SUBJECT: LIFE, DEATH, THEOLOGY, FOOD, etc . . .

My friends, it is with an incredible sense of grief -- and loss -- that I must report that the Rev. Fr. Robert Farrar Capon died yesterday at the age of 88.

I never met Fr. Capon, although I corresponded with family members 2 or 3 times over the last 5 years (although, not with him, as he had retired from public correspondence, and was not the "e-mailer" of the family.)

Those more erudite than I can parse bits and pieces of his theological perspectives . . . and I have no doubt that he, like all of us, was a sinner in need of Christ's redemption.  I make no claim to embrace all nuances. 

But . . . 

But . . . 

In spite of all . . . 

His 1968 "The Supper of the Lamb:  A Culinary Reflection" has meant the world to me.

A brief quote.  More will be forthcoming.

To raise a glass, however, is to raise a question.

One honest look at any real thing—one minute’s contemplation of any process on earth—leads straight into the conundrum of the relationship of God to the world. The solution is hardly obvious. For something that could not be at all without God, creation seems to do rather well without Him. Only miracles are simple; nature is a mystery. Autumn by autumn, He makes wine upon a thousand hills, but He does it without tipping His hand. Glucose, fructose, and Saccharomyces ellipsoideus apparently manage very nicely on their own. 

So much so, that the resolving of the conflict between the sacred and the secular (or, better said, the repairing of the damage done by divorcing them) has been billed as the major problem of modern theology. 

Permit me, therefore, glass in hand and cooking Sherry within easy reach, the world’s most interrupted discourse on the subject. In vino veritas.   Take the largest part of that truth first. God makes wine. For all its difficulties, there is no way around the doctrine of creation. But notice the tense: He makes; not made. He did not create once upon a time, only to find himself saddled now with the unavoidable and embarrassing result of that first rash decision. That is only to welsh on the idea of an unnecessary world, to make creation a self-perpetuating pool game which is contingent only at the start -- which needs only the first push on the cue ball to keep it going forever. It will not do: The world is more unnecessary than that. It is unnecessary now; it cries in this moment for a cause to hold it in being. 

It was St. Thomas, I think, who pointed out long ago that if God wanted to get rid of the universe, He would not have to do anything; He would have to stop doing something. Wine is --the fruit of the vine stands in act, outside of nothing -- because it is His very present pleasure to have it so. The creative act is contemporary, intimate, and immediate to each part, parcel and period of the world.   

Do you see what that means? In a general way we concede that God made the world out of joy: He didn’t need it; He just thought it was a good thing. But if you confine His activity in creation to the beginning only, you lose most of the joy in the subsequent shuffle of history. Sure, it was good back then, you say, but since then, we’ve been eating leftovers. How much better a world it becomes when you see Him creating at all times and at every time; when you see that the preserving of the old in being is just as much creation as the bringing of the new out of nothing. Each thing, at every moment, becomes the delight of His hand, the apple of His eye. 

The bloom of yeast lies upon the grape skins year after year because He likes it; C6H12O6=2C2H5OH+2CO2 is a de­pendable process because, every September, He says, That was nice; do it again.   Let us pause and drink to that. 

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

No, your favorite correspondant is not mistaken!  Today is the Church New Year, being the First Sunday in Advent of the Year of Grace 2013!

Advent has always been a favorite time for me, celebrating the Coming of Christ as a babe in Bethlehem; celebrating the Coming of Christ in the Holy Eucharist; and celebrating that day when He shall come in glory to judge the living and the dead, and whose Kingdom shall have no end!  According to JRR Tolkien, "The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history".  And as usual, Tolkien was correct!

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley

Have a Blessed Year of Grace 2013!

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: THE PASSING OF A GIANT!!!!!!!

I'll comment more later when I can.  Ralph was a friend and mentor.  For now, his obituary can speak for itself.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

Ralph Gerald Del Colle October 3, 1954 - July 29, 2012

57, of Milwaukee, passed into eternal life on July 29 preceded in death by his loving parents Flavia and Alfred Del Colle and survived by his beloved wife Lee Coppernoll, children Josh and Zoe Del Colle and dear confidant, twin sister Flavia. He is also survived by in-laws Sue and Dean Coppernoll, brother-in-laws Doug, Jeff and Kelly, sister-in-law Connie and many devoted cousins. 

Ralph was born in New York City on October 3, 1954 and was raised in Mineola, Long Island. He attended Xavier High School in Chelsea and received a B.A. in History and Literature of Religions from New York University, and M.Div, M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from Union Theological Seminary. Ralph taught for 17 years in the Marquette University Theology Department, prior to that he taught at Barry University, Miami Shores, FL and St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH.

 

Ralph’s lively Christian faith and interest in church unity led to his participation in ecumenical dialogues. He served as a representative to the International Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue for the Pontifical Council on Christian Unity for 12 years and also served on the Catholic-Reformed Dialogue and Catholic-Evangelical Dialogue, both for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He was invited by the Pontifical Council to serve as a representative to the World Council of Churches Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998. In 2002-2003, he served as the President of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and in 2003 Ralph received the Archbishop’s Vatican II Award. Ralph’s scholarly work, especially his work on the Holy Spirit, made significant contributions to the field of Systematic Theology. 

Ralph and Lee met in Manhattan in 1978 and after an extended courtship were married in Morningside Heights on August 10, 1985. Ralph deeply loved his family and devoted time to exploring the United States with Lee, Josh and Zoe, often traveling with dear friends Suzi Schriar and Loren Iglarsh and their son Danny. As a New Yorker, Ralph relished life in that city but he quickly became a huge fan of Milwaukee upon moving here.

Ralph was a voracious reader and loved to engage in vigorous discussion and debate on issues ranging from religion to politics to arts and culture to military history. He was a lifelong athlete who ran cross-country and was a black belt training at the Kempo Goju Karate Fudoshin on Vliet. More importantly, Ralph’s gift for friendship was strong and he leaves a trail of friends across the US and beyond. 

The family is grateful to the Mustard Seed Community for their care and feeding of the family over the past weeks, to the Marquette University Jesuit Community and to family, friends and colleagues who have been present in many remarkable ways during this time. 

Visitation Wednesday, August 1, at the Funeral Home from 4 PM to 7 PM with Vigil Service at 7 PM. Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, August 2, at 10:30 AM at THE CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, 812 N Jackson St. A light luncheon will be held immediately following in the Cathedral Atrium. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, 7301 W. Nash St., please meet at cemetery entrance at 2 PM for a Gravesite Committal Service. Memorials gifts may be given to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs, 3211 N. 4th St., Washington, DC 20017; Our Lady of Grace Catholic Spirituality Center, 2604 N. Swan Blvd., Wauwatosa, WI 53226; or Angiosarcoma Awareness, Inc., P.O. Box 570442, Whitestone, NY 11357.

SUBJECT: FAITH & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY!!!!!!!

FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM!!!!!!!

Day Two-- June 22nd, 2012 -- Memorial of Sts. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr and Thomas More, Martyr

It is in accordance with their dignity as persons—

that is, being endowed with reason and free

will and therefore privileged to bear personal responsibility—

that all men should be at once impelled by

nature and also bound by a moral obligation to seek

the truth, especially religious truth. They are also

bound to adhere to the truth, once it is known, and

to order their whole lives in accord with the demands

of truth.

However, men cannot discharge these obligations

in a manner in keeping with their own nature

unless they enjoy immunity from external coercion as

well as psychological freedom. Therefore, the right to

religious freedom has its foundation, not in the subjective

disposition of the person, but in his very nature.

In consequence, the right to this immunity continues to

exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation

of seeking the truth and adhering to it. Nor is the

exercise of this right to be impeded, provided that the

just requirements of public order are observed.

Declaration on Religious Liberty

(Dignitatis Humanae), no. 2

December 7, 1965

Read the entire meditation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops here.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: FAITH & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY!!!!!!!

FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM!!!!!!!

Day One -- June 21st, 2012 -- Memorial of St. Aloysuis Gonzaga

The Vatican Synod declares that the

human person has a right to religious freedom. This

freedom means that all men are to be immune from

coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups

and of any human power, in such wise that in matters

religious no one is to be forced to act in a manner

contrary to his own beliefs. Nor is anyone to be

restrained from acting in accordance with his own

beliefs, whether privately or publically, whether alone

or in association with others, within due limits.

The Synod further declares that the right to religious

freedom has its foundation in the very dignity

of the human person, as this dignity is known through

the revealed Word of God and by reason itself. This

right of the human person to religious freedom is to be

recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is

governed. Thus it is to become a civil right.

Declaration on Religious Liberty

(Dignitatis Humanae), no. 2

December 7, 1965

Read the entire meditation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops here.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: FAITH!!!!!!!

In Honor of Trinity Sunday . . .

S. ATHANASIUS / SYMBOLON QUICUMQUE

Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem:

Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternam peribit.

Fides autem catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur.

Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam seperantes.

Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti:

Sed Patris, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas.

Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis Spiritus Sanctus. Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus Spiritus Sanctus.

Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus Spiritus Sanctus.

Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus.

Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.

Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.

Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.

Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus Spiritus Sanctus.

Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus est Dominus.

Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compelimur: ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur.

Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.

Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.

Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.

Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.

Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.

Ita ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.

Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.

Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.

Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus et homo est.

Deus est ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus.

Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.

Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.

Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.

Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.

Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.

Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.

Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.

Ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.

Ad cuius adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis: et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.

Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.

Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit. Amen.

And for my readers who are not Latin scholars . . .

The Creed of St. Athanasius

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, here be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood. Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved. Amen.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

PS -- Papa Z. is no Latin scholar either!

SUBJECT: FAITH!!!!!!! & SOCIETY!!!!!!!

What follows is a verbatim transcript of the testimony of Bishop William Lori, of Bridgeport, CT.

I believe that the Bishop's words speak for themselves.

Blessings,

Papa Z.

"THE PARABLE OF THE KOSHER DELI"

Written Testimony of The Most Reverend William E. Lori

Roman Catholic Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn.

For my testimony today, I would like to tell a story. Let’s call it, “The Parable of the Kosher Deli.”

Once upon a time, a new law is proposed, so that any business that serves food must serve pork. There is a narrow exception for kosher catering halls attached to synagogues, since they serve mostly members of that synagogue, but kosher delicatessens are still subject to the mandate.

The Orthodox Jewish community—whose members run kosher delis and many other restaurants and grocers besides—expresses its outrage at the new government mandate. And they are joined by others who have no problem eating pork—not just the many Jews who eat pork, but people of all faiths—because these others recognize the threat to the principle of religious liberty. They recognize as well the practical impact of the damage to that principle. They know that, if the mandate stands, they might be the next ones forced—under threat of severe government sanction—to violate their most deeply held beliefs, especially their unpopular beliefs.

Meanwhile, those who support the mandate respond, “But pork is good for you. It is, after all, the other white meat.” Other supporters add, “So many Jews eat pork, and those who don’t should just get with the times.”

Still others say, “Those Orthodox are just trying to impose their beliefs on everyone else.”

But in our hypothetical, those arguments fail in the public debate, because people widely recognize the following.

First, although people may reasonably debate whether pork is good for you, that’s not the question posed by the nationwide pork mandate. Instead, the mandate generates the question whether people who believe—even if they believe in error—that pork is not good for you, should be forced by government to serve pork within their very own institutions. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.

Second, the fact that some (or even most) Jews eat pork is simply irrelevant. The fact remains that some Jews do not—and they do not out of their most deeply held religious convictions.

Does the fact that large majorities in society—even large majorities within the protesting religious community—reject a particular religious belief make it permissible for the government to weigh in on one side of that dispute? Does it allow government to punish that minority belief with its coercive power? In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.

Third, the charge that the Orthodox Jews are imposing their beliefs on others has it exactly backwards. Again, the question generated by a government mandate is whether the government will impose its belief that eating pork is good on objecting Orthodox Jews.

Meanwhile, there is no imposition at all on the freedom of those who want to eat pork. That is, they are subject to no government interference at all in their choice to eat pork, and pork is ubiquitous and cheap, available at the overwhelming majority of restaurants and grocers.

Indeed, some pork producers and retailers, and even the government itself, are so eager to promote the eating of pork, that they sometimes give pork away for free.

In this context, the question is this: can a customer come to a kosher deli, demand to be served a ham sandwich, and if refused, bring down severe government sanction on the deli. In a nation committed to religious liberty and diversity, the answer, of course, is no.

So in our hypothetical story, because the hypothetical nation is indeed committed to religious liberty and diversity, these arguments carry the day.

In response, those proposing the new law claim to hear and understand the concerns of kosher deli owners, and offer them a new “accommodation.” You are free to call yourself a kosher deli; you are free not to place ham sandwiches on your menu; you are free not to be the person to prepare the sandwich and hand it over the counter to the customer. But we will force your meat supplier to set up a kiosk on your premises, and to offer, prepare, and serve ham sandwiches to all of your customers, free of charge to them. And when you get your monthly bill from your meat supplier, it will include the cost of any of the “free” ham sandwiches that your customers may accept. And you will, of course, be required to pay that bill.

Some who supported the deli owners initially began to celebrate the fact that ham sandwiches didn’t need to be on the menu, and didn’t need to be prepared or served by the deli itself. But on closer examination, they noticed three troubling things. First, all kosher delis will still be forced to pay for the ham sandwiches.

Second, many of the kosher delis’ meat suppliers, themselves, are forbidden in conscience from offering, preparing, or serving pork to anyone. Third, there are many kosher delis that are their own meat supplier, so the mandate to offer, prepare, and serve the ham sandwich still falls on them.

This story has a happy ending. The government recognized that it is absurd for someone to come into a kosher deli and demand a ham sandwich; that it is beyond absurd for that private demand to be backed with the coercive power of the state; that it is downright surreal to apply this coercive power when the customer can get the same sandwich cheaply, or even free, just a few doors down.

The question before the United States government—right now—is whether the story of our own Church institutions that serve the public, and that are threatened by the HHS mandate, will end happily too. Will our nation continue to be one committed to religious liberty and diversity? We urge, in the strongest possible terms, that the answer must be yes. We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to answer the same way.

Thank you for your attention.

SUBJECT: FAITH!!!!!!!

. . . and after faith -- and ONLY after faith -- politics!

I posed an interesting question to my students a few weeks ago. It was a potentially politically incorrect question, but it generated some good discussion. Please bear in mind that this class involved a group of working adults, not traditional undergraduates. Represented in the class were males, females, Caucasians, African-Americans, Catholics, Protestants, and "seeking".

I asked this question:

Do we conform our political views to our faith/religious views? Or do we conform our religious views to our political views?

I think that this is a fair question!

What do you think?

Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Today is September 11th, 2011.

Ten years ago, our nation was attacked by terrorists, resulting in the destruction of the World Trade Center, severe damage to the Pentagon, and the loss of life in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed. September 11th, 2001 was, as one commentator put it, a "Pearl Harbor" day for our generation.

We all can remember where we were and what we were doing.

I was flying that day.

I was flying from Milwaukee to Baltimore via Cincinnati to participate in a recruiting event for the Graduate School of Marquette University. As we landed in Cincinnati for our scheduled lay-over, the pilot made an announcement that there had been a hijacking in New York, and that our connecting flights might be delayed. Once in the terminal, it didn't take long to figure out that there would be no more flying that day. I saw one of the towers fall from a restaurant in the Cincinnati airport. I was still serving in ministry in my previous denomination, and was dressed in clerics. I immediately went to the airport chapel, and spoke to the chaplain on duty, expressing my support and offering any assistance deemed necessary.

It took an hour to find my bag. Luggage from the various planes had been dumped in piles in the terminal. I was fortunate enough to find a nearby hotel, and spent the best part of the next two days (like everyone else) glued to the television. I was finally able to get home via the train -- itself an adventure -- and resume my "normal" daily routine.

Many people have asked "Where was God on that fateful day?" "Why didn't He stop the terrorists?" These are reasonable questions which have no easy answer. Of the many gifts which God has given us, the gift of Free Will is one fraught with questions of this nature. Since the episode in the Garden of Eden, Man has made choices. Some bad, some good.

Free Will was on full display on September 11th, 2001. The mind-numbing evil of the terrorists, yes. But also the good. Oh, the good deeds done on that day. Oh, the acts of heroism. Scripture teaches us that "Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend." On September 11th, 2001 greater love was shown over and over, not only in the laying down of life for a friend, but in the laying down of life for total strangers. New York's Finest. New York's Bravest. Franciscan priest and Fire Department chaplain Fr. Mychal Judge who was killed by falling debris as he knelt to give the Last Rites to a stricken fireman. The passengers of Flight 93. The list goes on.

Where was God? God was everywhere. Grace was rampant.

One further point.

Has anyone stopped to consider that it was by the Grace of God that the tragedy was not even more horrific than it was? Do you remember the original news reports, citing death tolls upwards of 20,000 people? That easily could have happened. Roughly 100,000 persons could have been in those towers on a given weekday. Tens of thousands worked at the Pentagon. Flight 93 could have hit either the Capitol or the White House.

Oh yes. God was there.

Some closing thoughts, taken from The Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 3.

But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be an affliction,

and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.

For though in the sight of men they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.

They will govern nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord will reign over them for ever.

Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his elect,
and he watches over his holy ones.


Blessings,

Papa Z.

SUBJECT: RELIGION!!! & LITERATURE!!!!!!!

O God of searing truth and surpassing beauty, we give you thanks for Clive Staples Lewis, whose sanctified imagination lights fires of faith in young and old alike. Surprise us also with your joy and draw us into that new and abundant life which is ours in Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Clive Staples (Jack) Lewis, pray for us! (November 29th 1898 - November 22nd, 1963)

Blessings,

Papa Z. (and thanks to Fr. John for the Collect!)

SUBJECT: FAITH!!! & REASON!!!

I was perusing "First Thoughts" -- the blog of "First Things" magazine, and one of the recent posts drew my attention to an article by the Hugo Award-nominated Sci-Fi author Michael Flynn, writing for the Catholic journal "Dappled Things".

The article was fascinating. I quote from the opening paragraphs . . .

It is often said that until the Scientific Revolution Islam was far ahead of the Christian West in the natural sciences. This belief is a reaction to an earlier age of Western triumphalism that overlooked the genuine achievements of the Islamic philosopher (faylasuf); but like many reactionary movements, it overcompensates and praises a golden age that never quite was. Europe was never quite the dark age of ignorance that the “enlightened” philosophers pretended.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Islam was clearly the most scientifically advanced civilization on Earth, and China boasted a more advanced technology. Yet by the end of the Middle Ages the Latin West was clearly ahead of both Islam and China. How did this reversal of fortune take place? Joseph Needham called this ‘the Grand Question.’

There were two reasons: China never had an Aristotle; Islam never had an Aquinas. Consequently, logic, reason, and science in those cultures were like the seed that fell on barren ground, or among the weeds. In China, science withered; in Islam, it was choked out after a promising start.

Read the entire article here.

I'd love to see some discussion.

Blessings,

Papa Z.