On the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Friday June 28, 2019, it was a joy to reflect on the desire of Jesus for us to love him since he is a child within everyone who feels the need to be loved as the unborn child waits to come out from the womb of his mother to feel her touch and love. "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven'" (Matthew 18:2-4). In the eternal realms, the heart of Jesus is in His being before the incarnation - It is the same heart that bled when pierced on the cross - It is the same heart of Jesus Christ who "descended to hell" to free us from the prisons of evil power, rose from the dead and "ascended" to the Father...(Cf. The Apostles Creed). He was with the Father from eternity. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be." (John 1: 1-3). In one translation of Genesis it is written of the void before creation of the cosmos: "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters." (Genesis 1: 2). The Spirit of God gives life where He is...By the Power of the Holy Spirit, the Word created everything that we know. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God was incarnate from the Virgin Mary; loved his mother and everyone to the point of accepting His Father's will to shed his life for the eternal joy of human persons that seek Him. Heaven, therefore, is not above but within; for Christ said that "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). So great is his love towards all that he said "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself" (John 12:32). When after His Resurrection, he spoke to his Apostles and disciples, he told them "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20). In my understanding, this is the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. He wants to be born within our hearts and beings. He draws us to Him making us "partakers of the Divine Nature" (2 Peter 1:4). According to the early Fathers of the Church, it is a transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit of those who partake of the Sacraments or Mysteries of the Church culminating in continuous repentance and the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving according to the New Covenant established by Christ that fulfills the Old Covenant until He comes again in glory - In the last chapter of the Book of Revelation, the visionary wrote "Maran Atha" in Aramaic translated to Greek indicating the words "Come O Lord" (Revelation 22:20). The Sacred Heart of Jesus does not give up - He continues throughout the ages to inspire saints and guide the Church through his Holy Spirit.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Sunday, June 16, 2019
On Father's Day
Today Sunday June 16, 2019, we celebrated Father's Day in Canada as well as in other Western societies...This post includes some information from my personal life. Since we are related as Christians, readers may benefit from reading it...
Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us how to pray to our heavenly loving Father: "Our Father who art in heaven,Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6: 9-13). St. Paul wrote to the Romans "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Rom 8: 15-17)...
Being the eldest son my father 'Edourad' of blessed memory and my mother the eldest daughter 'Josephine' of blessed memory too sacrificed their lives to support their younger brothers and sisters and later their children...At the age of 14 my dad had to interrupt his study after his dad 'Chaker' passed away. He worked at the Ottoman Bank in Mansourah, Egypt and gradually was made branch director in a number of cities including Suez, and Minia. In her first heavy pregnancy my mother made a vow to Saint George that she would name her first son after him while my dad who wanted to bring the memory of his dad, as per tradition and as he loved his mother, decided to name his first son after his dad. Surprisingly God brought a twin to the home: the first was called after his dad "Chaker" - "Shaker" in English and George (me). My dad was so good that when he became branch director of the Bank he never accepted bribery from external agents. Being childless, my aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar so appreciated that my dad always helped them, that they considered us their own children as we often spent time with them in Tanta where they resided and where my aunt's husband worked in Egypt...On March 13, 1971 my dad was taken to emergency in hospital after the doctor found him in dire need for surgery due to a perforated stomach with ulcer...He passed away to God on March 14, 1971 and my mother of blessed memory became so saddened that she wore black and black glasses so as to hide from us her sadness. The joy of my mother returned when my wife and I were married. It was there that my beloved father-in-law of blessed memory gave me my wife in the presence of my mother, and my mother-in-law of blessed memory in a ceremony blessed by the late saintly Bishop Paul Antaki the Great (who passed away to God after much suffering in 2011) and a number of devout priests assisting him on April 25, 1982. In fact since 1972, I developed a learning enthusiasm from such luminaries as Bishop Antaki and many learned laymen, laywomen and priests in the Melkite Greek Catholic parishes of Egypt including the late highly-learned Fr. Ignatius Sarkis Naggar who was pastor of the affluent St. Cyril's parish, the late Fr. Gadaa, well-known assistant to Bishop Antaki, the late charismatic Fr. Gregorius Agami pastor of Our Immaculate Lady in Heliopolis, Most Reverend Jules Zerey in Jerusalem (at the time Fr. Jules Zerey Director of the Patriarch school in Heliopolis), Most Reverend Georges Bakar in Cairo (at the time Fr. Georges Bakar, Director of the Patriarchal College in downtown Cairo), the saintly late Fr. Xavier Eid and his assistant the late Fr. Khalil at Our Lady of Peace in the affluent Garden City in Cairo, Rafic Greichefrom Our Lady of Peace and later on, following Fr. Sarkis, became the very active married priest at St. Cyril's parish (He was a main conductor at our wedding). Under the care of Bishop Antaki, I had the privilege of knowing such great thinkers as the late Professor of Law Boutros Kassab, PhD., and Michel Farah (PhD. in high-atomic energy). In the 1970s I served in St. Cyril's choir and at the Supreme Council of the Greek Catholic Youth in Egypt, and therefore got to know many young adults and older personalities in Heliopolis, Garden City, the Patriarchate in Faggallah from highly-trusted families that served the Greek Catholic community there such as Haddad, Haggar, Badra, Gargour, Abboud, Tinawi, Sarhan, Greiche, Sayegh, Dahan, Khouri, Wassef, Rizk, Rabbat, Zemokhol, Assaf, Sabti, Nounou, Farkouh, Labateya, Labat, Zayat, Srougi, and Khouzam. In the same year of our wedding, my aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar both of blessed memory sponsored us to immigrate to Canada. Our three children were thus born and raised in this great country that we call Canada. When we came to Canada, we immediately joined my twin brother and his family in Toronto - He had come since 1971 sponsored by aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar and moved to Toronto a few years later where he met his wife, my sister-in-law who is a saintly woman. My next brother and his wife joined us in the same way in 1987. In 1989, I sponsored my mother of blessed memory; a beautiful soul who upon hearing about my heart surgery sacrificed much and came to be with us as did my mother-in-law for us. Since my heart attack in 1986, I have been treated by some renowned doctors including Dr. Michael Sole, Dr. Michael Jewett and many other top physicians (see my posts here and here). From 1989 to 1999 my mother lived with my my next brother and his family. In 1999 my mother fell due to a hemorrhage in the brain, was hospitalized but could no longer speak as she remained in semi-comatose state for 4 years. She passed away to God on July 13, 2003. In Toronto, my wife and children shared with me going regularly to Jesus the King Melkite Catholic parish and listening to Fr. Georges Farah, Ph.D. For a long time, we served the Divine Liturgy as participants in the choir conducted by the renowned Homsy choir. With permission by Fr. Farah, I taught the youth/young adults and later on older adults from 2004 to about 2010-2011...My lectures and later posts can be found on my blog here: https://todayquestions.blogspot.com. In September 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave his lecture to his students and many representatives at the University of Regensburg (here). Commenting on it, a couple of Muslim scholar critiqued the Pope and mentioned the Jesuit scholar Fr. Samir Khalil Samir in one of their responses (here).At that point I discovered the Jesuit scholar Fr. Samir Khalil Samir. In 2017, Fr. Samir wrote to me regarding a post that I had discussed titled "Is abortion justified in case of rape?" (here). Since then we developed a cordial relationship. I also found the online homilies of the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad (here) and since then we have been exchanging emails and developed a cordial relationship especially since he visited Toronto in 2013. I knew quite a few highly-learned Jesuits in Toronto including Fr. John Perry, Ph.D. In fact my wife and I participated in quite a few Catholic organizations including attending a few sessions with members of Opus Dei founded by St. Jose Maria Escriva and endorsed by Pope Saint John Paul II. We attended a few presentations by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Ministries including a couple by Ralph Martin and Sr. Ann Shields. We also took part in studies of the Old Testament at Holy Rosary parish near our home in Toronto, In 2009 I participated in the RCIA sessions introduced by Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D. The late Fr. Peter Mosteller, CSB was also very influential in our learning - Prior to Fr. Callam he was my personal spiritual director. With the development of my health issues, my wife and I have been attending Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary parish except on major feasts when we go to Jesus the King Melkite Catholic parish (currently at the Cathedral of the Byzantine Cathedral of the Transfiguration) where we meet our venerable priests, friends and occasionally Most Reverend Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim. At Holy Rosary parish, we experienced the active work by the current Pastor Msgr. Robert Nusca, Ph.D. This year I wished to have my father's name mentioned in a Sunday Mass, but Holy Rosary office advised us that the only available Mass would be the Friday April 5, 12:10 p.m. Mass which my wife and I attended on time. To our surprise, Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D (my personal spiritual director ) was the celebrant. Since my mother passed away on July 13, 2003, I wished to also have her remembered in a similar Mass at Holy Rosary parish. But Msgr. Nusca surprised us by including her name among those mentioned in the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday June 2. As I thanked him after the Mass, he continued to offer Masses for free...He also authorized the Mass for her soul on Friday June 7 at the 12:10 p.m. Mass which was celebrated by Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D. My wife and I attended all the above Masses and wish to thank again those who made them possible in providential care of our Father in heaven...
1) Msgr. Robert Nusca, Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic parish in Toronto, is a renowned Biblical scholar, Senior Fellow at St. Paul's Center. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is Professor of Biblical Studies at St. Augustine's Seminary; a member College of the Toronto School of Theology affiliated with the University of Toronto.
Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us how to pray to our heavenly loving Father: "Our Father who art in heaven,Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6: 9-13). St. Paul wrote to the Romans "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Rom 8: 15-17)...
Being the eldest son my father 'Edourad' of blessed memory and my mother the eldest daughter 'Josephine' of blessed memory too sacrificed their lives to support their younger brothers and sisters and later their children...At the age of 14 my dad had to interrupt his study after his dad 'Chaker' passed away. He worked at the Ottoman Bank in Mansourah, Egypt and gradually was made branch director in a number of cities including Suez, and Minia. In her first heavy pregnancy my mother made a vow to Saint George that she would name her first son after him while my dad who wanted to bring the memory of his dad, as per tradition and as he loved his mother, decided to name his first son after his dad. Surprisingly God brought a twin to the home: the first was called after his dad "Chaker" - "Shaker" in English and George (me). My dad was so good that when he became branch director of the Bank he never accepted bribery from external agents. Being childless, my aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar so appreciated that my dad always helped them, that they considered us their own children as we often spent time with them in Tanta where they resided and where my aunt's husband worked in Egypt...On March 13, 1971 my dad was taken to emergency in hospital after the doctor found him in dire need for surgery due to a perforated stomach with ulcer...He passed away to God on March 14, 1971 and my mother of blessed memory became so saddened that she wore black and black glasses so as to hide from us her sadness. The joy of my mother returned when my wife and I were married. It was there that my beloved father-in-law of blessed memory gave me my wife in the presence of my mother, and my mother-in-law of blessed memory in a ceremony blessed by the late saintly Bishop Paul Antaki the Great (who passed away to God after much suffering in 2011) and a number of devout priests assisting him on April 25, 1982. In fact since 1972, I developed a learning enthusiasm from such luminaries as Bishop Antaki and many learned laymen, laywomen and priests in the Melkite Greek Catholic parishes of Egypt including the late highly-learned Fr. Ignatius Sarkis Naggar who was pastor of the affluent St. Cyril's parish, the late Fr. Gadaa, well-known assistant to Bishop Antaki, the late charismatic Fr. Gregorius Agami pastor of Our Immaculate Lady in Heliopolis, Most Reverend Jules Zerey in Jerusalem (at the time Fr. Jules Zerey Director of the Patriarch school in Heliopolis), Most Reverend Georges Bakar in Cairo (at the time Fr. Georges Bakar, Director of the Patriarchal College in downtown Cairo), the saintly late Fr. Xavier Eid and his assistant the late Fr. Khalil at Our Lady of Peace in the affluent Garden City in Cairo, Rafic Greichefrom Our Lady of Peace and later on, following Fr. Sarkis, became the very active married priest at St. Cyril's parish (He was a main conductor at our wedding). Under the care of Bishop Antaki, I had the privilege of knowing such great thinkers as the late Professor of Law Boutros Kassab, PhD., and Michel Farah (PhD. in high-atomic energy). In the 1970s I served in St. Cyril's choir and at the Supreme Council of the Greek Catholic Youth in Egypt, and therefore got to know many young adults and older personalities in Heliopolis, Garden City, the Patriarchate in Faggallah from highly-trusted families that served the Greek Catholic community there such as Haddad, Haggar, Badra, Gargour, Abboud, Tinawi, Sarhan, Greiche, Sayegh, Dahan, Khouri, Wassef, Rizk, Rabbat, Zemokhol, Assaf, Sabti, Nounou, Farkouh, Labateya, Labat, Zayat, Srougi, and Khouzam. In the same year of our wedding, my aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar both of blessed memory sponsored us to immigrate to Canada. Our three children were thus born and raised in this great country that we call Canada. When we came to Canada, we immediately joined my twin brother and his family in Toronto - He had come since 1971 sponsored by aunt Victoria and her husband Georges Medawar and moved to Toronto a few years later where he met his wife, my sister-in-law who is a saintly woman. My next brother and his wife joined us in the same way in 1987. In 1989, I sponsored my mother of blessed memory; a beautiful soul who upon hearing about my heart surgery sacrificed much and came to be with us as did my mother-in-law for us. Since my heart attack in 1986, I have been treated by some renowned doctors including Dr. Michael Sole, Dr. Michael Jewett and many other top physicians (see my posts here and here). From 1989 to 1999 my mother lived with my my next brother and his family. In 1999 my mother fell due to a hemorrhage in the brain, was hospitalized but could no longer speak as she remained in semi-comatose state for 4 years. She passed away to God on July 13, 2003. In Toronto, my wife and children shared with me going regularly to Jesus the King Melkite Catholic parish and listening to Fr. Georges Farah, Ph.D. For a long time, we served the Divine Liturgy as participants in the choir conducted by the renowned Homsy choir. With permission by Fr. Farah, I taught the youth/young adults and later on older adults from 2004 to about 2010-2011...My lectures and later posts can be found on my blog here: https://todayquestions.blogspot.com. In September 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave his lecture to his students and many representatives at the University of Regensburg (here). Commenting on it, a couple of Muslim scholar critiqued the Pope and mentioned the Jesuit scholar Fr. Samir Khalil Samir in one of their responses (here).At that point I discovered the Jesuit scholar Fr. Samir Khalil Samir. In 2017, Fr. Samir wrote to me regarding a post that I had discussed titled "Is abortion justified in case of rape?" (here). Since then we developed a cordial relationship. I also found the online homilies of the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad (here) and since then we have been exchanging emails and developed a cordial relationship especially since he visited Toronto in 2013. I knew quite a few highly-learned Jesuits in Toronto including Fr. John Perry, Ph.D. In fact my wife and I participated in quite a few Catholic organizations including attending a few sessions with members of Opus Dei founded by St. Jose Maria Escriva and endorsed by Pope Saint John Paul II. We attended a few presentations by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Ministries including a couple by Ralph Martin and Sr. Ann Shields. We also took part in studies of the Old Testament at Holy Rosary parish near our home in Toronto, In 2009 I participated in the RCIA sessions introduced by Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D. The late Fr. Peter Mosteller, CSB was also very influential in our learning - Prior to Fr. Callam he was my personal spiritual director. With the development of my health issues, my wife and I have been attending Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary parish except on major feasts when we go to Jesus the King Melkite Catholic parish (currently at the Cathedral of the Byzantine Cathedral of the Transfiguration) where we meet our venerable priests, friends and occasionally Most Reverend Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim. At Holy Rosary parish, we experienced the active work by the current Pastor Msgr. Robert Nusca, Ph.D. This year I wished to have my father's name mentioned in a Sunday Mass, but Holy Rosary office advised us that the only available Mass would be the Friday April 5, 12:10 p.m. Mass which my wife and I attended on time. To our surprise, Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D (my personal spiritual director ) was the celebrant. Since my mother passed away on July 13, 2003, I wished to also have her remembered in a similar Mass at Holy Rosary parish. But Msgr. Nusca surprised us by including her name among those mentioned in the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday June 2. As I thanked him after the Mass, he continued to offer Masses for free...He also authorized the Mass for her soul on Friday June 7 at the 12:10 p.m. Mass which was celebrated by Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB, Ph.D. My wife and I attended all the above Masses and wish to thank again those who made them possible in providential care of our Father in heaven...
1) Msgr. Robert Nusca, Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic parish in Toronto, is a renowned Biblical scholar, Senior Fellow at St. Paul's Center. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is Professor of Biblical Studies at St. Augustine's Seminary; a member College of the Toronto School of Theology affiliated with the University of Toronto.
2) Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J. is a Jesuit scholar whose homilies in French are uploaded weekly on YouTube. Fluent in French, English and Arabic, he is a missionary who went to The Sudan in the 1980s, and tours Europe and Canada every year where he gives homilies and retreats as he does also in Egypt where he is resident. He taught theology at the High Institute of Theology in Cairo and visited Lebanon where he gave retreats. He published a number of books some of which were translated to 14 languages.
3) Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Fr. Georges Farah is a Lebanese Melkite Catholic scholar whose credentials include a doctorate in philosophy and another in theology from the renowned Sorbonne University in Paris.
4) Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB earned a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of Toronto followed by a Doctorate degree in Divinity/Theology from Oxford University. He continues to teach theology and philosophy at St. Thomas University in Houston.
5) Fr. Samir Khalil Samir, S.J., PhD. is a Jesuit scholar who was Professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Professor at the Jesuit Faculty of Theology and Philosophy in Paris and a visiting Professor to a number of universities such as the University of Graz in Austria, Sophia University in Tokyo, and Georgetown University in the United States - He published some 40 books and over 500 articles. He also founded the research institute CEDRAC in Beirut and co-authored "Christian Arabic Apologetics during the Abbasid Period (750-1258)" in Catholic dialogue with Islam.
3) Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Fr. Georges Farah is a Lebanese Melkite Catholic scholar whose credentials include a doctorate in philosophy and another in theology from the renowned Sorbonne University in Paris.
4) Fr. Daniel Callam, CSB earned a Master's degree in Mathematics from the University of Toronto followed by a Doctorate degree in Divinity/Theology from Oxford University. He continues to teach theology and philosophy at St. Thomas University in Houston.
5) Fr. Samir Khalil Samir, S.J., PhD. is a Jesuit scholar who was Professor at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Professor at the Jesuit Faculty of Theology and Philosophy in Paris and a visiting Professor to a number of universities such as the University of Graz in Austria, Sophia University in Tokyo, and Georgetown University in the United States - He published some 40 books and over 500 articles. He also founded the research institute CEDRAC in Beirut and co-authored "Christian Arabic Apologetics during the Abbasid Period (750-1258)" in Catholic dialogue with Islam.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
On the Day of the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua: The Vocation of Celibate Life and that of Married Life...
Today June 13 is the memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua... A Great Saint and Doctor of the Church...He is the patron saint of Fr. Rafic Greiche, our pastor of St. Cyril's parish in Heliopolis, Egypt. An active priest at St.Cyril's in Heliopolis, Fr. Rafic is following in the footsteps of the saintly late Bishop Paul Antaki. He has inspired young men to become priests...One of them, Fr. Ragi - a married man, was ordained by Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, BSO last week...While Fr. Rafic was in Montreal, "Sawt El-Rab" registered an interview with him (in Arabic).
Read more about Saint Anthony of Padua here, and the address given by Pope Benedict XVI about him here. And here in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
On the other hand, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad commented on an article in Communio that discussed the vocation of married couples and that of celibate life.Fr. Boulad replied by stating "Such a rich and deep content !". The reader may wish to read the article here.The text follows below:
Read more about Saint Anthony of Padua here, and the address given by Pope Benedict XVI about him here. And here in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
On the other hand, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad commented on an article in Communio that discussed the vocation of married couples and that of celibate life.Fr. Boulad replied by stating "Such a rich and deep content !". The reader may wish to read the article here.The text follows below:
The dictionary defines the word “crisis” as “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger,” but its etymological root is the Greek verb kritein, meaning “to judge” or “to discern.” A moment of crisis will provoke heated discussion and demands for change, but a ge nuinely fruitful response requires discernment: a serious judgment, that is, a thoughtful effort to get to the root of the problem, and a recollection of the fundamental truths on the basis of which to engage it. This issue presents the papers prepared for the Fall 2018 symposium convened by the John Paul II Institute to discuss the essential realities of the faith at stake in the crisis that now faces the Church. It meditates on and examines the office of priesthood and the vowed states of life—consecration and marriage—in light of our current disenchantment with them. Is it possible now, with what the crises have exposed of human frailty and the tendency to corruption, to live these fundamental vocations in fidelity and truthfulness? As we seek to discern the signs of the times, how can the suffering of the Church guide us to repentance, clarity, and a new birth?
One of the most serious questions raised in current discussions concerns the meaning of consecrated virginity. Paolo Prosperi reflects on the call of the consecrated person to give himself or herself entirely to God in an article entitled, “Do Not Hold Me: Ascending the Ladder of Love.” In contrast to the contemporary tendency to view virginity in negative terms as a deprivation, the elimination of a due human good, Prosperi illustrates how it represents “the hyperbolic intensification of that possession in detachment we are all given to experience in the contemplation of the beautiful.” Conjugal love and consecrated virginity are not simply opposed, but are reciprocally related such that, considered from the perspective of this reciprocity, each brings to light a profound truth in the other. What virginity thus shows itself to be is not a rejection of the goodness of the body and the material world created by God, but a letting go that coincides paradoxically with a deeper union with the world in Christ. Consecrated love is thus essentially fruitful, giving life to the world as it “overflows into a greater passion for the salvation of all souls.”
In “Friends of the Bridegroom: Reflections on Priestly Fatherhood in Light of Contemporary Challenges,” Antonio López observes that the current crisis in the Church “represents a call to rediscover what priestly existence is about and to re-decide with greater awareness, freedom, and totality in its favor.” He thus considers the mystery of the priesthood, which is both nuptial and paternal, as bringing together two essential aspects of the incarnate God’s faithful love for his people, both of which involve the integrated maleness of the priest as embodied icon of that love. If we recognize the role of the body and the essential nature of the sexual difference, López argues, then “it is possible to see the conflict affecting the paternal and spousal dimensions of the ordained priesthood centers on one point: the rejection of the fruitful receptivity proper to love.”
In “The Contribution of St. John Paul II to the Integral Human Formation of Priests,” Carter Griffin demonstrates the desperate need for better human formation of our seminarians, since it is the “priest’s very humanity that Christ will use as ‘an instrument of salvation.’” A full and generous humanity, so exemplified by John Paul II, is a “decisive contributor” to the fruitfulness of a priest. Through a fuller and more human formation, our seminarians and priests will be prepared to respond to the crises of chastity, charity, and fatherhood in the Church and the wider culture.
Jeanne H. Schindler, in “Educating to Love,” contemplates the intimate formation we receive in family life, which initiates us into the life of the Church and educates us about who we are and what our place is in the cosmos. The current problems facing the Church and culture are rooted in an intellectual condition that denies this created order. She argues that the diagnosis of the current crisis as simply a moral failure is far too narrow, for the crisis “is significantly an intellectual problem, a problem, that is, of ideas.” Countering it thus demands a recovery of genuine vision, an understanding of the created order of things in the broadest and deepest sense, and so a “vigorous renewal of education within our homes, schools, parishes, universities, and seminaries.”
The gift of divine love, given particularly in the Eucharist, is mediated to each of us through our state of life.
Nicholas J. Healy Jr. reflects on the inherent connection between the totality of the eucharistic gift and the totality of the vow in marriage in his essay, “Marriage, Priesthood, and the Sincere Gift of Self.” As new pastoral and doctrinal challenges arise, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between the married state and the priesthood, as well as their mutual illumination. The point of convergence lies in the Eucharist, interpreted precisely as a nuptial mystery. From this perspective, we come to see that the priesthood “mediates the objective presence of God’s grace in the life of the Church,” while marriage discloses and safeguards “the spousal nature of the covenant between God and creation.”
One of the most serious questions raised in current discussions concerns the meaning of consecrated virginity. Paolo Prosperi reflects on the call of the consecrated person to give himself or herself entirely to God in an article entitled, “Do Not Hold Me: Ascending the Ladder of Love.” In contrast to the contemporary tendency to view virginity in negative terms as a deprivation, the elimination of a due human good, Prosperi illustrates how it represents “the hyperbolic intensification of that possession in detachment we are all given to experience in the contemplation of the beautiful.” Conjugal love and consecrated virginity are not simply opposed, but are reciprocally related such that, considered from the perspective of this reciprocity, each brings to light a profound truth in the other. What virginity thus shows itself to be is not a rejection of the goodness of the body and the material world created by God, but a letting go that coincides paradoxically with a deeper union with the world in Christ. Consecrated love is thus essentially fruitful, giving life to the world as it “overflows into a greater passion for the salvation of all souls.”
In “Friends of the Bridegroom: Reflections on Priestly Fatherhood in Light of Contemporary Challenges,” Antonio López observes that the current crisis in the Church “represents a call to rediscover what priestly existence is about and to re-decide with greater awareness, freedom, and totality in its favor.” He thus considers the mystery of the priesthood, which is both nuptial and paternal, as bringing together two essential aspects of the incarnate God’s faithful love for his people, both of which involve the integrated maleness of the priest as embodied icon of that love. If we recognize the role of the body and the essential nature of the sexual difference, López argues, then “it is possible to see the conflict affecting the paternal and spousal dimensions of the ordained priesthood centers on one point: the rejection of the fruitful receptivity proper to love.”
In “The Contribution of St. John Paul II to the Integral Human Formation of Priests,” Carter Griffin demonstrates the desperate need for better human formation of our seminarians, since it is the “priest’s very humanity that Christ will use as ‘an instrument of salvation.’” A full and generous humanity, so exemplified by John Paul II, is a “decisive contributor” to the fruitfulness of a priest. Through a fuller and more human formation, our seminarians and priests will be prepared to respond to the crises of chastity, charity, and fatherhood in the Church and the wider culture.
Jeanne H. Schindler, in “Educating to Love,” contemplates the intimate formation we receive in family life, which initiates us into the life of the Church and educates us about who we are and what our place is in the cosmos. The current problems facing the Church and culture are rooted in an intellectual condition that denies this created order. She argues that the diagnosis of the current crisis as simply a moral failure is far too narrow, for the crisis “is significantly an intellectual problem, a problem, that is, of ideas.” Countering it thus demands a recovery of genuine vision, an understanding of the created order of things in the broadest and deepest sense, and so a “vigorous renewal of education within our homes, schools, parishes, universities, and seminaries.”
The gift of divine love, given particularly in the Eucharist, is mediated to each of us through our state of life.
Nicholas J. Healy Jr. reflects on the inherent connection between the totality of the eucharistic gift and the totality of the vow in marriage in his essay, “Marriage, Priesthood, and the Sincere Gift of Self.” As new pastoral and doctrinal challenges arise, there is a need for a deeper understanding of the relationship between the married state and the priesthood, as well as their mutual illumination. The point of convergence lies in the Eucharist, interpreted precisely as a nuptial mystery. From this perspective, we come to see that the priesthood “mediates the objective presence of God’s grace in the life of the Church,” while marriage discloses and safeguards “the spousal nature of the covenant between God and creation.”
In Retrieving the Tradition, we take the occasion of the reflections on priesthood as a total gift of self to present the first-ever English translation of Maurice Blondel’s famous “Letter to Fr. Bieil: The Discernment of a Philosophical Vocation.” As Emmanuel Tourpe, the editor of the new French edition, explains in his “Critical Introduction to Blondel’s ‘Letter to Fr. Bieil,’” Blondel wrote the letter to help illuminate his discernment of the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood. The letter thus offers an insight both into the meaning of the ideal of priesthood, and also into Blondel’s own conception of his mission as a Catholic philosopher.
Do we understand the reality of marriage and the vocation associated with it? It is an important aspect of life especially when young adults delay their commitment to marriage and the family that is the cell of society...
The reader may wish to read this article:Why Our Youths Are Not Getting Married Today (here) and respond...
The reader may wish to read this article:Why Our Youths Are Not Getting Married Today (here) and respond...
Monday, June 3, 2019
A Significant Moment in Contemporary Catholicism
In what amounts to a significant moment in contemporary Catholicism, on Sunday June 2, 2019 Pope Francis beatified seven Greek Catholic Bishops in Blaj, modern Romania at a Divine Liturgy presided over by the Greek Catholic Bishops of the country and assisted by priests and deacons in the presence of Roman Catholic prelates while thousands of the faithful attended the massive event sung by some of the most enriching Byzantine hymns. The Divine Liturgy - a panorama of beauty - with a commentary in French, was recorded here. a snapshot can be found here. It was a reminder that the Catholic Church has the fullness of the truth since Christ charged St. Peter with the responsibility, carried forward by the successors on the Roman See, to sustain his brethren in faith and tend the Christian fold. The same salvific dogma of the Petrine infallible primacy has been carefully preserved in the Catholic Church, proclaimed by the Ecumenical Councils. While the Catholic Church embraced the ecumenical dialogue with "the separated brothers" in the Christian faith since Pope Saint John XXIII convoked the Ecumenical Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), the Catholic Church has since continued to claim the same dogmas handed down through its long Tradition. In the Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium" proclaimed by the fathers of the latest Ecumenical Council (Vatican II) and promulgated in 1964 by Pope Saint Paul VI, the same pronouncements are found (Cf. #18 here).Needless to say, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy according to the Byzantine Eastern Tradition demonstrates the unity of the Catholic Church in its diverse traditions. That Pope Francis beatified seven Romanian Greek Catholic Bishops, who suffered and accepted martyrdom under the atheist government in Romania, shows solidarity between Christians who believe that Jesus is the sole redeemer of humanity - As written, Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (John 14, 6).
in his homily (La paix, oui… mais dans la justice et la vérité ...here in French) on the same day in Cairo, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad echoed the same faith as he said that Christ's peace is not to be confused with peace according to worldly powers (or politically-correct leaders!) - Christ challenged his contemporaries to offer love, and justice and to follow Him who is the Truth. Christ witnesses to the Truth in his answer to Pilate before he accomplished the salvation of the world - which every seeker of the truth may find his share in the kingdom of God!
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Proposal for Christians to Enrich Faith
Examples:
1. Donate what you can (on-line) for persecuted Christians in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia...
2. Listen on the Internet (YouTube) to some great stories of saints and theological insights by Bishop Robert Barron and others. You can also check out many saints in the "Catholic Encyclopedia" and on http://catholicsaints.info
3. There is much online information in Biblical scholarship that you can find here:
- Fr. Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. Biblical Studies here: http://catholic-resources.org/
- St. Paul Center: https://stpaulcenter.com
4. Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. and his associates on many topics of concern to Christians today:
5. Pope Benedict XVI (one of the most profound contemporary Christian scholars) here: http://www.ratzingerfanclub.
6. St. Thomas Aquinas: http://www.aquinasonline.com/
7. Ignatius Insight: http://www.ignatiusinsight.
8. Zenit: https://zenit.org/
9. Evangile Au Quotidien (Today's Gospel and Saints in many languages including English, French, and Arabic...) https://evangelizo.org/
10. Television catholique (KTO) - France: http://www.ktotv.com/
11. P. Henri Boulad, S.J. (French): https://www.youtube.com/
12. Today's Questions (English): http://todayquestions.
13. Jean Vanier - L'Arche (English/French): https://www.larche.org/welcome
14. Vatican (The Apostolic See - in many languages): http://w2.vatican.va/content/
15. Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.
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