Blog by-the-Sea

Kitten Update

Much thanks to everyone who has posted a comment, e-mailed me, or just prayed for my kitten while she has been in the hospital.  Several people have asked for an update on how she is doing.

Today, she seems to have turned a corner toward recovery.  For the first time, her white blood cell count went up instead of down today.  Her fever, which was 106 for the past couple of days, is below 104.  Normal for a cat is 102.  She is starting to eat a little bit of food on her own, in addition to the syringe feeding that the hospital is giving her.  She is still a little too weak to walk, but she is moving much more than yesterday.  I was able to hold her in my lap in a private room tonight when I visited her, instead of just sitting by her cage to stroke her.

She still has a way to go before she will be fully recovered, but I am hoping to be able to bring her home Saturday morning.

Please continue to pray that she will continue to recover.  The veterinarians' consensus is that she has a virus of some kind that has caused gastroenteritis, but they have not yet determined what kind of virus with certainty.  I am a little bit concerned about Muffin being exposed to whatever Mitten has, but I suppose she has already been exposed because Mitten probably would have been contagious before she had symptoms if what she has is indeed viral. 

I thought about whether it might be possible to find another home for her for a few weeks to minimize the risk to Muffin, but the veterinarians have not suggested it, and I want to have both of them home.  Muffin has been lonely whenever I am gone, calling for her new friend.  I am hopeful that she understands that Mitten is still alive, unlike Matty Bear who died a few months ago, since she should be able to smell Mitten's scent on me when I come home from visiting her, but she calls out for her when she is left alone just the same.

Benedict XVI on St. Paul and the Violence Against Christians in India

In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of St. Paul.  Full English translations are available at Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum.  Here is the English language summary from the Vatican Press Office:

"Today’s catechesis presents the life of Saint Paul, the great missionary whom the Church honours in a special way this year. Born a Jew in Tarsus, he received the Hebrew name "Saul" and was trained as a "tent maker" (cf. Acts 18:3). Around the age of twelve he departed for Jerusalem to begin instruction in the strict Pharisaic tradition which instilled in him a great zeal for the Mosaic Law. On the basis of this training Paul viewed the Christian movement as a threat to orthodox Judaism. He thus fiercely "persecuted the Church of God" (1 Cor 19:6; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6) until a dramatic encounter on the road to Damascus radically changed his life. He subsequently undertook three missionary journeys, preaching Christ in Anatolia, Syria, Cilicia, Macedonia, Achaia, and throughout the Mediterranean. After his arrest and imprisonment in Jerusalem, Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to the Emperor. Though Luke makes no reference to Nero’s decision, he tells us that Paul spent two years under house arrest in Rome (cf. Acts 28:30), after which—according to tradition—he suffered a martyr’s death. Paul spared no energy and endured many trials in his "anxiety for all the churches" (2 Cor 11:28). Indeed, he wrote: "I do everything for the sake of the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:23). May we strive to emulate him by doing the same."

At the end of the General Audience, the Holy Father spoke of his solidarity with Christians suffering violence in the Indian province of Orissa.  Asia News has an article with a focus on that part of the General Audience.

Please Pray for My Kitten

She was taken to the 24-hour veterinary emergency hospital last night when she started vomiting and hiding.  She has been on an IV with electrolyte abnormalities, a fever of 105, a fast heart rate and rapid breathing.  They now have her vomiting stopped and electrolytes are back to normal, but she still has a rapid heart rate and rapid breathing, and they think she may have a small opaque area in a kidney.  She will have an ultrasound later this morning, and the emergency veterinarians are waiting for more lab test results.  They are looking at possibly a kidney or hormonal abnormality, possibly including polycystic kidney disease which is rare but can be genetically transmitted in Maine Coon cats.  However, right now, they do not know what is wrong with her, and her combination of symptoms is not common.

St. Teresa of Avila's Dove Metaphor, Part 3: Self-Knowledge

Flight and Self-Knowledge

In Part 2 of this series of posts, I mentioned that even in the very first mansion of Interior Castle, St. Teresa of Avila cautioned against being too eager to fly to the mansions of contemplation, encouraging people instead to learn the humility that comes with self-knowledge, without seeking to fly too soon.  In the First Mansion, Chapter 2, she spoke of self-knowledge as more important than flight, associating it with the room where humility is practiced in the Interior Castle -- with emphasis added here to references to self-knowledge, humility, and flight:

I do not know whether I have put this clearly; self-knowledge is of such consequence that I would not have you careless of it, though you may be lifted to heaven in prayer, because while on earth nothing is more needful than humility. Therefore, I repeat, not only a good way, but the best of all ways, is to endeavour to enter first by the room where humility is practised, which is far better than at once rushing on to the others. This is the right road;—if we know how easy and safe it is to walk by it, why ask for wings with which to fly? Let us rather try to learn how to advance quickly. I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.

I mentioned that I would probably write about self-knowledge in this next post in the series, although technically, self-knowledge is somewhat tangential to St. Teresa's dove metaphors.  As mentioned before, her flight metaphors must be read together, including this mention of a preference for self-knowledge and humility rather than the flight of advanced contemplative prayer.

There are several reasons for pausing to write about self-knowledge. 

First, it is important to notice that her dove and butterfly metaphors do not encourage the flight of contemplation without proper preparation.  The butterfly emerges only after it has built a cocoon and has undergone a metamorphosis within it.  The dove can only soar after growing, watching the flight of other birds, and learning in stages how to fly.

Second, it is important to mention that the preparation she mentions, and the self-knowledge that she has in mind, are concepts of prayer that are often misunderstood.

Lastly, it is important to notice that her own reason for mentioning self-knowledge in this context is that people often over-estimate the state of their own spirituality, thinking that they have advanced to a greater level than they really have.  In pride, there is a tendency to want to skip the foundational levels of basic prayer, thinking that one has already advanced beyond that point.  Not so, warns St. Teresa, but rather  the only way to advance in prayer is by way of humility, and not by trying to skip ahead to contemplation.

"Self-knowledge" is a concept that St. Teresa would have known from medieval writers who spoke of self-knowledge, as she did, as a knowledge of our own unworthiness of God's grace that we gain from getting to know God and ourselves in prayer.  To speak of that as "self-knowledge" in no way undermines the importance of the knowledge that we gain about ourselves from others, and she also placed great importance on having a wise confessor, on what we learn from being in relationship with other people, and reflection on our inner lives separate and apart from what is learned in prayer.  Yet, an understanding of the concept from medieval mystics whose writings she knew will shed more light than an understanding of the writings of present day psychologists whose writings she would not have known.

In a post a week ago, I compiled quotations from several writers, beginning with St. Augustine and ending with St. Teresa of Avila, on Prayer, Self-Knowledge and Humility.  That will set some context on the history of the mystical view of "self-knowledge" known to St. Teresa of Avila in the 16th century.

Blessed Angela of Foligno's Influence on St. Teresa of Avila

One of the medieval sources known to St. Teresa who wrote a good bit about this kind of "self-knowledge" was Blessed Angela of Foligno, from the late 13th and early 14th century.  Both St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross were influenced by The Book of the Blessed Angela ("Memorial"), which was available in Spanish translation in the sixteenth century.  That influence is discussed by Paul Lachance, O.F.M., in his Introduction and Notes to Angela of Foligno: Complete Works (Classics of Western Spirituality Series).

As discussed by Paul Lachance, Balthasar Alvarez, S.J., who was one of St. Teresa's spiritual directors, "quotes entire chapters taken from Angela's writings in his Exhortations to his novices."  (n. 220 to the Introduction).  Two quotations from St. Teresa's writings, he says, are known to have been influenced by Angela's writings.  Those appear in one of her poems and in her writing about trials in the Sixth Dwelling Place of Interior Castle.  (note 218).   Neither of those two quotations concern self-knowledge.

On Angela's writings about self-knowledge, Lachance says, "The theme of self-knowledge as a foundation stone for the spiritual life was quite widespread in the Middle Ages.  The basic source for it was the widely read and copied Confessions of St. Augustine." (Note 8 to the Memorial).  Lachance also mentions that the theme of self-knowledge is central to Angela's spirituality, treated in numerous Instructions (Note 105 to the Memorial).  He also says that "Every step of the Memorial speaks about it in one form or another."  (Introduction).   Angela's spirituality drew from that of earlier medieval mystics.  In turn, Angela's Memorial influence St. Teresa of Avila and probably St. John of the Cross (Introduction).

While St. Teresa's concept of self-knowledge could have come from others, as it was common in medieval spirituality, it is likely that three of St. Teresa's primary sources for her understanding of that concept would have been Angela's Memorial; whatever St. Teresa learned of Angela's Instructions from Balthasar Alvarez; and St. Augustine's Confessions.  St. Teresa mentioned in her Life that she had read the Confessions of St. Augustine.

Self-Knowledge in the Memorial and Instructions of the Blessed Angela

Angela's scribe wrote of 30 steps that Bl. Angela had described in her spiritual journey.  Her First Step was the awareness of one's own sinfulness, with a great fear of hell.  The Second is confession; the Third penance; and the Fourth a growing awareness of God's mercy and forgiveness.  The fifth step is the knowledge of self, in which the soul sees only its defects and condemns itself as deserving hell.

In the Fourth Supplemental Step of the Memorial, Angela wrote of a vision she had of God's power and the smallness of creation, while at Mass in Assisi, in which God told her, "Behold my humility" and she saw God's humility toward people.  She added that, "because I had understood the power of God and perceived now his deep humility, my soul was filled with wonder and esteemed itself to be nothing at all -- indeed, saw in itself nothing except pride."  At first she was reluctant to receive communion, until God said to her, "I who am worthy make you worthy," giving her great joy.

In the Fifth Supplemental Step of the Memorial, she wrote about the ways spiritual people can be deceived.  Among them, she said, God sometimes allows deception in order to preserve a person's integrity, to keep someone from overstepping their limits, until the soul has been led to "complete knowledge of itself and complete knowledge of the goodness of God" which we have only when led to "the full knowledge of truth."  She explains that full knowledge of the truth:

"The soul is first of all so filled with knowledge of itself that it does not seem to it that it could be filled more fully, nor can it be aware of anything else or remember anything else.  And at that moment, it suddenly comes to the awareness of the goodness of God.  It sees both together in a totally undescribable way."

In The Instructions, which St. Teresa may have known primarily from Balthasar Alvarez, Angela most clearly associated self-knowledge with prayer, in Instruction III, Part II:

"The purpose of prayer is nothing other than to manifest God and self.  And this manifestation of God and self leads to a state of perfect and true humility.  For this humility is attained when the soul sees God and self.  It is in this profound state of humility, and from it, that divine grace deepens and grows in the soul. . . . I cannot conceive anything greater than the manifestation of God and self.  But this discovery, that is, this manifestation of God and self, is the lot only of those legitimate sons of God who have devoted themselves to true prayer."

Accordingly, to Bl. Angela, the purpose of prayer is to better know God and ourselves in a way that leads to true humility.  St. Teresa, in the section of Interior Castle quoted above, essentially echoes Bl. Angela in saying that there is nothing more needed than humility while on earth, as Bl. Angela implies as much in saying that she cannot conceive anything greater than the manifestation of God and self, which leads to humility.  St. Teresa also echoes Bl. Angela in saying that "we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God," after Angela wrote that the manifestation of God and self is only given to people who devote themselves to true prayer.

Accordingly, St. Teresa of Avila's concept of self-knowledge needs to be understood in the context of the writings of the medieval mystics, primarily Bl. Angela of Foligno.  As for Angela, St. Teresa spoke of self-knowledge as primarily the awareness of God's greatness and our unworthiness in comparison with His glory, together with the joyful awareness of God's grace that is given despite our unworthiness.  This self-knowledge, learned in prayer, leads to a humility that is essential to contemplation.

Self-Knowledge in the Interior Castle of St. Teresa of Avila

In addition to the portion quoted above from the First Mansion of Interior Castle, St. Teresa also makes other references to self-knowledge as an important aspect of prayer.  In that portion of the First Mansion, she says that it is important " enter [the Castle] first by the room where humility is practised."  While thus making self-knowledge a "room" of the first mansion, she does not limit self-knowledge to only the first mansion, nor does she describe the first mansion as being made up entirely by self-knowledge.  Instead, this self-knowledge is important to every stage of prayer. 

In the translation of Interior Castle by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D., that phrase is translated as, "enter first into the room where self-knowledge is dealt with rather than fly off to the other rooms."  It is thus one room, and not the entirety of the First Mansion.

In the Third Mansion, when she speaks of the nestling bird (also quoted in Part 2 of this series), she speaks of the benefit of having a spiritual director who already "knows the world for what it is," to help a person who is in the Third Mansion to better know himself.  St. Teresa suggests this, rather than doing one's own will, even for people who are not in religious orders.  Thus, the "room" of self-knowledge is still important in the Third Mansion.  The principle of learning from someone who is more advanced in prayer is there illustrated by the principle of the nestling who learns to fly through watching the flight of other, more mature birds:

"It is encouraging to see that trials which seemed to us impossible to submit to are possible to others, and that they bear them sweetly. Their flight makes us try to soar, like nestlings taught by the elder birds, who, though they cannot fly far at first, little by little imitate their parents: I know the great benefit of this."

Here, in speaking of the role of a spiritual director in furthering self-knowledge, she has in mind a spiritual director who is a "parent" as a person more accomplished in prayer.  Obedience to such a person is helpful because it enables the "nestling" to learn from the adviser's example: by watching the adviser's own self-knowledge and humility before the grandeur of God and conforming to it.  What is there learned is the benefit of the adviser's own prayer, in which the spiritual adviser has already gained an awareness of God's greatness, our unworthiness, and God's grace, leading to humility and the acceptance of God's will.

Earlier in the same Chapter of the Third Mansion, she says this of obedience to God's will and humility:

"The object of our life must be to do what He requires of us: let us not ask that our will may be done, but His. If we have not yet attained to this, let us be humble, as I said above. Humility is the ointment for our wounds; if we have it, although perhaps He may defer His coming for a time, God, Who is our Physician, will come and heal us."

In the Fifth Mansion, again, St. Teresa mentions self-knowledge in connection with flight, this time specifically mentioning a "dove":

"LET us now return to our little dove and see what graces God gives it in this state. This implies that the soul endeavours to advance in the service of our Lord and in self-knowledge."

In the Sixth Mansion, she describes an experience before the crucifix, reflecting that she had never had anything to give God, or to give up for Him, and He consoled her by telling her that He had given her all of His suffering in the Passion so that she could offer them to the Father.  St. Teresa wrote that this example "shows that we please our Lord by self-knowledge, by the constant recollection of our poverty and miseries, and by realizing that we possess nothing but what we have received from Him." The "self-knowledge" in that example is much the same as that discussed by Bl. Angela. 

Continuing in the same chapter of the Sixth Mansion, St. Teresa remains clearly within that concept of self-knowledge she found in Bl. Angela of Foligno, when she speaks of three graces of a very high order:

"The first of these is a perception of the greatness of God which becomes clearer to us as we witness more of it. Secondly, we gain self-knowledge and humility from seeing how creatures so base as ourselves in comparison with the Creator of such wonders have dared to offend Him in the past or venture to gaze on Him now.  The third grace is a contempt for all earthly things unless they are consecrated to the service of so great a God." 

Here, St. Teresa is explicit that the self-knowledge that she has in mind is the product of seeing ourselves in comparison with the greatness of God, and how we have dared to offend Him in the past.  She is also explicit that we gain both self-knowledge and humility from seeing ourselves in that light.

Later in the Sixth Mansion, St. Teresa cautions that one should never desire or pray to have favors brought by visions, which are a gift and are never deserved.  Such a desire shows a lack of humility, which would preclude the possibility of such a vision.  In a reference to God's mercy and the self-knowledge of being aware that we are in fact worthy of hell, as in Bl. Angela, she writes:

"I do not believe God will ever bestow these gifts on such a person, as before doing so He always gives thorough self-knowledge. How can that soul, while filled with such lofty aspirations, realize the truth that He has shown it great mercy in not casting it into hell?"

In another reference to self-knowledge and humility, in Chapter 10 of the Sixth Mansion, she is again clear that by "self-knowledge" she is referring to the knowledge that "we have nothing good of ourselves":

"Once, while I was wondering why our Lord so dearly loves the virtue of humility, the thought suddenly struck me, without previous reflection, that it is because God is the supreme Truth and humility is the truth, for it is most true that we have nothing good of ourselves but only misery and nothingness: whoever ignores this, lives a life of falsehood. They that realize this fact most deeply are the most pleasing to God, the supreme Truth, for they walk in the truth. God grant, sisters, that we may have the grace never to lose this self-knowledge! Amen."

Understanding that reference in the context of Bl. Angela's writings, we should see that she is not speaking of a lack of self worth per se, but rather of an awareness that all of our virtues and all of our good are given to us by God's grace.  So, as St. Teresa says that "our virtues are only lent to us" in The Way of Perfection, the Fourth Supplemental Step of the Memorial of Bl. Angela says that God wanted to give her a grace to be useful to all who sought her, and she was afraid that it would make her proud, ye God told her that she was "only its guardian" and that she would have to return it to God to whom it belongs.  For both, in saying that we have nothing good of ourselves does not imply that we have no virtues, but rather that all that we have that is good is loaned to us by God's grace, and that we must give account to God for it.

As illustrated here, St. Teresa saw such self-knowledge, always leading to humility, as essential to advancement in prayer and in our closeness to God.  She raises the subject in the First Mansion, as quoted at the beginning of this post, and raises it again and again as essential to growth in prayer.

As this series continues -- returning to the metaphors of flight and, specifically, those related to her use of the dove metaphor, the concept of "self-knowledge" will come up again.

More Kitty Pictures

I have added a few new photos of my kitten to the photo album in the sidebar.  Meanwhile, here is a cute picture of my other cat, 13-year old Muffin.  Ever graceful and athletic, never overweight, and adept at grooming herself and even keeping her own teeth clean, she has long enjoyed looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.  She is a mixed breed rescue kitty, part Snowshoe Siamese.

Benedict XVI Asks for Prayer for Making God's Peace Present in a Time of Divisions

In his reflection at today's midday Angelus, the Pope said that Jesus' words in today's Gospel reading (Matt. 16:13-20) are addressed to us as Christians and, at the same time, to all of humanity.  The mission of St. Peter and his successors, he said, is serve the unity of the one Church with a diversity of cultures, "to make present among all men - marked by innumerable divisions and differences - the peace of God and the renewing power of his love."

He mentioned "the enormous responsibility of this task" of "service to the Church and to the world that the Lord has entrusted to me," and specifically requested prayer for this task:

"Therefore, I ask you, dear brothers and sisters, to sustain me with your prayers, in order that, faithful to Christ, we may together announce and bear witness to his presence in our time."

After the Angelus, he spoke specifically of current international tensions and the need to avoid a return to "nationalistic counter-positions," an apparent reference to the risk of return to the Cold War of the past.

Full translations are available from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum and from Joseph G. Trabbic at Zenit.  An article is available at Asia News.

Abbot Joseph Offers Edward Leen's Insights on Humility

Abbot Joseph at Word Incarnate has been reading In the Likeness of Christ by Edward Leen, recommended to him by a nun.   Borrowing from Leen, he is continuing with the theme of humility that he began recently, joking that he was "rather proud" of the favorable responses to his previous post on the theme.  From Leen's 1936 book, available new in reprint, comes this insight, among others on the subject:

"We are indulgent to our own faults; we are intolerant of those of others. We, as it were, claim the privilege of being the only sinners in the world, and demand that all the world beside should be just. This preposterous claim is involved in every deliberate movement of resentment indulged in because others are wrongdoers and their wrongdoing affects us adversely. It is again an aiming at a condition that is not ours, and therefore a failure in humility."

Weekly Audience: Reading the Lives of the Saints

In today's general audience, the Holy Father spoke about imitating the holiness of the saints and blesseds.  He particularly mentioned those whose memorials are coming up this  week, including St. Bernard of Clairvaux (whose memorial is today), Pope/Saint Pius X (whose memorial is tomorrow), and St. Rose of Lima, whose memorial is on Saturday).  He also mentioned more recent writers who attributed great importance to the saints' lives as reflections of the divine life and commentary on the Gospel, including Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jean Guitton and Georges Bernanos.

Asia News has an article with quotations.  Full translations are available at Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum.

The original Italian text with greetings in several languages can be found from the Vatican Press Office.  Here is a portion of the Pope's greeting in English:

"This week, the liturgical calendar celebrates several remarkable examples of holiness: Saint John Eudes, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Pius the Tenth and Saint Rose of Lima. The summer months provide an opportunity for us to read about the lives of these and all the saints, who show us that holiness is not the privilege of a few, but the vocation of all the baptized. Through their intercession and inspiration, may you learn to love and serve the Lord more ardently in your daily lives. God bless you all!"

Stephen Hand Reviews a Book on Bl. Anna Katharina Emmerick

Stephen Hand at News, Arts and Commentary, reviews Light on Light by Hurd Baruch, about Bl. Anna Katharina Emmerick (known in English as Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich), her life and her visions.  In contrast to the 2,000 pages of her visions in the edition published under the title The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Hurd uses only selective parts of Bl. Anna Katharina's visions to show how they conform to Scripture and Church teaching, according to Hand.  Anyone reading the last 100 pages, he says, will understand why Mel Gibson made a movie about the Passion after reading them.

Stephen Hand had a previous post about her in which he mentions her together with Padre Pio and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, saying, "All three in their own unique ways were devoted to the Passion of Jesus and lived lives of radical love and utter abandonment to the divine will. . . ."

Bl. Anna Katharina Emmerick was beatified in 2004, together with Bl. Emperor Karl (Charles) of Austria in the last beatification Mass presided over by Pope John Paul II.

Prayer, Self-Knowledge and Humility

By St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions: 

"For it is thou, O Lord, who judgest me. For although no man 'knows the things of a man, save the spirit of the man which is in him,' yet there is something of man which 'the spirit of the man which is in him' does not know itself. But thou, O Lord, who madest him, knowest him completely. And even I--though in thy sight I despise myself and count myself but dust and ashes--even I know something about thee which I do not know about myself. And it is certain that 'now we see through a glass darkly,' not yet 'face to face.'  Therefore, as long as I journey away from thee, I am more present with myself than with thee. I know that thou canst not suffer violence, but I myself do not know what temptations I can resist, and what I cannot. But there is hope, because thou art faithful and thou wilt not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist, but wilt with the temptation also make a way of escape that we may be able to bear it. I would therefore confess what I know about myself; I will also confess what I do not know about myself. What I do know of myself, I know from thy enlightening of me; and what I do not know of myself, I will continue not to know until the time when my 'darkness is as the noonday' in thy sight."

From Albert C. Outler, Ph.D.'s Introduction to his translation of St. Augustine's Confessions:

"One does not read far in the Confessions before he recognizes that the term 'confess' has a double range of meaning. On the one hand, it obviously refers to the free acknowledgment, before God, of the truth one knows about oneself--and this obviously meant, for Augustine, the 'confession of sins.' But, at the same time, and more importantly, confiteri means to acknowledge, to God, the truth one knows about God. To confess, then, is to praise and glorify God; it is an exercise in self-knowledge and true humility in the atmosphere of grace and reconciliation."

By St. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Humility and Pride:

"Here is a definition of humility.  'Humility is the virtue by which a man recognizes his own unworthiness because he really knows himself.'"

By St. Angela of Foligno, Instructions:

"Through perseverance in true prayer, divine light and grace increase, and these always make the soul grow deep in humility as it reads, as it has been said, the life of Jesus Christ, God and man.  I cannot conceive anything greater than the manifestation of God and self.  But this discovery, that is, this manifestation of God and self, is the lot only of those legitimate sons of God who have devoted themselves to true prayer."

By St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle:

"I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except by endeavouring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness, His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble."

The Pope's Angelus Reflection: Overcoming Intolerance

In his words at the midday Angelus today, the Holy Father spoke of the Canaanite woman in today's Gospel reading for Mass (Matt. 15:21-28).  The Italian text of the Pope's reflection is provided by the Vatican Press Office.  Asia News has an article with quotations in English.  Full translations are available at Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum. 

Speaking of Jesus' acceptance of the Canaanite woman, he said that it is important "that every Christian community deepen this awareness more and more, in part for the sake of helping civil society to overcome any temptation of racism, intolerance, and exclusion, and to organize itself with decisions respectful of the dignity of every human being!"  He also asked people "to defend life and concretely exercise love of neighbor" in their driving, remembering those who have recently died in traffic accidents.

After the Angelus prayer, he spoke of the situation in the Republic of Georgia, calling for the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors to enable the alleviation of suffering.  He expressed his condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the conflict, in which thousands of people have died.

Catholic Relief Services reported on August 14 estimates of 1,000 to 2,000 dead and 100,000 refugees in need of food and shelter in the Republic of Georgia.

Benedict XVI on the Feast of the Assumption

Asia News and Catholic News Agency both have articles about Pope Benedict XVI's words at the Angelus for yesterday's Feast of the Assumption.  A full translation is provided at Papa Ratzinger Forum.  The Asia News article also mentions the Holy Father's homily at Mass earlier on the feast day.

The Holy See Press Office reported that he celebrated Mass at 8:00 a.m. that morning at the church of "San Tommaso da Villanova" in Castel Gandolfo.  Asia News reported that his homily spoke of the importance of the "ability to look up to heaven and to God, the true reality and the bridge to a new world," compared to the false joy and suffering in our society, learning from Mary "how to be witnesses of hope and consolation."

The Press Office also posted the Italian text of his words at the Angelus with greetings in various languages.  He spoke of the traditions in the Orthodox Church (the dormition) and the Catholic Church (the Assumption) that both attest to her passage from earth to heaven.  In his greeting to English-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father said:

"I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus prayer. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, we are invited to raise our eyes to heaven and contemplate Mary, the Mother of Jesus and our Mother. She who on earth believed in God’s word is now glorified in body and soul. May Mary’s prayers and example guide you always and renew your hearts in faith and hope. May God grant you and your families abundant blessings of peace and joy!"

Stephen Hand: On Decency and Being Good Neighbors

Stephen Hand, at News, Arts and Commentary, has a post titled "On Decency and Being Good Neighbors" about the present day lack of kindness in the world, between nations and also between individuals:

"It is not just one group of people or another but it is a world which has forsaken the Good, and is increasingly losing the sense of what it means to be good. To be kind is opposite of the sheer will to power."

Read all.

Benedict XVI Remembers Sts. Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe

Pope Benedict XVI today gave his weekly general audience at Castel Gandolfo, with about 8,000 people present.  It was the first time the general audience was given from the papal summer home since Pope Paul VI, 30 years ago.  This was the first general audience since his journey to Australia for World Youth Day and his vacation which followed it.

He spoke about Saints Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast days are August 9 and 14, respectively, and who both died at Auschwitz. Remembering the many people who write to him about their difficulties, he said that "those who pray never lose hope, not even in difficult situations, even situations that are desperate in human terms."

An article is available from Asia News with quotations.  Full translations are available at Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum.

More for the Centennary of Olivier Messiaen

Trinité Messiaen 2008... une année de concert
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A series of concerts is ongoing at L'Eglise de la Trinité (Church of the Trinity) in Paris, where Messiaen was organist.  Begun on December 9, 2007, the series will continue to December 10, 2008.  The program and other information can be found online at the parish website.