Temporary Blogging Hiatus

Work on this blog project has been halted for the time being. I will hopefully be back at it with new posts and content soon.

A New Bishop for Arlington!

uesday morning, the news was released that Pope Francis had appointed Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina to lead my home diocese of Arlington, Virginia.  A new appointment to replace the aging Bishop Paul Loverde has been expected for over a year now. Bishop Loverde has done much good for this diocese in his 16 years as its ordinary and at 76, can now fittingly retire from this infinitely demanding responsibility.  From w, Bishop Burbidge is fine shepard who seems well able to continue the good done by and under Bishop Loverde and do even more to transform the diocese to reflect evermore the very heart of the Church.  He has a reputation as a “conservative” and faithful bishop who can articulate the truths of the faith with clarity and effectiveness. He has also been notably supportive of Summorum Pontificum and a continued expansion of the celebration of the traditional rites of the sacraments, as Rorate Caeli reports. Thus, he is someone who we can expect to bring a new gifts and fervor to Arlington, and promote and allow for the continued restoration and growth of an authentic and vibrant practice of the faith throughout the diocese.

I hope my fellow Catholics of the diocese will join me in welcoming and praying for Bishop Burbidge as he soon begins his new ministry. He will be installed as our Diocese's fourth bishop on December 6th.

Respect for the Hierarchy

The subject of diocesan bishops and episcopal appointments brings to mind an important point that I would like to make. How so many of us are quick to criticize and bishops for what may very well be clear failures of pastoral leadership or orthodoxy. But how many of us spend any real time offering prayers and sacrifices for our bishops and Holy Father? It seems right that one ought to spend more time praying for bishops than voicing criticism of them, even the most wayward ones. This spiritual support of the pastors of the church is a clear responsibility of the laity, especially toward one’s own ordinary and the Holy Father. Those who without prudence and charity, constantly harp about the faults and failures of bishops need to be much more careful, especially those who devote much time and effort with websites and organizations that routinely engage in "bashing" members of the hierarchy (Michael Voris and Church Militant TV is the example par excellence). Now this “bashing” is not the same as offering appropriate, necessary and careful criticism that does not amount to calumny or detraction. Thus we laymen must exercise prudence when we speak of the pastors of the church, even if their words or actions demand criticism. We owe them our love and respectful devotion simply by virtue of their office as successors to the apostles.


"Who is going to save our Church?  Not our Bishops, not our priests and religious.  It is up to the people.  You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church.  Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops like bishops and your religious act like religious."

The above words by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen are often quoted. But they should not be used to justify the false idea that its the role and responsibility of the laity to police the clergy. There is definitely something to be said for well-formed laymen doing all in their power to influence the ordained to remain faithful to Christ and his Church, but based on the very structure and tradition of the church, we cannot get carried away with this notion of lay authority. We must be careful to not undermine the structure of authority in the church as Christ established it, or indirectly promote a harmful and protestant ecclesiology, whereby the authority and dignity of the episcopal office is denigrated.

We would do well to consider what Pope Leo XIII in his Apostolic Letter Epistola Tua : 

"To the shepherds alone was given all power to teach, to judge, to direct; on the faithful was imposed the duty of following their teaching, of submitting with docility to their judgment, and of allowing themselves to be governed, corrected, and guided by them in the way of salvation. Thus, it is an absolute necessity for the simple faithful to submit in mind and heart to their own pastors, and for the latter to submit with them to the Head and Supreme Pastor. In this subordination and dependence lie the order and life of the Church; in it is to be found the indispensable condition of well-being and good government. On the contrary, if it should happen that those who have no right to do so should attribute authority to themselves, if they presume to become judges and teachers, if inferiors in the government of the universal Church attempt or try to exert an influence different from that of the supreme authority, there follows a reversal of the true order, many minds are thrown into confusion, and souls leave the right path."




A brief bio of Bishop Burbidge from the diocesan website.
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/news/Pope-Francis-Appoints-New-Bishop-of-Arlington/index.aspx


Video of Tuesday's press conference following the announcement. Here it is rather apparent that he is articulate and engaging.

St. Padre Pio

oday we celebrate with joy the feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately know by Catholics as "Padre Pio". This truly extraordinary saint was a saint of modern times and lived from 1887 to 1968. The incredible stories of his life leave one stunned at the level of holiness and christian perfection he attained here on earth. St. Pio was given numerous mystical gifts that few other saints where know to have. He bore the stigmata for most of his life, endured the sufferings of Christ when celebrating mass, and could bi-locate, heal the sick and "read souls".  His life is clear evidence of what God can do when a soul gives itself entirely to him without reserve or fear. Let us strive to imitate his heroic courage and unbounded love for God and neighbor so that we might live lives of similar greatness.

 St. Pio had many simple sayings that are highly helpful for the average Christian trying to grow in those most important virtues of faith, hope and charity.

“Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”

“Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter. ”

“The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain”

“The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.”

Relics in New York City

The beautiful Neo-Gothic Church of St. John the Baptist in New York City (Manhattan) is dedicated as a shrine to Padre Pio. The Capuchin Friars who staff the church have in their care a number of very unique second class relics of him. It is worth noting that relics and their veneration have long been an important part of Catholic devotional life and express well the churches teachings on the Communion of Saints and the resurrection of the body. In some cases, relics can seem rather morbid or macabre. But the truth be told, in these modern times of ours, relics are seldom understood properly by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

I was blessed to be able to pray at the shrine and take a few photos this past June.

One of his gloves

One of his socks 

A small piece of blood-stained cloth

Fascinating Images

Given the times in which he lived, there exist hundreds of photos and a handful of videos of Padre Pio taken throughout his life. Particularly notable are those of him celebrating the Holy Mass. During his celebration of the mass, he would often have intense mystical experiences and would suffer immensely. This can be seen very readily in his face and eyes in these images. At mass, he witnessed the sufferings of Jesus and suffered them himself as priest and "Alter Christus". Of this mystical participation in Christ's passion, he wrote:

"I suffer all what Jesus suffered, from the Garden to the Cross."

"I inadequately suffer to the extent a human creature can possibly suffer."

"I suffer the agony of death like Jesus in the Garden Gethsemane."

"The sufferings are so acute that they can neither be described nor imagined."

"I suffer the bitterness of gall very often during the Mass."

"I suffer the most from the Consecration to the Communion."

"My suffering is insignificant compared to the suffering Jesus experienced."

"I don’t want my Calvary to be alleviated; rather to make it harder. We must suffer."

"The offertory is the moment when the soul becomes detached from all that is profane."

"I suffer the crowning of thorns during the Holy Mass and also before and after it."

"Without the crown of thorns the immolation would not be complete. The thorns are around the whole head."

"The crown of thorns is never taken away. The head and the heart are the wound that hurt the most."

"I suffer the scourging from the beginning to the end of the Mass, but more intensely after the Consecration."

You can read more about these mystical experiences of his and see many powerful photos here: The Mass with Padre Pio

The last mass he celebrated before his death. At this point, his wounds had healed.

St. Padre Pio, Pray for Us! 

The Solemnity of the Assumption and the Liturgical Reforms

wish to all a very happy Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary! As her body was the immaculate "vessel" chosen to bear Christ the savior, God rightly preserved it from the corruption of the grave and she was “assumed” into heaven both body and soul. She was reunited with her divine son to reign with him forever, and to intercede for us as queen and mother until the end of time. Just think of the infinite joy in the hearts of Jesus and Mary at the moment of their reunion in Heaven! Perhaps something new to mediate on when praying the Fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The contemplation of this holy event can offer us a share in that joy.

I came across some lovely old news footage of the Solemn Proclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption by the Venerable Pius XII during the holy year of 1950. The YouTube channel British Pathe’ has a good collection of high-quality old footage of Catholic liturgies from 50's and early 60's. Here one can catch a glimpse of many of the great traditions that were done away with in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.

Indeed, so much of our rich liturgical patrimony was suppressed and discarded during this tumultuous time. So much that enriched the lives of our ancestors. The contents of these rites were not empty rituals or gratuitous trappings, but integral elements of an ancient and organically-developed rite. The old liturgy added much greater substance to Catholic life and its "externals" much more readily taught and reinforced the faith with symbolism and beauty. The new rites simply lack far too much of this necessary substance and the contrast between the two is rather stark.

There were legitimate problems in the liturgical life of the Church at the time of the council. Both in the way the liturgy was celebrated by the clergy, and how it was understood and prayed by the laity. But on the flip-side, it would not be wrong to say that in the decades before the council, Catholics had a greater understanding of the liturgy than they had ever had before. The fruits of the "liturgical movement" of the first half of the 20th century seemed to be bearing great fruit and inspiring among many a renewed love and appreciation for the richness and tradition of the roman rite.

Perhaps some minor reforms and revisions of the rites were warranted, as the Second Vatican Council suggested. But it is clear that the council and its documents didn't call for or invasion the vast majority of the changes that were made. A close reading of Sacrosanctum Concilium leaves little room for revolutionary changes to find justification. Rather, it seems clear that there was a serious departure from the modest desires for liturgical renewal expressed by the council fathers. St. John XXIII's Apostolic Constitution Veterum Sapientia (1962) is a clear example of this troubling dissonance between the desires of council and its problematic aftermath. The pope who called the council affirmed in no uncertain terms the necessity of preserving latin in the liturgy and life of the Church. Speaking of the responsibilities of bishops, he writes:

"In the exercise of their paternal care they shall be on their guard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionary changes, writes against the use of Latin in the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the Liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See's will in this regard or interprets it falsely." 

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/John23/j23veterum.htm


Despite these unfortunate liturgical missteps that have greatly harmed the church for many decades, I believe we have good reason for hope. The growing interest in authentic liturgy among young priests, the growth of traditional orders of priests (FSSP, ICKSP) and the ever-increasing celebration of the "Extraordinary Form" made possible by Pope Benedict XVI's gift of Summorum Pontificum is leading more and more to discover the richness and treasures of the traditional liturgy. As this movement continues to grow at an unstoppable pace, I believe the whole church will eventually return to the fullness of its tradition. This task of restoration will require great patience and is a task beyond the power of men. We must confidently entrust it to the divine head of the church, Christ the Eternal High Priest, and to Our Lady of Good Success who promised the restoration of the church.

Another fascinating video, the Coronation of Pope St. John XXIII:

False Expectations and the Wisdom of the Dominicans

his past Monday’s article “Divine Hope and Human Expectations" in the Dominicana Journal, was as a rather timely affirmation of many of my own thoughts and struggles recently. 

The Friar's reflection speaks of the false expectations we fall into in the spiritual life. How often do we try to achieve our own sanctification? We rely on our own standards and methods and not those of God. We place great trust in our limited ability to see and understand. Thus it is easy to become convinced that we can mold ourselves into “self-made saints”. But our human efforts will inevitably fail, discouragement ensues, and we become suspect of God and his plans for us.

It takes humility and resignation to God's will for us to reach a state where we are docile to the graces he bestows and willing to do only that which we are meant to do. Since his knowledge of us is perfect, unlike our imperfect self-knowledge, we do well to place our trust in his desires and plans and not our own. We must lean not toward our own knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 3:5), but on the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit given to us through prayer, Holy Scripture, spiritual direction and the words and lives of the saints. 

"He who constitutes himself his own director, becomes the disciple of a fool. As far as I am concerned, I declare that it is easier and safer for me to command many others than myself alone." 

-St. Bernard 

Excerpts from the article:

“Hope is a theological virtue infused by God into our souls to keep us from discouragement. Expectations, on the other hand, are human ideas of which we sometimes need to be wary. How often we expect too much from ourselves and become overly dejected when our all too familiar imperfections creep in! When our best resolutions fall prey to weak resolve, we are tempted to despair of ever improving at all. If this isn’t bad enough, we set equally high standards for others, and then we give in to anger when we realize that they too are imperfect. Our expectations can be just too high.”

“We are obsessed with our own conceptions of what holiness should look like, and we would limit God to working only in those ways that we expect Him to. But God both acts contrary to all human expectation, as when He chooses the powerless and the weak to make His salvation known (CCC 489), and far exceeds human expectations, as when He sent His own beloved Son (CCC 422).”

“If only we knew that our imperfections and weaknesses, far from disqualifying us from God’s mercy and love, rather entitle us to them. “The Lord has compassion for those who fear him because he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust” (Ps 103:13-14). If we expect to fall at least seven times a day, we will not be too ashamed to get up every time and beseech God for forgiveness. To put our hope in ourselves, or in others, or in any created thing is to set ourselves up for discouragement. But if we trust that God is at work, even when we are devoid of any sensible devotion, we may have every expectation that our hopes shall not be disappointed, “as scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in Him shall not be disappointed’” (Rom 10:11).”

http://www.dominicanajournal.org/divine-hope-and-human-expectations/

 I have long had a great love for the Dominican Order. Through the lives and writings of their saints, the spiritual and intellectual contribution they have made to the church throughout the centuries is immense. This Dominican wisdom has played a key part in my own formation in the faith. I chose the "Angelic Doctor", St. Thomas Aquinas as my confirmation saint. Anyone who knows St. Thomas knows that his writings really cannot possibly be appreciated enough. I say this in spite of the fact that he claimed they were all but "straw" in comparison to the beatific vision he was granted a glimpse of. He even tried to burn his works, but providence intervened and his faithful scribe convinced him not to. I digress. 

It is also worth noting that now during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, the order is also celebrating their own Jubilee. St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers 800 years ago in 1216. The celebration of this historic anniversary extends until January 21st.

Webpage of the Jubilee Year: http://www.op.org/en/jubilee

And lastly, the Friars of the House of Studies in Washington, DC have put out a record of beautiful sacred music (chant, polyphony and hymns) on the occasion of this anniversary. Consider adding this music to your library and supporting the friars and their labors for the salvation of souls. 

http://www.dominicanajournal.org/records/

God Love You,

N.C.E.

A New Blog Begins!

am very excited to be starting this blog! It is a project I have been considering for a good while and come to realize that I might as well give a good attempt to.

 I intend to write and share things related to Catholicism, theology, philosophy, art, culture, history (and all good things). These important topics reflect my own greatest interests and areas of study and work.

I hope this will be a good place to get some of my thoughts, reflections and personal ruminations (however right or wrong they may be) out to friends and to the world. I hope that I can do this with humility, charity and every virtue. I see a real need to avoid impatience, uncharitable speech and unjust anger. These ills are unfortunately seen on Catholic blogs and sites all too often. If we have not love, then all our speech, however much truth it contains, is no better than “resounding gongs and clashing cymbals” (1 Cor 13:1). We are called to imitate the love, patience and gentleness of God to our neighbor without bias or exception.

An authentic Catholic presence on the internet is critically important in our troubled times. We must be willing to share the life-giving truths of the faith by all means necessary to reach a world that is drifting further and further away from truth, goodness and beauty. The urgent work of the "New Evangelization" is the responsibility of every Catholic and I hope that my efforts here can play some small part in this. 

God Love You,

N.C.E