Ubi Petrus

On the flight in to California I continued working my way through Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain. I’m all but done – I imagine I’ll finish it off long before I hit my layover in Chicago tomorrow. Somewhere over the Rocky Mountains I came across a concept that has simply made me stop and think.

Merton is making contrasts here, as he’s working his way around time time of his beginning experiences at the monastery, between those who stay in the monastery and those who left. Among many other observations, Merton noted that those who were the happiest, the most saintly, took past sins differently than the others. Those less-developed in the spiritual life, he suggested, looked at their past sins solely as evidence of their failings – in other words, they reflected the sin again by looking in on themselves. The saintly types, however, thought of past sins more in the remembrance of God’s grace and mercy which came after those sins had been confessed. That is, they looked at the greater movement of the Spirit rather than their failings.

I think sometimes, particularly in our self-therapeutic culture, we likewise tend to think of our past sins only in the context of what we did wrong, neglecting to pay attention to the mercy meted out to us by the God whose mercy is far greater than any sin we can commit. We need to differentiate between ignoring our sins because we are so certain of God’s mercy and ignoring God’s mercy because we are so focused on the horror of our sins.

The other day it happened that I was looking at the corner of the ceiling in one of the rooms in my house – which room is not important to the story. As I was inspecting this corner I noticed how closely the lines formed by the intersections of the two walls and the ceiling imitated those formed by our Savior’s arms and body as He hung on the cross. Contemplating this further, I (or perhaps my Angel, for certainly I do not know from whence this came) imaged Christ over these intersections, hanging on the Cross, bleeding and dying for us. It was a vivid image yet not in the modern form of excruciating detail. Suddenly but yet as if it had always been there I noticed the form of two words astride The Crucified, one to the left of His legs and one to the right. The two words? “For You”. Talk about something to think about. “For You“.

I’m back in California on work again this week. The good news is that I brought our laptop with me, so depending on WiFi connectivity I should still be able to blog. Once, that is, my body understands which time zone it is in and stops trying to tell me it’s bed time while I’m still at work. At least I’ve managed to avoid the rainy weather back home, ’tis beautiful here.

Certainly there is the unmoved mover, the uncreated creator, the argument from motion and so on. For my recent birthday my wife got me another proof of the existence of God – a Keurig Coffee System. You’ve probably seen one around before – they’re the ones with the little cups (called K-cups) that you plop in. Then with a push of a button and a few seconds, you have a steaming hot cup of coffee of the flavor of your choice. Further, the coffee doesn’t get burned by sitting on the hot plate which, unless you’re a fan of that flavor, is a wonderful thing. And finally, I can make a cup of coffee any time I want one, without feeling that I have to make a pot, without wasting coffee that just sits there and my wife and I can finally share a coffee pot even though she drinks flavored coffees and I just can’t bring myself to like them.

So. Proof of God? Certainly – it improves our stewardship of the earth (more efficient use of resources), it allows us more time to serve God and our neighbor (faster brewing), it allows you to explore the wonderful bounty of God’s creation (multiple flavors in the same machine), and it improves the cohesion of the family (no more competing for coffee pot time). Only a benevolent and loving God could inspire man to create such a machine. (Yes, for those Pharisaically-inclined among us, my tongue is slightly in-cheek in writing this. But only slightly.)

I’ve just been buried between work, RCIA and the new Bible Study I’ve tripped across (they’re using the Ignatius Study Bibles – yes!). Convenient that, since I’m working to put together a presentation on the Bible for RCIA this Sunday. Given that our Deacon was originally going to make this presentation, I’m of course feeling no pressure to measure up. Of course. All I can say is, thank God for the Catechism. I’m also ruminating on a conversion story post, since I suppose it’s about time I get that out there. Sleep? Who needs sleep?

…is when it can be read without knowledge of when it was written without losing its impact. I’ve been reading Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain and in my insufficiently humble opinion, it’s full of such great prose.

It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists, if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce men and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out His grace upon us? Can there be any doubt where wars come from and where peace comes from, when the children of this world, excluding God from their peace conferences, only manage to bring about greater and greater wars the more they talk about peace?

This could very well have been written by someone today concerned about the bifurcation in the larger community in terms of how we define, pursue and promote peace. By itself one would never have known this was written by someone now roughly sixty years ago – the language and facts are simply timeless. Our former Vicar had recommended this book many months ago prior to his reassignment and only now have I had the chance to sit down to read this excellent book. Thus far, it has certainly been worth the wait.

[G]ive, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
— Luke 6:38 (RSV)

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’
— Matthew 25:20-21 (RSV)

We’re at the end of what can only be described as a highly intense week at work which should explain my lack of posting thus far, not that I’m proud of that fact. That the two above quotes sum up how the week has ended should suggest things have gone well, but it was extraordinarily stressful for quite a while. Suffice it to say I’m sure not everyone’s week would identify with the above quotes, and they are in my prayers.

To be only slightly less opaque, after all the stress of the week had concluded I was handed an opportunity I hadn’t even contemplated. Not an opportunity for a new project or a new job, but an opportunity to evangelize and catechize a co-worker. Since the other person brought up the subjects, such as women priests, the Inquisition and others, I thankfully didn’t have to worry about getting into trouble since, unlike Dom, I don’t work for the Diocese.

So in exchange for putting all my trust in God to get me through this difficult week in whatever way He found best, I was rewarded with an opportunity to do as He has called all of us to and even graced with the words with which to do so. When you open yourself to God’s workings, He does not give in dribs and drabs, He gives in heaps and mountains. Sometimes it’s like drinking from a fire hose of grace. [T]hou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. — Psalms 23:5b (RSV)

Two updates on the state of the Extraordinary Form Mass in the Diocese of Manchester. First, commenter pazdziernik tells us the next EF Mass at St. Patrick’s in Nashua will be this coming Sunday at 2PM.

Second, over at Corpus et Sanguis, commenter Dianne-Marie tells us Fr. Kelly’s current schedule is for High Mass on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 4PM and Low Mass on the Fourth Sunday of each month at 2PM provided other parish-related issues do not intervene. This is certainly a most generous response. When you look at Fr. Kelly’s sacramental schedule, however, you’re not entirely surprised: he has regularly scheduled confessions seven days a week – weekdays before the 12:05 Mass, Saturday before the 4:00 Mass and before each Mass on Sunday. There are many parishes that could learn a lesson from that schedule.

If anyone has heard of any other Extraordinary Form Masses in NH other than those at St. Patrick’s in Nashua and Immaculate Conception in Portsmouth, please let me know in the combox. If there is enough support perhaps the Bishop will be encouraged to search out even more ways to accommodate this tradition. Maybe even a Mass in the Cathedral some day. Hope springs eternal.

When good and profitable things are happening in this Diocese, I think it’s only good to broadcast that fact. Three in particular have caught my eye as important happenings in the near future.

First, St. Pius X parish in Manchester will be honoring the 90th anniversary of our Blessed Mother’s apparitions at Fatima, Portugal on Monday, October 1 at 7 PM. There will be an outdoor procession (yes, a real procession!) and indoors there will be a special blessing with the Monstrance by Fr. Bob Gorski, the rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet and Benediction as well as refreshments. One could, of course, say the former are refreshment in and of themselves! It is indeed good to see truly Catholic activities like Marian processions becoming more common in this Diocese.

Second, Fr. Marc Montminy (the twin brother of my pastor, former Director of Vocations for the Diocese and all-around tremendous priest) will be the next speaker for the Theology on Tap series. His lecture will be at Fratello’s Restaurant on Dow Street in Manchester with the title of “The Naked Truth: That they may be one“. I may be wrong, but it certainly sounds like a talk on the Theology of the Body which can only be a good thing in this day and age. And while you’re there, you can have some of the best Italian food in the city which is also, only a good thing! (I usually go for their Northender and have never walked out with a significant doggy bag, another good thing.)

Finally, the Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture will begin its fall lecture series on “Foundations of Ancient Catholic Thought” on October 6th at Joseph House in Manchester. As far as I can tell, and Google says so too, this group does not as yet have a web site for linking, but I certainly will not complain one iota about a lecture series about the Church Fathers. The series will be presented by Cheryl Geary, one of the five founders of the Institute. I must find out more about this organization.

Good things are starting to happen in this Diocese. If it please God may this be only the beginning.