Donald Cardinal Wuerl and the Church's importance for Society

Michael Strain writes at National Review about a Conference held at AEI "two weeks ago on the intersection of Roman Catholic thought and U.S. public policy and culture."  He has links to video of several of the talks.

I was most impressed by the talk by Donald Cardinal Wuerl.  Near the end of his prepared remarks he spoke of an encounter he observed between the Mayor and a youngster at a gathering about at risk kids.  The Mayor asked the 14 yr old:  why do you find it so easy to be so violent?  The kid responded:
How come you get to draw the line?

A telling telling point!

Watch his entire talk.  He speaks of this encounter at about 45 minutes into his talk.

The entire 5 hour conference can be viewed in the video below, but the link above starts at Cardinal Wuerl's talk.

Requiem America

Since the shooting in Orlando Sunday Morning, 12 June, there have been a large number of articles and news reports and political posturings that are remarkable.  We are witnessing the death of America.

George Weigel on Biblical Preaching to heal the culture

George Weigel writes at First Things about the methods that are necessary for the members of the Church to heal the culture.  

We're going to have to learn to see the world through lenses ground by biblical faith.

He uses the Feast of the Ascension to illustrate his point, writing near the end of his article:

But what does that have to do with healing 21st-century culture?

Everything.

At the root of today’s culture of happy-go-lucky hedonism, which inevitably leads to debonair nihilism, is a profound deprecation of the human: a colossal put-down that tells us that we’re just congealed star dust, a cosmic accident—so why not enjoy what you can, as soon as you can, however you like, before oblivion? Why take your humanity seriously—including that part of your humanity by which you are constituted as male or female? You can change whatever you like; it’s all plastic and it’s all meaningless, because the only meaning of our humanity is the meaning we choose for it.

Christian faith offers a far nobler vision of the human condition than this dumbed-down self-absorption. Where do we find that nobler humanity exemplified? In the Ascension, and the incorporation of Christ’s human nature into the mutual love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And where the Master has gone, the disciples are empowered by grace to follow.

You should read his entire article.

Reflection -- Mass Readings 23 April 2016

In today's readings from Mass, Jesus is speaking to his disciples at the Last Supper.   Philip says to him:

Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.

Jesus then says:

Have I been with you so long a time and you still do not know me Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

It is as though Jesus were saying: I've been showing you the Father for the last three years.  If showing you the father were sufficient you would already be satisfied.

Showing us the Father was not enough for the Father or the Son.  He underwent his Passion, not so that we could merely see the Father, but so that we might be with him always.

And this is God's desire for us, that we should be with Him always.  Not for just a moment, not for a day, a weekend, or for a few months.  But always and forever.  The Father living in the Son and the Son living in us.

May His desire be ours, so that our Joy may be complete.

James Conley, Mercy and Conscience

There is an excellent article at First Things by Bishop James Conley.  He opens by citing a portion of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

After quoting from Portia's monologue on Mercy he says :

Shakespeare’s Portia says that mercy can never be forced; instead, it drops freely, as a gentle rain from heaven. Mercy blesses both the giver and the receiver, and makes the merciful like God himself.

He refers to and quotes from St Anselm and John Milton, and discusses a couple of false ideas concerning Conscience.  He writes:

The first false idea is that conscience is an absolute source of moral truth. This idea suggests that if we want to act rightly, we only need to “listen to our conscience.” But our conscience is only effective when it is formed correctly, when it strengthens us and guides us to live according to reality and moral truth. The conscience offers no escape from natural law, or from God’s revelation.

 It is an excellent article and you should read it in its' entirety.

A reflection on the Mass readings from today -- 2 Mar 2016

In today's Mass readings Moses says to the Jewish people:

what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?

This reading is from the Torah, the Mosaic Law.

In the Gospel, Jesus says: 

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill.

How close was God to the Jewish people in the Exodus, when he took them and led them by his strong right arm from slavery in Egypt?

How close was he to them in the Person of Jesus, when they could touch him with their hands, see him with their eyes, hear him with their ears?

Mary, the Seat of Wisdom,  kissed him with her lips, washed him, changed his diapers, wiped his tears, nursed him, prayed with him.

How close is he to each and everyone of us when he speaks to us while the scriptures are proclaimed, and when he says to each and everyone of us "Kiss me with the kiss of your mouth" when we receive him in the Eucharist?  When he enters under our roofs?

What nation has gods so close to it as our God is to us?

Risen -- a very good movie

I just watched the newly released movie "Risen."

It is very good.

I read two reviews of the film before going to see it, and spoke with a couple people from my parish who've seen it, and all of them gave reviews praising this movie.

Bishop Robert Barron's  review is found at RealClearReligion here.
The USCCB reviews it here.

You should see it.