Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to start the week...

So, my unofficial and unscientific observations have told me that the new Mass translation has finally been sinking in for most Catholics. Nearly everyone gets the "And with your spirit" response, with a few stragglers who twist their tongues at the last minute when they catch themselves saying the old "And also with you." (I admit I've been guilty of that myself.) It seems that the Creed is followed pretty faithfully, with all of its changes. And the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei are easy enough to get right, especially when the choir takes the lead. But the one change that seems to throw people for a loop is: "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof..." For some reason everyone seems to freeze up. Usually, after a silent pause, a few people start to mumble through it and eventually everyone else catches on and finishes the response. But it looks like that one is going to be awkward for a few more weeks.

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I had to go to Mass twice on Sunday... once in the morning at our church, and again in the afternoon at our house when our 8-year-old son said "Mass" in our basement. He and I built an altar out of cardboard boxes, complete with a tabernacle. I wrote a simplified 'Order of Mass' booklet for him to follow. And he used my wife's bathrobe and an old table cloth (cut to fit) as vestments. It was a twenty minute service, but reverently done... He faced the liturgical East, by the way. That was his decision - he designed the altar with that in mind. Next time we might introduce some Latin. ;)

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I've been trying to keep up with regular blogging since I slacked off during Christmas. So far, so good. However, during Lent I do try to limit my time on the computer (as well as TV and other media devices). So bear with me... my blogging may suffer.

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

He who knows the story - "There were a lot of reasons I ended up converting to Christianity. It was a years-long process in which I searched and asked questions and read a couple of shelves full of books. But one of the key turning points in my journey was that moment when I realized that this belief system understood the human story better than any other."

FAQs About Lent

When Does Lent End? - [Interesting question... technically, liturgically speaking, the answer is Holy Saturday Mass commemorating the Lord's Supper. This begins the Triduum, which is its own liturgical celebration apart from Lent. But we do continue to fast and abstain through this period.]

Ash Wednesday, Fasting, Abstaining, and You - [By the time of this posting the information in this article is old, but still worth reviewing.] "You should by now have a plan for your spiritual life and your physical/material mortifications and penitential practices during Lent. You would do well to include some works of mercy, both spiritual and corporal."

What Does Jesus Mean by Hypocrisy? It’s Deeper than You Think - "The modern notion is that a hypocrite is someone who says one thing but does another, a person who is two-faced, who is inconsistent or phony. Jesus’ teaching on Hypocrisy does not exclude this notion but is far richer."

Santorum vs. Obama: The Debate America Needs - "Santorum’s life and political career remind America of what George Washington, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Benedict XVI each have expressed so clearly: the character and decency of America – and with them her greatness as a nation – depend on her citizens’ religiosity and commitment to Judeo-Christian morality."

Santorum attends the Novus Ordo in Latin, and has attracted vibrant young people including Evangelical Christians to manage his campaign

The Rosary Crusade for Santorum gathers pace - [This from a blogger in Europe.]

The Message on Contraception, Without Apology - [Great little feature about a Catholic priest in Massachusetts. We need a lot more priests like this.]

Father, We're Ready for that Homily on Contraception Now - "Just as the tide has turned on the issue of abortion, I see it turning with contraception too. Even non-Catholics are conceding that that the Church may not be totally crazy when it says that artificial birth control is neither good for the individual nor for society."

Thank you President Obama for making Catholics more Catholic… - "We hear a lot about the need to believe God loves us and to be loving and forgiving and most of us take those words to heart and try to advance in those respects. But we don’t hear priests preach on moral topics."

Obama Contra Ecclesia - "We’ve grown too comfortable with the quiet atrocities decimating western Christendom. Francis Cardinal George, a prominent member of the U.S. episcopate, remarked recently, 'I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.'"

Papal States are guarantee of popes' legal and political independence - "Why does the Pope need his own territory? Why can't he just be a simple Italian citizen? I'll give you several good reasons..."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan: Could He Become Pope?  - [Interesting video. Worth watching...but I doubt it will happen.]

Same-sex marriage views in the Catholic Church are rooted in the Scriptures, teachings of Jesus Christ - "The bishops’ seemingly unpopular opposition to same-sex marriage is not based on their desire to 'make church law into state law;' rather, they are guarding the nature and mission of marriage as established by God in the order of creation as the lifelong union of one man and one woman for the good of their union and the procreation of children. On this basis, the Church and the state have no authority to redefine marriage."

HHS and soft totalitarianism - "It is no exaggeration to describe that cast of mind as 'soft totalitarianism': an effort to eliminate the vital role in health care, education and social service played by the institutions of civil society, unless those institutions become extensions of the state."

Hysterical Abortion Advocates Equate Ultrasounds To Rape - [It's this kind of moral deceit that "The real outrage, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with women supposedly being raped. This is entirely about the simple fact that pro-aborts know that for many women, seeing an ultrasound or hearing the heartbeat will be a game-changer."

On the Religious Speech of Two Presidents and How the Modern Demand for a “Religion Free” Public Sector is Extremism - "These quotes do not indicate that these Presidents were perfect Christians, or that they were never critical of some aspects of religion, but they do indicate that, as Presidents, Washington and Lincoln understood the importance of religious faith for this country, and were quite comfortable articulating both the need for faith and its benefits."

Bleaching the Bible - [Uuug!!] "In an over-reaching gesture of solidarity that boggles the mind, some mainline Christian organizations are changing their Holy Scriptures to avoid offending Muslims."

 Bishop's barroom musings brew up controversy - [Read this to see what kind talk will get you kicked out of a bar... It might surprise you.]

Time Magazine Op-Ed: Perhaps “Some Time in Jail” for Catholic Bishops Defending Religious Liberty - [Typical leftist tactic - silence opponents, and if that doesn't work then make their opposition a  criminal act.]

A Non-Catholic's Guide to Lenten Weirdness - [Just for laughs!]

During the weeks of Lent I will not be on the computer as frequently as I normally am, and so my list of headlines may be smaller than usual. As with every Friday issue of "Last Call", feel free to post more headlines in the comments section below.

Random Thoughts of Sola Scriptura, Part VI

As we stated in Part V, many Protestants who embrace the “Bible Alone” doctrine insist that they do not need a Church to “spoon feed” them doctrine. According to Sola Scriptura, each individual Christian can read and interpret Scripture for himself.

As we have already seen, there are many problems with this idea, not least of which is that, for the vast majority of Christians throughout history, illiteracy was a problem - you cannot read and interpret Scripture on your own if you cannot read in the first place. Most Christians for most of history were unable to read. Also there are language barriers to overcome. Supposing someone can read and write then he must also have a Bible that is translated into his native language. This means that he must rely on those who do the translating to get the text right. Otherwise he must learn the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written – quite a challenging undertaking. So too we must consider that until the invention of the printing press, hand-written manuscripts of the Scriptures would have been impossible for the average Christian to afford.

So for most of Christianity, the illiterate, uneducated, poor Christians (which is pretty much all of them) were unable to follow what Protestants claim to be authentic Christianity - using Sola Scriptura as their guide. Apparently there were no “authentic” Christians until the Reformation 1500 years after Christ.

What makes the Protestant notion of Sola Scriptura even more puzzling is that the earliest Christians (even the wealthy, literate, well educated ones who could afford to have manuscripts and be able to read them) did not have a “Bible” as we know it today. The books of the Bible were not sorted and compiled together into one Book for at least three to four hundred years after Christ.

Put simply: The Bible did not drop down from Heaven, bound in leather, trimmed in gold, and translated into every Christian’s native tongue. The writings that we call Scripture did not compile themselves into one volume, nor did God’s hand miraculously reach down from on high to shuffle the manuscripts into their proper order, excluding the false books and including only those that contain His Word. Truth be told, the formation of the Bible into one book (or canon) was a lengthy and laborious process. For at least the first few centuries A.D. Christians had no defined canon of Scripture. Some early Christians recognized more books than we have today. Others had fewer. Some wished to exclude the Old Testament entirely. Some included not only the Old Testament but also multiple false “Gospels” as well as other Christian writings of questionable origins. Some had nearly exactly the canon we hold today, while others lacked only a few books. It was not at all a settled matter.

So if the Protestant notion of Sola Scriptura had been applied in early Christianity, the question would then be: “Which Scripture are we to follow?” And there was no definite answer to that question. For the first few centuries of Christianity there was no “Bible” (at least not as we know it today).

So where did the Bible come from?

The history of the Biblical canon is long and complex. For our purposes here (being only a brief reflection on Sola Scriptura) it will suffice to point out one fact: The absence of a Biblical canon in the first few centuries, and the eventual formation of a canon at a later date, tells us that some other locus of authority (i.e. not Sola Scriptura) was necessary during that period for the purpose of teaching doctrine. There had to be a mechanism in place which possessed the proper authority to collect the writings of the Prophets, Apostles and holy men, and to sort out which books would be “in” and which books would be “out.” And this center of authority had to have the power to determine authentic doctrine, to refute heresy, and to preserve orthodox Christian teaching, so that when the Bible canon was finally produced through this authority, we can be sure that it is the true Word of God and not a false book.

From what we have said in previous reflections, I think we all know that this authority was found in the Church. It was the Church which gave us the Bible, and it is the Church’s authority that assures us that the books we call Scripture are indeed God’s Word. Without the Church we would have no Bible.

So the irony of Protestant Sola Scriptura is that there would be no Bible without the Church. When Protestant Christians question the authority of the Church, when they claim that the Church is fallible that it teaches error and that they do not trust the Church to teach sound doctrine, they are questioning the very authority which ensures the soundness of Scripture itself. Sola Scriptura destroys the very foundation of Scripture itself.

Ash Wednesday, 2012

Suffering is inescapable in life. From the moment we are conceived we possess a body that is fragile - susceptible to illness, disease, injury and eventually death. Indeed, birth is the first stage in the process of dying. It is unavoidable. As surely as new life begins, we know that that same life will someday end.

Today is Ash Wednesday. The ashes on our forehead remind us that, no matter our circumstances in life – rich or poor, young or old, sick or in good health – we are all destined for the grave. “You are dust and unto dust you shall return,” – these words are among those spoken as the ashen cross is traced upon our heads.

The cross is a symbol of Christ's suffering as well as our own suffering. The cross is a symbol of the common path we must tread to arrive eventually at our end. We “take up our cross” and follow Him. It is a process, a march to our graves. Between conception and death, the life we live is filled with ups and downs. All life contains suffering. All life is marked with the sign of the cross.

But we should not despair, for the cross gives us hope - not because it brings an end to suffering, but because it gives new meaning to our suffering.

Jesus did not come to end all pain and suffering. But His suffering transforms the world. When we accept the cross we seek solidarity with the lowliest and most wretched of humanity. We search out those who suffer and find spiritual companionship. We even seek ways to suffer alongside them, and add our suffering to the redemptive act of Christ on the Cross. As we look around us and see all those fellow travelers marked with their own crosses today, we see Christ walking beside us.

If there is to be meaning in our life we must not reject suffering but embrace these moments of pain as channels of grace…just as Jesus embraced the cross for the salvation of the world, if we unite our suffering to His, then we can share in His plan of salvation, and become channels of grace to the world.

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to begin the week...

Just a reminder that Lent begins this week. Two more weeks to decide how to commemorate this season of penance and sacrifice.

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Here is something I don't understand: As a faithful Catholic, Rick Santorum is mocked and openly attacked for his religious beliefs. But if you try to bring up Rev. Wright and the church that Obama belonged to for twenty years in Chicago... 'Well, that's just not fair! How dare you question his religious affiliation.'

We should go back and listen to a Rev. Wright sermon and compare it to something from Pope John Paul II or Benedict XVI - Then let's see whose religious beliefs are more radical.

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Just caught a couple of blogs that might be interesting to readers of this blog.. one for the guys and one for the ladies:

Two Catholic Men and a Blog - "Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.  Today we need to work for a reconciliation between faith and reason." [quoting Blessed John Paul II]

Catholic Mom's Connect - "...a ministry to encourage women to celebrate Faith-filled friendships and to support each other in our God-given role as Catholic mothers."

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Lenten Observances in the Vein of a New Liturgical Movement - "Lent begins this Wednesday and so it is about that time to once again give our readers some considerations for their possible Lenten observances..."

Dealing with the Devil - "We may not be exorcists, but each one of us is called to engage in the spiritual battle, and we will succeed best when we take the battle seriously, and ourselves not so seriously."

How Not to Become a Catholic - [A rather long article...but clever and witty. The author is a former Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism. He explains tips for NOT becoming a Catholic, though he expects the readers to do the opposite.]

A Protestant Historian Discovers the Catholic Church - "I wanted to be able to show how the medieval church had left the true faith and how the Reformers had recovered it. To this end, I began Ph.D. studies in historical theology...I never imagined that Reformation Church history would move me to the Catholic Church."

What's the big difference between NFP and contraception? - "When we consider the positive impact of NFP on a marriage and the potential dangers of contraception, the most loving option becomes obvious."

19 Facts About Abortion In America That Should Make You Very Sick - [It does make you sick, but you need to know it.]

American Catholicism’s Pact With the Devil - "In the 1930s, the majority of the  bishops, priests, and nuns sold their souls to the devil, and they did so with the best of intentions. In their concern for the suffering of those out of work and destitute, they wholeheartedly embraced the New Deal."

Catholic Bishops: Don’t Revise, Rescind - "The administration 'shifted' on nothing. It simply decreed that insurers, not employers, must provide 'preventive services' (including sterilization and abortifacient drugs), a shell game that has been variously and accurately described as a 'fraud' (Andrew McCarthy, in the Corner) and an 'absurdity' (the Wall Street Journal)."

The bishops' tougher response to the Obama 'compromise' mandate - "While that initial reaction was ambiguous, the bishops’ 2nd statement left no doubt that the USCCB would continue to oppose the Obama mandate."

Secularism and the HHS Mandate - [Brief post...but to the point.] "Collectivism is often very appealing to Christians who want to do good for their neighbors.  Unfortunately, collectivism is frequently a fellow-traveler of aggressive secularism with little respect for religious liberty."

The Father of Lies - "The Left realize they've lost the debate on abortion. Therefore they are moving the goalposts and deliberately making the debate about contraception."

Don't Be Deceived! Evil Obama Policy Now Even MORE Evil! - "Under the guise of making room for religious conscience, the President has actually made the policy worse—far worse."

Archbishop Dolan Wants to Believe Obama's Not Anti-Christian. But... - "That's the thing about Obama. He's all about words. You're supposed to listen to his soothing words and ignore the shank in your spleen."

Can a Faithful Catholic Run for President? - "Maybe you have to be a Sebelius Catholic or a Pelosi Catholic nowadays to succeed. But then, isn’t that a discussion worth having as well? Or are we not allowed to discuss that either?"

Chesterton's Racehorse - "If you are Catholic, you are on the right horse and this horse will ultimately win. The question becomes, will you run the race with her?"

I STAND WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: 10 Pictures In Defense of the Church - [Great for sharing on Facebook or other social media outlets...]

8 Reasons to Turn Out the Lights During Lent - "...if you’re looking for something to add to your Lenten practices that will shake things up and help you see your whole life from a fresh perspective, I highly recommend turning out the lights."

Marriage Fight Continues in Washington State - "Same-sex 'marriage' was signed into law by the governor Feb. 13, and traditional-marriage groups have filed a referendum as Catholics and Christians speak up for God's plan for marriage."

The Truth About Same Sex Attraction - "I never had any idea things could be this good, that I could be so confident, that I would so often feel like smiling for no particular reason."

Same-sex attraction and the choice for the greatest good - "A major part of my struggle as a Catholic who experiences same-sex attraction has been the difficulty of wrestling with my desire for the goodness of love, relationship and pleasure that seems to be denied me by the teachings of the Church about homosexual relationships."

Should The Government Be Involved in Marriage? - "The theory that marriage does not need government is foolish and irresponsible. It is related to the even more foolish and irresponsible theory that society itself does not need government."

"Brethren in Unity" -- History in Houston As Ordinariate Launches  - "Though precluded from becoming a Catholic bishop due to his marriage, the new monsignor -- who, unlike his English counterpart, Msgr Keith Newton, has taken to donning the violet zucchetto normally reserved for bishops -- enjoys full membership and voting rights in the USCCB."

A Call to Prayer and Joyful Witness [A message from Archbishop Dolan] - "When the Holy Father presents the 'red hat' to the new cardinals, he will ask us to accept it as a sign of our readiness to shed our blood for the strengthening of the faith, the peace and tranquillity of the people of God, and the liberty and growth of the Church."

MSNBC's Martin Bashir Outrageously Compares Rick Santorum to Mass Murderer Joseph Stalin - [Don't trust the Mainstream Media!]

Remember when no one understood why ABC asked about contraception at the NH Republican debate? - [I don't think that was just a coincidence...]

The Loss of the Apostrophe in “Valentine’s Day”: One More Victory for the Forces of Secularization - "If St. Valentine is in our minds, then we can hardly forget that the 14th is HIS day, in honor of his witness: it is Valentine’s Day, and the possessive apostrophe pays him just tribute.  To omit it is an offense against piety, if perhaps an unintentional one."

 Megadeth frontman backs Rick Santorum - [Interesting endorsement... Well, I don't like his music, but I like his politics.]

Obama to Give Catholics a Present - [This is a satirical piece that I thought was pretty funny.]

I am sure there were many fine articles I missed in this round-up. In the comments section below, feel free to add any links you found interesting.

Random Thoughts of Sola Scriptura, Part V

In Part IV we heard the complaint from some Protestant Christians that Catholics are “spoon-fed” their faith by an authoritative Church. Catholics look to the Church as the final authority on Biblical interpretation. Meanwhile “Bible-only” Christians are free to disagree with their church leaders and pastors whenever they feel that a particular doctrine is unbiblical. According them, every individual is capable of privately interpreting Scripture without turning to the Church for guidance.

So what does the Bible itself have to say about this principle?

The Apostle Paul established several Christian communities during his lengthy travels, and he taught them the faith as it had been passed on to him. He realized that this process of teaching Christian Truth is an ongoing and laborious process. The pupils (that is, we lay Christians in the pews) must be instructed by our pastors as children are taught by parents. Paul writes: “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1Corinthians 3:2)

So, as we can see from Paul’s words, not only are Christians sometimes “spoon-fed” the faith, we must first be “bottle-fed” on “milk” if we are to one day digest the solid food of a well developed faith. The Protestant notion that every Christian can pick up the Bible and dispute his pastor is laughable when one examines the facts about the early Church.

We can be sure that Paul knew well what kind of damage could be done to souls when individuals twist the words of Scripture and misunderstand doctrine. His own words were abused by Christians of his day. On this subject of twisting the Bible, 2Peter 3:15-16 attests: “…our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

So we know that the Bible can be easily abused and twisted by those who are ungrounded in the faith. The Bible itself admits to this problem. And as Paul describes, there must be some preparatory work, instruction in the faith. We must be fed milk before we eat meat; we must crawl before we walk. Christians must be taught by some authority outside of the Bible, which then can help them make sense of God’s Word.

In the Acts of the Apostles, when the Ethiopian eunuch was asked whether he understood the Scriptures he was reading, he replied:  “How can I, unless someone shows me?” (Acts 8:31) We should be humble enough to answer in the same way. Many Bible-only Christians are comfortable disagreeing with their own pastors and denominations. They do not recognize the Biblical concept of an outside teaching authority. And this is the root of many division and schisms. They “distort Scripture to their own destruction.”