Monday Musings

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

For my weekly round-up of news headlines that I post every Friday, I have always used an image of Pope Benedict (back when he was Cardinal Ratzinger) holding a beer - the idea being that we can sit back and enjoy reading a few articles as we would a cold beer at the end of the work week. Now that Benedict has stepped down as pope, I have considered changing the image...I don't know why, but the thought crossed my mind. As I have searched for a new image that would convey the same idea, I am leaning more and more toward keeping the Ratzinger pic. It just feels right.

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I was sad to no longer hear Pope Benedict's name mentioned during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass. But the thought occurred to me that perhaps he could still be mentioned as "Benedict, our pope emeritus." I'm not sure if that would be allowed since I am not a trained liturgist, but since it has been 600 years since anything like this has happened and the liturgy has evolved since that time, I wonder if anyone has given this any thought or written about it officially. Just curious.

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I thought I would share this prayer for use during this interregnum period without a pope:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church,

we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI

and the selfless care with which he has led us

as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth.

Good Shepherd, who founded Your Church

on the rock of Peter’s faith

and have never left Your flock untended,

look with love upon us now,

and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity.

Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us,

a new Pope for Your Church

who will please You by his holiness

and lead us faithfully to You,

who are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Amen.

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...

Vatican Website interactive  "Memory Book" of Pope Benedict

Video of Pope Benedict leaving the Vatican on his way to Castel Gandolfo.

Video: Highlights from Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate

"Among Us Is the New Pope... To Whom I Pledge Obedience" - [Pope Benedict's farewell address to the Cardinals.]

Benedict’s Last Papal Audience: What is the Church? - "Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all."

Pope's Last Angelus: The Bark of the Church, is guided by God - [Video link]

Humble and Holy: Benedict XVI Offers His Final Words From the Chair of Peter - "...complete text of the final words offered by His Holiness, Benedict XVI, to the massive crowd who gathered in St. Peter's square for this extraordinary and historic even on February 27, 2013, the day before he voluntarily lays aside his office as Successor of Peter, Servant of the Servants of God."

Benedict’s New Name: Pope Emeritus, His Holiness Benedict XVI, Roman Pontiff Emeritus - "The Vatican disclosed that in retirement, the Pope would also wear a simple white cassock but without the mozzetta (elbow-length cape). And instead of red shoes, he will wear brown ones..."

Click here to view a few images from Benedict XVI's final day as pope...including this one:

And here are a few shots of a candlelight vigil beneath Pope Benedict’s window, the night before his final day.

Can (Should) the Pope Influence the Election? - "In theory the pope can influence, even directly, the election of his successor, and it is unjust to claim that it would be “wrong” for him to do so. It is an entirely different question as to whether or not it would be prudent for this pope, Benedict XVI, at this particular point in history, to explicitly tap the next pontiff."

A step toward transparency - "Good news today from the Vatican press office: the powers-that-be have decided to brief reporters during the cardinals' daily pre-conclave meetings, which will probably begin March 4."

The Last of the Giants? - "Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, in reflecting on the (now completed) pontificate, spoke of Benedict as the 'last of the giants', referencing the great ressourcement theologians—de Lubac, von Balthasar, Danielou—who had so much to do with Catholic theology in the twentieth century and in shaping the work of the Council."

Pope Benedict’s legacy: Beware the secular state - "He is leaving us a warning. In the West, and now especially in the U.S., the state is increasingly pushing a secular agenda, and pushing that agenda through means pushing the Church out. The threat to religious liberty is very, very real."

Benedict vs. the Dictatorship of Relativism - "Relativism is a poison. It attacks our most human capacity, the capacity to seek and know the truth, including the moral truth. A dictatorship of relativism imposes by real cultural force (and even by political force) a no-standard standard, a command that all must imbibe this poison."

Benedict's war: What the Pope achieved and what he leaves behind - "The challenge in choosing Benedict's successor will be to find someone who has the strength and ability to deal with the administrative side of the office of the papacy while retaining at least some of the intellectual flair and imagination of Benedict and his predecessor."

Benedict's faith encyclical could appear in different form - "An encyclical on faith was expected sometime in the first six months of this year, to coincide with the Year of Faith. It was to have formed a trilogy of encyclicals on the theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity."

Gentle Shepherd Inspires the Nation - "Benedict Encouraged America to Live for ‘Christ, Our Hope.’"

The New Pope Will Inherit a Prepaid Trip to the USA - "His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, announces the official dates for the Eighth World Meeting of Families, which will be celebrated in the United States for the first time in its history. It is expected to draw tens of thousands from around the world to the City of Philadelphia."

Thank You for Your Gift, Benedict XVI - "It is through Benedict XVI's writing that I have come to know, admire and love him. He has fed my mind and heart in a way that no other has, and I will never be able to thank him enough for this wonderful gift he has given me."

The Next Pope Will Be God's Choice...Right? - "We can be confident of the general principle that God guides his Church. This is something we have biblical assurance of. But his guidance does not prevent human free will from operating, and that means there is the potential for humans to abuse their free will."

Why Cardinal Mahony and others are participating in conclave despite scandal - The Church is an ancient institution, with many of its practices being codified during the medieval period of European history. These practices include a tradition of protecting both the Church's reputation and clergy against civil authorities, which have at times been quite hostile to the Church."

Betting on the conclave? - [Is it allowed by Canon Law?]

How Old Will the Next Pope Be? - [Interesting analysis from Jimmy Akin.]

Why Marriage Matters for America and Conservatism - "Marriage predates government. It is the fundamental building block of all human civilization. All Americans, especially conservatives, should respect this crucial institution of civil society." See also: Republicans for Same-Sex Marriage

The Gay Marriage Beauty Pageant - "Conservatives think they are in a boxing match; liberals understand that marriage policy is a beauty pageant."

Government’s idea of women’s freedom harms women - "The White House, Hollywood, Planned Parenthood and other powerful groups are sending the message that women’s freedom almost completely overlaps with sexual expression without procreation, and the government is not accepting dissent from this view..."

Notes from Beneath the Veil - "I wore a chapel veil to church for the first time ever yesterday. It’s something I’d wanted to/felt called to do for years, and I finally committed to doing it during Lent"

No One Goes Away From Jesus Unchanged. A reflection on the fruitfulness of the Sacrments and the Liturgy - "It as time is Catholics to reclaim our birthright that comes to us through faith that Jesus Christ is alive, and ministers powerfully and effectively through the liturgy, the Sacraments and his word."

Purgatory Part 1: Conversion as a Process - "We may still be in this work-in-progress state when we die. We are essentially still converted to Christ, but not yet fully sanctified, still being tempted into sin, still occasionally turning away from God, even if we always turn back to Him."

Fr. Barron comments on "dumbed down" Catholicism - [Great video.]

Catechism for the Year of Faith

Part of a continuing series.
A selected quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church in honor of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013)

599 Jesus' violent death was not the result of chance in an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances, but is part of the mystery of God's plan, as St. Peter explains to the Jews of Jerusalem in his first sermon on Pentecost: "This Jesus [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God." This Biblical language does not mean that those who handed him over were merely passive players in a scenario written in advance by God.

601 The Scriptures had foretold this divine plan of salvation through the putting to death of "the righteous one, my Servant" as a mystery of universal redemption, that is, as the ransom that would free men from the slavery of sin. Citing a confession of faith that he himself had "received", St. Paul professes that "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures." In particular Jesus' redemptive death fulfills Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering Servant. Indeed Jesus himself explained the meaning of his life and death in the light of God's suffering Servant. After his Resurrection he gave this interpretation of the Scriptures to the disciples at Emmaus, and then to the apostles.

603 Jesus did not experience reprobation as if he himself had sinned. But in the redeeming love that always united him to the Father, he assumed us in the state of our waywardness of sin, to the point that he could say in our name from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Having thus established him in solidarity with us sinners, God "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all", so that we might be "reconciled to God by the death of his Son".

604 By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins." God "shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."

610 Jesus gave the supreme expression of his free offering of himself at the meal shared with the twelve Apostles "on the night he was betrayed". On the eve of his Passion, while still free, Jesus transformed this Last Supper with the apostles into the memorial of his voluntary offering to the Father for the salvation of men: "This is my body which is given for you." "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

611 The Eucharist that Christ institutes at that moment will be the memorial of his sacrifice. Jesus includes the apostles in his own offering and bids them perpetuate it. By doing so, the Lord institutes his apostles as priests of the New Covenant: "For their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth."

613 Christ's death is both the Paschal sacrifice that accomplishes the definitive redemption of men, through "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world", and the sacrifice of the New Covenant, which restores man to communion with God by reconciling him to God through the "blood of the covenant, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins".

614 This sacrifice of Christ is unique; it completes and surpasses all other sacrifices. First, it is a gift from God the Father himself, for the Father handed his Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with himself. At the same time it is the offering of the Son of God made man, who in freedom and love offered his life to his Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation for our disobedience.

618 The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the "one mediator between God and men". But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, "the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery" is offered to all men. He calls his disciples to "take up [their] cross and follow [him]", for "Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps." In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries. This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering.

Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.

624 "By the grace of God" Jesus tasted death "for every one". In his plan of salvation, God ordained that his Son should not only "die for our sins" but should also "taste death", experience the condition of death, the separation of his soul from his body, between the time he expired on the cross and the time he was raised from the dead. The state of the dead Christ is the mystery of the tomb and the descent into hell. It is the mystery of Holy Saturday, when Christ, lying in the tomb, reveals God's great sabbath rest after the fulfillment of man's salvation, which brings peace to the whole universe.

627 Christ's death was a real death in that it put an end to his earthly human existence. But because of the union which the person of the Son retained with his body, his was not a mortal corpse like others, for "it was not possible for death to hold him" and therefore "divine power preserved Christ's body from corruption." Both of these statements can be said of Christ: "He was cut off out of the land of the living", and "My flesh will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see corruption." Jesus' Resurrection "on the third day" was the sign of this, also because bodily decay was held to begin on the fourth day after death.

630 During Christ's period in the tomb, his divine person continued to assume both his soul and his body, although they were separated from each other by death. For this reason the dead Christ's body "saw no corruption" (Acts 13:37).

Quote of the Week

"I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one receives one's life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion, because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are truly his own... I continue to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God..."

- Pope Benedict XVI

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...

9 things you need to know about the "Chair of St. Peter" -  "Yes, there is a physical object known as 'the Chair of St. Peter.' It is housed at the Vatican, at the back of St. Peter's basilica. February 22 is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. And there is more to the story. Here are 9 things you need to know..."

The Dynamic Continuity of Benedict XVI and John Paul II - "Papal biographer George Weigel discusses how this pair of Popes has shepherded the Church into a new era of ‘Evangelical Catholicism.’"

Benedict and the Second Vatican Council: Calming the Storm - "Many of us were born post-Vatican II, but we all continue to live the Vatican II challenge in one way or another. In no way is the work of the Council complete, and much of the work up to now has been simply clarifying which Council is our source — the Council of the Fathers or the council of the media."

Benedict XVI: Reason’s Revolutionary - "...if there is one single thing that stands out in Benedict’s papacy, it’s this: his laser-like focus on the root-cause of the intellectual crisis that explains not only Western culture’s present wallowing in facile relativism ...but also the trauma that explains the violence and rage that continues to shake the Islamic world and which Islam seems incapable of resolving on its own terms. And that problem is one of reason."

How Changeable Is the Face of the Papacy? - "The ability of the papacy (and the Catholic Church) to adapt to the needs of every age, and yet maintain the unchanging faith revealed by Jesus Christ to the apostles is the Catholic Church's greatest strength, and this adaptability combined with permanence has only been possible because of the papacy."

An Unchanging Church - "The Catholic Church is a rock in a desert of shifting sands, an unchanging diamond in a sea of shattered glass. Her constancy is Her power; Her fidelity to Christ her strength. Let the Church be as She is, or cease to be."

Msgr. Ratzinger: My Brother’s Decision Was for the Good of the Church - "'He no longer has strength,' Msgr. Ratzinger observed. 'He is going through the natural process of aging, like I am as well.'"

Will Benedict Still Be ‘Pope’? - [I understand that he will revert back to being called Cardinal Ratzinger...but this piece does make a valid argument.]

Vatican says no to conspiracy theories over Papal resignation - "The Church has always been plagued with accusations of scandal throughout its history. Sadly, some of the scandals have been quite real, but many of them have simply been vicious stories concocted by enemies of the faith."

Catholic Left Braces for New Pope - "The Catholic Left will again be in a state of shock once the new pope is named. Having lost on virtually every issue that excites them—and nothing excites them more than sex—they are now bracing for more bad news."

What Popes Are For - [Ordinarily I shy away from posting anything from Huffington Post, but this guy is a solid Catholic writer from Catholic Vote.]

Has Benedict already chosen his successor? - "Speculation is rife as analysts predict who the next pope will be while analyzing changes both made and proposed by Benedict and their impact on who will be our next holy father." [Includes video]

Dolan.? The times and his contributions suggest it. - [An American Pope...Hmmmm. Maybe.] See also this piece: Cardinal Dolan…Pope?

Dear Media: Meet the First African Pope! - "With the imminent election of a new pope, we are sure to hear a lot of talk from liberal media personalities that the Catholic Church should elect 'the first African pope.' Well, good news! We already did."

How to Become Pope - "While most Catholics are likely to already be familiar with the process, my fellow Protestants will likely find this video on how the pope is selected to be helpful and informative."

10 things you need to know about Jesus' Transfiguration -  "The Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent commemorates the mysterious event known as the Transfiguration. This event is hard to understand. Why did it happen? What did it mean?"

The Scientific Basis for Defending Life, Opposing Abortion - "We pro-lifers have no excuse to fail to understand or be able to explain exactly how and when human life begins from a scientific standpoint. If you believe that every human is worthy of protection, here’s your scientific basis for arguing that a new human life begins at the moment of fertilization and ought to be protected from that point."

Medical Examiner Confirms 33-Week Abortion Killed Young Woman - [This is just sad. She certainly needs our prayers.]

Legislators Behind Religious-Freedom Law Back Hobby Lobby - "Nearly a dozen U.S. lawmakers who supported a 1993 law protecting religious liberty have formally defended Hobby Lobby in its recent religious-freedom lawsuit."

G. K. Chesterton: It’s Not Gay, and It’s Not Marriage - "...Chesterton’s prophecy remains: We will not be able to destroy the family. We will merely destroy ourselves by disregarding the family."

Obama Administartion may ask the Supreme Court to overturn definition of marriage in California - "Some have interpreted Obama's call for gay rights during his Jan. 21 inaugural address as a signal that he now sees a federal role in redefining marriage."

On Two Compelling Legal Briefs that Challenge Same-Sex Marriage - "A mountain of friend-of-the-court briefs has landed in the hands of the Supreme Court, some of them utterly fascinating. Two of the briefs are notably interesting, one from Professor Robert George of Princeton and his talented young collaborators Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation and Sherif Girgis who is toiling on a law degree at Yale and a Ph.D in Philosophy at Princeton."

Controversial Priest’s Lawsuit Against LifeSiteNews Advances - [It makes me sad that men like this wear the collar.]

What Uncle Sam could learn from the Catholic Church - "Society does not necessarily mean government, although it doesn't exclude it either. It certainly didn't mean 'government' in Aquinas' time. The Christian church pioneered hospitals, outreach to the poor, and education for the masses long before governments decided to enter into those industries, even after they became industries."

“Hurry Up and Die:” Why No Babies Means No Future for Japan - "The economic consequences of declining fertility rates are no secret. Yet, telling people they should have more children these days is only slightly less popular than urging the elderly to 'hurry up and die.'"

6 Reasons Not to Say You're "Done" - "Just as the newlywed who feels sure that she wants 12 kids would be wise to scale back her family size discernment timeframe and take it year by year, so should those of us who feel ready for a break from childbearing think of ourselves as being done for now as opposed to being done, period. Here's why..."

Divorced Catholics and the Eucharist - "It is important to note that at issue here is not only a Catholic’s own personal, internal spiritual state, which might very well be known to him alone; but also his external, visible status in the Church, that may be known by other members of the faithful as well."

NBC declares war on Christians - [Yeah, no kidding. They aren't the only ones.]

Fr. Barron Comments on the Vampire Craze - [As usual, a great video commentary from a great priest.]

Catechism for the Year of Faith

Part of a continuing series.

A selected quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church in honor of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013)

571 The Paschal mystery of Christ's cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News that the apostles, and the Church following them, are to proclaim to the world. God's saving plan was accomplished "once for all" by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ.

576 In the eyes of many in Israel, Jesus seems to be acting against essential institutions of the Chosen People:

- submission to the whole of the Law in its written commandments and, for the Pharisees, in the interpretation of oral tradition; 

- the centrality of the Temple at Jerusalem as the holy place where God's presence dwells in a special way; 

- faith in the one God whose glory no man can share.

578 Jesus, Israel's Messiah and therefore the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, was to fulfill the Law by keeping it in its all embracing detail - according to his own words, down to "the least of these commandments". He is in fact the only one who could keep it perfectly. On their own admission the Jews were never able to observe the Law in its entirety without violating the least of its precepts. This is why every year on the Day of Atonement the children of Israel ask God's forgiveness for their transgressions of the Law. The Law indeed makes up one inseparable whole, and St. James recalls, "Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

580 The perfect fulfillment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son. In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but "upon the heart" of the Servant who becomes "a covenant to the people", because he will "faithfully bring forth justice". Jesus fulfills the Law to the point of taking upon himself "the curse of the Law" incurred by those who do not "abide by the things written in the book of the Law, and do them", for his death took place to redeem them "from the transgressions under the first covenant".

583 Like the prophets before him Jesus expressed the deepest respect for the Temple in Jerusalem. It was in the Temple that Joseph and Mary presented him forty days after his birth. At the age of twelve he decided to remain in the Temple to remind his parents that he must be about his Father's business. He went there each year during his hidden life at least for Passover. His public ministry itself was patterned by his pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the great Jewish feasts.

584 Jesus went up to the Temple as the privileged place of encounter with God. For him, the Temple was the dwelling of his Father, a house of prayer, and he was angered that its outer court had become a place of commerce. He drove merchants out of it because of jealous love for his Father: "You shall not make my Father's house a house of trade. His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'" After his Resurrection his apostles retained their reverence for the Temple.

586 Far from having been hostile to the Temple, where he gave the essential part of his teaching, Jesus was willing to pay the Temple-tax, associating with him Peter, whom he had just made the foundation of his future Church. He even identified himself with the Temple by presenting himself as God's definitive dwelling-place among men. Therefore his being put to bodily death presaged the destruction of the Temple, which would manifest the dawning of a new age in the history of salvation: "The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."

587 If the Law and the Jerusalem Temple could be occasions of opposition to Jesus by Israel's religious authorities, his role in the redemption of sins, the divine work par excellence, was the true stumbling-block for them.

588 Jesus scandalized the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners as familiarly as with themselves. Against those among them "who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others", Jesus affirmed: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." He went further by proclaiming before the Pharisees that, since sin is universal, those who pretend not to need salvation are blind to themselves.

589 Jesus gave scandal above all when he identified his merciful conduct toward sinners with God's own attitude toward them. He went so far as to hint that by sharing the table of sinners he was admitting them to the messianic banquet. But it was most especially by forgiving sins that Jesus placed the religious authorities of Israel on the horns of a dilemma. Were they not entitled to demand in consternation, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" By forgiving sins Jesus either is blaspheming as a man who made himself God's equal, or is speaking the truth and his person really does make present and reveal God's name.

590 Only the divine identity of Jesus' person can justify so absolute a claim as "He who is not with me is against me"; and his saying that there was in him "something greater than Jonah,. . . greater than Solomon", something "greater than the Temple"; his reminder that David had called the Messiah his Lord, and his affirmations, "Before Abraham was, I AM", and even "I and the Father are one."

Quote of the Week

“There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: 'The love of Christ urges us on' (2 Cor 5:14).” 

- Pope Benedict XVI