But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

I’ve often heard Evangelicals quote John 14:26 as a scriptural defense for stating that we need no external authority but the Holy Spirit to guide us. He will will teach us everything. There is no need for a Magisterium or Pope. All I need is my Bible and the Holy Spirit. Yet if we look closer at the event where this took place we get a different picture.

John only states that this occurred at the last supper. He doesn’t give any other details as to who all the participants were. So, by taking just the Gospel of John it would be easy to assume that Christ was speaking to a number of his disciples. However, if we look at the same event in the other three Gospels we get a much clearer picture.

The Apostle Mark states that Jesus came with the twelve. It doesn’t take a theology degree to understand that he meant the Apostles. But lets just assume he meant a vague group of 12 individuals. Promising to send the Holy Spirit to this group could either mean that only they were given this promise or that they are symbolic for all who would follow Christ.

And when it was evening he came with the twelve.
(Mark 14:17)

Matthew states that Christ sat with the twelve disciples. We’ll this is a bit more descriptive. We now know that the twelve were disciples. So, this could lead us to believe that any disciple might be the recipient of this promise.

When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; (Matthew 26:20)

Luke, however, is very specific. He states that Jesus was with the apostles during this Passover meal. Not merely a group of disciples or individuals but a hand picked group to which he specifically taught and revealed that which he intended to pass on while he was gone.

And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. (Luke 22:14)

These twelve, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, would be given the job of spreading the good news. They would later, by the laying on of hands, grant that same authority onto others who would carry on where and when they could not. It was to this group of twelve that the promise of the Holy Spirit would be given. Why? They would be the teachers, the leaders of the new Church. They would need not only the guidance to teach what Christ taught infallibly but to also do it with authority; not merely an earthly authority but a divine authority. They would need to be able to guide the Church in situations not specifically addressed by Christ (as at the first council where the circumcision of gentiles was discussed). But the Church didn’t simply end when the last Apostle died. It continued on. And that same Church, under new leadership, had the same need for guidance and ordained authority as the Apostles did. If the hand picked and taught twelve needed divine help how much more would their successors?

Heresies would come and go but the Church has continued through the centuries. Then as now she remains under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and will continue to do so till the Bridegroom returns for her. She continues to teach and guide her members with the same authority and truth given to the Apostles.

Matt 16:18-19
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

I don’t want to get into the argument concerning who the “rock” refers to; this argument has been covered enough in other blogs and web sites. My concern is simply the statement by Christ “I will build my church”. Christ himself tells us that He himself is the builder, the one doing the building, and it is the Church itself that is being built. As anyone knows a building of size starts with a foundation. That foundation looks little, if at all, like the end result. During the building process the structure slowly takes form, walls are built, windows and doors are installed, a roof is placed upon the structure, and finally the interior and exterior is finished.

If we were to compare pictures of a building at it’s very start and after it’s completion we’d see what looks like two entirely different structures. In reality they are the same building at two different stages of development. So we have to expect that this Church Christ is in the process of building, 2000 years after it’s founding, is probably going to look quite different than what it originally did. We do however, have some clues in scripture, as well as by way of the Early Church Fathers, as to what structural changes were already being put into place that can help us see what this new building might look like today. We see a hierarchy being put into place (Bishops, presbyters (priests), and deacons (St. Paul’s letters to Timothy, Titus, Philippians),  (Epistle of St. James), (Epistle to the Philippians; St. Polycarp A.D. 69-155) to help the Apostles perform the mission given them by Christ, to spread the good news to the ends of the earth. We see a structured form of worship (The First Apology of Justin Martyr A.D. 100-165). Throughout history in the writings of the Early Church Fathers, and even in non-Christian resources, we find a Church that has had to adapt as it grew in order to continue the mission given to it by Christ, yet all the while protecting and holding to the truth that is at her heart for she is the Bulwark and Pillar of Truth (1 Tim 3:15).

So for those who seek to return to the foundation of the Church there is a problem, by attempting to do so they are in essence casting aside the work the builder has already accomplished in search of a Church of their own ideal and making. It is as though they are seeking a foundation upon which they themselves can build upon forgetting that it is Christ who is the builder and not ourselves. They don’t realize that what they are saying is that Christ has failed in his work and we have to start it over again ourselves.

And those who are searching for that “foundational Church” in the world today are like an individual walking around with a 20 year old photo of a baby expecting that they’ll look the same today as they did when the photo was taken. For this group the builder simply has stopped working. He laid a foundation then walked away from the job. In other words Christ has not kept his word.

I applaud both groups for their desire to search for the true Church of Christ but their approach is flawed. Search for the purpose of finding what the early Church taught, how it carried out it’s work, how it had to grow in order to be able to accomplish its mission, but don’t expect the Church to look exactly as it did when it was created. That one Church, established by, and being built by Christ still exists today, she has survived 2000 years and will continue to till the bridegroom returns for her at the end of time.

What surprises me most is not so most of those who have made the comments, even some well educated individuals, didn’t even try to understand what this “darkness” or feeling of abandonment actually is. But then again in a culture that seeks only instant gratification and pleasure the idea that God may bring someone to undergo a trial of this sort, and that one may actually grow in faith because of it, is something alien to them.

Since the Reformation (or what would be better called the Deformation) the concept of a spiritual life to non-Catholic Christians has become almost non-existent. The idea that we have to grow in faith through trial and tribulation, through hard work and self-sacrifice is hard to fathom let alone live. You’re either immediately saved (OSAS) after accepting Christ, or you simply live your life with an assurance that you’ll end up in heaven. In essence you’ve arrived. Many end up shopping around for that one Church that most suits their desires and outside of Church on Sunday, bible study on Wed, and a few get together’s for fellowship life is pretty much the same as it was before they met Christ (though now a bit more moral). Now, I know there are those that intimately desire to grow closer to Christ and to deepen their faith. I find many of these eventually find their way to the Catholic Church. Those I’m speaking primarily about are the everyday non-Catholic (and even to some Catholics themselves).

I think the best way I can explain this Darkness is by using the example of a parent and child. When a child is young we often give some incentive to them in order to get them to perform some task. The purpose of course is to teach them to do those things that as adults they will have to do on their own, to do things that are in their best interest, or to do things that will help mold them into a mature person. As time goes on the parent gradually reduces the incentives so that the child learns that this is something that they are expected to simply do. So it is with God and our faith. Many are converted to the faith through some spiritual, or supernatural event. Perhaps we are allowed to feel (though just a glimpse) of the great love that God has for us. Perhaps we are filled with a great joy brought by the Holy Spirit. Whatever the event was we get a sense of Gods work in our lives. But like an addict we can become addicted to the emotional high that at times comes accompanies our faith. For those who do, the sudden loss of that “emotional high” leaves them  depressed or wondering whether they did something wrong that caused God to abandon them. So, they may pray for forgiveness, or simply seek some other source for that emotional high.

What those who don’t understand the spiritual life can’t seem to grasp or see is that these times are simply God working to lead and mold us into a more mature faith. A faith not based upon emotions but trust. We have to ask ourselves at these times; do I believe because of the emotional feelings I get or do I believe simply for His sake? A faith based solely upon emotions is much like a rollercoaster, you have constant highs and lows with no real ground upon which to stand. Now, this is not to say that a spiritual person doesn’t have emotional highs and lows but their faith does not rely upon them. It stands firm in it’s trust through all things in God.

Speaking of my own experience. When my faith was young “spiritually speaking” I could feel the presence of Christ in the consecrated host reserved in the tabernacle of any Catholic Church that I walked into. It was comforting and spiritually uplifting. But I had to be weaned of my reliance upon emotions as an indication of my faith. God did it through trial upon trial. Sometimes they  would last a few days, sometimes weeks, and even months. But in each trial there was a common thread, trust. Despite how I felt God was calling me to this one thing “trust”. There were times that I, like Christ, cried out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. I felt abandoned, yet I still hoped, still put my trust in Him. Eventually, the trial would end and there would be a time of rest and peace. And though I didn’t particularly enjoy the trial I was able to look back and see how much it changed me, how much it strengthened me mentally and spiritually. It was during those times of trials that my faith grew and became stronger. Paraphrasing Fr. Corapi; God is a good coach. He knows how to exercise our muscles of faith to make them stronger. But unlike a human coach God knows our limits and can push us beyond what we think we can handle. In the end we become the better because of it.

The trials continue, sometimes for short periods, sometimes longer. But I’ve learned to simply trust in God. I can say that it’s been quite a while since I’ve felt His presence but I know He’s with me every day, and that’s what is important. I’m certainly no Mother Theresa but I can empathize with her. Christ didn’t promise that we’d feel great, or be rich and successful but rather told us to take up our cross and follow him. And so I pick mine up every day and with His help I follow in His footsteps as we walk towards Calvary. The journey can be hard and at times we may feel alone or abandoned but we can’t give up hope.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

If I have a chance to pray before I head out on the road I run through my normal prayers of intercession for family, friends, and enemies. Followed by prayers for the Religious, Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. I pray for our Holy Father and his intentions. I pray for our political leaders. I pray for the members of our military. I pray for the end of abortion, for those who perform them, those who’ve had them, and those who support them. I then pray for any special intentions that I may have or others have asked for. And finally I pray that the eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of all people are opened to see their own sins and lives as they truly are, as Christ sees them, that it may bring us all to repentance, conversion, and reconciliation. If I don’t have time right away I’ll say these while on the road.

Before I actually leave my driveway I have two prayers that I like to say. These have become sort of the cornerstone of the day. I’ve been through a lot of various prayers before settling upon these. I guess that many people do as well. We each have our favorite prayers, prayers that for some reason just sort of click with us.

Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle;
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander the world For the ruin of souls.

Amen

St. Patrick’s Breastplate

I arise today through…

God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to see before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me –
    against snares of devils,
    against temptations and vices,
    against inclinations of nature,
    against everyone who shall wish me ill,
    afar and anear,
    alone and in a crowd…

Christ be with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Since my commute is quite long I will often say the Rosary on my way to work and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy on the way home. I thank God for safely getting me to my destinations, and for allowing me the blessing of having a job that I may be able to provide for my family.

And thus my day begins.

As far back as I can remember I’ve been drawn to the crucifix. It was something that I could not explain… an ever present beckoning, an inner voice drawing me to reflection and prayer. There in the crucifix is a great paradox. The author of life sentenced to death. Love itself seemingly destroyed out of hatred and jealousy. Bound upon a cross for the sake of bringing freedom. Enduring suffering to bring healing and joy. To be abandoned in order to draw men closer.

But aren’t we Catholics re-crucifying Christ by having crucifixes? Isn’t he risen and sitting at the right hand of God the Father? Why can’t we just get over the crucifixion? Why can’t we just use a cross? Doesn’t the cross signify the resurrection?

In answer to the first question… no we don’t re-crucify Christ. He suffered and died once for our sins. The crucifix no more re-crucifies Christ than a photo makes a person re-live a particular moment in time. It does however give us a visible tool for the purpose of reflection and prayer just as a photo allows us to remember and reflect upon a particular point or incident that occurred in time.

Yes, Christ is risen and sitting at the right hand of God. The crucifix can no more nail him to the cross than a photo can steal the soul of a person.

No, we can’t just get over the crucifixion. Without the crucifixion we would still be slaves to sin. Without it there would be no resurrection. The birth, death, and resurrection are but three parts to the one act of redemption.

Why not just a cross? Because it is Christ on the cross that draws all to himself.

John 12:31-33

31 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what death he was to die.

It is through the crucifixion that Christ is revealed.

John 8:28-29

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”

It is the crucifixion of the Christ that we are to preach, the contradiction that confounds and confuses the proud and wise and yet is hope for the humble.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

And for Paul, there was no more greater means of evangelizing than to follow the humble and obedient example of Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2

When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Doesn’t the cross signify the resurrection? That depends. An empty cross could be the cross before the crucifixion, it could be the cross while Christ was still in the tomb. If you have a cross take a good look at it. Does it have nail marks where Christ’s hands and feet were nailed? I would suspect it doesn’t. And if it doesn’t then what is that cross representative of? The cross before the crucifixion. No crucifixion. No resurrection.

Does this mean that we have no use for the cross. Definitely not. The cross can be a reminder of the cross we are to take up and carry ourselves. It can be used to remind us that we have to be crucified ourselves. We have to strive each day to put aside, to crucify, our old selves that we may live in Christ. Just as there was no resurrection without the crucifixion for Christ, so we too must also be crucified that we may rise with Him.

I recently finished Steve Ray’s “Upon this Rock“. A great book on the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. It’s packed with footnotes, in fact about half of each page is footnotes. This is one of those books that you’ll proably refer back to again and again.

I’m currently reading:

Mother Angelica’s ”Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality“
It’s one of those slow read books. Full of wisdom, humor, and great spirituality. I often find that when I pick it up to read, the topic I happen to be on directly relates to some event, problem, thought, or trial I just happen to be facing that day. Guess I can call it the book of God-incidences.

I just started James Monti’s ”The King’s Good Servant but God’s First: The Life and Writings of Saint Thomas More“
I’m only about 40 pages into it but I find it very well written and educational. I knew little of St. Thomas More other than what the movie(s) A Man for all Seasons portrayed of him and a couple of his own writings (The Four Last Things, The Supplication of Souls, A Dialogue on Conscience), all of which I found facinating. My main interest was in Thomas as a father and how he was able to balance his family life, work, and his great spiritual life. As a father myself I find it hard to come up with a balance that works well. I want to grow more spiritually and yet not neglect my family and their spiritual growth. Nor do I want to neglect my responsibilities to provide for my family monitarily. So, I look to one who seemed to be able to balance all of these needs and do so with great success.

I use the Magnificat for my daily scripture readings and meditations. Without it I feel lost. Like many other similar tools the Magnificat has the daily readings used in Mass. It also includes Morning and Evening readings as well. There are also short reflections/writings for each day as well. It’s well worth the cost of a subscription. You can pick these up at most Catholic bookstores but beware that they generally sell out these monthly publications well before the coming month. For subscriptions you can go to www.magnificat.com.

For regular scripture study I like using the Ignatius Study Bible available from www.ignatius.com. So far they have all the Gospels, Acts, and a number of the Pauls epistles.

I still have volumes of books sitting on my shelves waiting to be read but eventually I’ll get to them, and when I do I’ll be sure to post them here on the blog.

I think two of the best and yet worse things that has happened over the years in terms of the Bible and early church writings is first the introduction of “Chapter and Verse” divisions of the Bible. It’s certainly a very good thing for referencing a particular passage(s) from the scriptures. On the other hand it’s led to the proliferation of people who simply quote memorized passages chapter and verse, but often do so outside the context in which those passages were written. This isn’t to say that you couldn’t quote passages before but in order to do so you often had to read the entire book, letter, or at least paragraph in order to find it. And in that process you obtained a better understanding of what was being discussed.

The second is the search tool, whether it be web or computer based. This probably more than anything has led to text being taken out of context. This is especially true when it comes to the writings of the early church fathers (ECF). I’ve seen more verses quoted out of context by individuals who without a doubt used a search engine to find a particular word within either scripture or the ECF. And rather than researching the history of the particular writing in order to understand why it was written, to whom it was written they simply pull a single sentence or paragraph from the writing as proof that that ECF believed in such and such non-Catholic teaching. Often times simply reading the preceding or following paragraph(s) will completely contradict what the person using the quote is trying to state.

When approaching both scripture and the ECF’s there are a few things to keep in mind while reading them.

Understand the context in which the writer was writing!!!

The context can be better understood by remembering these simple words; who, what, where, when, why, and how. A big part of this is understanding history. We can’t simply read a letter and expect to understand it fully without a good grasp of the history around it. To discard or simply ignore history and expect to really understand these great writings is simply foolishness.

So lets ask some questions:

Who was doing the writing? What was their background? What was their status and/or role (in the Church and the community)? What authority did they have and did they have it over those that are being addressed or not?

Who are they writing to (their target audience, who are they and what relevance does it play into what is being addressed)? Are they friends or colleagues? Are they someone in opposition to the writer? Are or were they under the authority of the writer? And what is the history of that target audience?

What is being discussed? Is a topic being covered in general or is a specific portion of it being discussed. What is the background of this topic? Is this pertinent to just the recipient(s) or is it also something that we can gain knowledge and insight from?

Where is this occurring? What region is the writer and recipient from? What events are occurring in that region? Do these play a part in why the person is writing what they are writing?

When is this occurring? What is the time period in which this is being written? Who are the leaders of the particular region? Was there animosity towards the writer and/or the recipients during that time and does this play a part in the writing? What were the major events taking place at that time and are they related in anyway to the writing?

Why are they writing what they are writing? The purpose being addressed. Is this to discuss a particular subject or a particular aspect of a subject? Don’t assume that since the writer covers a certain aspect of a topic, say the spiritual aspect, that it then negates the physical or literal aspect. Are they writing in a spiritual, literal, or mixture of both senses? What is the background of the topic being discussed and how does this effect both parties? Does the writer make assumptions about the topic(s), or portions thereof, being covered?

These are but a few questions that we need to ask ourselves when approaching both scripture and the ECF’s.

Michael

I was reflecting upon the story of Jesus and the centurion in the Gospel of Matthew;

Matt 8:5-13  As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion answered him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; be it done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

What came to me was not only the example of great faith but the lesson in humility that Christ was teaching the Apostles and disciples. How Christ’s words “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” must have cut to the heart of many of the Jews there at the time. Not only was Jesus making a comment about Israel’s lack of faith but here was a gentile, a Roman centurion on top of that, who Christ tells the Jews has more faith than anyone in Israel. Now, I’m sure there were many very holy individuals in Israel at the time. But what we see over and over, both amongst the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and even the Apostles is a pride in the fact that they were God’s chosen people. In and of itself, pride in that fact is something that’s very worthy of mentioning. The problem is that the pride was in themselves being the chosen people not in the fact that they were given that blessing by God.

What I’ve found is that the greater the blessings given to us the greater our humility should be. I have no talents that I can claim as my own. All that I am, all that I have, all that I’m able to do is only by the grace and blessing of God. Apart from Him I am, have, and can do nothing. In, with, and through Him alone do any of my own works have merit. As this lent is meant to remind us; “we are dust and to dust we shall return”. This Lent let us reflect upon the great blessings God has given us and in humility remember who we are and be thankful for all that we have received and for the great Love he has for us.

Michael

I’m quite sure that I’m not the only one who has sat through week after week of sermons that do little but tell their parishioners to love each other, be good to one another, and help those in need. This is all fine and dandy but the pastor may first want to define what “love” is, in the context of the Church’s teaching, before telling a parish, that day after day is bombarded by the secular worlds definition of love, to love one another. Perhaps they could also tell us “why” we must love one another.

Now, I’m not saying that we can’t get something out of these homilies, even the worst homily can offer some bit of advice and teaching that can be reflected and acted upon. All I ask is for some meat and potatoes. Christ didn’t simply walk around and tell people that he loved them. He admonished those who needed admonishing. He spoke of the consequences of sin. He spoke of the influence of the world and it’s effects on our spiritual lives. He didn’t simply let his followers skip their way to the gates of hell all the while telling them that he loved them. No, he warned them, out of love, that they needed to change their ways and follow him if they wanted to find eternal life.

I like St. Paul’s style. He wore his faith on his sleeve. I’m sure that if you were a friend of his you knew exactly where you stood and what was expected of you. If you were wrong, or heading in the wrong direction he’d tell you. If you were doing well, he’d rightly compliment you. There was no sugar coating of the truth with Paul, he knew that the truth could stand on its own. He also knew that not all would accept it. That there would be many who would either turn away or even attack the truth. Yet he still preached it plain and simple. We need more St. Paul’s in this world. Give us the truth, and nothing but the truth, and then live it out as an example to all of what it means to be Catholic.

Michael