship with Christ can we reach our full potential, because Christ comes to free us from what is really weighing us down - hopelessness, greed, lust, anger, hatred... in a word, sin.

For a more full treatment of Christian freedom, read the Catechism 1730-1742.

Commitment in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 22:58:00 +0000

In the next section of the third and final part of Verbum Domini, the Holy Father writes about our commitment in the world. Pope Benedict points out that "we tend to halt in a superficial way before the importance of the passing moment, as if it had nothing to do with the future. The Gospel, on the other hand, reminds us that every moment of our life is important and must be lived intensely."

Each moment is a Christian moment. Each moment should not just be lived by lived intensely.

We are not meant to hide from the world in our house or community but to live in it.The Pope focuses in particular on our interactions with others in need, both individuals and society as a whole. "(I)t is not the direct task of the Church to create a more just society, although she does have the right and duty to intervene on ethical and moral issues related to the good of individuals and peoples." Whatever we do to each other, we do to Christ. (...) This includes caring for those who suffer and for victims of selfishness, promoting reconciliation (whether with one person, a branch of your family tree, or an entire social group), and promoting human dignity (often against the efforts of those who don't recognize their own).

The Synod recommends that any of us involved in political and social activity "receive a suitable formation in the principles of the Church's social teaching." The USCCB provides a short summary of the Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching. This is a good place to start.

For more than a summary treatment, consider Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Rerum Novarum, from 1891, which touches on issues like working conditions, unionization, and capitalism. Also consider the more recent apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, in which Blessed John Paul II discusses how Christ is encountered in modern America.

Verbum Domini and the New Evangelization

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:14:00 +0000

Continuing our read through the third and final part of Verbum Domini, we next come to the Holy Father's words on "proclamation and the new evangelization". He points out that "not only are there still many peoples who have not come to know the Good News, but also a great many Christians who need to have the word of God once more persuasively proclaimed to them."

Pope John Paul II spoke often of the "new evangelization". In his 2000 Apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte ("At the Beginning of the Millenium"), he wrote that "(e)ven in countries evangelized many centuries ago, the reality of a 'Christian society' which, amid all the frailties which have always marked human life, measured itself explicitly on Gospel values, is now gone." Re-evangelizing our culture is the task of all Christians. It "must involve the responsibility of all the members of the People of God. Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him."

In Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict relates "the communication of God's word and Christian witness", something on which "the very credibility of our proclamation depends". Yes, we need to spread the Gospel. We need to evangelize through our words. However, if we don't visibly live the Gospel, the message will "appear merely as a beautiful philosophy or utopia, rather than a reality that can be lived and itself give life." We need to show others that the Christian life can be lived.

For many, we are the empirical evidence of whether or not the Christian experiment works. It is no wonder that so many mock the Christian faith, when they look to us and see division, hypocrisy, and doubt. "Christian witness communicates the word attested in the Scriptures," the Holy Father reminds us. And how shall we give that witness? He continues that "the Scriptures explain the witness which Christians are called to give by their lives."

By reading and studying Scripture, we learn how to live the Christian life. When we live a visible Christian life, we attest to the power and truth of Scripture; we inspire others to read and study the Word of God. If those others put the lessons of Scripture into practice, they'll attest to it for others, and so on. Scripture and Christian Life spiral out, feeding each other and spreading like a good infection through the world.

Do you want to know more about the New Evangelization? EWTN hosts a lot of interesting historical and statistical information at their site: The New Evangelization: Building the Civilization of Love. One good resource for practical day-to-day evangelization through the Christian life is Renewal Ministries. (Their founder, Ralph Martin, is one of the consultors to the new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.)

Did Christopher Hitchens exist?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I am writing this the day that Christopher Hitchens passed on to eternity. He "now knows the truth of it", as Pat Archbold wrote. When you're calling for prayer for someone's soul, currency is good. When you're using someone's death as the inspiration for a polemic, maybe a tape-delay is in order. Three months later, here we go...

During his life, Mr. Hitchens wrote numerous journal and newspaper articles. He wrote and edited books. He gave interviews and entered debates. In just a few hundred years, will there be proof that he said and did specific things? Did the New York Times really stop the presses the day he passed on, or is that just a poetic exaggeration?

What proof will there be that he said or did any particular thing?

His book? Put together by a collection of British atheists writing in his name.
Videotape of him? Lost to degrading of the recording and backup media.
Videotape meticulously preserved? Doctored.
People that knew him? Long dead.
People that knew people that knew him? Patsies of the conspiracy to claim that he said and did those things.

Of course that’s ridiculous. The books he left behind, the articles by and about him, and the people that will pass on his legacy do demonstrate that he said and did certain things.

I have never met Christopher Hitchens, but I know he existed because of what people have written, recorded, and talked about.

In a few thousand years, maybe my distant descendants will find themselves researching in the library of the Sts. Archbold shrine. They'll find an article from Dec 15, 2011 and be able to say that Christopher Hitchens' contemporaries - even his opponents - wrote about and quoted him. They'll know what he said and did because of the written record and the stories passed down by others, if history judges those things important enough to preserve through the generations. If they find many copies of his books and numerous articles about him, even if the majority are from his fellow atheists, that will provide even stronger evidence than if they find only one or two passing references. If they find specific place names and dates, that will provide stronger evidence than just a reference to "the past".

History has a curious way of preserving things. It's worth meditating on. If Christopher Hitchens has left an indelible mark on the "new atheism" that lasts for thousands of years, what would the evidence of his words and actions look like in 4011?

On a Mission from God

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:08:00 +0000

You may not have an orphanage to save like the Blues Brothers, but you, too, are on a mission from God. Each of us has a mission to share the word of God with the world - with our world. The Holy Father tells us that "(i)t is the word itself which impels us towards our brothers and sisters: it is the word which illuminates, purifies, converts; we are only its servants."

The Holy Father calls us to return to the missionary sense of the first Christians. "The first Christian communities felt that their faith was not part of a particular cultural tradition, differing from one people to another, but belonged instead to the realm of truth, which concerns everyone equally." There is one truth, the truth for all people, and all people have a right to it. All people need it, whether they recognize it or not.

Pope Benedict points out an example from the Acts of the Apostles (17:16-34), where St. Paul preached to the local people based on their context. He met them where they are, so to speak. He found the things they had in common, however small, and built on them. The Pope reminds us that "(t)he Lord offers salvation to men and women in every age."

In the very next sentence, though, he writes that "(a)ll of us recognize how much the light of Christ needs to illumine every area of human life: the family, schools, culture, work, leisure and the other aspects of social life. It is not a matter of preaching a word of consolation, but rather a word which disrupts, which calls to conversion...." There is a place for ecumenism, but there is no place for indifferentism - believing that all religions are the same.

Where in your life are you being called to walk that line - to bring the Word of God into an aspect of your life, to disrupt and call to conversion, yet also to meet people where they are?

Catholic Answers Live! has recently addressed some of those areas of life. Here are a few relevant podcasts:

From the Father, To the Father

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:01:00 +0000

The Holy Father begins the third and final part of Verbum Domini by describing the "fundamental paradox of the Christian faith". We both have and have not seen the face of God. "No one has ever seen God", Pope Benedict quotes from John 1:18 (cf. 1 Jn 4:12). At the same time - in the same first chapter of John's Gospel, no less - we are told that "the Word became flesh". We have seen the face of God because we have seen Christ, and Jesus is the one true God. We have not, however, seen God without flesh. No one has seen God the Father as He is, only the Father as shown through the Son.

In Crossing the Threshold of Hope, John Paul the Great teaches us that "(t)he Church professes: 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God'. Over the centuries this has been the Church’s profession of faith and of all those to whom the Father revealed the Son in the Holy Spirit, just as the Song in the Holy Spirit revealed to them the Father (cf Mt 11:25-27)."

We might say that we've seen God in the flesh but not in the spirit (that is, apart from the flesh). What we've seen is God come into the world. God sent Himself to us. The Holy Father goes on in that opening paragraph of part three to remind us that God taught that "the word of God 'shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose...'". The Word came from the Father and did not return empty. Jesus accomplished in the world what He was sent to do, then He returned to the Father (the ascension).

The Word comes to us, too, individually. The Word is preached to us at each Mass. We receive Him in the Eucharist. We receive Him spiritually in our hearts. Should Jesus come to us individually and return empty?

Pope Benedict notes that "(t)he one whom the Father has sent to do his will... makes us part of his life and mission.... empowers us to proclaim the word everything by the witness of our lives." This is what God has sent into our individual lives - a share in the life and mission of Jesus Christ. That is what He has sent to us, and we must not let it return empty. "Everyone today, whether he or she knows it or not, needs the message," Pope Benedict tells us. "It is our responsibility to pass on what, by God's grace, we ourselves have received."

Consider the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14-30). The man that returned to his master without doing anything was cast out. Those that did something, however large or small, were rewarded. I suspect that even had one servant lost the investment, that he used it and acted would be enough.* God works good through even our failure. He waits, instead, through our inaction. if I might mix my metaphors (and parables), it is not our job to make the seeds grow, only to plant them. We cannot be sure we'll be successful in the world, but we're not told to always be successful. We're told to go into the world and witness.

"We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful."- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

* Kevin O'Brien treated this topic with humor and clarity in a recent article in the St. Austin Review: The Problem of Love and Frozen Banana Stands

Lectio Divina

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Near the end of the second part of Verbum Domini, "The Word of God in the Life of the Church", Pope Benedict spends time on the subject of lectio divina: "the prayerful reading of sacred Scripture".

What is lectio divina?
It is a practice dating to at least the third century which the Pontifical Biblical Commission described as "a reading, on an individual or communal level, of a more or less lengthy passage of Scripture, received as the word of God and leading, at the prompting of the Spirit, to meditation, prayer and contemplation." The Synod acknowledges it as "a great patristic tradition" in which we not just read Sacred Scripture but dialogue with God about it. Of all the methods for approach Sacred Scripture, lectio divina is the one on which the Synod spent the most time.

It is made up of four stages: lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio; or, reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Briefly, you begin by reading a short passage from Scripture - a line or so, then meditate on the meaning(s) of it. What is God telling you in those words of His? Next, you pray, speaking to God about what He is telling you. After speaking a little, of course, you should listen all the more; in the last step, you sit quietly in God's presence so He may respond. The Holy Father notes that these steps must ultimately lead to "actio": putting the Word of God into action in your life and living a Christian witness.

Note that this isn't intended to take the place of authentic interpretation from the Magisterium or public reading of the Word of God in the litury. Pope Benedict reiterates this reminder of the Synod, "that God’s word is given to us precisely to build communion, to unite us in the Truth along our path to God.... Consequently, the sacred text must always be approached in the communion of the Church."

In an address on Oct 28, 1996, Blessed John Paul II called it "the privileged occasion for meeting God while listening to His Word." This is not a subject that I can treat adequately in one article, nor am I an expert on "divine reading" by far. I've recommended some additional resources below, and I encourage you to read about the practice and give it a try.

Some resources, from brief to in-depth:
Lectio Divina in Our Catholic Life Today, Fr. Scott A. Hayes, S.J.C. (free article)
Meditation, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, ¶2705-2708
Lectio Divina and the Practice of Teresian Prayer, Sam Anthony Morello, O.C.D. (booklet)
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, Dr. Tim Gray
Praying with Saint Paul: Daily Reflections on the Letters of the Apostle Paul, Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.

References
John Paul II. 1996. Renewed Catechesis Will Lead to a More Incisive Promotion of Vocations. Address at World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Available from http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP961028.htm .
Pontifical Biblical Commission. 1994. On the Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Available from http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PBCINTER.htm.

It's been quite a while since I started this measured read-through of Verbum Domini. In my next post we start the third and final section: Verbum Mundo.

The Word of God and Our Vocation

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:09:00 +0000

Continuing with the last section of part two of Verbum Domini, "The Word of God in the Life of the Church", the Holy Father next addresses vocations. The Word of God "calls each one of us personally, revealing that life itself is a vocation from God," he reiterates from the Synod. "In other words, the more we grow in our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, the more we realize that he is calling us to holiness in and through the definitive choices by which we respond to his love in our lives..."

At the end of each episode of Catholic Answers Live, host Patrick Coffin signs off with "Be a saint! What else is there?" That is exactly right - there is one "universal call" and it is not a new teaching from the Second Vatican Council. It appears in the Old Testament (Lev 11:44, 19:2, 20:7) and in the New (Eph 1:4, Rom 1:7). Saint Paul's opening in his letter to the Romans is quite like Patrick's sign-off (fortunately, Paul never trademarked it).

How do we answer this universal call to holiness? How do we become a saint? The Pope details the role of Scripture in that task for each state in life - ordained bishops, priests, and deacons; seminarians; consecrated religious; and single and married laypeople. Whatever our state in life, we have at least one section addressed to us that we should consider carefully.

For laypeople, the Holy Father cites Jesus speaking in St. Matthew's Gospel: "the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the Kingdom" (Mat 13:38). He applies this especially to laypeople, calling them to "live out their specific vocation to holiness by a life in the Spirit expressed 'in a particular way by their engagement in temporal matters and by their participation in earthly activities'." We are not meant to hide away from the world, to shun anything secular. We are sent into the world, to spread the Gospel and to witness to everyone how a Christian lives. Each person can do that in whatever state of life they have - in how they raise their children, how they date, how they work, how they spend their free time. We don't have to go looking for ways to live a Christian life, as they are right here around us. God has set up the good works for us to do (Eph 2:10); we need to do them.

Christian life, like a good relationship, is not all grand gestures; it is lived in the little things, day to day.

Away from the manger...

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:19:00 +0000

At the National Catholic Register blog, Joseph Pronenchen wrote about "Christmas in Africa" as shown through a collection of creches. Among them, a Nigerian scene stands out because, as he writes, "it includes the entire village engaged in their everyday activities during the birth of the Savior.".

For me, at least, it is easy to look at an isolated nativity scene under the tree or on the mantle and forget that there was a world around it. The census was in full swing. Families were uniting, travelers coming and going, daily life being lived. Meals were cooked, arguments argued, money exchanged, trash swept, animals fed. Life happened all around that scene, and it's likely that few, if any, knew what was going on nearby.

Doesn't that happen today, as well? God comes into the world quietly. He waits for us as we go about our daily lives. While we're working, relaxing, eating, or sleeping, God is present on this earth in every tabernacle.

We are meant to live as Christians in the world, not live in the church all day, every day. We are sent (from which we get the word "Mass") into the world to bring Christ, to show and tell that He is alive, He is real, and He is here. And we are called back each week (or each day) to come before Him and worship.

The bustle of the world is not ungodly. We are meant to work, play, rest, and spend time with each other. We must make sure, though, that even if we're not physically there before Emmanuel - God with us - we do not forget that He has come.

Come Redeemer!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Msgr. Charles Pope blogged on his favorite Christmas hymn, Veni Redemptor Gentium, at the beginning of Advent. It is a right expression for tonight as well: Come Redeemer of the Nations!

What wonderful language St. Ambrose used in this hymn. He calls Christ "a giant in twofold substance one". What a glorious paradox is this giant tiny baby, this one that is two, this child of a virgin.

"The Holy Spirit, 'the Lord, the giver of Life', is sent to sanctify the womb of the Virgin Mary and divinely fecundate it, causing her to conceive the eternal Son of the Father in a humanity drawn from her own." (CCC ¶485) Her sanctified womb became the new temple, the new ark of the covenant that would carry the Word of God into the world. In this hymn, when we sing that "God in his temple dwells below", we sing of Mary's womb as His human tabernacle, temple, and ark. We sing, too, of Christ coming in the Eucharist to dwell in every tabernacle throughout the world. Truly, Jesus comes to us through Mary; without her 'yes', there would be no incarnation and, thus, no Eucharist.

When we receive Christ into our hands or onto our tongue at Mass, like Mary we are receiving our Lord in a vulnerable state. Each time, we must ask ourselves if we are properly disposed to be His dwelling place.

Tomorrow, we celebrate the birth of Christ "whose advent sets thy people free". May the beginning of this Christmas season bring you all freedom, blessing, and great joy.

Merry Christmas!

What Child is This?

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:14:00 +0000

This post has an unusual inspiration: good grammar.

For her 300th episode, Grammar Girl covered "Christmas Carol Grammar". In particular, she analyzed the beginning of "What Child is This?". When properly parsed and punctuated, the question that opens the song reads: What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?

Now, I'm a bit of a word-geek. Learning about squinting modifiers and adjectival passives just makes my Christmas a little merrier, so I'd argue that getting that question right is good. However, getting the answer to that question right is everything! Jennifer Fulwiler put it very well in her article on "What Child is This?", that this is "not only the most important question I could be asking right now, but the most important question I could ask ever."

Who is this little baby? Why does he inspire such devotion in so many, and such anger in others? The very next words provide the answer: This, this is Christ the King!

The next question posed is answered somewhat less satisfyingly. Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? In other words, why did God choose that time and place? Why not arrive fully grown and clothed, like Athena springing from Zeus' head? Why not be born to a great human king or queen? Why not appear now, when His YouTube videos could go viral?

We are tantalized with ideas by the rest of the lyrics:

He came "for sinners here".
"The silent Word is pleading" even from that lowly manger in Bethlehem, even before He could speak. Wrapped in swaddling clothes and helpless, He pleads for our salvation; years later, He would plead for it unclothed and hanging from a cross: "Father, forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)
He came so that nails and spear could pierce him through. He came for the cross to be borne for me and you.
He came to show us God, to make the Word flesh.
He came to bring salvation.

These answers tell us why He came but not why He came to a young girl in Bethlehem two millennia ago. At the National Catholic Register, Dan Burke briefly reviewed ten reasons for the incarnation, in these two categories, in "An Augustine Christmas: 10 Comments on the Incarnation of Christ". Several of these bear on the "why there?" question.

It was an act of humility to be born a helpless baby, another to be born and grow up in less than regal conditions. It was an invitation for no one to be afraid to come to him. "Come, peasant, king, to own Him!" God is within reach, literally.

It was a divine rescue - a drop behind enemy lines, as C. S. Lewis suggested, to sabotage the enemy in this world.

It was also a work of divine poetry, artistic creativity from the Creator. The baby that would be the Bread of Life for the world was born in Bethlehem - translated "house of bread" - and placed in a food trough.

Scripture as a Personal Encounter with Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:51:00 +0000

Have you accepted Jesus as your personal lord and savior?

In the last section of part two of Verbum Domini, titled "The Word of God in the Life of the Church", the Holy Father reminds us that a Christian life is one that not only follows Christ but encounters Him. While members of Christian denominations encounter Christ in the Scripture, His words and actions in the Gospels, we experience Christ in far more ways. He is here to be encountered in far more ways. We receive His forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. We receive the Holy Spirit, that was sent by Christ, when we're confirmed in the faith. We receive His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. We see and hear and touch and taste Jesus Christ.

We are Bible Christians; we are just not Bible-only Christians.

“The Christian life is essentially marked by an encounter with Jesus Christ,” Pope Benedict writes. He shares with us the synod's hope that “...prayerful and faith-filled reading of the Bible will, with time, deepen their personal relationship with Jesus.” We are called to have a personal relationship with Christ, for Christ to be, so to speak, our personal lord and savior. He is not just the Lord of All in a broad sense but, very personally, the Lord of my life. He is the Lord of me. As such, His Word should be a part of each day of my life.

If you aren't reading Scripture daily, start including the Bible into your daily life. You could read a passage each morning when you wake or before bed (or both!), or you could share a meditation on Scripture with your family over dinner. However you do it – and you can start small – find some way to follow St. Jerome's advice quoted by the Holy Father, to study a passage of Scripture each day.

You can begin by reading a few lines from one of the Gospels each day. They tell the central story of the Bible – indeed, the central story of history. Start from chapter one, verse one, and make your way through one of the four accounts of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. You can also study Scripture more deeply at Dr. Scott Hahn's website, salvationhistory.com, which offers free online and audio Bible studies.

Fuller Participation and Liturgical Song

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:45:00 +0000

One last recommendation of the Holy Father & Synod for fuller participation is "Biblically-inspired liturgical song". His words seem to suggest a hierarchy of preference and several categories of liturgical music which are acceptable:

1. Gregorian chant. Here, the Holy Father cites Sacrasanctum Concilium (¶ 116), which gives Gregorian chant "pride of place" in the liturgy, and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) which itself, in ¶ 41, cites SC. You can listen to several examples online from the Miles Christi schola cantorum.

2. "Songs handed down to us by the Church's tradition". There is a long tradition of beautiful and theologically-rich hymns in the Church. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote several, including probably his best known, Tantum Ergo Sacramentum. Also, Fr. Frederick Faber wrote many English-language hymns in the 1800's, including Faith of Our Fathers and Sweet Sacrament (Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All).

3. "Songs which are of clear biblical inspiration and which express... the beauty of God's word." In this last category, we have other liturgical music - including modern - which draws on Scripture for inspiration. The Psalms seem the obvious choice, as they were the early hymns, though any book of the Bible is fair game, as "(a)ll scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching... and for training in righteousnes..." (2 Tim 3:16) It is notable, though, that the Holy Father gives some additional criteria. The songs must be used "at the times called for by the particular rite." The GIRM is the key reference here, providing instruction on which parts get preference (¶ 40) and on music during specific parts of Mass (e.g. ¶ 47-48)

Indeed, this is what is meant by physical "active participation" - our taking part in the Mass "by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes." Our minds and spirits must be actively engaged, but so should our bodies - by picking up the hymnal and singing!

There are many more articles on liturgical music. For a further breakdown of Church documents, as well as independent articles, I recommend stopping by Adoremus.

Full Participation and the Importance of the Word of God

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:42:00 +0000

Continuing with the Holy Father's suggestions for a true "fuller participation" in the liturgy, we find several that relate, in one way or another, to emphasizing the importance of the Word of God.

Pope Benedict shares the synod's suggestion "that the proclamation of the word of God, and of the Gospel in particular, should be made more solemn..." Especially on major feasts, the book from which the Gospel is read should be processed in at the beginning of Mass. It can then be carried up to be read from, rather than simply waiting at the lectern like any old book. The Pope also suggests proclaiming the Gospel in song to emphasize its importance. (What might this sound like? Try the Miles Christi Schola Cantorum's recording of the Passion according to St. John.)
Whether its sung or read, the Gospel needs to be heard. The Holy Father specifically points to the visual and hearing impaired as needing help "fully participating". They need appropriate assistance so that they, too, can "experience a living contact with the word of the Lord." More broadly, the Holy Father also asks for attention to church acoustics within liturgical and architectural norms.

He also notes several things about the ambo. It should be clearly visible (no guessing where the Gospel reading will take place), placed to naturally draw attention (no neck cramps from looking way over there), fixed (no portable wooden podium), and designed to "present visibly the theological significance of the double table of the word and of the Eucharist." (In a way, the ambo is the "altar" on which the Word is offered to us.)

And in case there was any question, the Holy Father reiterated the Synod, which reiterated Pope John Paul II, who reiterated liturgical law, which clarifies ancient liturgical practice: no reading, including the Responsorial Psalm, may come from any source but the Bible.

Fuller Participation and Silence

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Picking up from my post on "Fuller Participation & Celebrations of the Word", we find that the Pope's second suggestion for "fuller participation" is silence. How can being quiet lead to fuller participation? To participate, shouldn't I be doing something?

Well, silence is "doing something", of course. It is in silence we can process what's already been said or done. In silence, we can reflect. It is the silence after that makes the last dramatic notes of a song so moving. Without silence, significance can be lost because we're already on to the next sentence, the next verse, or the next action. The Holy Father will emphasize this on May 20, 2012 with a seeming contradiction: presenting on the World Day for Social Communications the theme of "silence". CatholicCulture.org quotes from the Vatican press office that silence was chosen "precisely because it favors habits of discernment and reflection, can in fact be seen primarily as a means of welcoming the word."

Consider Mary. She had quite a lot happening around Jesus' birth. She received warnings, gifts, and messages that we continue to hear and read and contemplate to this day. There in the bustle of activity, she stopped, " reflecting on them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) Consider, too, another Mary who sat at Jesus' feet and listened, putting the bustle of activity aside for a time to listen in silence. "Mary has chosen the better part," Jesus tells her harried sister, Martha - and tells us. (Luke 10:38-42)

I try to end most posts here with something to do, some small way to put the topic into action. My suggestion today is nothing. The next time you read Scripture, receive the Eucharist, hug your child, or even watch a sunset - just do nothing. Take it in. Be present to the wonder of the God who made you, speaks to you, and is present to you.

(Addition: Auxiliary Bishop James Conley has written a piece on the topic: Silence and the liturgy.)

The Rosary: A Cheat Sheet for Salvation History

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:47:00 +0000

I've guest-posted today on Sarah Reinhard's excellent blog, Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering.

There are wonderful spiritual benefits, for ourselves and others, when we pray the rosary. What about intellectual benefits? Can the rosary help us understand our faith better? Can it help us transform by renewing our minds, as St. Paul instructed?

I say "yes", and you can find out why at: A Cheat Sheet for Salvation History.

Fuller Participation and Celebrations of the Word

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:54:00 +0000

The Holy Father ends the section of Verbum Domini titled “The Liturgy, Privileged Setting for the Word of God” with a list of seven “practical proposals for promoting fuller participation in the liturgy”. Now, the phrase “fuller participation” may get some hackles up. If it does, I suspect it's because the idea of “participation” in Mass has been misused to support unnecessary (and unauthorized) liturgical “innovations”. Certainly, Pope Benedict didn't spend 23,540 words, so far, on the Word of God only to suggest things, now, that will distract from it (and Him).

These seven proposals came from the Synod Fathers – the bishops that met from October 5-26, 2008 to discuss the Word of God. In what way does Pope Benedict see these promoting “fuller participation”? They will, hopefully, make “the People of God ever more familiar with the word of God in the context of liturgical actions [such as at Mass]...”

The first suggestion is the promotion of “celebrations of the word”. In this type of service, the faithful would receive the written word of God but not participate in the sacrifice.

In some parts of the world, people do not have access to a priest every Sunday and without a priest, there cannot be a Mass. When there can't be a Mass, a celebration of the word – the Word of God proclaimed, even if the Eucharist cannot be confected – is far better than nothing. The Holy Father is careful to note that a celebration of this sort is not an alternative to Mass. Verbum Domini cites Sacramentum Caritatis (specifically, section 75), which also clearly states the same: that there needs to be “adequate instruction about the difference between Mass and Sunday assemblies in the absence of a priest... care should be taken that these assemblies do not create confusion about the central role of the priest and the sacraments in the life of the Church.”

Both Sacramentum Caritatis and Verbum Domini suggest that those at such a celebration of the word pray particularly for vocations, “for God to send holy priests after his own heart.” That's an excellent suggestion not only for those parishes in need, but for all of us to pray for the needs of those brothers and sisters without easy access to the sacraments.

It's important to note, I think, that such “celebrations of the word” are not only suggested when a population can't have Mass. It is suggested as a supplement – an expression of popular piety, rather than a formal public liturgical act. The Holy Father notes that those bishops in the synod “also recommended celebrations of the word of God on pilgrimages, special feasts, popular missions, spiritual retreats and special days of penance, reparation or pardon.”

I'm oversimplifying, perhaps, but in essence: hearing the Word of God is not just for Mass. We can, and should, hear the Word of God proclaimed outside of Mass. Our Christian life and, therefore, our need for the Gospel, is not limited to an hour a week or even an hour a day. Christian life is 24x7.

The Liturgy of the Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Continuing with "The Liturgy: Privileged Setting for the Word of God" in Verbum Domini, we find the Holy Father noting the "undoubted place" held by the Liturgy of the Hours among all kinds of scriptural prayer. He cites from Principles and Norms for the Liturgy of the Hours, which explains that "...the Church, exercising the priestly office of her Head, offers ‘incessantly’ (1 Th 5:17) to God the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name (cf. Heb 13:15). This prayer is 'the voice of a bride speaking to her bridegroom, it is the very prayer that Christ himself, together with his Body, addressed to the Father.'"

The Liturgy of the Hours, or Divine Office, is "the public prayer of the Church", in which we hear the word of God and pray the psalms throughout the day. DivineOffice.org presents a very thorough set of General Instructions online. The Catechism teaches on the Liturgy of the Hours in paragraphs 1174-1178.

In part, the Catechism tells us that:

"The Liturgy of the Hours is intended to become the prayer of the whole People of God." [1175]
"The celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours demands not only harmonizing the voice with the praying heart, but also a deeper understanding of the liturgy and of the Bible, especially of the Psalms." [1176]
"The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated." [1177]

Who prays the Divine Office?

The Holy Father explains that "Bishops, priests and deacons aspiring to the priesthood, all of whom have been charged by the Church to celebrate this liturgy, are obliged to pray \ all the Hours daily." What about the rest of us? Pope Benedict tells us that "(t)he Synod asked that this prayer become more widespread among the People of God, particularly the recitation of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer." He recommends " that, wherever possible, parishes and religious communities promote this prayer with the participation of the lay faithful."

What if there isn't a local group praying the Divine Office? You can join in the public prayer of the Church on your own. It is public prayer, after all - jump right in. A lay person may join this worldwide prayer at any time, praying as many or few of the hours as desired.

How do I pray the Divine Office?

Traditionally, the Liturgy of the Hours has been set in a series of books. You can purchase a full four-volume set (Liturgy of the Hours (4-Volume Set), or Large Print) or a condensed single volume (Christian Prayer : The Liturgy of the Hours). You can also find text and audio versions at several websites, like universalis.com and divineoffice.org.

If you do want to use the printed book(s), it will help to have a guide. The classic English guide to praying the Divine Office is the St. Joseph Guide. You can find the 2012 version by searching for "Saint Joseph Guide for Christian Prayer 2012".

Free Trial - Satisfaction Guaranteed

The online versions can serve as a "free trial" (no commitment, satisfaction guaranteed; though I can't promise an operator won't call you) before you buy books or as your sole source of the day's prayers.

Try a single hour and see how you like it. You can pray the morning hour before you leave for work. If, like me, you're not a "morning person", you can try praying the evening hour before you leave work (or before your spouse gets home); it provides a clear transition between your day and your evening. You can also pray the night hour right before bed.

Scripture and Sacraments

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:02:00 +0000

In the section of Verbum Domini titled "The word of God, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick", the Holy Father briefly connects Scripture to the seven sacraments. He reminds us, first, that "the Eucharist certainly remains central to the relationship between God's word and the sacraments". Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, which we receive in the Eucharist. We receive the written word in the Liturgy of the Word, and we receive the living Word in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Pope Benedict also stresses "the importance of sacred Scripture in the other sacraments". "We ought never to forget that 'the word of God is a word of reconciliation, for in it God has reconciled all things to himself' (cf. 2 Cor 5:18-20; Eph 1:10)." While he emphasizes the Sacraments of Healing here, there are certainly scriptural connections to all of the sacraments. For example, from the Catechism we have:

Baptism: "Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: 'Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word.'" [1213]
Confirmation: "This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's, but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people. On several occasions Christ promised this outpouring of the Spirit, a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and then more strikingly at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to proclaim 'the mighty works of God...'" [1287]
Holy Matrimony: "Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of 'the wedding-feast of the Lamb.' Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its 'mystery,' its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal 'in the Lord' in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church." [1602]
Holy Orders: "Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry." [1536]

The Holy Father encourages us, also, "to prepare for confession by meditating on a suitable text of sacred Scripture". A quick search found some good suggestions. In his article "Preparing for Confession: Thinking Outside the Box", Gerald Korson highlights Jesus' words on adultery in Matthew 5:27-28 and the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matt 25). The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops' document, A Guide to the Sacrament of Penance, also provides numerous Scripture and Catechism references.

The Homily

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:27:00 +0000

In my last post on Verbum Domini, we learned a little bit (I hope) about the lectionary. Right after that - both at Mass and in the second part of the Holy Father's exhortation - comes the homily.

The clergy and laity have different responsibilities when it comes to the word of God, but we do all have responsibilities. We laity must listen to and meditate on God's word; that is our duty, not just something we may do in response to really exceptional preaching or a particularly good mood. The homiletics road goes both ways, and the Holy Father both reiterates his call (from the 2007 exhortation "Sacramentum Caritatis") that "the quality of homilies needs to be improved" and reminds laity to "welcome the word which was proclaimed and..let it bear fruit in their lives."

What does this latest exhortation tell us about the homily?

It "is meant to foster a deeper understanding of the word of God".
A good homily "helps the faithful to realize that God's word is present and at work in their everyday lives."
It should not be "generic and abstract" or draw "greater attention to the preacher than to the heart of the Gospel message."
Christ "must stand at the centre of every homily."

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM, PDF version) refers to the homily in several places:

The homily is a "living commentary on the word" that should foster "a fuller understanding and a greater efficaciousness of the word". (¶29)
It develops the main part of the Liturgy of the Word, which is "the readings from Sacred Scripture together with the chants occuring between them." (¶55)
The Priest may give the homily "standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place". (¶136)
"(A) period of silence may be observed", but the General Instruction does not require it. (¶136)
The homily may be given by a Deacon (¶171) or a concelebrant (¶213).
No other exceptions are listed in the General Instruction; the norm appears to be "(t)he Priest... gives the Homily." (¶136)

We need to pray and support our priests in this aspect of their ministry. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people, and not all priests (just like not all laity) find it as easy to research, write, or deliver a homily. Where there are difficiencies, let's work to build them up. (Consider buying your priest an excellent commentary, like the Navarre Bible or the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.) And let's not forget to praise the good when we see it, as well. Thank your priest for a good homily, and tell him why it was good.

Let's remember, too, our own responsibilities as laity to listen to Scripture, to read it outside of Mass, and to make it part of our lives. `

The Mass Readings

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:05:00 +0000

In Part Two of Verbum Domini, in the section "The Liturgy, Privileged Setting For The Word Of God" is a subsection "Sacred Scripture and the Lectionary". In this, the Holy Father emphasizes the importance of the Lectionary and applauds the abundance of Scripture offered at Mass. The Second Vatican Council reformed the Lectionary, he reminds us, and this may lead to a few questions.

First, what is the lectionary? Shouldn't we be reading from the Bible?

We are, of course. The Bible is the whole collection of inspired documents, and passages from the Bible are arranged for convenience in the lectionary. Properly, a "lectionary" is any liturgical book meant to be read aloud during a service, and through Church history such books were produced according to different needs. For example, when books were more costly to produce, the priest's prayers and the choir's antiphons were in their own volumes, rather than take the material and time to duplicate unneeded pages. (Thurston) In our day, we can produce book relatively easily and cheaply, so duplication is not as great a concern.

Our lectionary was introduced March 22, 1970 and contains all of the Mass readings. (Hardon) Scripture is organized by the day to be read, rather than in books and chapters. This applies to the Latin rite of the Church, which includes most - but not all - Catholics. There are other rites, including the extraordinary form of the Latin rite, which follow other rules. (The Holy Father refers to sui iuris (pronounced like soo-ee your-is) Churches that have their own laws. That is, in fact, what "sui iuris" means - their own laws.).

Second, what did the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) reform about the lectionary?

There is now an "interplay of the Old and New Testament readings". There is an intentional relationship between the readings for a given day, all with Christ at the center. The new lectionary uses a three-year cycle of readings for Sundays and solemn feasts, and a two-year cycle for weekday Masses. Over the course of three years, Catholics hear a large percentage of Scripture as readings (not to mention the Biblical references throughout the rest of the Mass) and the connections between the Old and New Testaments are highlighted. For example, the handing over of the keys of the kingdom to Eliakim (Is 22:19-23) is paired with the handing of the keys to Peter (Mt 16:13-20). That Old Testament reading helps explain the power given to Peter by Christ.

The Holy Father also reminds us of the need to view Scripture as a whole. If we have difficulty seeing the relationship between two readings (or between any two passages), we must find our answer in the whole of the Bible. Scripture does not contradict itself; only interpretations of verses contradict. We should work to resolve difficulties in interpretation "in light of canonical interpretation, that is to say, by referring to the inherent unity of the Bible as a whole." (By "canonical", the Holy Father means "according to the canon" or according to the official, revealed list of the books of the Bible.)

If there are "other problems or difficulties" with the use of the Lectionary that you can't resolve by yourself (or with a few others), then you can do what Jesus said and "take it to the church" (Matt 18:17). Specifically, you would take it to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. This body is the department, so to speak, that oversees the Mass and sacraments, as well as sacramentals, the liturgy of the hours, and the observance of holy days.

Hardon, John. 1999. "Analogy of faith". In The Modern Catholic Dictionary. Inter Mirifica.
Thurston, H. (1910). Lectionary. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved August 2, 2011 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09110b.htm

The Word of God in the Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:35:00 +0000

In the second section of part two of Verbum Domini, the Holy Father tells us that the Catholic liturgy is the "privileged setting for the Word of God". Sacred Scripture is most "at home" in the Church, in the context of a Mass. Why is that? Well, what is the more full realization: the command to do something or the actual doing? The prophecy or the fulfillment? In Scripture, Christ's sacrifice is described; at Mass, it becomes present [1364, 1545]. In Scripture, John tells his followers, "behold, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29); at Mass, we behold the Lamb of God.

Scripture tells us what Christ did and that His Word is efficacious. At Mass, His Word is spoken and His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is really present. That is where the Church as the Body of Christ gathers, and it is where the Body of Christ in the Eucharist is confected. "It is he who speaks when Scripture is read in Church", the Pope reminds us, quoting from Sacrosanctum Concilium. A speaking voice is most at home with the Body from which that spoken Word comes, just like your voice can be heard in recording but is most natural and most "at home" coming from your body.

Some use the term "Bible Christian" to distinguish themselves from Catholics. But we, too, are people of the Word - and more so because we do not just study it but carry it out. "A faith-filled understanding of sacred Scripture must always refer back to the liturgy..." We don't just believe in Christ, but we also do the things He commanded. Some of these things are done publicly and corporately (all together). This is the public work or "leitourgia". We are Bible Christians, just not Bible-only Christians; studying and living the Word of God is part (though not all) of our sacred work.

So what could we be doing better? The Holy Father tells us that "in pastoral practice, however, the faithful are not always conscious of this connection (between Scripture and Sacrament), nor do they appreciate the unity between gesture and word." He goes on: "The relationship between word and sacramental gesture is the liturgical expression of God's activity in the history of salvation through the performative character of the word itself. In salvation history there is no separation between what God says and what he does." When the priest speaks at Mass (or, for another example, during absolution in the sacrament of Confession), he speaks with Christ's voice. Christ's words are efficacious because He is the Word of God. Christ is Truth, not just one who speaks truth, and when the priest acts and speaks at the altar, it is Christ acting and speaking through him.

What mysterious and wonderful things happen each day at Mass!

Recreated by the Word

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Wetterling) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:48:00 +0000

We're in the second part of Verbum Domini, at long last. In the first section, "The Word Of God And The Church", Pope Benedict XVI cites St. Augustine on our creation. "(Y)ou were created through the word, but now through the word you must be recreated." St. Augustine is commenting on St. John's Gospel. John tells us that "to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God." (John 1:12-13)

Created by the Word

In the beginning was the Word, and by God's Word all things were made. (John 1:1-3) Whether our first parents were created directly or through an evolutionary process instituted by God, we are a result of that initial physical creation.

We are also a direct spiritual creation; however our bodies came into being (and always ultimately by God), our souls are a direct, special creation. [366]

Recreated by the Word

We were created by God's Word, and we must be recreated by God's Word. Our bodies will receive recreation by God in the end. (cf 1 Cor 15:51) Our souls are brought back to life, back into the spiritual order, when we receive the Word. We receive baptism in the name of Jesus, the Word of God. We receive the living Word in the Eucharist. And we receive the Word spoken to use at Mass and lived out by Christians in the world around us.

Most of us will not perform a baptism or distribute the Eucharist. All of us, however, are called to bring the Word of God into the world. We are sent forth at the end of each Mass for that purpose; the word "mass", in fact, comes from "missa" or "sending forth". The Holy Father reiterates a point made by Vatican II in Dei Verbum, that "a defining aspect of the Church" is that "she is a community that hears and proclaims the word of God."

We are to be instruments for spreading the Gospel. We are called to bring that Word of God that recreates us into the world, so that the world can be recreated, one soul at a time.