26 December 2011

Whoever endures to the end will be saved. . .

St. Stephen, Martyr
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

I hope you're not surprised that we are celebrating the martyrdom of Stephen the day after we celebrated the incarnation of the Word in the birth of Jesus Christ. Yes, it's a bit weird that we draw ourselves away from the frolicking fun of the Nativity in order to take solemn note of the Church's first death by stoning. Yes, it is a bit morose for us to turn our attention toward a bloody execution and remind ourselves—after a day's worth of feasting, gift-giving, and family time—that there was a dark promise delivered along with the Baby Jesus. Stephen is the embodiment of that dark promise, and we remember him and his death not to harsh the buzz of Christmas but rather to prepare ourselves for the consequences of Christ's birth. What consequences are those? When the life-giving light of the Christ entered the world through our Blessed Mother, the world's darkness drew back and its soldiers furiously blinked in surprise and disgust. Now, a day later, they've regain their senses and readied themselves for a new battle. For them, Stephen was the first casualty in this war, the first victory for their side. Praying with Mary, Joseph, and the Christ-child in his crib, we know better. Stephen's death was our victory; his death at the hands of our enemies was a divine promise fulfilled.

If Christ's birth into the world of men frightened the forces of darkness, putting them on alert to the fact that their days are numbered, then those who follow Christ are just as frightening. Unable to do battle with God Himself, the armies of deceit and destruction will settle for laying waste to the lives of those of us who pick up the cross and follow Christ. Am I being a little too dramatic here? Maybe. Luke reports in Acts that certain members of a local synagogue debated Stephen, and he won against them b/c he was filled with the Holy Spirit. When they heard him praise God “they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. . .they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.” Did they insist on a respectful dialogue? Or suggest a inter-religious prayer meeting? No. “They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him.” So vile to their hearing was Stephen's praise that they murdered him. Stephen must've said something horribly insensitive or intolerant or divisive. What did he say to these men that provoked their murderous rage? He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” And for this Stephen was beaten to death with rocks. Christ's dark promise to his Church is fulfilled: "Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake. . .”

Following the light of Christ comes with a promise of eternal life. Not as a reward for doing the right thing but as a consequence of setting aside failure, anger, and revenge, and embracing the liberating power of mercy granted in love. We are free b/c the Son of God was born a Man and died a Man. And when the appointed time came, he was raised from death to sit at the right hand of his Father. He opened for us the way to peace. For the Enemy and his allies, even the chance that God's children might be free is almost too much to bear. That we are in fact free provokes a murderous rage. In the face of this rage we have only one credible response: preach the truth of God's freely offered mercy; love those who hate us; and endure to the end. This was Stephen's victory, and it is ours as well if we persevere in holiness.

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25 December 2011

Becoming Theotókos

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

In 431 A.D., our Church Fathers gathered in Ephesus for a council and decreed that the Blessed Virgin Mary would be honored with the title, Theotókos, God-bearer or the one who gives birth to God. For a majority of Christians at the time, this decree was yawn-inducing b/c Mary had been known as Theotókos for a couple of centuries. However, one bishop, Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, objected to the title because he thought it was irrational to believe that a creature of God—a human woman—could be the mother of the God who had created her. He preferred the title, Christotokos or bearer of the Christ. This title makes it clear that Mary is the mother of Christ, the man, but not the mother of Christ, who is God. Nestorius was credibly accused of dividing Christ into two persons—a human person and a divine person—and thus destroying our means of salvation. After all, we are saved by Christ precisely because he is one person possessing both a human nature and a divine nature. The council fathers declared Nestorius' teachings heretical and supported the teachings of his opponent, the bishop of Alexandria, St. Cyril. In support of his position at the council, Cyril wrote, “I am amazed that there are some who doubt whether or not the Virgin should be called Theotokos. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how is the Virgin who gave him birth, not the one who gives birth to God?” 

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself: Father, we're all stuffed with ham, sweet potatoes, yeast rolls, and pie. . .and we have a big mess to clean up at home. . .what have we ever done to you to deserve a lecture on fourth-century Christological controversies? Well, you've probably done something in the last year to deserve it. . .but that's not really the point. The point is this: the event we celebrate today is not Jesus' birthday. . .this is not a Birthday Party. The event we celebrate is (quoting John's gospel): “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. . .” The Word became flesh. Who is the Word? Again, quoting John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Don't miss that last bit: “and the Word was God.” God took on skin and bone and blood, and He dwelt among us as one us. Today, we celebrate the event of our Creator stepping into His creation to become a creature. This is most emphatically NOT a birthday party. . .this is an Incarnation Party! The Word of God, the Christ, who is God, becomes Man so that we might become Christs. 

And that's the answer to my next question: why did the Word of God, the Christ, who is God become Man? So that we might become Christs. John writes, “. . .to those who accept [Christ] he gave power to become children of God.” To be a child of God is to be a co-heir to God's Kingdom, to be a brother or sister to the Son of God. To be one of the Father's children is to be one who sees “[Christ's] glory. . .full of grace and truth.” And to see Christ's glory, full of grace and truth is to see clearly the righteous path back to the Father. When we follow that path—with humility, in obedience; loving, forgiving, showing mercy all along the way—we grow closer to Christ and become more and more like Christ. But the only reason we can even begin to walk this path is because the Word of God, the Christ, became human like one of us; suffered and died like one of us; and rose from the tomb in order to show us how it's done. He had to go first, so that we might follow.

Today, Christ is born to the Virgin Mary. She is Theotókos, God-bearer, Mother of God Incarnate. And if you step onto the narrow way, the path of holiness, you too can bear Christ into the world; and not only bear him into the world, but become him for others in the world. Your words, deeds, thoughts can all reveal God's glory to the world just as Christ himself revealed God to us. When you leave this evening. . .when you go back out there. . .back to your Christmas mess. . .or someone else's mess. . .wherever you go. . .remember that this holy day celebrates the ultimate triumph of Light over darkness. . .and so, as you go, be “the true light, which enlightens everyone.” Be Christ!

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A very important message. . .

To all HancAquam Readers. . .



Merry Christmas!

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24 December 2011

Coffee Cup Browsing

Grieve or die:  nine minutes of N. Korean propaganda.

No.  Mary was not an unwed mother nor was Baby Jesus an illegal immigrant.

This kid is grounded for life. . .and then some.

President Present is lazy.  Who knew?  Maybe we should have guessed, uh?

If you don't think that this vid is cute. . .you might be Scrooge's meaner second-cousin.

Where do I find an oil painting of circus clowns storming the beach at Normandy?

Change "Honey" to "Father" and "house" to "priory" and you have one of the friars talking to me.

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Be guided onto the way of peace. . .

4th Week of Advent (S)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

Zechariah and Elizabeth's neighbors watch a cosmic drama play out before their eyes. For months, Zechariah has been rendered speechless as a consequence of his disbelief. Elizabeth, miraculously pregnant all this time, gives birth to a son. Refusing to follow the traditional practice of naming a son after his grandfather or father, she names her child John. Over the objections of family and friends, Zechariah confirms the name in writing, and his tongue is set free. His first words are blessings upon God for the birth of his son. Watching all this, the neighbors become increasingly fearful, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” Though they do not yet know the specifics of John's ministry, they feel his arrival signal the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy: their freedom is at hand. The long-promised Messiah is coming! Zechariah's song of praise recalls God's promise of freedom to His people and confirms what they have all believed for generations. The Lord has never and will never abandon His people to the slavery of sin. The sign of our freedom is the Christ-child born to Mary and Joseph. And John—the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth—is his herald.

Zechariah's hymn of praise lays out for us—over and over again—a historical pattern: “[The Lord] has come to his people and set them free. . .He promised to show mercy to our fathers. . .He swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hand of our enemies. . .free to worship Him without fear. . .and to guide our feet into the way of peace. What prompts Zechariah to sing this hymn of thanksgiving? Notice that he addresses his new born son, "You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. . .” Why is this child to be called a prophet? “. . .for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. . .” How will John the prophet prepare the way of the Lord? “[by giving] his people knowledge of salvation [through] the forgiveness of their sins.” And it is through the forgiveness of our sins that we are set free. Since the establishment of the covenant with Abraham, God has promised His people freedom from the slavery of sin. Through the Law and the Prophets and with the advent of the Messiah, God's faithful people have been shown a path toward salvation, salutem in Latin, health. Our salvation is rightness with God, spiritual health, the fullness of peace.

Lest we forget, let Zechariah's song bring to mind again the whole point of our celebrations today and tomorrow: we are free; we are made free, given our freedom. We exchange gifts to mark the day. We do not buy stuff from one another. We do not work for one another in order to earn the stuff under the tree. We give gifts; we exchange graces, freely given and freely received blessings in celebration of our release from the bonds of sin. We cannot freely give or receive if we are bound by sin. Therefore, Zechariah reminds us to be prophets of the Lord, to prepare God's people for the arrival of the Christ-child, to give one another knowledge of our salvation by forgiving those who have sinned against us.

When you receive a brightly wrapped present from under the tree, you say, “Thank you!” Under a brightly lit star, lying in a stable, a tightly wrapped child presents himself to you as a gift. Receive his gift and say, “Thank you!” And do more than receive his gift of freedom and give him thanks, give freedom again and again. Release all those who have offended you. Free all those who have hurt you. Do not “dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Be guided onto the way of peace.


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23 December 2011

Why are they afraid of John?

NB.  I got a third of the way through this homily before I remembered that Deacon John is preaching at this morning's Mass.  So, let's hear what you think about the question:  Why would all those who hear of John's birth be afraid?

4th Week of Advent (F)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

Doubting the word of the angel Gabriel, Zechariah's tongue is stilled. Because he failed to listen and believe, he is prevented from praising God's gift of a son while his wife, Elizabeth, is pregnant. In order to understand Zechariah's punishment we must remember that God has no need of our praise. Praising God benefits the one who praises Him and those who hear Him praised. Thus, Zechariah is denied the benefits he might have otherwise received by giving God thanks for his child. Once Zechariah agrees in writing to name his child “John,” his tongue is freed, and he heaps blessings on God for His gift. Zechariah's reaction to John's birth is perfectly understandable. Both he and Elizabeth are elderly, and Elizabeth was known to be barren. To be given a child is a spectacular blessing! Less understandable is the reaction of their neighbors. Luke reports that “. . .fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, 'What, then, will this child be? For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.'” 

Question:  Why would all those who hear of John's birth be afraid?


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22 December 2011

Thanks!

 My thanks and Christmas blessings to Gregg F. for the Kindle Book!

I feel smarter just knowing that I have a Mamet book in my library. . .


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The Way of Spiritual Magnification

4th Week of Advent (Th)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

Our Blessed Mother praises her Savior: Magnificat anima mea Dominum! My soul magnifies the Lord! She is “most blessed among women” b/c she believed that the Word of her Lord would be fulfilled. And even as she sings God's praises, His Word is being fulfilled in her body: the Christ-child readies himself to be born. The prayer we know as the Magnificat, or the Canticle of Mary is more than an outburst of joyful praise; it is also a recollection of God's promises to His faithful people. Not only do we hear a recitation of God's saving deeds, we also hear the Spirit rededicate Himself to the tasks of preserving, protecting, and providing for those who place themselves in His fatherly care. In other words, our Blessed Mother reminds us of all that He done for us; all that He is doing for us now; and all that He will do until Christ is among us once again. 

What has our Lord done for His people? “He has mercy on those who fear him. . .He has shown the strength of his arm. . .[He] has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones. . . [He] has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things. . .[He] has sent [the rich] away empty. . . .[and] He has come to the help of his servant Israel. . .” Why has He done all these things? “[Because] He remembered His promise of mercy. . .” To whom did He make this promise of mercy? “[To] our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever." We are the children of Abraham, the adopted sons and daughters of our father in faith, co-heirs to the kingdom of heaven through the grace of Christ Jesus. Our Lord has done these great deeds for us out of His mercy. . .not b/c we deserve them, not b/c we have earned them, not b/c we have purchased them but b/c He loves us and wills for us only what is good. Mary remembers the Lord's historical works; she proclaims His on-going works, and she prophesies His works for us in our future.

How do we as creatures—beings of ash and air—acknowledge the providence of God, His loving-care for us? Mary shows us the way when she sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord! My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Following the Blessed Mother, the way for us is the way of spiritual magnification: to set our souls to the task of bringing the Lord's love and mercy into sharper, keener focus; to amplify, to enlarge the works of the Lord by acting, speaking, feeling, thinking—doing all that we do for His greater glory. We labor to ensure that our words and deeds expand His love and mercy. We work at making sure that our thoughts and feelings prosper in His promises of forgiveness. We do not wallow in self-pity, recrimination, or vengeance. We do not nurture grudges or pick at our wounds. We make gratitude our minute-by-minute prayer, sacrificing entitlement and greed, exchanging ingratitude for humility and feeding the roots of holiness with the same song of joy that our Blessed Mother sings. She exults in her Lord and shows us the way to Christ.

Is there a better time in the Church year to practice being Christ among your family and friends? We all wait for the birth of the Christ-child among us. Will there ever be a better chance for each of us to be born into the world as bearers of the Good News? To arrive among those we love as a herald of Love Himself? If you nurture bitterness, anger, a desire for revenge, why not risk forgiveness? Gamble them all on the mercy of God. He will magnify your soul as you magnify Him!

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What is the Incarnation? (Repost)

Just in time for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord:

The Nativity of Christ, or Christmas ("Christ Mass"), celebrates one of the most important events of the Church: the incarnation of the Son of God. Like the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, etc., the Incarnation is one of those rock-bottom Christian beliefs that most Christians assent to but probably don't really understand. Though Catholics all over the world affirm their belief in the Incarnation every Sunday by reciting the Creed, how many could explain this tenet of the faith in the simplest terms?

Let's start with a story. . .

The archangel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces to her that God has chosen her to be the mother of the Christ Child, His Son. Mary says, "Your will be done" and the Holy Spirit descends on Mary, giving her the child. Nine months later the Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Simple enough story, right? If we left the incarnation there, we would still have the basic truth of Christ's arrival into the world. Things get a little more complicated when we start to think about what it means for the Son of God (who is God) to take on human flesh and live among us. How does the God of the Old and New Testament become incarnated yet remain sovereign God? We are immediately confronted by what theologians call "the Christological question": how is the man Jesus also God?

Before this question was settled by the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., a number of answers were offered and rejected:

Jesus is really a man who possesses God-like qualities.
Jesus is really God in the appearance of a man.
Jesus is half-God and half-man.
Jesus' soul is divine but his body is human.
Jesus' body is human but his mind is divine.

Complicating matters even more was the lack of an adequate theological vocabulary with which to think about and write about the incarnation. Early Christian theologians turned to the available philosophical vocabularies for help. The most prominent philosophical system in the first few centuries of the Church was a developed form of Platonism. Borrowing heavily from the Platonists, the Church Fathers crafted a creedal statement that said: The Father and the Son are the same in substance ("consubstantial"), meaning that they are the same God: "God from God, light from light, true God from true God." The Son was not created in time like man but rather begotten from all eternity. He "became incarnate" through the Virgin Mary--fully human in all but sin.

This creedal statement defined the orthodox position of the Catholic Church. However, interpretations of the creed abounded and additional councils had to sort through them all in order to discover the orthodox expression of the true faith. In the end, the Nicene Creed was taken to mean that Jesus was fully human and fully divine: one person (one body/soul) with two natures (human and divine). "Person," "essence," "being," "nature" are all terms borrowed from Greek philosophy. So, as the West discovered new ways of thinking philosophically, these terms took on different meanings and our interpretations of theological expressions of the truth developed as well. The basic truth of the incarnation does not change; however, how we understand that truth does change.

For example, the Greek word we translate as "person" is prosopon, or mask. This term was used in the Greek theater to denote the different characters played by one actor. A single actor would hold a mask in each hand and shift the masks in front of his face to say his lines, indicating that the lines were being said by different characters. Applying this term to God, the Blessed Trinity, we arrive at a single actor (God) using three masks (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Same actor, different characters. Ultimately, this metaphor is woefully inadequate for expressing the deepest truth of the Trinity. Yet, we still say that the Trinity is three divine persons, one God. "Person" as a philosophical term used to describe a theological truth had to be developed.

Eventually, we came to understand several vital distinctions: The Church uses the term "substance" (rendered also at times by "essence" or "nature") to designate the divine being in its unity, the term "person" or "hypostasis" to designate the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the real distinction among them, and the term "relation" to designate the fact that their distinction lies in the relationship of each to the others (CCC 252).

So, God is one substance; three divine persons; distinguished from one another not by their natures or persons but by their relations one to another. The incarnation then is the second divine Person of the one God becoming a human person with two substances or natures.

You are one person with one nature: "I am human."
God is three divine persons with one nature: "I am divine."
Christ is one person with two natures: "I am human and divine."

Aquinas, quoting Irenaeus, writes, "God became man so that man might become God." The incarnation of the Son makes it possible for us to become God (theosis). This is how Catholics understand salvation.


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21 December 2011

A Catholic governor meets his bishops

Cardinal George and several bishops in Illinois held a meeting with IL Gov. Pat Quinn in order to re-teach him the meaning of Catholic conscience.  When the governor tried to downplay the teaching element of the meeting and play up the social justice angle, the Cardinal and bishops responded.

Their response is a good summary of Catholic teaching on the nature of moral conscience:

“As Catholic pastors, we wanted to remind the Governor that conscience, while always free, is properly formed in harmony with the tradition of the Church, as defined by Scripture and authentic teaching authority. A personal conscience that is not consistent with authentic Catholic teaching is not a Catholic conscience. The Catholic faith cannot be used to justify positions contrary to the faith itself.  It is a matter of personal integrity for people who call themselves Catholic to act in a manner that is consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

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What is it to believe?

NB.  This is not a very Advent-y homily, I know.  But for whatever reason it needed to be preached.  The preacher preaches to himself first.

4th Week of Advent (W)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

“I believe.” We pray this sentence every Sunday when we recite the Creed, the Credo: I believe. The Creed is a set of beliefs that all Christians share. We believe in One God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things, visible and invisible, etc. We go on to repeat this nearly 2,000 year old statement of beliefs and, in doing so, we claim to believe in all sorts of outrageous things: a divine Son; his virgin birth as a man; his resurrection from the dead; even our own eventual resurrection from the dead! We claim to believe in someone named the “Holy Spirit” who proceeds from both the Father and the Son, and we believe in the oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity of a universal Church. As I said, we believe in sorts of outrageous things. And we believe these outrageous things without any obvious anxiety or fear of contradiction. If we were given some time and had the inclination to reflect critically on what we are claiming to believe, we just might feel the absurdity that so many of the early Church Fathers felt in repeating and defending these claims. Ultimately, we would likely say something like, “Well, this is what we believe to be true about the faith. It's just what we believe.” Leaving aside for the moment the content of the Creed, let's reflect on what it means to believe in something or someone. What is it to believe?

Mary, pregnant with the Christ, visits Elizabeth in Judah. Upon greeting one another, the child in Elizabeth's womb jumps for joy. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. . .Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Mary is blessed b/c she heard the Lord's Word spoken by Gabriel, listened to that Word, trusted in it, and acted accordingly. Think back to the scene with Mary and Gabriel. The angel tells Mary that she will conceive and bear a son, a son who is the promised Messiah. Despite her doubt and fear, Mary says, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” She doesn't merely say, “I hear you and trust what you say.” She says—in effect—I hear; I listen; and I assent to all that I have heard. Let it be done. Elizabeth calls this attitude “belief.” When Mary permitted the Lord to give her the Christ-child, she believed.

As we get closer and closer to our celebration of the world's most important event—the coming into human history of God's Son, the birth of our Savior—let's reconsider what we are saying when we pray the Creed. We are not merely giving intellectual assent to a series of theological statements. Yes, yes, I believe X, Y, and Z. Nor are we staking out a few controversial philosophical positions. Nor are we simply muttering $15 academic words and phrases: “consubstantial,” “incarnate,” “proceeds from,” “resurrection of the dead.” What we are doing—as we wait on the coming of the Lord—is committing ourselves to a way of thinking about the world and ourselves and a way of behaving in the world and among ourselves. We must believe and behave; we must accept and act, trust and perform according to what we know to be the truth. Otherwise, when we pray the Creed, we lie. We present ourselves falsely before God and His Church. The Blessed Mother—doubtful, fearful, probably deeply surprised—heard the Word, trusted in it, and acted accordingly. She believed. And b/c she believed, Elizabeth named her, “Blessed among women.” If you and I will be blessed among men and women, we too must believe; we too must pray, “Let me do your will, Lord!”

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On Christmas gifts and much gratitude. . .

Another happy surprise this morning!  Several Kindle Books from faithful HancAquam reader, Jenny K. 

Thanks so much, J.K.!  

A note on Christmas gifts:  several readers have written to ask what I might need/want as a Christmas gift (an annual question).  Honestly, truly, I need nothing.  My brothers in community and I have what we need.  Now, having said that, I want all sorts of stuff!  And that stuff is available on the Kindle Wish List and the Books & Things Wish List.

I have NO expectations of receiving anything from either list.  I am always deeply grateful and often surprised to discover a package in the mail. . .BUT I never expect anything.  This really can't be emphasized enough.  Dominicans are mendicants (beggars), so when I need something, I ask for it.  And H.A. readers have always come through.  

For example, we asked for a newly translated English Missal for the chapel in Rome.  And one appeared in the mail.  I asked for books for our novices once.  And they appeared.  I asked for a DVD set one time to give to the novices.  And it appeared.  Also, the many books I've needed and used for my studies. . .all sent to me and received with gratitude. 

So, I try to think/behave with my readers the same way I am with God: I expect nothing from Him that He has not already given and receive everything He sends with thanksgiving and praise!  

Merry Christmas to you all! 

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19 December 2011

Surprise!

Received another poetry book quite unexpectedly today!  Always a good surprise. . .especially this close to Christmas.

My thanks to C.N., B.J.N. and their kids:  S., N., and J.  You know who you are.  :-)

God bless, Fr. Philip

P.S.  I also rec'd my cell phone today. . .so, Big Brother knows where I am now.  Sigh.

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Individual Conscience & the Magisterium (Repost)

Reposted by special request. . .
 
The relationship between an individual's conscience and the authority of the magisterium is often easily confused and intentionally distorted.   

Let's start with a definition:  "Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law. . ."(CCC, no. 1778).

Conscience "perceives and recognizes" moral truth.  Contemporary Catholics often seem to believe that conscience is the ability to choose freely among available moral options.  So long as I preface my choices with something like, "In good conscience, I believe. . .," I am safeguarded from error.  This is false.  Conscience is not the ability to magically turn an evil choice into a good choice.  Conscience is what helps us to perceive the Good and recognize that Good in making moral choices.

When I walk into a bookstore, I perceive and recognize items that we call books.  I do not walk into a bookstore and choose to perceive the books as squirrels and recognize them as squirrels.  If I do this, I am in error.  Announcing my erroneous judgment about the books with, "In good conscience, I perceive and recognize this collection of paper and cloth bound pages of printed material as squirrels," does not magically transform the books into squirrels.  

Catholic teaching holds that the morality of human acts is as real as the books in a bookshop.  Calling the intrinsically morally evil act of abortion "good" is the same error you make when you call a book a squirrel.*  Conscience empowers you to perceive and recognize abortion as evil.  If you do not perceive and recognize abortion as evil, then you are either ignorant and need to be instructed, or your conscience has been twisted into folly by sin and you need both instruction and confession.

The Church's role in conscience formation is to present the truth of the faith.  Ideally, a Catholic will immediately perceive and recognize the truth and act accordingly.  But because we have been mislead for a generation or two about the nature of conscience, many Catholics fail to perceive and recognize moral truth when they see it.  Basically, we have been told for decades now that conscience makes truth, or that conscience assigns truth value to moral acts according to subjective, private standards of judgment.  This is how we end up with pro-abortion Catholics, pro-same sex "marriage" Catholics, pro-torture Catholics, pro-women's "ordination" Catholics, ad. nau.  These Catholics have falsely perceived and falsely recognized moral truth and misused "conscience" as a defense of their errors.

To repeat:  conscience perceives and recognizes truth; it does NOT create truth. 

Tom Krietzberg at Disputations has a very good post on how Aquinas' thoughts on conscience have been misunderstood and misused to push the Free Choice notion of conscience.

*Of course, the eternal consequences of these two errors are not the same.

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Aquinas & Augustine on the Incarnation

Excellent read for your Christmas contemplation! 

10 Reasons for the Incarnation

1. Faith: Certitude in the Living God

2. Hope: A Strengthening

3. Charity: The Great Kindling

4. The Exemplar: The Life of Right-Doing

5. Theosis: Full Participation in Divinity

6. United to Christ: The Bodiless Evil Spirits

7. Dignity of Humanity: To Shun Sin

8. Human Presumption: Unmerited Grace

9. Human Pride: The Humility of God

10. The Thralldom of Sin: Divine Rescue

Go to the link above for an explanation of each point.

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Monday +2

Despite sharply cutting back on my caloric intake this last week, I still managed to gain 2lbs. 

How?  No idea.  But I'll keep on trying to lose!

Thank you for your prayers. . .


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Coffee Cup Browsing

When my Nunya Libertarian Streak meets my Grouchy Driver streak. . .how many times have I almost been run over by drivers chit-chatting on a cell phone?

A vast Jesuit conspiracy!  Oh No.

"Christopher Hitchens—the incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant—died today at the age of 62."  Like a lot of Catholics, I found Hitch to be engaging and masterfully infuriating.

N.Korea's Dear Leader is dead.  Dear Leader, Jr. is now. . .um. . .Dear Leader.  Why do socialist worker paradises always end up being quasi-medieval serfdoms with hereditary princes?

The "serfs" mourn Dear Leader.  The sad part is that this is probably genuine grief.  



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Doubt His method but never His will. . .

4th Week of Advent (M)
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

The elderly priest, Zechariah, is inside the temple burning incense on the altar. While going about his priestly duties, he is visited by Gabriel, the archangel. If this heavenly visitation were not surprising enough, he is also told that he and his barren wife, Elizabeth, will soon have a child and this child will grow up to be the herald of the Messiah, a second Elijiah who will “prepare a people fit for the Lord." Hearing this news, Zechariah asks, in an impious outburst, “How shall I know this?” His doubt earns him an unusual punishment: he is struck speechless by the angel, unable to speak until his son is born. We might wonder how a muted Zechariah serves as a warning to those who would question the power of the Lord to accomplish apparently impossible deeds? How does a still tongued punish a doubter?

Let's compare and contrast Gabriel's visit with Zechariah and his visit with Mary. First, both Mary and Zechariah are shocked by the appearance of an angel of the Lord. Sensing their fear, Gabriel assures both Mary and Zechariah in the power of the Lord and tells them not to be afraid. When Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive and bear a son, her reaction sounds very familiar. Like Zechariah, she too questions the news, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Despite her doubt, Mary is not silenced; she is not punished for questioning the angel's announcement. What's the difference btw Mary and Zechariah that merits this divergent treatment? There are the obvious differences. Zechariah is an elderly priest, a man. Mary is a young woman, a virgin. But it's not clear why these differences would matter in their treatment by the angel. We could point to Gabriel's greeting to Mary, “Hail! Full of grace!” and note Mary's unique nature as a sinless person—her immaculate conception in her mother's womb, a singular grace. Despite this gift, she still doubts Gabriel's news. Maybe the difference that matters is to be found in what it is that each doubts. Notice: Mary accepts the truth of Gabriel's news and only questions the method of conception. Zechariah doubts both the truth of Gabriel's news and questions how his wife will conceive. Mary receives in faith the news of an apparently impossible feat. Zechariah fails to trust fully the news from the one who stands before the Lord.

For his failure, Zechariah loses the ability to speak. Why is this a just punishment? Rather than use his gift of speech to praise the Lord for accomplishing the apparently impossible, the elderly priest uses a God-given gift to express a deeply seated doubt. Even as he worships at the temple's altar of incense, he willfully denies the possibility that God can do what He says He can do. Zechariah's tongue is stilled to prevent him from sullying the good news of his son's impending conception. When Elizabeth becomes pregnant with John the Baptist, Zechariah is unable to rejoice out loud. He is denied the privilege of praising God for this gift until John is born. However, his rejoicing at John's birth is all the sweeter b/c he has spent so long unable to speak. So sweet is his rejoicing that we sing the words of his song every morning at Lauds—the Canticle of Zechariah, “Blessed be the Lord, The God of Israel; He has come to His people and set them free.”

Doubt if you must how the Lord will accomplish His wonders in your life. But never doubt that He will. Rely wholly on His loving care and be vigilant in waiting for the miraclous appearances of His mercy. Let your mouth be filled with His praise and your tongue everyready to give thanks!

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17 December 2011

Being a mother of Christ

NB.  Feedback on this homily would be greatly appreciated.  It didn't seem to go over very well with the congregation.  Too convoluted?  Too harsh?

4th Sunday of Advent 2011
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St Dominic Church, New Orleans

As we approach the birth of the Lord and celebrate—this afternoon/morning—his conception in the womb of the BVM by the Holy Spirit, it may seem strange to ask, “What do we fear?” As a Church, as the Body of Christ, living in the world, what is there for us to fear? With some bravado, we might say, “Nothing! The world had better fear us!” A little more realistically, we might say, “There's always the temptations of the world to fear, to avoid.” Perhaps stoically, we could say, “There is much to fear, but we will endure.” None of these answers is wrong but none of them is exactly right either. There is much to fear but that doesn't mean we have to be afraid. We will endure but all those fearful things still exist despite our enduring strength. And the Church does cause the world some anxiety, some small amount of fear, but our task is not intimidation. When Gabriel appears to Mary and greets her with, “Hail! Full of grace! The Lord is with you,” the virgin is “greatly troubled at what was said and ponders what sort of greeting this might be.” Sensing her troubled spirit, Gabriel assures her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” If Mary is troubled by being named “Full of Grace” (and she is); and if the angel Gabriel calms her spirit by telling her that she has found favor with God (and he does); and if Mary is the model of the Church (and she is), then the Church is at once full of grace, favored by God, and troubled. The Lord's message to us then is: “Do not be afraid!”

We do not fear b/c there is nothing to be afraid of. There is more than enough in this world for us to fear. Temptations, failures, persecutions, betrayals, and trials. More than enough to keep us busy, to keep us occupied running, hiding, being silent. We could fear ridicule and rejection, embarrassment and being made into fools. We could fear defeat, disease, disability, all sorts of physical and mental disasters. We could find ourselves lacking faith, failing to trust in the Lord; scrambling with the faithless to acquire more and more, to “get mine” before its all gone. Whatever “it” is: money, stuff, prestige, power, attention. We could wake up tomorrow morning, forgetting everything we have ever believed, and find ourselves swept along with the world toward a darkness so black we fear that no light will ever shine for us again. There is much to fear. But there is no reason to be afraid. All who believe on the Word of God, the Son made flesh, they have found favor with the Most High!

Like the virgin, greeted by Gabriel, when we are ready to receive the Word made flesh, we too are “full of grace”; we too stand in the good graces of God; we too will hear and believe, “The Lord is with you.” And we will say yes to being bearers of the Good News to the world and, like Mary, we will carry the Messiah in our bodies and deliver him to all those most in need of his healing mercies. If this sounds too poetical, too vague, let me be a little more prosaic: when you approach the altar to receive communion, you are receiving the Body and Blood of Christ into your body and blood. Much like Mary received the Holy Spirit and conceived the Christ, we too say, “Let it be done to be according to your word” and receive Christ Jesus—body, blood, soul, divinity. While the Holy Spirit placed the Christ-child in Mary's womb, the Church places the Christ Resurrected and Ascended into our mouths as food and drink for our perfection. Mary departed her encounter with Gabriel pregnant yet still a virgin, a walking tabernacle carrying her Lord. We too depart this Church as walking, breathing tabernacles, carrying the Lord out into the world. We walk out into the world as the Body of Christ carrying the Body and Blood of Christ. This is why the Lord's message to us is: do not be afraid! He is with us. Yes, there is much to fear. But there is no reason to be afraid.

In a homily a few weeks ago, our Holy Father noted that the Church should fear the sins of her members more than she fears persecution at the hands of her enemies. Being followers of Christ, we we have been promised persecution and there is very little we can do to prevent the Enemy from tempting us, from putting us on trial. However, we are more than capable of refraining from disobedience. We are given—daily given—every grace we need to listen to and comply with the Word God has sent among us. The only question is whether or not we will choose to cooperate with those graces and grow in holiness. Sin is the mark of our failure to receive God's gifts and use them to announce His glory, to give Him thanks and praise, and to work tirelessly for the spreading of His Good News. We should fear our sins b/c they distort who it is that God has made us to be; they twist our love for Him and for one another; they misuse His beauty and goodness and lead us off the narrow way of Christ. It's not God's punishment that we should fear, but rather the natural and supernatural consequences of openly declaring ourselves enemies of the One Who gave us life. By choosing to sin, we set ourselves against the Love Who created us and assign ourselves to living lives in a wilderness empty of the very graces that we most need. God never stops loving us; it is His nature to love. However, we are free to cease loving Him, free to disobey Him, and the consequences of that choice are fearful indeed.

As you leave here this afternoon/morning, filled with the Body and Blood of Christ, set your heart and mind to wondering what it is you can do to bring our Lord to your world—your school, your office, your home, all your family and friends. How can you be the “mother” of Christ among those you know best? What can you do or say or not do or not say that will give him glory and draw in souls hungry for his eternal feast? We are in the last week of Advent, ready to welcome the Christ-child among us as our Savior on Christmas Day. Even though we celebrate his incarnation on this special day, he is given flesh and bone everyday of the year, every time we approach this altar and receive the sacrament, we walk away as a Christ. We walk out into a fearful world, filled with grace, overflowing with grace. . .do what Christ himself did and give your life away for the love of another.


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Odor of sanctity?

A quick Thank You to D.G. for the cologne from the Wish List and to Anon. for the book of poems.

Now, I can smell refined AND read some refined poetry!

Thanks and God bless, Fr. Philip


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A prayer for marriage



Fr. Z. reports that a SSM pressure group has lost its frivolous case against the bishops of MN.  What horrible thing did the bishops do?  Support the universally recognized notion that marriage consists of an unbreakable bond between one man and one woman! 

Archbishop John Nienstedt has issued a prayer for marriage that every faithful Catholic should offer:

Heavenly Father,

Through the powerful intercession of the Holy Family, grant to this local Church the many graces we need to foster, strengthen, and support faith-filled, holy marriages and holy families.

May the vocation of married life, a true calling to share in your own divine and creative life, be recognized by all believers as a source of blessing and joy, and a revelation of your own divine goodness.

Grant to us all the gift of courage to proclaim and defend your plan for marriage, which is the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, exclusive relationship of loving trust, compassion, and generosity, open to the conception of children.

We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, who is Lord forever and ever. Amen.

The prayer is downloadable in PDF format for easy printing and copying here.


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15 December 2011

Notes on being fat

Just a quick Thank You to all those faithful souls here on HancAquam and in the parish who have offered me advice and prayer for losing weight.

Over the years I have learned several things about my diet:

1).  I love food.  But I do not confuse food with love, respect, honor, etc.  Food is food.  And I love it.  

2).  I have total control over my eating.  There have been times--when it really mattered to me--that I dropped 20, 30 lbs. When I was asked to serve as chaplain for the UD students on their Greece trip, I dropped close to 35 lbs b/c I knew there would be LOTS of walking/climbing involved.  

3).  When I have breakfast, I want to eat all day.  Skip breakfast and I'm good 'til dinnertime.

4).  Keep the meat, veggies, bread, fruit. . .give me ice cream!  I've been here a week now with full access to a car and cash and not a spoonful of ice cream has crossed my lips.

5).  While some use tobacco, alcohol, etc. for relaxation, I use food.  I get hyper (not hungry) and food does the trick.  

6).  Caloric restriction diets don't work for me simply b/c I am constitutionally incapable of being disciplined enough to keep track.  Any diet that requires anything remotely related to math is going to fail.

7).  Diet pills usually contain substances that rev up one's metabolism.  That makes me hyper.  See #5.

8).  The only diet that has ever worked for me is Atkins.  I lost about 70 lbs in eight months.  However, when finals time rolled around, I cracked and OD'ed on peanut butter cookies and ice cream.  

9).  Exercise poses a problem.  I'm too fat to be comfortable exercising but losing weight means exercising.  So, my solution is hold off exercising 'til I've lost a little weight.  Getting to that point w/o cracking is the challenge.

10).  Fast food (Burger King, Wendy's) is a fav of mine.  In Rome, this poses no problem and I never missed them.  Here, I have to watch out.  My solution is to go to Subway.  So far, so good.  

Keep praying, people!!  God bless, Fr. Philip

P.S.  I've ordered a book that comes highly recommended:   Why We Get Fat and What to do about It.


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14 December 2011

A new bishop. . .

Fr. Charles Morerod, OP, former rector of the Angelicum in Rome, becomes His Excellency, Charles Morerod, OP, Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg in Switzerland.
.


Please pray for His Excellency's people. . .he has a really corny sense of humor.

Congrats, mon frere!


Pic credit:  Fr. Bernard Caruana, OP

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But have you received?

St John of the Cross
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St Dominic Church, New Orleans

If you've ever talked to an evasive teenager or an American politician, you know what it feels like to ask a question and get a non-answer. You might get an excuse or an accusation or a counter-question. Regardless of the form, the response you get isn't what you were looking for. Or even close. Listening to Jesus answer questions from the Pharisees and scribes could lead us to think that he's very much like a teenager with something to hide or a politician looking to say as little as possible. If you don't have ears to hear, it sounds as though he rarely—if ever—gives a straight up answer. However, if your ears are tuned to the Word—the prophets and their divine message—you can easily hear exactly what he's saying. Today's gospel is the perfect example of this! John sends some of his followers to question Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Jesus' answer is crystal clear. . .if you've listened to the the Lord proclaim to the prophet Isiah, “Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other! To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, Saying, 'Only in the LORD are just deeds and power. Before him in shame shall come all who vent their anger against him.'” Jesus answers John's question by recounting his own powerful deeds and by blessing all those who take no offense at him.

Jesus' response to John's disciples is extraordinary. Without saying so outright, Jesus lays claim to his Sonship with the Father and announces to anyone with ears to hear that his ministry of healing and reconciliation is not only divinely approved but of divine origin. It can be nothing less. Jesus himself is Lord. Everything he does, everything he says is the word and deed of God. Luke reports, “At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind.” Those healed by his hand are healed by God. Those freed from demons by his hand are freed by God. The poor who hear the good news of freedom from his mouth are freed by the Word of God himself. Jesus' answer could not be clearer: it is Lord God who has done these things! So, take no offense that sinners are turned to obedience; that the lame walk, the blind see, the mute speak; that the promised Messiah is among you. Blessed are those whose eyes see and whose ears hear.

Indeed, we are blessed, if we will to be blessed. Our Father's outrageous generosity, His overwhelming love is indiscriminately given, freely offered to any and all who will receive it. Those whom Jesus healed were healed b/c they took in the power he sent to them. They were made right b/c they welcomed in his righteousness and ran the streets shouting their thanksgiving and praise. No longer strapped to their afflictions, they were let loose to rejoice, to spread the Good News of divine mercy, showing themselves as living witnesses to what happens to those who accept the gift of the Holy Spirit's love. We are blessed if we take no offense at the Father's generosity and give Him thanks when His voice speaks a liberating word to our chains. 

While we wait on the coming of the Lord, ask His Holy Spirit to reveal to you all that blinds you, all that deafens you; ask the Spirit to show you whatever or whoever it is that mutes your voice in praise and thanksgiving. If you cannot see or hear, if you cannot speak as a witness to grace, ask the Spirit: why? Why am I blind, deaf to the Word and not healed; why am I hungry and not fed? His answer may be: you have not received all that the Lord has given you.

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13 December 2011

Questions about the homily podcasts

I uploaded an audio recording of Sunday's and yesterday's homily.  The hosting site is reporting that these two homilies have been downloaded twice

This stat leads me to ask:  1) is there a problem with the download that I need to know about? and 2) is there any interest in these podcasts?

Please let me know.  Uploading is hardly a chore and if there's a problem I'd like to fix it. 

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Coffee Cup Browsing

Cardinal John P. Foley has died at 76.  R.I.P.  I had the privilege of meeting him once in Rome at a North American College dinner.  Great man!

Nobody's going to the movies anymore. . .and Hollywood is blaming everything under the sun except its own obsession with anti-American propaganda and scenes that would make rapists in Sodom and Gomorrah blush.

Speaking of Hollywood. . .have you heard about the pervasive culture of pedophilia out there?  No, I didn't think so.  The Old Media has nothing to gain from spreading that news.  It's not like a priest is abusing a kid or anything!

Ahhhh. . .the Glories of a People's Socialist Republic! Where income equality and opportunity are guaranteed.

Speaking of the Glories of a People's Socialist Republic. . .fear of Big Gov't is at an all time time.  There's hope for America yet, folks!

But shouldn't we fear Big Business more than Big Gov't?  No.  Big Business doesn't have a police force, a military, prisons, and it cannot make laws.  

Should the Italian church pay taxes on its commercial property?  Seems fair to me. 

Can/should extraordinary ministers of holy communion give blessings?  No.  The proper thing to do is say to the person, "May God bless you." 

Riots:  First World Problem version.

I don't know why. . .just laugh and move on.

Titanic: the Movie. . .economy version.

I wouldn't sleep if I were you. . .

Meanwhile at the Burger King. . .

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12 December 2011

Mary, Juan Diego, and You (now with audio!)

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St Dominic Church, New Orleans

Audio

Just last week the Holy Father's household preacher, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa named the Blessed Mother the model of the Church's new evangelization. This is completely unsurprising given that we have considered her the model of the Church almost from Day One. That she should also be imitated as the principle example of how Catholics are to reclaim western culture for the Lord is, well, the most natural thing imaginable. Mary's submission to a lifelong vocation of humble service as the mother of the Christ—“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”—shows us the way to be our perfection in her son. Her fiat—“May it be done to me according to your word”—shows us the way to receiving the Father's Word through the Holy Spirit. If we could achieve even for a moment the clarity and determination this young woman showed when confronted by Gabriel, we could bring this world to its knees before God. And more importantly, we ourselves would be brought to our knees in repentance and radical conversion. During her life on earth, our Blessed Mother had one substantial advantage working in her favor: her immaculate conception. We do not enjoy this singular, unrepeatable privilege; however, we can and do enjoy the immeasurable benefits of her intercessions for us before the throne of God. With her help, following her example becomes more than just a possibility.

We could ask whether or not Juan Diego had an idea that his encounter with the Blessed Mother would transform a culture. Did he suspect that her appearance and his report of her appearance would spark an international devotion and set the Church on a path toward evangelizing Central and South America? As a poor Aztec farmer only recently converted to the faith, we can guess that none of what followed from his meeting with the BVM ever crossed his mind. In fact, his story sounds quite a bit like the one we heard this evening. A perfectly ordinary soul is made extraordinary by an encounter with what appears to be a divine being. Mary meets Gabriel and receives the seed of God's Word in her womb. Juan Diego meets Mary and receives an icon that revolutionized a culture. Both Mary and Juan listened to the voice of God's Spirit and acted according to their respective gifts; each took away from their encounters all that they could carry, all that they could possibly share. And no matter how many of their abundant gifts they surrendered to the work of the Gospel, they remained full of grace. Mary and Juan both lived and died as witnesses to the freely given and boundless abundance of the Father's love for His people. 

If you and I will reclaim creation for the work of God, we too must live and die as witnesses of a mercy so deep, a love so wide that not even the most vicious enemy of God can withstand the onslaught of His call to repentance. This means—at the very least—that we live each day in the eager anticipation of being called upon to receive God's Word and act accordingly; to be visited by divine grace and share that grace without meagerness or reluctance. To become ourselves angels, messengers sent to announce the goodness and beauty of the Lord. And to invite, to provoke, to tempt everyone we meet with the open-handed offer that Christ's sacrifice on the cross made real: to live and die as a well-loved child of the living God. 

Let's ask ourselves an advent question: is the life I am living right now look and feel like the sort of life that draws others to Christ? If not, it is never too late to say, “May it be done to me according to your word”

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Grazie

My thanks to Robin O. for the Kindle Book!  

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I need prayer. . .please.

Yesterday at both Masses I celebrated I asked the people present to pray for me as I begin the LONG SLOW process of losing weight.

When I was a college freshman in 1982, I weighed 200lbs and wore 36in pair of jeans.  Now, at 47, I weigh 336lbs. and wear a 52in.

That's not only extremely embarrassing but incredibly life-threatening.

There will be no diets, no pills, no gimmicks, no nothing that has failed miserably in the past.  

My plan:  portion control and no fast food.  

I will weigh myself every Monday and report the results in the right side bar.  

Invoke angels, saints, the Blessed Mother, and the Holy Trinity to keep the Devil's wiles away from me, please!  Add me to your fav nuns' prayer list--their effectiveness is truly scary.  Throw up an occasional rosary or novena.  Whatever you can do will be rewarded. 

God bless, Fr. Philip Neri, OP

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11 December 2011

Podcasting is back

F.Y.I. . .

Today's homily--"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon US"--is now available as an audio file!

Click here to download it.

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The spirit of the Lord God is upon US. . .

3rd Sunday of Advent
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
St. Dominic Church, New Orleans

Audio

On a Delta flight from Rome to Atlanta a few days ago, I overheard one of the flight attendants talking to a woman waiting to use the restroom. I couldn't make out what she was saying exactly, but there was no mistaking her accent, Deep Southern. When she came back up the aisle I asked where she was from. She smiled and said, “Memphis!” I told her my family lives right outside Memphis in north MS. Her smile got a lot bigger. Being good southerners, we immediately launched into the southerner's favorite game of “Who's your family?” Who's your mama's people? Who'd she marry? Are we cousins? Turns out that we aren't related but that hardly matters. We know where we're from and b/c we know where we're from, we know who we are and what we are about. Catholics play a similar game: what's your parish? Who's your pastor? Where did you go to school? All good questions. But do the answers to these questions tell us what it is to be Catholic? What it means to be a follower of Christ, to be a child of God? When you come to face the Lord at last, he will ask, “Who are you?” How will you answer? 

The Jews in Jerusalem have their version of our Southern and Catholic games. They send priests to question John the Baptist. They ask him, “Who are you?” He answers, "I am not the Christ." A bit baffled, they continue, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” No. “Are you the Prophet?” No. “Who are you? What do you have to say for yourself?” You can hear the frustration in their voices; you can hear their confusion and fear. They need to know who this desert freak is before they can decide whether or not to take him seriously; before they can decide what—if anything—to do with him! Is he dangerous? Crazy? Possessed? Who is this guy and what is he up to? So, what does John the Baptist have to say for himself? He says this: "I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, 'make straight the way of the Lord. . .'" Well, that's certainly. . .um, helpful. You're a voice. . .a voice crying out in the desert. . .and you are crying out. . .“make straight the way of the Lord”? OK. Can you tell us what that means exactly? What does it mean to be “a voice in the desert crying out 'make straight the way of the Lord'”? John answers, “. . .there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." Who is John the Baptist? He is the one who comes before the Christ to announce to God's people the advent of the Lord.

Now, who are you? You, all of you. Sitting here in St Dominic's Church, New Orleans. Who are you? We know that John is the herald of the Lord. He's not the Christ. He's not a prophet. He's a forerunner, a harbinger. Christ has yet to be born, and John is his living, breathing birth announcement. So, who are we? We can't be heralds or harbingers of Christ's advent in 2011. Christ has come; he's arrived; he is here! We can be forerunners of his coming again, his second coming. We can be the announcers of his return to us. Even better: we can be the Christs and the prophets that John could not be. Christ's own baptist, his death, and resurrection have made it possible for us—each of us—to be not only priests, prophets, and kings but Christs as well. Not simply followers of Christ, not merely members of the Church, not just pew warmers on a chilly Sunday morning/evening. We can and are made and remade to be Christs. Christs for one another. Christs for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed. Christs for those who do not know God's mercy. Christs for those who persecute us. Christs for anyone and everyone who feels the nearly irresistible tug of the Father's love. That's who are we and that's what we do.

Listen to this slightly edited version of Isiah's proclamation: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon US, because the Lord has anointed US; he has sent US to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives. . .to announce a year of favor from the Lord and a day of vindication by our God.” We are the temples of the Lord's spirit. We are the anointed of God. We are the heralds of abundance, comfort, freedom. And we are the clarion voices of His favor and the prophets of His forgiveness. How is this possible? It was made possible by life, death, and resurrection of the Christ. When we were baptized, who we were died, the life we lived before vanished, and we were reborn in the image of the one who lived and died for us. That makes us Christs. . .as yet imperfect. . .but men and women nonetheless gifted with all we need to be made perfect. Our task now is to receive what God has given us and use these gifts to love the unlovable; to forgive the unforgivable; to suffer the insufferable; to pray in thanksgiving, to pray in gladness and joy, to pray always and most especially for those we most despise. Christ died once for all; as Christs we can work for nothing less.

How do we grow in this necessary holiness? How do we use God's gifts to come to Christ's perfection? Our brother, Paul, writes to the Church in Thessalonica, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. . .” Do not quench the Spirit. . .of gratitude, of rejoicing; the Spirit of Truth and Goodness and Beauty that created from nothing all that there is; do not quench the Holy Spirit who gave Mary a son; who graced Christ's baptism and named him Son of God; who set upon the dejected apostles and set them on fire for preaching the Good News; the one who possesses us even now, shaking us out of our dull complacency and demanding of us that we get on with the work of living day-to-day as the well-loved children of a ever-loving Father. Do you carry God's Word like a child in the womb? Do you call yourself a son or a daughter of the Most High? Do you burn with the Spirit's fire to proclaim the Good News? Do you reject this world's narcotic lure and keep your heart and mind pure in the faith? When you fail—and we all fail—do you seek God's forgiveness and receive His mercy? If you answer No to any of these questions, let me ask you another: who are you then? Who are you pretending to be? 

John the Baptist called his people to attention and baptized them in repentance. While they waited on the advent of the Lord, they turned themselves around to face his coming. They turned from disobedience toward obedience; from sin toward holiness. As we wait on the advent of the Lord, his coming again, we too hear John's call to attention, his message of repentance: turn from sin and receive our Father's love. The Lord comes. The day of our rebirth is close to hand!

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10 December 2011

Coffee Cup Browsing (Late Edition)

Exactly how long (grammatically speaking) can something "teeter on the brink," "verge on collapse," or "balance on the threshold of disaster"?  I'm gonna bet this month's stipend that the Language of Crisis is on the cusp of exhaustion.

I spend WAY too much time on the computer. . .however, my life wouldn't grind to a halt if the power went out; in fact, I'd probably get more done.

On the question of clerical facial hair. . .needless to say, I'm for it!

Coptic Christians describe to Congress their persecution in Egypt.

Some background on our Coptic brothers and sisters suffering at the hands of the Religion of Peace.

Excellent reflection on justice and the Catechism.



A bad metaphor.

Weird hats. . .there are two of these that I'd wear.  Guess which two.

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09 December 2011

The First Nawlins' Coffee Cup Browsing (with chicory!)

Methinks that the nation's Attorney General was educated at a "univeristy in the Catholic tradition."  The problem here is that once you've lied to us, you then ask us to believe that it was never your intent to lie in the first place. . .ad. nau.

The Zombies are coming!  And they're from Mars!!

And they say that the Catholic Church is sex-obsessed. . .geez.

Occupy Whiners taunt police. . .police remain professional despite it all.  Language warning.


Exactly:  Catholics should fear the sins of her members more than persecution from her enemies. 

Colorful lizard disapproves. . .strongly.

What your toilet paper says about you.

Ever have one of those days?

The Kindle Wish List has been updated. . .

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08 December 2011

A foray, nine books, & a long nap. . .

Made my first foray out into New Orleans this morning.

Where did I go?  The Cafe du Monde?  French Quarter?  St Louis Cathedral?  Nope. . .

I made a true Redneck Pilgrimage:  WalMart.  In fact, I went to two WalMarts b/c the first one was mostly a grocery store!  

Hey, Delta lost my luggage and I needed some. . .things.  'Nuff said.  Oh, the Wandering Bag arrived safe and sound about an hour ago.

There were several packages waiting for me when I got here last night.  Four books from my friend, Philip in Memphis.  Many thanks to you for your kindness!  Another book from Kathleen S. . .a book of poems I've been wanting for some time.  Thank you kindly.  And a big box of four books from St. Pius X Press!  I will be reviewing those books soon. 

Now, it's time to "catch up" on some sleep with a very Roman riposo.  I was wide awake at 3am this morning.  Ugh.  Not good.

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"First Mass" at St Dominic's New Orleans




My "first Mass" now that I am back in the U.S. will be the 10.30am Mass on Dec. 11th at St Dominic's, New Orleans.  

I will also celebrate the 5.30pm Mass at St Dominic's on the 11th.

Y'all come!

07 December 2011

Made it.

I'm here. . .more or less.

Here in New Orleans.  My luggage, however, is in San Antonio, TX.

Why, you ask?  Because the worker in Atlanta who rechecked my bag was too busy gossiping with her co-worker to notice where she was sending my stuff! 

Anyway, it will be delivered tomorrow by noon. 

Had a good flight. . .long though--11hrs. 


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