Kathryn Lopez on George W. Bush and David Gregory

Kathryn Lopez writes at National Review about David Gregory's memoir published last September.  She notes that George Bush asked Gregory "How's your Faith."

She then writes about Bush's book "Decision Points" and how his Faith shaped his approach to his responsibilities and decisions.  She notes:

You don’t have to agree with all his decisions to see that his faith was more than a “sense of comfort” and “safe harbor,” as Gregory had once described it in a question to a Republican presidential-primary candidate several cycles ago. It was, as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once described to me his own faith, “his North Star.” It guided and inspired and humbled Bush, giving him more strength and power than any elected office or esteemed position in the world.

She then discusses this current season, Advent, and how that question posed by Bush to Gregory is very apropos.

Her closing paragraph is very good:

I have to laugh as I look around and see Dunkin’ Donuts ads urging us to “share the joy.” I won’t deny that if you bring a dozen donuts to work on a Monday or Wednesday or any other day, you’ll bring some cheer, or at least a possibly needed sugar rush. But true joy — knowing there’s more than the current burdens and even love — transforms. So while Christmas shopping or holiday partying, take a moment to ask, “How’s your faith?” Does it mean something more than a calendar date or an obligation or a consoling ritual? Would anyone ever know it from the way we live?

Be sure to read her entire article.

Robert Barron and "Arrival"

The movie, Arrival, is a very good science fiction movie.  It has received a number of favorable reviews ( National Review, Catholic News, The Federalist), but the one I found most interesting was not so much a review, as it was an analysis, by bishop Robert Barron.

He uses the plot of the movie to discuss the interpretation of Christian Scriptures.  He writes:

But I would like to elaborate upon what this film says, at least implicitly, in regard to what we call divine revelation. One of the core convictions of the Christian faith is that God has spoken to his people, that a real communication has come from his transcendent realm and entered into our consciousness. Furthermore, believers hold, this communication is codified in the Bible, which, accordingly, is not one book among many, not one more human attempt to express our convictions about God, but rather, in a real sense, God’s word to us, God’s language, God’s speech. 

When I wrote to my sister about this movie, I used the subject of the email to refer to the movie Aloha which starred Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone.  Rachel McAdam's character's son (Mitchell) asks Cooper's character (Brian) "Are you the Arrival?"  Mitchell is taken with Hawaii mythology and movie making.

I also thought it very interesting that all hell breaks lose in Arrival when the earthly interpreters think that the aliens are talking about a weapon.  I was reminded of a line from the movie The Book of Eli.  Gary Oldman's character (Carnegie) who is desperately searching for any copy of the Bible that may still exist says to his right hand man "It's not just a book, it's a weapon pointed at the heart of every man."

I highly recommend this movie, and reading bishop Barron's article.  

You might also want to watch The Book of Eli, and Aloha.

Archbishop Chaput at the University of Notre Dame once more

Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, spoke at the University of Notre Dame again on 19 October 2016.  The National Catholic Register reports here.  

He begins by discussing a manuscript illustration of Mary he received via e-mail a week before his talk.  He writes:

It’s a picture of Mary punching the devil in the nose. She doesn’t rebuke him. She doesn’t enter into a dialogue with him.  She punches the devil in the nose. So I think that’s the perfect place to start our discussion.

He then gives an overview of his talk:

I want to speak first about the people we’ve become as American Catholics. Then I’ll turn to how and why we got where we are.  Finally, I’ll suggest what we need to do about it, not merely as individuals, but more importantly as a Church. We need to recover our identity as a believing community. And I think a good way to begin doing that is with the “catechetical content” of our current political moment. 

He speaks about the need to speak plainly and honestly, and how we live in an age that thrives on the subversion of language.  Near the close of his talk he says:

A theologian in my own diocese recently listed “inclusivity” as one of the core messages of Vatican II. Yet, to my knowledge, that word “inclusivity” didn’t exist in the 1960s and appears nowhere in the Council documents. 

If by “inclusive” we mean patiently and sensitively inviting all people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, then, yes, we do very much need to be inclusive. But if “inclusive” means including people who do not believe what the Catholic faith teaches and will not reform their lives according to what the Church holds to be true, then inclusion is a form of lying. And it’s not just lying, but an act of betrayal and violence against the rights of those who do believe and do seek to live according to God’s word. Inclusion requires conversion and a change of life; or at least the sincere desire to change. 

Saying this isn’t a form of legalism or a lack of charity. It’s simple honesty. And there can be no real charity without honesty. We need to be very careful not to hypnotize ourselves with our words and dreams. The “New Evangelization” is fundamentally not so different from the “old evangelization.” It begins with personal witness and action and with sincere friendships among committed Catholics — not with bureaucratic programs or elegant-sounding plans. These latter things can be important. But they’re never the heart of the matter.

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

Kathryn Lopez and the 2016 Presidential Election

Kathryn Lopez posting at National Review Online's "The Corner"

writes about the lack of good choices in the Presidential Election, noting:

The reality of the presidential election this fall is there are no good choices. That isn’t a new reality of the last 24 hours but has been the reality since Donald Trump became his party’s nominee. 

Her most important point is farther down:

People have said to me increasingly in recent weeks: ”This is the most important election of our lifetimes.” I don’t agree – and I know about the Supreme Court and appointees and all the rest. I think the most important election happened already and we blew it. Eight years ago, certainly four years ago.

She closes well with:

We’re not going to get better politics without virtue. So I do hope the Republicans choose a better path that points to it in renewed ways right now. Especially if that’s been your calling card/platform/entry to power. (Recommended reading might include Psalm 127, as I note here.)

Be sure to read her entire post.

George Weigel: It's deplorable

At First Things, George Weigel has a Column discussing the 2016 US Presidential Election.  He begins discussing some historical (but not long ago) examples of people 'shooting from the lip' and the consequences that ensued.

He then proceeds to discuss Clinton and her "Deplorables" comment, and its' implications for the future if she is elected.  He then goes 'equal-opportunity' and discusses Trump.

He concludes his piece:

The Republic is in deep trouble.

I would only reiterate  my observations:

We are witnessing the death of America.

and

I've been thinking that there have been five (5) fatal blows to America in the last three years, and now we are watching the body collapse.

Read his entire article.

Archbishop Chaput at Notre Dame

Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, delivered the 2016 Tocqueville Lecture at the University of Notre Dame, on 15 Sept 2016.

It is an excellent talk and well worth reading in its' entirety.

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.

Funeral Mass Homily -- Antonin Scalia

FOX News has posted a video of the homily from the Mass of Christian Burial (Funeral Mass) for Justice Antonin Scalia.  The principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass was the son of the Justice the Reverend Paul Scalia.

It is an exceptional homily, and every Christian should hear it.  Note in particular the section around 12 minutes into the homily, where Fr Scalia quotes his father writing about funerals and eulogies.  Justice Scalia had written about "God's inexplicable mercy to a sinner."   This is a key phrase, as is Fr Scalia's point that Christ died and rose for all of us, and for each of us.

The Mass occurred in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.   The archbishop of Washington, and the bishop of Arlington Virginia were also at the Mass praying for Justice Scalia.

Nancy Pelosi and Abortion

There have been several posts today regarding some things said recently by Nancy Pelosi, democrat and minority leader of the US House of Representatives, and some reaction by NARAL.   Deacon Greg posts on this topic, noting:

Pelosi, of course, has in the past strenuously defended abortion, and has even called the right to abortion "sacred ground."

The most significant post, I thought, was this note by Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review on-line.  See number 7 of the 15 things that caught her eye today.  Quoting the late Cardinal Edward Egan of New York who responded to Pelosi in 2008:

Like many other citizens of this nation, I was shocked to learn that the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America would make the kind of statements that were made to Mr. Tom Brokaw of NBC-TV on Sunday, August 24, 2008. What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.

Read her entire post.  Kathryn's point number 8 is also good.

Travel and Visiting Churches too

After Christmas I visited my daughter's family.  While there I was at Mass in two churches and two Parishes.

For the Feast of the Holy Family I was at Mass in Irondequoit NY
at the Church of St Cecilia, which is part of St Kateri Tekakwitha Parish.

For weekday Masses, I was at the Church of the Annunciation, in Rochester NY, which is part of the St Francis Xavier Cabrini Parish.