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New from Ignatius Press: "Maria: Benedict XVI on the Mother of God"

Now available:

Maria: Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God

This glorious volume is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book with dozens of inspirational and famous color paintings, sculptures and artwork of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all over the world.

The beautiful pictures are accompanied by the profound writings and homilies of Pope Benedict XVI on the person of Mary, and her unique role in human history and in the plan of God for salvation history.

The gorgeous paintings and artwork are from many different centuries, some very famous and others less well-known. Many of these artworks are located at popular Marian shrines that Pope Benedict has visited and honored with special events, prayers and homilies, depicted throughout this volume. Some of the famous Marian images include Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Czestochowa (the “Black Madonna”), Queen of the Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Loreto, Queen of Carmel, and many others.

Pope Benedict offers in-depth, inspirational reflections on the unique spiritual role Mary has as the Mother of the Savior, showing her to be the universal “woman” that Jesus calls her in the Gospels, his mother that God made the spiritual mother of all mankind.

Using Biblical references of Mary as “full of grace” and the “woman clothed with the sun”, Pope Benedict emphasizes that Mary’s main role is to lead us to union with Jesus, to help us know and love him much better and to be his true followers.

A lovely gift book as well as one to use for inspiring spiritual reading, meditation and reflection.

Sample images from the book:

Benedict XVI: Advent "invites us to remain silent as we come to appreciate a presence."

From Vatican Information Service:

ADVENT INVITES US TO PERCEIVE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, 28 NOV 2009 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica this evening, Benedict XVI presided at first Vespers for the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year for the Church.

 In his homily the Pope reflected upon the meaning of the word Advent which "Christians used", he said, "to express their relationship with Jesus. ... The meaning of the expression advent also includes that of 'vistatio', ... a visit, which in this case means a visit from God: He enters my life and wishes to address Himself to me".

 "In daily life we all know the experience of having little time for the Lord, and little time for ourselves. We end up becoming absorbed by 'doing'. Is it not often true that it is activity itself that possesses us, society with its multiple distractions that monopolises our attention? Is it not true that we dedicate a lot of time to entertainment and leisure activities of various kinds?"

 "Advent, this potent liturgical period we are entering, invites us to remain silent as we come to appreciate a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are signs God addresses to us, signs of the care He has for each of us. How often does God make us aware of some aspect of His love! To maintain what we might call an 'inner diary' of this love would be a beautiful and rewarding task in our lives. Advent invites us and encourages us to contemplate the living Lord. Should not the certainty of His presence help us to see the world with different eyes?"

 The Holy Father went on: "Another fundamental aspect of Advent is that of waiting: a wait that is, at the same time, a hope. ... Hope marks the journey of humankind, but for Christians it is enlivened by a certainty: the Lord is present in the events of our lives, He accompanies us and will one day dry our tears. One not-far-distant day everything will reach fulfilment in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of justice and peace.

 "Yet", he added, "there are many different ways to wait. If the present time is not filled with meaning, the wait risks becoming unbearable. If we await something, but at this moment have nothing - in other words, if the present is empty - then every passing instant seems exaggeratedly long and the wait becomes an over-heavy burden because the future remains too uncertain. When, on the other hand, time has meaning and at every instant we perceive something specific and valid, then the joy of waiting makes the present richer".

 The Holy Father encouraged the faithful "intensely to live the present, where we already obtain the gifts of the Lord. Let us live projected towards the future, a future charged with hope". The Messiah, "coming among us, brought us and continues to bring us the gift of His love and His salvation. He is present among us and speaks to us in many ways: in Sacred Scripture, in the liturgical year, in the saints, in the events of daily life, in all creation, which changes its appearance depending upon whether [we see Him] behind it or whether [we see it] shrouded in the fog of an uncertain origin and uncertain future".

 "We in our turn", Pope Benedict concluded, "can address Him, present Him the sufferings that afflict us, the impatience and the questions that arise in our hearts. We are certain that He always listens to us! And if Jesus is present, then there can be no meaningless or empty time. If He is present we can continue to hope, even when others can no longer offer us their support, even when the present becomes burdensome".

• Two for Advent (Nov. 19, 2009
• "Be Vigilant At All Times" | A Reflection on the First Sunday of Advent | Carl E. Olson
• • The Mystery Made Present To Us | Fr. Alfred Delp, S.J.
• "All of life is Advent": On the life and death of Alfred Delp, S.J. | Abtei St. Walburg

The "Hood" Over Our Eyes: Are We Doomed As a Country?

The "Hood" Over Our Eyes: Are We Doomed As a Country? | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. | November 30, 2009 | Ignatius Insight

The day after the killings at Fort Hood, a friend wrote, with some prophetic import: "What could have been the shooter's motive? The FBI is still searching, I know. It's just traumatic stress disorder, even though the man had not been to Iraq, or Afghanistan, even though he shouted 'Allah Akbar' while opening fire. We're doomed as a country."

This action is intelligible to any reasonable person in terms of the killer's statements and deeds. It does not take a genius to understand him. But it does take a genius to come up with a theory that excuses him from responsibility. Our land, even in the highest places, and not only ours, is populated with not a few such geniuses with their exonerating speculations.

This latter phrase—"We are doomed as a country"—is what interests me here. Are we?

It is possible we have crossed a mental line beyond which we are no longer able to understand the very word "enemy"—even when he acts as one? This line is not military, but one of mind with the theories that swirl through it. Thus, the phrase—"We are doomed—was "haunting." It gets to the real problem. The issue is not Fort Hood as such, or even why this killer was not detected or stopped.

Rather, the problem is the cultural "hood" over our eyes. It prevents us from seeing a quite intelligible thing for what it is.

To change the metaphor, our "minds" are tied behind our backs. Our own philosophy, as it is used to explain such violence, is now itself a useful instrument of the terrorists, as they are inaccurately called. The actions of those who commit these "crimes" we explain in terms of victimhood, sociological categories, economic or psychological depravities. Yet, they are not "crimes" but acts of war. Those who carry out these attacks, at least, are not confused about what they are doing.

Read the entire essay...

Apparently this sentence made sense...

... to the reporter who penned it:

Well known for his staunch Catholicism, Mr Abbott said he had never let his religion interfere with his policy decisions and pledged he never would as either leader of the Liberal Party or as prime minister.

I know nothing about Mr. Abbott or Aussie politics. Doesn't matter. The sentence above is laughable, but hardly funny. It merely reveals the artificial divide between belief and action, faith and public life, doctrine and politics. The divide is further accentuated by the use of a most revealing word: "interfere." Funny, but you don't see sentences like this:

Well known for his staunch Marxism, Mr Bumbles said he had never let his Marxist views interfere with his policy decisions and pledged he never would as either leader of the Liberal Party or as prime minister.

Or, quite timely:

Well known for his staunch belief in global warming, Mr Jeep said he had never let his love for monitoring carbon footprints interfere with his policy decisions and pledged he never would as either leader of the Liberal Party or as prime minister.

Put another way, how about this:

Well known for his staunch Catholicism, Mr Kanedee said he had never let his religion interfere with his marital decisions and pledged he never would as either leader of his family or as mentor to other husbands and fathers.

No, no, no! Of course not. It's always a one-way street, and the vehicle is always going the wrong way, with politics driving ethics and informing morality, and eventually misdirecting and perverting religious beliefs. If, in fact, one's religious beliefs could "interfere" with "policy decisions," there are only two conclusions to be reached:

1). The religious beliefs are false and/or useless. In which case they should be abandoned. If not abandoned, they are simply window-dressing, a cover, a cynical ploy. Or, better: political currency.

2). The policy decisions are in conflict with one's religious beliefs, in which case the politician is either willing to compromise his religious beliefs or he believes policy takes precedence over his religious beliefs (whether true or not), thus destroying his "staunch Catholic" status.

The reporter doesn't see this, I'm quite certain, not because he is stupid or anti-Catholic, but because this is simply the prevailing, accepted, thoughtless "wisdom." But modern liberalism—which, in its various forms, dominates the political realm in the West—is itself a form of religious faith. In the words of James Kalb, recently interviewed for Ignatius Insight:

Liberalism is a stealth religion. It becomes established and authoritative by claiming that it is not a religion but only the setting other religions need to cooperate peacefully.

The claim doesn't make much sense, since religion has to do with ultimate issues. The religion of a society is simply the ultimate authoritative way the society grasps reality. As such it can't be subordinate to anything else.

Liberalism has been successful at obfuscating its status as a religion, and that's been key to its success. People believe they are keeping their own religion when they give first place to liberalism. What happens though is that their original religion gets assimilated and becomes a sort of poeticized version of liberalism.

Read the entire interview.

Surreal. And wonderful.

"We're going to have a prayer now," said a man in front of a choir of children and adults that had been singing before the large assembly for about thirty minutes. The prayer was short, but direct, with particular emphasis on the birth and person of Jesus Christ. As the prayer concluded, the crowd joined in a hearty, "Amen!"

My wife and I looked at each other in rather stunned disbelief. What had just happened? No, we weren't at our parish (which doesn't have a choir and doesn't announce prayers), nor were we moonlighting at an Evangelical gathering. But it certainly had something of an Evangelical feel to it. Very much so.

Which is why it was so surreal.

We were at the annual Christmas tree lighting in north Eugene, right next to Borders and Starbucks, not far from the Nike store.

I've seen a lot of strange and wild things in Eugene, which has a well-deserved reputation for wackiness (anarchy conventions), weirdness (the "Eugene celebration"; the "Country Fair"), smelliness (the Saturday Market), crudeness (topless women drummers and dancers; UO football fans), and even lewdness (nudist bicycle rides). But, honestly, this was quite stunning: unapologetic, direct Christian language—and prayer!—at a fairly substantial public event in the middle of a large shopping complex parking lot. I half expected a SWAT team to arrive within moments of the prayer.

We attended last year's tree lighting ceremony and it was pleasant and agreeable and mildly bland, with plenty of "holiday music," hot chocolate and cider, and a pen of real reindeer. There was no prayer. Believe me, if there had been, I'd remember; I would have posted about it, just as I'm posting this now. I'm not even sure there was much use of the word "Christmas" at last year's event. After all, Eugene has a history of shutting down anything Christmas when it comes to government buildings and a rather open disdain for anything smacking of real Christianity (that is, actual belief in the birth and person of Jesus Christ) when it comes to The Holidays.

A few years ago the city manager refused to allow Christmas trees in government buildings; there was even talk of city employees not being allowed to have green and red decorations in their work cubicles. Too offensive. Too Christmas-y. Too religious. Why, there are some citizens of this fair community who think Christmas songs in a grocery store desecrate the sacred (for secularists) separation of church and state. Well, sure, they probably teach at the University of Oregon and think ill of anything they deem Euro-centric, traditional, and Christian. But they also seem to have had a stranglehold on much of the public life in this town for many years now.

Has the tide turned? Even just a little bit? Are people finally sick enough of politically-correct silliness, elitist bullies, brain-dead technocrats, and faux tolerance to do things—however small or seemingly minor—to take back bits and pieces of the public square? I'm not sure. But I sense that Christmas in Eugene, Oregon, is going to be a wee bit more exhilarating and enjoyable than usual this year. 

"Be Vigilant At All Times" | A Reflection on the First Sunday of Advent

"Be Vigilant At All Times" | A Reflection on the First Sunday of Advent | Carl E. Olson | November 29, 2009

Readings:

Jer. 33:14-16
Psa. 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thess. 3:12—4:2
Lk. 21:25-28, 34-36


An advent is a coming; it literally means "to come to." Advent anticipates the coming—or comings—of the Son of Man: in his Incarnation two thousand years ago, in his future return in glory, and in the mystery of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming" (par. 524). This summarizes well the themes of today's readings.

The prophet Jeremiah lived during one of the most difficult and troubled times of the ancient Near East and of Judah, from c. 629-587 B.C. Facing numerous discouragements and trials, he continually proclaimed the true nature of God and warned Judah and her leaders of the defeats that would come as punishment for failing to obey and worship God. He also spoke of the restoration of Jerusalem, the holy city—a restoration that would come at the hand of "a just shoot" of King David. Jeremiah referred back to the great covenant made with David (2 Sam. 7), in which God promises the king, "I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name."

It was Jesus, of course, who perfectly fulfilled this promise to David and the prophecy of Jeremiah. Jesus established the Church, which is the "household of God" (1 Tim. 3:15) and the seed and beginning of His kingdom. And it was his death and resurrection that established the foundation for the New Jerusalem, "the city of my God" (Rev. 3:12). Baruch, likewise, foresaw a new Jerusalem and a restored Temple.

Continue reading...

"A Revolutionary of the Christian Type"

"A Revolutionary of the Christian Type" | Peter Seewald | The Preface to Benedict XVI: An Intimate Portrait

What is it like to sit opposite a man like Joseph Ratzinger for many hours, alone in a monastery, and discuss things with him, asking a thousand questions?

  We were high up in our monastery, often in reality above the clouds, and there was always something that gave you the feeling there was a good spirit there. At any rate, I came to know Joseph Ratzinger as a great man for patience, as a spiritual master who can give answers. Here was someone who simply understood people, who had retained the liveliness of youth. Someone who did not burn out quickly but in some way remained whole--and most impressive in his attitude of humility, with which he makes small things seem great.

Joseph Ratzinger is a born teacher, but he did not want to become pope. Even after the conclave, on the loggia of Saint Peter's, his face showed the traces of an inner struggle. And he probably felt like crying, so disturbingly moved was he by the condescension of the great God who entrusted him, at the end of his path, with the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

The man from Bavaria--contrary to all the projections dumped onto his shoulders--is a revolutionary of the Christian type. Seeking out what was lost and saving it is the constant element in his life. An inconvenient man who can seize on the spirit of the times, who warns people against the aberrations of modern life. Anyone who really wants change, he cries out, needs a change in his consciousness and his personal behavior--anything else is insufficient. Now, as Benedict XVI, the most powerful German at the beginning of the new millennium may offer a new opportunity for Europe and, especially, for his homeland. And Peter's successor has given his own people an exciting motto for this: "We are not working to defend a position of power", he says. "In truth we are working so that the streets of the world may be open for Christ." That would mean, then, something like a "Benedictinizing" of the Catholic Church, a healthy revitalization of mercy, of the origin of the mystery.

Continue reading...

Wishing You a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing You a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! | Ignatius Insight

Dear Readers:

Thanksgiving is a time-honored and cherished American tradition, rooted in the Christian belief that God is the source of all life and goodness, deserving our humble thanks and praise.

Here is a selection of thoughts and prayers from  some Ignatius Press books and authors about thanksgiving and gratitude. They have helped me to reflect more deeply on the importance and necessity of thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy them.

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Carl E. Olson
Editor, Ignatius Insight

Continue reading...

20% Off in preparation for Advent and Christmas

Offer ends Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 12:00 midnight EST.
These prices are available online only through Ignatius.com

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the special season that prepares us to celebrate the birth of Our Lord at Christmas. Ignatius Press has compiled here an extensive list of some new and most popular backlist books, films and music that will help you prepare for this joyous occasion, and also will make great gifts for your loved ones at Christmas - all at a 20% discount !

These titles include inspiring new books from the Pope and other great Ignatius authors, films on St. Joseph and St. Teresa of the Andes and more, as well as the four top new selling music albums of the season by Andrea Bocelli, The Priests, Pope Benedict & the Vatican Choir, and Susan Boyle. Be sure to click on the links to see all the great titles offered in this big "Christmas giving sale", a list that surely includes something for everyone!

Maria
Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God
Pope Benedict XVI

This glorious volume is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book with dozens of inspirational and famous color paintings, sculptures and artwork of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all over the world. The beautiful pictures are accompanied by the profound writings and homilies of Pope Benedict XVI on the person of Mary, and her unique role in human history and in the plan of God for salvation history.

Max and Benedict
A Bird's Eye View of the Pope's Daily Life
Jeanne Perego
This lovely illustrated book for children (of all ages!) is a sequel to Joseph and Chico, the international best-seller that told the story of the life of Pope Benedict XVI from his youth through his election as the Pope. With the same award-winning author and illustrator, this lavishly illustrated book is aimed at children but in a way that even adults will enjoy. It takes up the story of Benedict’s XVIs new life as the Pope.

Be A Man!
Becoming the Man God Created You to Be
Fr. Larry Richards
In Be a Man!, Fr. Richards recounts his struggles to learn true manhood, as well as the inspiring stories of others he has served in his decades as a priest. He tells men how to focus on the right goal, how to live as a beloved son of God, of the need to acknowledge one’s faults and to live according to the Holy Spirit, to be a man of true love and of wisdom, to appreciate properly the differences between men and women, to pursue holiness, and to make a difference in the world.

Chosen
How Christ Sent Twenty-three Surprised Converts to Replant His Vineyard
Donna Steichen (editor)
The twenty-three men and women who tell their conversion stories in these pages were not drawn to the Church by sound evangelization programs, beautiful buildings and liturgies, or saintly witnesses among the clergy. On the contrary, many of them were attracted to Catholicism in spite of a now decades-long stretch of deficient catechesis, mediocre Masses, and uninspiring leadership.

The Scarlet and the Black
The True Story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, Hero of the Vatican Underground
J. P. Gallagher
The Scarlet and the Black tells the astonishing and heroic true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, the man dubbed "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican" during World War II.

Charity in Truth
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI has something for everyone in Charity in Truth—from praising profit to defending the environment, from calling for a role for government in the economy to insisting on the necessity of moral transformation and “gratuitousness” in economic life, from the issue of immigration to the importance of technology.

Advent of the Heart
Seasonal Sermons and Prison Writings - 1941-1944
Alfred Delp
Fr. Alfred Delp,S.J., was a heroic German Jesuit priest who was imprisoned and martyred by the Nazis in a Nazi death camp in 1945. At the time of his arrest, he was the Rector of St. Georg Church in Munich, and had a reputation for being a gripping, dynamic preacher, and one who was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime. He was an important figure in the Resistance movement against Nazism.

The monks Hugh and Richard

From Vatican Information Service:

HUGH AND RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR: DIVINE CONTEMPLATION

VATICAN CITY, 25 NOV 2009 (VIS) - During today's general audience, which was celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father spoke about Hugh and Richard of St. Victor, two monks who lived and exercised their magisterium in the abbey of St. Victor in Paris which, from the twelfth century, was home to an important school of monastic and scholastic theology.

 Little is known, said the Pope, of the origins of Hugh of St. Victor. He was born "perhaps in Saxony or in Flanders" and died in the year 1141. "He acquired considerable fame and respect, to the point of being called a 'second St. Augustine'" for his dedication to "the profane and theological sciences".

 "Hugh of St. Victor is a typical representative of monastic theology, which is founded entirely on biblical exegesis". He maintained that, "before discovering the symbolic value and moral teaching of Bible stories, it is necessary to know and study the meaning of the history narrated in Scripture. Otherwise - he said using an effective metaphor - we run the risk of being like students of grammar who do not know the alphabet. For those who know the meaning of the history recounted in the Bible, human events appear marked by Divine Providence, in accordance with a well-ordered plan, ... though always preserving man's freedom and responsibility".

 Benedict XVI then recalled how in the treatise "De Scaramentis christianae fidei" Hugh identified three elements that define a Sacrament: "institution by Christ, communication of grace, and analogy between the visible element (the matter) and the invisible element (the divine gifts)".

 "Today too", he went on, "it is important that liturgical animators, especially priests, use pastoral wisdom in employing the signs specific to sacramental rites, paying especial attention to catechesis, so that each celebration of the Sacraments may be experienced by all the faithful with spiritual devotion, intensity and joy".

 Turning his attention to Richard of St. Victor, the Pope explained that he was a native of Scotland and "prior of the abbey of St. Victor from 1162 to 1172, the year in which he died". In his study of the Bible, "unlike his master [Hugh], he favoured the allegorical significance, the symbolic meaning of Scripture".

 In his teachings he invited the faithful "to exercise the virtues, and to learn how to use reason in order to discipline and control their inner sentiments and feelings. ... Only when man has achieved balance and human maturity in this field is he ready to move on to contemplation".

 "Hugh and Richard of St. Victor raise our souls to the contemplation of heavenly reality, ... to admiration and praise of the Blessed Trinity" as a model "of perfect communion", the Holy Father concluded. "How our world would change if in families, parishes and all other communities, relationships were always lived following the example of the three divine Persons, in which each lives not only with the other, but for the other and in the other!"

 Having concluded his catechesis, the Pope greeted directors and staff of the Lebanese television station "Tele Lumiere - Noursat", encouraging them "to continue generously their mission of service to the Gospel, and to peace and reconciliation in Lebanon and throughout the region".

• Benedict XVI reflects on "some of the most exalted artistic creations of all civilisation" (Nov. 18, 2009)
• Benedict XVI: "Cluny's success was assured above all by its exalted spirituality." (Nov. 11, 2009)

Europe and the Manhattan Declaration

From Sandro Magister of Chiesa:

The issuing of the "Manhattan Declaration" has received extensive coverage in the media in the United States, without anyone protesting against this political "interference" by the Churches.

But that's just the way it is in the United States. There has always been a rigorous separation between religion and the state there. There are no concordats, and they're not even conceivable. But this is exactly why the Churches are seen as having the freedom to speak and act in the public sphere.

In Europe, the landscape is very different. Here "secularism" is understood and applied in conflict, either latent or explicit, with the Churches.

This may be another reason for the silence that in Europe, in Italy, in Rome, greeted the "Manhattan Declaration." It is held to be a typically American phenomenon, foreign to the European way of thinking.

A similar difference in approach concerns the denial of Eucharistic communion for pro-abortion Catholic politicians. In the United States, this controversy is extremely heated, while on the other side of the Atlantic it isn't. This difference in sensibilities also divides the hierarchy of the Catholic Church: in Europe and in Rome the question is practically ignored, left to the individual conscience.

But it most be noted out that something is changing on this point, even on the Old Continent. And not only because there is a pope like Benedict XVI, who has stated that he prefers the American model of relations between Church and state.

A sign of this came a few days ago from Spain, where the Catholic Church is grappling with an ideologically hostile government, that of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which is preparing a law that would liberalize abortion even more than it is now.

According to reports from sources including "L'Osservatore Romano," the secretary general of the Spanish bishops' conference, Bishop Juan Antonio Martínez Camino, did not hesitate to advise Catholic politicians that, if they vote in favor of the law, they will not be admitted to Eucharistic communion, because they will have placed themselves in an objective situation of "public sin."

Not only that. Bishop Martínez Camino added that those who maintain that it is morally legitimate to kill an unborn child put themselves in contradiction with the Catholic Church, and thus risk falling into heresy and into "latae sententiae,' or automatic, excommunication.

It is the first time that words so "American" have been heard from the leadership of a bishops' conference in Europe.

Read the entire piece.

The Manhattan Declaration has, of this posting, has nearly 119,000 signatures.

iFinally have my iMac!

The official history:

11/18/2009: Your iMac (20-inch Early 2008) was checked in at our Eugene location.
11/18/2009: Diagnosis was performed by our technician.
11/19/2009: We ordered parts for your system from the manufacturer.
11/21/2009: We received parts for your system.
11/23/2009: We ordered parts for your system from the manufacturer.
11/24/2009: We received parts for your system.
11/24/2009: Work was completed on your system.
Your repair is complete and is ready to pick up from our Eugene location.

New hard drive. New glass cover (must have been broken when they put in the new drive). Transferring data now from back-up drive. 18 hours to go. Or less...

"The End Of The World As We Know It"

That is the title of a feature piece I wrote for the December 6, 2009, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper; the article is available online in its entirety. Here are the opening paragraphs:

What the Catholic Church teaches about the last days

T.S. Eliot, at the conclusion of his 1925 poem “The Hollow Men” wrote, “This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.” That’s a far cry from the cosmic crisis depicted in recent apocalyptic books and films, including the heavily touted and recently released “2012” (see sidebar below), which is crammed full of bangs, computer-generated explosions, earthquakes and floods.

Curiosity about the end of the world abounds. For many, it is both frightening and exciting to think they will witness The End. Wars and natural disasters are commonly interpreted as signs of approaching apocalypse; future famines and ecological crises are often promoted as hastening the same.

But are we really living in the end times? And what, exactly, does the Catholic Church teach about the end of the world?

Read the entire article. My book, Will Catholics Be "Left Behind"? (Ignatius Press, 2003), covers this material and much more, with several hundred footnotes in tow.

• Eschatological Fact and Fiction: Catholicism and Dispensationalism Compared | Carl E. Olson

"...no power on earth ... will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence."

The Manhattan Declaration has been in the news the past few days; likely you've already heard about it, read it (PDF), or even signed it (as I did today). Gerald Warner, who writes on religious and cultural issues for The Telegraph, sums up the document quite well:

It is difficult to believe that so firm an assertion of Christian intransigence in the face of persecution will not have some beneficial effects even here. For this Declaration is no minor affirmation by a few committed activists: on the contrary, it is signed by the most important leaders of three mainstream Christian traditions – the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and Evangelical Protestants. For an ecumenical document it is heroically devoid of fudge, euphemism and compromise. ...

The signatories are unambiguously expressing their willingness to go to prison rather than deny any part of their religious beliefs. Those signatories are heavyweight. On the Catholic side they include Justin Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia; Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit; the Archbishops of Denver, New York, Washington DC, Newark, Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Louisville; and other Bishops. The Orthodox include the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America and the Archpriest of St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. There are also the Anglican Primates of America and Nigeria, as well as a host of senior Evangelical Protestants.

In terms of influence on votes and public opinion, this is a formidable coalition. It has served notice on the US government that further anti-Christian legislation will provoke cultural trench warfare and even civil disobedience. As regards the sudden stiffening of resistance among the usually spineless Catholic leadership, it is impossible not to detect the influence of Benedict XVI.

Among the notable Catholic signatories is Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., founder and head editor of Ignatius Press. Here is a bit from the opening of the Declaration:

While the whole scope of Christian moral concern, including a special concern for the poor and vulnerable, claims our attention, we are especially troubled that in our nation today the lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are severely threatened; that the institution of marriage, already buffeted by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is in jeopardy of being redefined to accommodate fashionable ideologies; that freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized by those who would use the instruments of coercion to compel persons of faith to compromise their deepest convictions.

Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of conscience and religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we are compelled by our Christian faith to speak and act in their defense. In this declaration we affirm: 1) the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human being as a creature fashioned in the very image of God, possessing inherent rights of equal dignity and life; 2) marriage as a conjugal union of man and woman, ordained by God from the creation, and historically understood by believers and nonbelievers alike, to be the most basic institution in society and; 3) religious liberty, which is grounded in the character of God, the example of Christ, and the inherent freedom and dignity of human beings created in the divine image.

We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence. It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season. May God help us not to fail in that duty.

Visit the website for more information.

Ridiculous Remark of the Day

Another one of Reese's Pieces:

“It's important to make a distinction between people who are pro abortion and people who are pro choice,” Father Reese countered. “Within the last couple of months, the editor of L’Osservatore Romano, the Pope's newspaper, made the statement that he did not think that President Obama was pro-abortion. And this upset people in the United States. They wanted him fired. Well, he's still in his job.”

Wha....? As I've argued at great length on this blog, the ultimate reason people "make a distinction" between being "pro-choice" and "pro-abortion" is to deny the fact that being pro-choice means being pro-abortion. Fr. Reese seems intent on convincing himself and others that Pres. Obama is not pro-abortion despite all evidence flatly showing such is the case. Sadly, Fr. Reese is simply mimicking a line used by then-Sen. Obama back in January 2008: "I don't know anybody who is pro-abortion." Uh, right.

And his appeal to the Magisterial pronouncements made by the editor of L’Osservatore Romano is laughable; it would be much easier to take Fr. Reese seriously if he could, at some point, say something insightful or positive about the actual teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, who is, Fr. Reese once declared, "an extremely bright man, but he doesn't have any street smarts." My guess is that the average "street smart" man knows that a man who says his is "pro-choice" is also a man who is pro-abortion.

Chapter One of "María of Guadalupe: Shaper of History, Shaper of Hearts"

A Delectable Fruit of the Cactus for the Eagle | Paul Badde | Chapter One of María of Guadalupe: Shaper of History, Shaper of Hearts

With wood from the Santa Marla, Christopher Columbus built the first house in America. Hernán Cortés conquered Mexico. The growling of dogs on the beach and the dawn of the modern era lie heavy over the cities of New World and Old.

On the morning of August 3, 1492, sails billowing in the first wind, Columbus sailed from Andalusia in the Santa María, together with the Niña and the Pinta, in order, as he confides in the ship's log, to search for a westerly sea route to Jerusalem. If the names of his ships had been listed in another way, they would have made the phrase "Holy Mary (Santa María) paints (pinta) the girl (niña)". In itself, this would have been striking. However, this was only the beginning of the incredible story of the dark Lady, who, five hundred years after the discovery of America, still waits to be discovered by Europe, Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.

Historians say that, on Christmas night, 1492, the Santa María ran aground on a sandbar off of Haiti. Columbus decided to dismantle the grounded flagship and "build a fort out of what was salvaged". However, some years ago on the docks of the port of Barcelona, I saw an exact reproduction of the caravel Santa María. I doubt that with the planks and masts of this nutshell anyone could have managed to construct a fort. Two or three huts, perhaps, or a house—or even a small barricaded chapel. There was not enough material for more. The one thing that seems sure is that from the remains of the Santa María the first European house was raised in the New World. A year later it was pulled down and reduced to ashes.

Twenty-seven years later Hernán Cortés, a native of the city of Medellin, in Spain, disembarked from the Santa María de la Concepción onto the shore of the American continent. It was Good Friday of 1519, in the area of what would later become the port of Veracruz. A small expeditionary flotilla accompanied the Santa María de la Concepción . Two days later, Cortés asked two Franciscans, Diaz and Olmedo, to celebrate Easter with a high Mass on the beach. "The Spaniards planted a cross in the sandy ground", writes Francisco López de Gómara in his history of the conquest of Mexico. "They prayed the rosary and the Angelus as a bell was rung." To anyone familiar with Catholic liturgy, this seems somewhat confused. But there is no doubt that, after the liturgical service, Cortés, in a brief speech, took possession of an immense territory in the name of the Spanish Crown. Needless to say, the king of Castile was totally ignorant of who Cortés was and what he was doing there. The "Captain General" had taken on himself the responsibility of a royal commission.

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Lucy Beckett on "Kresta in the Afternoon" today

Lucy Beckett, author of the novel,  A Postcard From the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany, will be interviewed today by Al Kresta on Ave Maria radio. The program can be heard online. Here is info about the novel:

A Postcard From the Volcano: A Novel of Pre-War Germany, by Lucy Beckett

Beginning in 1914 and ending on the eve of World War II, this epic story follows the coming of age and early manhood of the Prussian aristocrat, Max von Hofmannswaldau. From the idyllic surroundings of his ancestral home to the streets of cosmopolitan Breslau menaced by the Nazi SS, Hofmannswaldau uncovers the truth about his own identity and confronts the modern ideologies that threaten the annihilation of millions of people.

A Postcard from the Volcano opens with the outbreak of World War I and the Prussian pride and patriotism that blind the noble von Hofmannswaldau family to the destruction that lies ahead for their country. The well-researched narrative follows the young count as he leaves home to finish his education and ends up a stranger in the land of his birth.

Both intelligent and sensitive, Beckett's prose explores the complex philosophical and political questions that led Europe into a second world war, while never losing sight of a man whose life is shaped by his times. A deeply moving historical novel that shows the horrific impact that two world wars had on whole countries, and how individuals struggled to deal with the incredible challenges presented by such devastation.

"Written with beautiful prose, a great pleasure to read. The prose is in the service of immense themes--but always in the context of a skillfully handled and greatly moving human drama. A gigantic, and splendid, piece of work." -- Thomas Howard, author, On Being Catholic

"In this extraordinary work, the mysteries of faith and hope and love, prevailing in a time of radical fear, teach us how to find our own humanity." -- Michael D. O'Brien, author, Father Elijah

"This astonishing novel is meat for the mind and manna for the soul." -- Joseph Pearce, author, The Quest for Shakespeare

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Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles, Interviews, and Book Excerpts:

• The Prologue to A Postcard From the Volcano | Lucy Beckett
• The Challenge of Being a Serious Historical Novelist: An Interview with Lucy Beckett
• The Order of Love | From the Introduction to In the Light of Christ: Writings in the Western Tradition | Lucy Beckett
• Reading In the Light of Christ | An Interview with Lucy Beckett

The Essential Nature and Task of the Church

The Essential Nature and Task of the Church | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger | From God and the World: A Conversation With Peter Seewald (Ignatius Press, 2002)

The Essential Nature of the Church

Let's stay with this rebirth. What is the Church supposed to be? What kind of body is she meant to be? Her nature is always specified as being apostolic and catholic. What does that mean?

Apostolic signifies the horizontal cross-connection of the Church through all the ages. She is first of all fixed to the historical origin in the eleven men whom Jesus chose (eleven were left, plus Matthias, who was elected to the office). This is not just some mythology or other, an invented piece of ideology, but is truly anchored in the historical events concerned with Jesus Christ and can always at any time be renewed from these apostolic origins. At the same time, this expresses not only fidelity to the witness, to the faith of the apostles, but also a sacramental dimension. Because of this, we cannot simply rethink the Church whenever we like; she stands rather in an unbroken relationship with her origins, in constant continuity with them. The sacrament of ordination to the priesthood expresses this relationship to something we have not ourselves invented and, at the same time, refers to the Holy Spirit as guarantor of this continuity.

And Catholic?

The translation of Catholic is "including the whole"; it signifies "relating to the whole". It is a way of expressing the fact that the Church belongs to the whole world, to all cultures and every age. That is quite essential. For the Church must never shrink to being a national Church. She is always there to ensure that boundaries are transcended. She is to prevent the occurrence of Babel. The Church is there to prevent the confusion of opposition and contradiction from dominating mankind. She should, instead of this, bring the whole wealth of human existence, in all its languages, to God--and should be thereby herself a power for reconciliation among mankind.

There is a quite particular Catholic habit of thought. Thus is a certain way of looking at events and people and everything that happens on the stage of this world. Can we define thus habit of thought in any way?

That is hard to say. Catholicism is fed by the whole of the history of belief, but in its characteristic form it developed in the Western Church. In that sense, much of what we today call a Catholic way of thinking is not beyond the limitations of time, nor is it unchangeable. It may be subject to modification, development, and renewal through the arrival new peoples or the departure to new historical ages.

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Apple. Tree. Short Fall. Etc.

Poor Patrick Kennedy. He has apparently done his best to follow in his father's footsteps as a "devout Catholic" who adamantly supports abortion. But while Ted Kennedy was able to get away with that charade for decades—without much if any public correction from priests or bishops—Patrick has been called on the carpet by Bishop Thomas Tobin.

The story is familiar to most by now. The latest twist has Congressman Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) revealing that in 2007 "the bishop instructed me not to take Communion and said that he has instructed the diocesan priests not to give me Communion.” CNS reports:

Later in the day, Bishop Tobin issued a statement clarifying the terms of his decision.

“I am disappointed and really surprised that Congressman Patrick Kennedy has chosen to reopen the public discussion about his practice of the faith and his reception of Holy Communion. This comes almost two weeks after the Congressman indicated to local media that he would no longer comment publicly on his faith or his relationship with the Catholic Church,” Bishop Tobin writes.

Bishop Tobin said that on February 21, 2007, he wrote to Congressman Kennedy stating that “in light of the Church's clear teaching, and your consistent actions, therefore, I believe it is inappropriate for you to be receiving Holy Communion and I now ask respectfully that you refrain from doing so.

“My request came in light of the new statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that said, ‘If a Catholic in his or her personal or professional life were knowingly and obstinately to repudiate her definite teachings on moral issues, he or she would seriously diminish his or her communion with the Church. Reception of Holy Communion in such a situation would not accord with the nature of the Eucharistic celebration, so that he or she should refrain.’”

Patrick, to be fair, was simply carrying on a reliable family tradition of cloaking himself in the mantle of Catholicism while publicly working against basic Catholic teachings about the sanctity of life and the evil of abortion. His uncle, JFK, planted seeds by making it known he would rather be popular (and President) than Catholic. His father figured out how to be popular and accepted as the epitome of American Catholicism (without, of course, attaining the presidency), which, as it turns out, was about being a pro-abort, pro-"gay marriage" Democrat with a veneer of Catholic shine lathered on top. Ted was told how to go about accomplishing this sleight-of-powerful-hand trick by various left-wing Catholic intellectuals and dissidents (many of them priests and theologians), whose own ideological progeny continue to insist that politicians should be free of the Church, while the Church and her bishops should bow and grovel at the feet of politicians:

Kennedy could appeal the decision to officials in the Vatican, but the hierarchy of the Catholic church is unlikely to overturn a bishop, said Michael Sean Winters, a church observer and author of "Left At the Altar: How Democrats Lost The Catholics And How Catholics Can Save The Democrats."

"It's really bad theology," said Winters, who opposes abortion. "You're turning the altar rail into a battle field, a political battlefield no less, and it does a disservice to the Eucharist."

Winters—a regular contributor to America magazine—is as much a "church observer" as the serpent was a "garden observer" in Eden. He and his ilk cannot stand proper Church authority or gutsy bishops such as Bishop Tobin, but are constantly telling "Catholic" politicians like Kennedy, "You surely shall not be excommunicated!" They insist this is all about politics, but that is only because they cannot, for the life of them, understand how anything could trump politics. For them, any theology not squaring with their politics is "bad theology" (and, yes, the same can be said for some on the right/Republican side as well).

Supporting the death of unborn innocents cannot be reconciled with receiving the Author and Giver of Life at the altar rail; if knowingly committing mortal sin in a public manner or forum is not a clear severing of communion, what is? It is Patrick Kennedy who has turned the altar rail into a battlefield because, in dissenting from Church teaching about life and abortion, he has denied Christ. And if you have denied Christ and His Church in the halls of power, you should not be receiving Him in the house of prayer. To do so is an affront and insult to Christ, to His Church, and to the faithful. Someone should have told Ted Kennedy the same many years ago. God bless Bishop Tobin for telling Ted's son now.

Finally, canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters shares some thoughts on the situation between Kennedy and Bishop Tobin.

If you thought I was blunt, or even harsh, ...

... in my recent comments about the recent address given by Dr. Rowan Williams at the Vatican, check this out:

Apparently unabashed by the chaotic state of the Communion he represents, Rowan William’s provocative address to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome last Thursday was noted by the media for its strong challenge to the Roman Catholic Church’s position on the ordination of women, but its real significance is that it reveals an Archbishop who, far from being discouraged, does really seem to believe his own propaganda, even to the extent that, the recent humiliation of his non-consultation over the Ordinariate notwithstanding, he offers recent Anglican practice as a model for the Vatican to follow in ecumenical relationships.

For an Archbishop with such a strong reputation for thoughtful scholarship and learning, this represents an alarming retreat from reason and will reinforce the concerns of those like Archbishop Bob Duncan who commented earlier this week ‘In the year 2000, the Archbishop of Canterbury was the second most important Christian leader in the world. In a short space of time that office has utterly been diminished. It shows that the British model of Anglicanism has failed.’

That is from an Anglican. Read it all.