The Vatican’s Recent Proclamation

I feel a quick word is needed on the recent proclamation put out by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith regarding questions to the true meaning of the Vatican II document LUMEN GENTIUM . The media, along with other Christian denominations, have been quick to lambast the Catholic Church for the perceived self-righteousness of this document, for it does indeed declare that the Catholic Church is the one “true” church.

While I am admittedly frustrated with Cardinal Levada and the Holy Father’s choice to release this document at this time, particularly when ecumenism is so fragile, I would encourage you to read The Document Itself , rather than trusting the twisted reports the media is putting on it. While it does indeed address “defects” in the schismatic church, the document reaffirms the words of the council, that these churches “are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth.” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3.4) This is a far more open minded view-point than most Protestant denominations have of Catholicism.

Thus, be encouraged to continue with every effort for ecumenical dialogue and prayer amongst Christians, knowing that the Vatican does support such efforts. There is, however, much more work to be done on both sides.

On Temptation

“The [devil] acts like a false lover, insofar as he tries to remain secret and undetected. For such a scoundrel, speaking with evil intent and trying to seduce the daughter of a good father or the wife of a good husband, wants his words and solicitations to remain secret. But he is deeply displeased when the daughter reveals his deceitful words and evil designs to her father, or the wife to her husband. For he easily infers that he cannot succeed in the design he began.

“In a similar manner, when the [devil] turns his wiles and persuasions upon an upright person, he intends and desires them to be received and kept in secret. But when the person reveals them to his or her good confessor or some other spiritual person who understands the enemy’s deceits and malice, he is grievously disappointed. For he quickly sees that he cannot succeed in the malicious projects he began, because his manifest deceptions have been detected.”

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So wrote St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises (#326, 1548). We often feel like the virtuous daughter and good wife of the parable, and are shy to reveal our temptations, making us more likely to succumb to them. But by exposing the tempter as an imposter, a false lover, we take away his might, and invoke the aid of our spiritual community.

St. Ignatius recommends the council of a good confessor, or other spiritual mentor, but we are often guilty of attempting to hide our temptations from God himself. Sometimes we are embarrassed to admit feeling tempted by certain sins. If we can face the temptation within ourselves, recognizing the potential for sin even without committing it, and praying for help in avoiding it, we have taken away the devil’s intended secrecy, and set ourselves on the road to virtue.

The women in the parable are embarrassed to admit the false lover’s advances to father and husband, but there should be no shame in revealing the danger. Otherwise, she is all alone. Similarly we will be alone against the devil unless we admit our temptation to our Heavenly Father. God cannot come to our aid until we ready ourselves for it. If we willingly listen to the seduction of sin, we block out God’s help. There is a thin line between ignoring temptation and actually desiring the sin. Sometimes in our human weakness we tread that line. By asking God for strength to resist, we make a pledge of intention. The temptation may persist, but we have made a clear preference for righteousness.

The current generation of Catholics have become somewhat lax in making confession. We take comfort in prayers of general contrition at mass, or perhaps fulfill our obligation by going to confession once a year. Many priests too, fail to stress the importance of confession with regard to anything less than mortal sin. But confession is more than an obligation, and it is more than a sacrament. Confession is also an opportunity for spiritual encouragement, where not only sins committed, but sins tempted, can be shared and prayed for. By bringing temptation before our confessor, we are like the woman of St. Ignatius’ parable, telling her father or husband about the false lover who is harassing her. The prayers of the priest and the aid of God confront the devil, taking away his secrecy and protecting the victim from his snares. An additional benefit to confessing temptations is that it gives an aspect of accountability. Who would want to have to admit to succumbing to a sin which the priest was diligently praying you would avoid? The shame alone would be sufficient penance.

So I would encourage you Christians not to be embarrassed and dismayed by temptation, but to confront it. Take away the devil’s secrecy by invoking the help of God. And do not shun the sacrament of penance, for it can give profound strength and encouragement, both to avoid sin and to avoid temptation, which is the near occasion of sin.

Veneration of the Cross

This Good Friday, I want to wish you the love of God which is proven to an astonishing degree this day. While Christmas and Easter celebrate Jesus’ glorious incarnation and resurrection, it is on Good Friday that we really see what kind of God we worship–a God who suffered unimaginable pain and torture for us.

Singing in the St. James Cathedral choir during the veneration of the cross, I am always struck this day by what the crucifixion means. We so often complain about the strees and suffering of our lives, or ask questions such as “Why does God allow such horrible things to happen in our world?” The cross does not answer all those questions, but it certainly shows that Jesus can empathize with our suffering, for he has faced suffering much worse than our own. Whenever we feel weighed down by our pain, depression or loneliness, we can remember that Jesus was betrayed and abandoned by his friends, ridiculed, laughed at, and then executed. He can understand everything we suffer, because he has endured it as well.

On Good Friday we reflect more deeply on the words from our creed “Crucifixus etiam pro nobis.” What this phrase says is not just that Christ died for us, but that Christ is still dying for us. Christ’s love for us is so great that our suffering is his suffering, our pain is his pain, and our death is his death. When we venerate the cross on Good Friday we acknowledge our appreciation for what Christ did and continues to do for us.

On Easter we celebrate Christ’s glory, but it is on Good Friday that Christ proves his remarkable love.

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This reflection appeared in the March issue of In Your Midst, the St. James Cathedral newsletter.

MESSAGE FOR LENT

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

At the beginning of this season of lent, let me encourage you to take the meaning of this time to heart. Though lent is often remembered as a time of personal sacrifice, our focus being on what we give up, we should also remember that it is a time of action, a time for us to focus more diligently on our prayer and our works of charity for the poor. Lent is a time for us to stand in solidarity with the poor and suffering of the world. Through fasting and sacrifice, we remember those who have less. But more important than this is to turn our own sacrifices to work, aiding the poor in our midst with our charity, compassion and love.