On Mean-spiritedness

(if that's not a made up word)

Today I read something really depressing over at The Crescat. The entry itself was not depressing but the comments underneath were, for two reasons. First of all, they attacked a famous Catholic blogger for encouraging divisiveness and polarizing the Catholic blogosphere and they accused many of those who comment on the blog of being hypocritical and uncharitable. Now, in some respects I can understand where they are coming from and I have often wondered about some of the views on the blog. Nevertheless, these comments were vituperative themselves, pure and simple. This is the second reason why it was depressing.

Anyway, this got me reflecting on the purpose of this blog. What is the point of it? Reading through some of my past entries, I realise that it's quite a depressing blog itself. It's often too critical and not nearly joyful enough. So I've set myself two criteria by which I can decide whether it is worthwhile posting something.

Is this post helpful in cultivating a virtue?
Is this post interesting or just self-indulgent?

I've also decided that, for Lent, I'll only post nice things and nothing critical. There's enough of that stuff elsewhere.

And so, to start me off, I'll go with this:

Why I Hate The Sixties....

Eternal priesthood/Regenerative baptism.

Over on Vultus Christi there is a fantastic piece on the priesthood. Over on Shameless Popery there's a brilliant piece on baptism, quoting the Church Fathers. I recommend both.

Self Destruction

It was with some sadness that I read an article in the Scotland on Sunday today concerning a male contraceptive injection. According to the article, the injection is only needed every two months or so and that it dramatically reduces the sperm count during that period, often down to nil.
The consequences of this are obvious, yet society seems to be totally oblivious to it. Many people are still taken in by threats of overpopulation and I worry that it continues to give the impression that children are a burden, something to put up with.
Furthermore, this comes at a time when the government is encouraging more immigration in order to boost the population which is set to shrink in the future. Instead of a population pyramid we'll have what my geography teacher described as a "population coffin."
Madness, I tell you, madness!
It will only lead to sadness.

The Oath Against Modernism

Given by His Holiness St. Pius X September 1, 1910.



To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.








 I . . . . firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:90), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical' misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our creator and lord.
Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi and in the decree Lamentabili, especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality-that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.
Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact-one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history-the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.
I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God. . .

De sancta familia Jesu, Mariae et Joseph

On the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Although the feast of the Holy Family falls on the Sunday in Christmastide (or the 30^th of December if Christmas is on a Sunday, such as next Christmas), there are various reminders of the Holy Family throughout the year, including Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord or as the Purification of the Virgin Mary, on the second of February.

The Holy Family offers to Christians and also to the whole of humanity the perfect model of a family. It is a family at the heart of which is love of God and love of each other. Examining this more concretely, we should be able to identify the marks of a loving family.

First of all, in fulfilling the Law perfectly, the Family would have prayed regularly throughout the day. They would have prayed the Psalms, the Tephillah and the Mezuzah. Joseph, and later Jesus when He was older, would have prayed the Shema. Christian families should therefore also imitate the Holy Family in the life of prayer. Much is to be said for the maxim that a family that prays together, stays together. This is because the family has God for its foundation, and so this foundation is as solid as a rock. Family prayer can consist of morning and evening prayer, prayers before and after meals, a daily rosary, and most importantly going to Mass together.

Patron saints

Each night before I go to sleep I say a little litany of my own, asking saints of my choosing for their intercession. Many of these saints are featured around my blog. Generally, a lot of them I chose myself and have something to do with an area in which I need particular help. However, in this list, there are also a couple of saints which I did not actively choose but rather they ended up coming to me. Thinking about these saints last night, I realise that God assigned them to me in order to help me with various things in my life. Going the Irish way about it*, I'll start from the bottom (in terms of the order in which I say them in the litany).

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, my confirmation saint.
Okay, so I did choose this saint, but I was young at the time and didn't choose him for any real reason. I just liked the name. I had originally chosen Saint Athanasius because it sounded even longer and more unusual but I suppose that it would be too obvious that that was the reason I chose him. Anyway, I chose Saint Ignatius and then never really thought about it again, apart from on an odd occasion. I started becoming a little bit ashamed of having chosen him both because of the arbitrariness of my choice and also because of the reputation that the Society of Jesus has. My dad told me about how the Jesuits were extremely strict (and drove on of my uncles through marriage to stop being a Chaldean Catholic) and also nowadays they are often seen to be associated with being dodgy priests, so much so that some people seem to roll their eyes every time they see SJ after a priest's name. I think this is highly unfair as I have met some great Jesuit priests but nevertheless, for a while I was ashamed of having a confirmation saint associated with the Jesuits.
I then came to realise that never mind what the Society of Jesus is like now, I should still be honoured to have such a great saint like Saint Ignatius as a patron. Thinking about it last night, I realised that by assigning this saint to me, God has recognised my lack of missionary zeal and and obedience to God and His Church. I am quite cowardly when it comes to sharing my faith in person but I like to think that through Saint Ignatius' intercession, I have become more confident in explaining my faith to others. Furthermore, after "that incident" over a year ago, I now realise how important it is to support the Church and those in authority rather than always questioning and doubting them, which had been my usual initial reaction.

Saint Vincent de Paul, the saint on my birthday.
According to the OF calendar, the memoria of Saint Vincent de Paul is on my birthday. In the EF calendar, it is Saints Cosmas and Damian (aside - how I wish the two calendars were the same!). Again, I did not "choose" this saint - he just happens to have his memoria the same day I celebrate my birthday.
Saint Vincent also founded a congregation with a missionary aspect, further emphasising what I said above about Saint Ignatius. I also think of works of mercy when I think about Saint Vincent and so I believe God is trying to encourage me to undertake more works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual, as currently I do very little.



Saint Juliana of Liège (or of Mt Cornillon), my saint of 2010/2011
On the blog Angela Messenger, the blogger assigns saints to people who ask her for one. She says that she does not specifically choose a saint for a particular reason but prays on it and lets God choose for her. She does this each November so that you have a saint in time for the new liturgical year. Last year I got Saint Juliana of Liège, a saint I'd never heard of. I was very interested to find out that she was an ardent promoter for the introduction of the feast of Corpus Christi. Since having her as a new patron, I have tried to go to the weekly Holy Hour my priest holds more often. Greater devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament is always greatly beneficial for one's soul, and I think I have already noticed some of the effects. Often, it was when praying before the Blessed Sacrament that saints received visions, such as Saint Margaret Mary.


Saint Stanislaus Kostka, my saint of 2009/2010.
In 2009 I got Saint Stanislaus Kostka, again a saint I'd never heard of. This prompted me to find out more about him. He was a Jesuit novice who died when he was 17. His religious fervour and devotion to the Lord and to the Blessed Virgin Mary were notable, and he longed to be in heaven with God. He died on the feast of the Assumption (he was said to have longed to be in heaven for the celebration of our Lady's assumption). His piety and devotion was met with hostility from his brother Paul, who was still alive when Saint Stanislaus was beatified. This encouraged me to devote myself more to the Eucharist and to Mary, as he was. His bravery when faced with death I found inspiring. I had intended on dropping him from the litany to make way for Saint Juliana, but found I kept saying him anyway, so I've decided to continue to ask for his intercession. I still need help with greater devotion anyway.

I think God through His providence has assigned these saints to pray for me as they are all areas in which I need great help.


*An Irish woman whom I met at weekly adoration often uses this expression. An example: "This may sound a bit Irish, but if I'm there, I'm there and if I'm not, I'm not."