Black Ministry

This past Sunday Feb. 7 was the “National Day of Prayer for the African American & African Family.”

On a day that saw Beyonce’s Superbowl fist salute homage to the Black Panthers, Father Frederick Agyeman called on people of African decent, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to be “free of our own shakles,” especially those caused by the “3Ps — Pride, Prejudice and Presumption…and submit to the transforming word of God.”

Father Agyeman’s message is especially timely given the widespread black narcissism sweeping America today that hasn’t exempted the Office of Black Ministry — which in its mission statement seeks the “eradication of all forms of oppression within the Catholic Church” while encouraging “black self-reliance.”

Notions of “self-reliance” (black or white) and Church as “oppressor” are wrong headed, even pernicious, and should be rooted out rather than supported.

‘Self-sufficiency’ is not truthful.

 

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‘That All May Be Saved’

“All men are called to belong to the new people of God.” (Lumen Gentium 13, Vatican II)

What does it mean to be a believing member of the Church? The Council states that it means being convinced of the truth of revelation and at the same time capable of maintaining a dialogue. The dialogue in question is with those who are not convinced or have a different conviction concerning revealed truth. St. John Paul II, Sources of Renewal, 1972

A recently promulgated Vatican document seems to abandon concern for the “sick” Jews (lost sheep of the House of Israel), on the part of the Catholic Church:

“In concrete terms this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any institutional mission work toward Jews.” The Gifts and Calling of God are Irrevocable, 2015

Could it be that abandoning the Jews (under pressure from perfidious popes and Jews) is subverting the Church — and in effect the greatest antisemitism of all? Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 2008, “Christianity must not concern herself with the conversion of the Jews.”

Saint John Paul II reminded us in “Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (1993): The New Covenant has its roots in the Old. The time when the people of the Old Covenant will be able to see themselves as part of the New, is naturally, a question left to the Holy Spirit. We, as human beings, try only not to put obstacles in the way. The form this “not putting obstacles” takes is certainly dialogue between Christians and Jews…The New Covenant serves to fulfill all that is rooted in the vocation of Abraham, in God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai, and in the whole rich heritage of the inspired Prophets who, hundreds of years before that fulfillment, pointed in the Sacred Scriptures to the One whom God would send in the fullness of time.” (cf. Gal 4:4).

The Church’s missionary activity is based on deep-seated theological premises, on an understanding of the very essence of the Church, and on its universality and catholicity, corresponding to the eternal design that all should be saved by God’s action and redeemed through Christ. In the light of this truth of faith, ‘The Church, which has been sent by Christ to reveal and communicate the love of God to all men and to all peoples, is aware that for her a tremendous missionary work still remains to be done.’ St. John Paul II, Sources of Renewal, 1972

Rethinking “Pro-Life”

The Pro-Life Movement — a political action movement that seeks to restrict abortions in America, has become the vanguard of the Church’s New Evangelism.

At the recent symposium: Advancing a Culture of Life (held at the NYU Catholic Center), the program guide included small type that read: Pro-Life Argument in the Coming Generation.

The problem is that many ‘pro-lifers’ are not in sync with Christocentric anthropology, and their deeds reflect it. How else to explain the pro-lifers who support unjust wars, torture, assassinations etc?

While we oppose all abortions, we also oppose the term “pro-life” being used in Catholic evangelism and apologetics because it is redundant, divisive and at times incoherent. More important is the need for those who say they are ‘pro-life,’ to truly participate in Divine Life.

Theology of the Body

New York City averages eleven pedestrian deaths per month from people being struck by motorists. This St. Patrick’s Parade reveler could have been another statistic because of his own foolishness. Hopefully he’ll wake-up and get hold of himself before its too late.

In his work — Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II lays out the big picture of Christian anthropology. To use a coaching term, he presents the way for people to be “freed-up,”  to live coherent lives in union with God and each another. Central to that is self-mastery. “Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of God is. Do not get drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit.” Proverbs 23:31

Eternal Consequences

Armory Arts Week is underway in New York City at several venues including St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral School — which was closed in 2010 after 188 years of service. Started by Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Sisters of Charity, it was the first Catholic school in New York. The art show in the former school is called Spring/Break. It’s theme is: New Mysticism.

The show’s artists have some things to learn about mysticism, but one of them seemed to nail the disorder of some in the Church, with a work called: Eternal Bummer.

Catholic Center at NYU

The new Catholic Center, at New York University, held a dinner for graduate students after Mass at the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village last evening.

What is Marriage?

Robert George, McCormick Chair in Jurisprudence, Princeton University co-authored a paper called, “What is Marriage” (Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, 2010), in which he argues that the “common good of our society crucially depends on legally enshringing the conjugal view of marriage and would be damaged by enshrining the revisionist view…” While Catholic doctrine clearly affirms the conjugal view of marriage, Professor George presents his views without resorting to religion.

Co-Redeemers

With Christ’s resurrection we have been redeemed, but we are not yet ‘saved’. That has to be worked out over our lifetime — as we too are called to carry Our Lord’s Cross. Some clergy and DREs are not clear about that reality.

I rejoice now in the sufferings I bear for your sake; and what is lacking of the sufferings of Christ I fill up in my flesh for his body which is the Church; whose minister I have become in virtue of the office that God has given to me in your regard. For I am to preach the word of God fully — the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations, but now is clearly shown to his saints. To them God willed to make known how rich in glory is this mystery among the Gentiles — Christ in you, your hope of glory! Him we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. At this, too, I work and strive, according to the power he mightily exerts in me. Col. 1:24-29

Artwork: Javier Perez

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

“A great deal of what we studied in theology back then (50 years ago) is now out of date.” Father Robert Lauder, The Tablet, April 7, 2012

In the beginning of Mark’s gospel Jesus is reported to have said: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 We ask Fr. Lauder — What part of Our Lord’s message is “out of date?” The problem is not that the Church is out of step with the times, but rather that many churchmen are out of step with the Lord. It can be hard to find leaders and scholars, in the Catholic Church today, who are real ‘practitioners’ of Christianity.

“Christianity boasts the only morality that is not a collection of precepts from which everyone can accept some and reject others according as it suits him: it forms a perfectly coherent and indivisible whole. For example we will never practice the love of man to the extent that Jesus demands if we have not the love of God in our heart; we will never be able to sacrifice ourselves for justice’s sake if we dispute the fruitfulness of renunciation illumined by the doctrine of the cross. Jesus’ morality forms a solid system necessarily founded on Christian dogma.” Georges Chevrot, The Well of Life (Scepter 1960)

Catholic Universities

OC met up with Fr. Peter Donahue, President of Villanova University, at a recent Wildcat basketball reception. We asked him for his elevator speech on the importance of Catholic education. Here’s what he had to say:

“Catholic education bases itself on the Catholic intellectual tradition which extends back to the founding of universities. And it is a tradition that speaks about the importance of the human being — and the importance of the human being to continue God’s creation by serving others. For a Catholic institution or for a student at a Catholic institution, I think one of the most important things about it is that there is an ethical background, a moral principle that is given to them that is discussed. We are able to discuss a variety of topics always in the context of faith, and so there is always a greater interplay between faith and reason and faith and learning.”