ZENIT have reported the presentation in Rome of the film The Gardener of God, a film about the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel. An extended trailer for the film can be found on the website of the production company responsible for the film. As a scientist, Gregor Mendel is generally seen as the founder of the science of genetics.
The trailer makes interesting viewing for the messages it communicates about the priesthood, about the relationship between science and Christian faith, for a dialogue between celibacy and sexual impropriety. Though those taking part in the making of the film have spoken of their study of the character of Gregor Mendel, I can't help but feel from the trailer that there is a certain amount of "reading back" of a narrative into the life that may be at the expense of strict, historical accuracy. The explicit articulation in the words of Pope Pius IX of a positive relationship between faith and science is presented in terms that come from our own times; I wonder whether, in Gregor Mendel's own time, that relationship would have been expressed more generally, and perhaps in terms of the relationship between faith and reason.
I look forward to seeing some more reviews of this film.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Hearkening to God's Voice
I could sub-title this post as "A reflection on monastic life and lay life".
First of all, Mother Maria-Michael's latest reflection at St Walburga's Abbey. This is entitled Hearken to God's Voice. Though it is is addressed firstly to her own monastic community, it nevertheless has a very ready application to the lay person engaged in the activity of the world. Our silence is not as much the literal, physical silence that pertains within the life of a monastery (though there is no reason why we should not seek such times of physical silence, perhaps in a time of prayer or Adoration). But it is still a part of our Christian life to have the attentiveness towards God that is the meaning of silence, and gives to that silence an Advent character. We are more likely to suffer the effects of a physcial iPod than a monastic one!
That reflections addressed to a monastic community have a relevance to those who live the Christian life outside of a monastery should not come as a surprise. In the 1950s, Louis Bouyer wrote a book entitled The Meaning of the Monastic Life. At the end of his first chapter, and the beginning of his second, he summarises the meaning/purpose (the French word "sens" conveys both implications together in one word) of the life of the monk as follows:
After one week in the monastery, Henri Nouwen wrote the following about work, in the light of his experiences helping in the monastery's bakery and in physical labour. The italics added are mine.
First of all, Mother Maria-Michael's latest reflection at St Walburga's Abbey. This is entitled Hearken to God's Voice. Though it is is addressed firstly to her own monastic community, it nevertheless has a very ready application to the lay person engaged in the activity of the world. Our silence is not as much the literal, physical silence that pertains within the life of a monastery (though there is no reason why we should not seek such times of physical silence, perhaps in a time of prayer or Adoration). But it is still a part of our Christian life to have the attentiveness towards God that is the meaning of silence, and gives to that silence an Advent character. We are more likely to suffer the effects of a physcial iPod than a monastic one!
That reflections addressed to a monastic community have a relevance to those who live the Christian life outside of a monastery should not come as a surprise. In the 1950s, Louis Bouyer wrote a book entitled The Meaning of the Monastic Life. At the end of his first chapter, and the beginning of his second, he summarises the meaning/purpose (the French word "sens" conveys both implications together in one word) of the life of the monk as follows:
To be a monk, then, is simply to be an integral Christian. And regarded in that light, the Christian himself is simply the man restored by the Word of the Gospel to the vocation whichthe creative Word destined for him: to respond to the Word of Agape by the word of faith, in order eventually to meet God face to face....I have just started reading a book which might offer some insight into this understanding of monastic life in relation to life in the lay state. Henri Nouwen is a name I have known for some time, perhaps most noticing that he spent the later part of his life as a member of a L'Arche Community in Toronto. Before then, as a rather energetic and busy academic, he took seven months out to live the life of a Trappist monk. Very unusually, a monastery accepted him to live their life for a temporary period. Henri Nouwen's notes/diary of this seven month period were published as The Genesee Diary.
...the monastic vocation is simply a call to the most perfect and direct realisation possible of the vocation of man in general and Christians in particular ..
After one week in the monastery, Henri Nouwen wrote the following about work, in the light of his experiences helping in the monastery's bakery and in physical labour. The italics added are mine.
I'd better start thinking a little more about my attitude toward work. If I have learned anything this week, it is that there is a contemplative way of working that is more important for me than praying, reading or singing. Most people think that you go to a monastery to pray. Well, I prayed more this week than before but also discovered that I have not learned yet to make the work of my hands into a prayer.Now, if that isn't a thought from a monastery with a relevance to the life of the lay person, I don't know what is!
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Pope Bendict and rap
Mary, Chosen Daughter of Israel
From the rubrical point of view, it is a moot point as to whether or not a parish should use the Masses allocated to the Advent Season on the Saturdays of Advent. A parish where the Saturday Masses are habitually used during Ordinary Time would, I expect, be within the intended spirit of the Collection to use the Masses for Advent. The Prefaces, in particular, are very rich Liturgically and catechetically. The one below is from the first Mass in the Collection, that of Mary, Chosen Daughter of Israel.
You chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
as the crown of Israel and the beginning of the Church,
to reveal to all peoples
that salvation is born from Israel
and that your new family springs from a chosen root.
She is by nature the daughter of Adam,
who by her sinlessness undid the sin of Eve.
She is by faith the true child of Abraham,
who first believed and so conceived.
She is by descent the branch from the root of Jesse,
bearing the flower that is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Sacraments and the "semi-detached"
I preface this post with a disclaimer! We really should not compare different people in terms of how well or otherwise they live the Christian life. Only God can judge between the "committed" Catholic and the "semi-detached", or even the "fully detached" (lapsed, to use the conventional terminology!) as to which of them really lives the Christian life better. And I do not expect that He will judge between them, as if deciding that one is better than the other, but only as to how well each has lived the Christian life, and I do not expect either that He will categorise them before He judges.
Nevertheless, we inevitably do categorise, and to an extent this reflects a realism in how we look at the world around us. No one individual or family is the same, though one is tempted to categorise them. There are those to whom one might attach the descriptor "committed" before the word "Catholic"; those who might be described as "practising", but perhaps not "committed"; and those who are "lapsed". I have adopted a category of "semi-detached" to describe those who, whilst not practicing consistently and perhaps not having a great formation in the knowledge and practice of the faith, do nevertheless retain a contact with the Church, perhaps at Christmas and Easter and, yes, in seeking baptism for their children.
Which of these categories are those who have the richest experience of living the Christian mystery?
I have never thought it to be the "committed", though that is not to say that I think their experience of Christian life is in any way hypocritical or false. It is very real, and I wouldn't suggest in any way that they change and become "uncommitted". If the Christian mystery is one of redemption, as well as one of fulfilment of the purpose of life, then those who have most experience of its aspect of redemption, that is, those who have most experience of failure in their attempt at living it, are perhaps those who experience it most richly.
It was in this context that I read Fr Tim's post on Baptising infants readily. Apart from what might be termed the pragmatic (in the good sense) discussion about the approach to the baptism of children that will have the best outcome in terms of encouraging the parents participation in the life of the Church, I think there is a question of theological principle. Those who come and go in their participation in the life of the Church live the experience of falling away and returning - of redemption - in a way that those who consistently practise do not. It might not be brilliant, and it might be full of human imperfection, but I think it should be given credit for what it is - as real a living of the Christian mystery as any other living of the Christian mystery. In purely human terms, it might not look like a "well founded hope"; but in the realm of grace it can be just as well founded a hope as that of the committed Catholic.
A similar consideration extends to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The trend for raising the age at which the Sacrament is conferred, and of insisting on the young adult themselves showing a "commitment" goes against what I have suggested above. It also goes against the understanding of the Sacrament of Confirmation as one of the sacraments of initiation. Yes, a basic level of commitment and goodwill towards the Sacrament for what it is should be required, as it should be from the parents for the baptism of an infant. But the very fact of seeking the Sacrament, and a willingness to take part in a programme of preparation, does I think demonstrate that.
Fr Tim's post refers to "gentle catechesis" being offered, instead of insisting on parents having to follow a course before their child is baptised. This has a couple of interesting implications. The first is that it suggests a part played by the priest in the catechesis - so often a pre-baptism course is delegated to lay catechists and the priest opts out. The catechetical role of the priest is irreplaceable. The second implication is that most parents really do not want to have to "turn up for a course". Another form of catechesis, less "academic" and more "personal", is probably appopriate in all except the most "middle class" of circumstances.
Needless to say, yours truly is not involved in baptismal or confirmation catechesis ...
Nevertheless, we inevitably do categorise, and to an extent this reflects a realism in how we look at the world around us. No one individual or family is the same, though one is tempted to categorise them. There are those to whom one might attach the descriptor "committed" before the word "Catholic"; those who might be described as "practising", but perhaps not "committed"; and those who are "lapsed". I have adopted a category of "semi-detached" to describe those who, whilst not practicing consistently and perhaps not having a great formation in the knowledge and practice of the faith, do nevertheless retain a contact with the Church, perhaps at Christmas and Easter and, yes, in seeking baptism for their children.
Which of these categories are those who have the richest experience of living the Christian mystery?
I have never thought it to be the "committed", though that is not to say that I think their experience of Christian life is in any way hypocritical or false. It is very real, and I wouldn't suggest in any way that they change and become "uncommitted". If the Christian mystery is one of redemption, as well as one of fulfilment of the purpose of life, then those who have most experience of its aspect of redemption, that is, those who have most experience of failure in their attempt at living it, are perhaps those who experience it most richly.
It was in this context that I read Fr Tim's post on Baptising infants readily. Apart from what might be termed the pragmatic (in the good sense) discussion about the approach to the baptism of children that will have the best outcome in terms of encouraging the parents participation in the life of the Church, I think there is a question of theological principle. Those who come and go in their participation in the life of the Church live the experience of falling away and returning - of redemption - in a way that those who consistently practise do not. It might not be brilliant, and it might be full of human imperfection, but I think it should be given credit for what it is - as real a living of the Christian mystery as any other living of the Christian mystery. In purely human terms, it might not look like a "well founded hope"; but in the realm of grace it can be just as well founded a hope as that of the committed Catholic.
A similar consideration extends to the Sacrament of Confirmation. The trend for raising the age at which the Sacrament is conferred, and of insisting on the young adult themselves showing a "commitment" goes against what I have suggested above. It also goes against the understanding of the Sacrament of Confirmation as one of the sacraments of initiation. Yes, a basic level of commitment and goodwill towards the Sacrament for what it is should be required, as it should be from the parents for the baptism of an infant. But the very fact of seeking the Sacrament, and a willingness to take part in a programme of preparation, does I think demonstrate that.
Fr Tim's post refers to "gentle catechesis" being offered, instead of insisting on parents having to follow a course before their child is baptised. This has a couple of interesting implications. The first is that it suggests a part played by the priest in the catechesis - so often a pre-baptism course is delegated to lay catechists and the priest opts out. The catechetical role of the priest is irreplaceable. The second implication is that most parents really do not want to have to "turn up for a course". Another form of catechesis, less "academic" and more "personal", is probably appopriate in all except the most "middle class" of circumstances.
Needless to say, yours truly is not involved in baptismal or confirmation catechesis ...
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Pope Benedict's homily at Vespers
I have just read Pope Benedict's homily delivered at First Vespers for the start of the Advent season.
The Holy Father's catechetical approach reminded me of that he used in Cologne in 2005, explaining the idea of adoration by way of its Latin term "ad-oratio" and its Greek term "proskynesis".
The Holy Father's catechetical approach reminded me of that he used in Cologne in 2005, explaining the idea of adoration by way of its Latin term "ad-oratio" and its Greek term "proskynesis".
I like to illustrate this new step urged upon us by the Last Supper by drawing out the different nuances of the word "adoration" in Greek and in Latin. The Greek word is proskynesis. It refers to the gesture of submission, the recognition of God as our true measure, supplying the norm that we choose to follow. It means that freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by the measure of truth and goodness, so that we ourselves can become true and good. This gesture is necessary even if initially our yearning for freedom makes us inclined to resist it.In his Advent homily, Pope Benedict unpacks the content of the Latin word "adventus":
We can only fully accept it when we take the second step that the Last Supper proposes to us. The Latin word for adoration is ad-oratio - mouth to mouth contact, a kiss, an embrace, and hence, ultimately love. Submission becomes union, because he to whom we submit is Love. In this way submission acquires a meaning, because it does not impose anything on us from the outside, but liberates us deep within.
Let us reflect briefly on the meaning of this word, which can be translated as "presence," "arrival," "coming." In the language of the ancient world it was a technical term used to indicate the arrival of a functionary or the visit of a king or emperor to a province. But it could also indicate the coming of the divinity, which goes out of concealment to manifest itself with power, or which is celebrated as present in worship. Christians adopted the word "advent" to express their relationship with Jesus Christ: Jesus is King, who has entered into this poor "province" called earth to visit everyone; he brings to participate in his advent those who believe in him, all those who believe in his presence in the liturgical assembly. With the word adventus an attempt was made essentially to say: God is here, he has not withdrawn from the world, he has not left us alone. Although we cannot see or touch him, as is the case with tangible realities, he is here and comes to visit us in multiple ways.The Holy Father's words about time complement the remarks in my post on Sunday about the meaning of the time of the Advent season by expressing an experiential dimension to that meaning:
The meaning of the expression "advent" includes therefore also that of visitatio, which means simply and properly "visit"; in this case it is a visit of God: He enters my life and wants to address me.
If time is not filled by a present gifted with meaning, the waiting runs the risk of becoming unbearable; if something is expected, but at this moment there is nothing, namely, if the present is empty, every instant that passes seems exaggeratedly long, and the waiting is transformed into a weight that is too heavy because the future is totally uncertain. When, instead, time is gifted with meaning and we perceive in every instant something specific and valuable, then the joy of waiting makes the present more precious.Do read the whole of the homily, though, so that you can appreciate the beauty and depth of Pope Benedict's words.
CYMFed
.... sounds to me, in rather irreverent mood as I post, a bit like a parcel delivery company rather than the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation.
Posting has been going on at Catholic and Loving it on the subject of CYMFed. I am afraid yours truly hit the "Say it now" button a bit quickly after reading the most recent post, but you can go and look at the evidence here to assess the damage. The links at the bottom of that post will take you to the previous entries in the "series" at Catholic and Loving it.
My own earlier, and more thoughtful, post on the subject is here. Reading this post will give you a more considered context to my comment at Catholic and Loving it.
Posting has been going on at Catholic and Loving it on the subject of CYMFed. I am afraid yours truly hit the "Say it now" button a bit quickly after reading the most recent post, but you can go and look at the evidence here to assess the damage. The links at the bottom of that post will take you to the previous entries in the "series" at Catholic and Loving it.
My own earlier, and more thoughtful, post on the subject is here. Reading this post will give you a more considered context to my comment at Catholic and Loving it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)