Ubi Petrus

Thanks to cuaguy for posting this on plurk a few days ago.

This may well be one of the only times I ever link to a story from NCReporter, but given that it was written by their only reporter who still retains some amount of sanity.  While the comboxes are predictably combustible his article is particularly insightful – rare indeed is the chance to see someone effectively say the future of the Church lies with kids of a conservative bent on this site.  Trying to summarize his article is difficult at best, but perhaps this paragraph will do the rest justice:

Case in point: A 2009 study carried out by Georgetown’s Center of Applied Research in the Apostolate, and sponsored by the National Religious Vocations Conference, found a marked contrast between new members of religious orders in the United States today (the “millennial generation”) and the old guard. In general, younger religious, both men and women, are more likely to prize fidelity to the church and to pick a religious order on the basis of its reputation for fidelity; they’re more interested in wearing the habit, and in traditional modes of spiritual and liturgical expression; and they’re much more positively inclined toward authority.

Another quite useful point he makes is that for this new generation the old class delineations of liberal and conservative are of little interest.  They have little interest in the all-too-common method of putting everyone in comfortable predefined box and judging everything they say or do through the lens that accompanies that box.  But that is not to say they have no interest in understanding and making judgments on people and movements – they just don’t want to use the, frankly intellectually lazy and inaccurate, method of pigeonholing we find all around us.  While this may make them seem uninterested in such a concept as universal truth what it really means on the inside is that they have a deep interest in truth that is true, not merely convenient or handed to them by others.  I think that is a lesson we could all reflect on a little more, particularly as the political season turns up another notch.

Just from the trailer I can’t wait to see the full piece.

How many crimes are committed in the name of justice!  If you were a dealer in guns and someone paid you for one so tha the might use it to kill your mother, would you sell it to him?  And yet, wasn’t he ready to pay you a just price for it?

Professor, journalist, politician, diplomat:  meditate     — St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way

Pope Benedict’s general prayer intention for September is: That all teachers may know how to communicate love of the truth and instil authentic moral and spiritual values.

His mission intention is: That the Christian communities of Asia may proclaim the Gospel with fervour, witnessing to its beauty with the joy of faith.

Via VIS

There are not a few people who believe the Church should fight against what they perceive to be the evils perpetuated and encouraged by the capitalistic economic model.  I, if you have not already guessed, am not one of those people.  I’m not going to wax poetic here on economic theories and the preferential option for the poor vs. subsidiarity and the propriety of state charity, as enjoyable as that could be (now where ever did I put those hot pokers for my eyes?).  Instead I merely wanted to link to an interesting article from Catholic World Report, an interview with Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, the head of the Vatican Bank.  Agree or disagree with his position on topics such as capitalism, distribution of wealth, globalization or other issues the article is worth a read if only to understand how at least one man has managed to align capitalism and Catholic ethics.

As if World Youth Day hasn’t been swamped by coverage (at least in Catholic circles anyway), I wanted to post this link to a talk given by Sean Cardinal O’Malley.  Even given his close proximity I don’t often get to hear him talk at this length and it was refreshing to hear a Cardinal speak so clearly and simultaneously with such joy.  I can only hope those there listened well and allowed his words to sink in.

Like human life itself, freedom draws its meaning from love. Indeed, who is the freest?  Someone who selfishly keeps all posibilities open for fear of losing them, or someone who expends himself “firmly resolved” to serve, and thereby finds himself full of life because of the love he has given and received? — Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, July 1, 2007

This quote couldn’t have hit home more dead center for me if it were written for me alone.  Among those who know me I’m renowned for my ability to keep every last option open until the absolute last second.  Sometimes I’m proven right in doing so as events play out differently than one would have expected at an earlier time.  Sometimes, though, I watch perfectly good and even necessary opportunities fly right by because I don’t want to put all my eggs in that one basket.

Granted, some of this behavior is driven by past experiences.  I grew up in a family that very often didn’t have two spare nickels to rub together, though we always, somehow, amazingly made it through intact despite some very difficult times – perhaps Mom should head to Washington to show them how to stretch their income a little.  But back then I also had no idea who this “God” was that people thought they could depend on, which meant relying on yourself and your closest family and that was it.  The whole idea of pouring everything you have, heart, soul and being into one prospect purely on the faith that God would take care of you – yeah, that just doesn’t compute most days.

Then I read about the lives of the saints, like today’s Saint Bartholomew who suffered martyrdom by being skinned alive.  He so completely invested himself in his love for Christ and bringing the only good news that counts to everyone he could that even the prospect of a brutal death like this did not dissuade him from his path.  The distance between my utter wimpishness and his great example of self-giving is more than a little staggering.  Yet at the same time that distance does not need to be crossed all in one step to gain in holiness.  It’s high time I start trusting in God’s grace and His generosity.  Trust, give and be “full of life”!

Happy news comes in many forms; this one a few days ago when the Pope informed a large gathering of men preparing to become priests he plans to soon declare St. John of Avila a Doctor of the Church.  I confess I have not had time as yet to study his writings but I was greatly pleased to be pointed to a cache of them available on archive.org by Fr. Cory Sticha.  I have to think it not a coincidence this soon-to-be Doctor is remembered as a reformer of clerical life, this at a time when attacks on the clergy are rampant in the world at large and unfortunately not always without cause.

I pray this new attention to St. John of Avila will spur many to an increased devotion to Christ and His Church and a renewed determination to live their varied vocations to the fullest.  Pray for us all, St. John of Avila.