Bread with Wine

Helping- an obligation?

curitaloca — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:10:53 +0000

Someone once asked me, “Am I obligated to help the needy?” I responded, “Let me think about your question and I will get back to you.” Why did I need to think about it?

Firstly, I didn’t know exactly what the question meant. It seems very straightforward on the one hand. However, on the other, the question might have many meanings. Did the person want to say, “Do the wealthy have an obligation to help the poor?” Or, “Must I give up what I need for my sustenance in order for others to have?” “Should I sacrifice for others at the expense of myself?” There are many ways to understand the question.

Secondly, to give an answer depends on how you look at a situation. Are we looking at things from a merely human perspective? Is it a matter of justice? Are we looking at things from a Christian perspective? Is it a matter of virtue? Are we looking at from our angle? Are we looking at it from their angle?

Thirdly, ‘obligation’ and ‘needy’ could have a variety of definitions.

Lastly, I thought it might be a trap- a trick question.

I thought and prayed long and hard. A week later I spoke with that same person. “I have the answer”, I said. “The question is wrong. The question should be, ‘Are we obligated to help each other?’” The answer to that question is ‘yes’. “I give you a new commandment, love one another.” (John 13:34)

LETTER FROM HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR CONCERNING IOR

curitaloca — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:07:31 +0000

VATICAN CITY, 23 SEP 2010 (VIS) – Given below is the text of a letter written by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. The letter concerns recent events involving the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR) and appeared in today’s edition of the British newspaper, Financial Times.

“Yesterday the IOR (Institute of Religious Works) returned to international media attention in the wake of a surprise investigation by the Procurator’s Office in Rome.

“Given that the activities of the IOR take place at an international level, and that its President is a well respected figure, well-known in the world of international finance, it is appropriate that I, as the head of the Holy See’s Press Office, should seek to clarify matters in order to avoid the spread of inaccurate information and to ensure that no damage is caused to the activities of the Institute or the good name of its managers.

“The IOR is not a bank in the normal definition of the term. It is an Institute that administers the assets of Catholic institutions; institutions whose goal is to further a religious and charitable apostolate at an international level. The IOR is located within the territory of Vatican City State; in other words, beyond the jurisdiction and surveillance of the various national banks.

“Its particular status means that its position in the system and the regulations of international finance requires a series of agreements in order to establish the procedures necessary for the Holy See to be included in the White List – this is especially true in light of the new norms laid down by the European Union to combat terrorism and money laundering.

“From the day of his appointment, and in accordance with the specific mandate he received from the highest Vatican authorities and from the IOR Inspection Committee, President Gotti Tedeschi has been working with great commitment to ensure the absolute transparency of the IOR’s activities, and their compliance for the norms and procedures which will allow the Holy See to be included in the White List. To this end, intense and fruitful contacts are ongoing with the Bank of Italy, the European Union and with the competent international bodies: OECD and GAFI.

“It is for this reason that the Vatican Secretariat of State, in the official communiqué it released on Tuesday, expressed its perplexity and amazement at this investigation by the Procurator’s Office in Rome, which has come at a time in which this commitment is being clearly shown and these contacts are being made in order to reach lasting solutions as soon as possible.

“The nature and aims of the transactions under investigation could have been clarified with great simplicity, being cash transactions the beneficiary of which is the Institute itself, on accounts it holds at other credit institutions. The current problem was caused by a misunderstanding (now being examined) between the IOR and the bank which received the transfer order.

“Thus the Holy See reiterates its complete confidence in the managers of the IOR, and its desire for complete transparency in the financial operations the Institute undertakes, in accordance with the procedures and norms required today to ensure the security and transparency of transactions in the field of international finance”.

Running ? Where to ?

curitaloca — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:26:17 +0000

Once seemingly happy and carefree people, runaways are typically motivated by depression, anxiety, and a sense of loneliness and deep alienation. They feel a lack of support and have nowhere to go when things get tough – except elsewhere. They turn their back on parental support or authority figures and seek security in the street. Most in this situation think they are forgoing a bad situation for something better. However, when they come to their senses, they realize that their suffering has only begun and they have become vulnerable to the hostile environment and objects of victimization.

So it is in the spiritual life. Sin moves us from peace and happiness to depression, anxiety and loneliness. Where do we go? We run. We turn our back on God looking for security elsewhere. We think that by fleeing we are going to improve things. After a certain amount of running we realize that it doesn’t work. It is not the solution to the problem. We become more vulnerable and open ourselves to victimization.

What is the answer?

The Prodigal Son of next Sunday’s Gospel reading shows us the way.

Sacred “book burning” ?

curitaloca — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:21:56 +0000

COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING “KORAN BURNING DAY”

VATICAN CITY, 8 SEP 2010 (VIS) – The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue today released an English-language communique describing its “great concern at the news of the proposed ‘Koran Burning Day’ on the occasion of the anniversary of the 11 September tragic terrorist attacks in 2001 which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives and considerable material damage.

“These deplorable acts of violence, in fact, cannot be counteracted by an outrageous and grave gesture against a book considered sacred by a religious community. Each religion, with its respective sacred books, places of worship and symbols, has the right to respect and protection. We are speaking about the respect to be accorded the dignity of the person who is an adherent of that religion and his/her free choice in religious matters.

“The reflection which necessarily should be fostered on the occasion of the remembrance of 11 September would be, first of all, to offer our deep sentiments of solidarity with those who were struck by these horrendous terrorist attacks. To this feeling of solidarity we join our prayers for them and their loved ones who lost their lives.

“Each religious leader and believer is also called to renew the firm condemnation of all forms of violence, in particular those committed in the name of religion. Pope John Paul II affirmed: ‘Recourse to violence in the name of religious belief is a perversion of the very teachings of the major religions’ (address to the new ambassador of Pakistan, 16 December 1999). His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI similarly expressed, ‘violence as a response to offences can never be justified, for this type of response is incompatible with the sacred principles of religion’ (address of His Holiness Benedict XVI, to the new ambassador of Morocco, 6 February 2006)”.

CON-DIR/ VIS 20100908 (300)

Tolerance?

curitaloca — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:36:17 +0000

One of the biggest buzzwords of our society is ‘tolerance’. We are told that we should have an all-embracing spirit that accepts all views, political ideologies, values, belief systems, creeds and practices as valid for us all. We must all adopt a flat out ‘No!’ to any type of discrimination whatsoever.

Hmmmm…. Something just doesn’t seem right with this philosophy. I guess precisely because there is no ‘right’ and there is no ‘wrong’. Anything goes. There is a problem, of course, because the same proponents of such a philosophy are the first to label any ‘conservative’ view or value system as invalid. What? Absurd. What happened to tolerance?

St. Paul tells the Thessalonians (2 Thes 3: 6-10) to “shun any brother who walks in a disorderly way.” It seems to me that such a position is not very ‘tolerant’. But, then again, are we to ‘tolerate’ disorder? Are we to ‘tolerate’ immorality? Are we to ‘tolerate’ behavior that smacks of disregard for God’s law and the common good?

What is the measure of what we should truly ‘tolerate’? Jesus reacts vehemently against the pharisees calling them “whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.” He is calling them to task for their duplicity of life: “on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.” (Mt 23: 27-32)

That seems to be the measure of what we should ‘tolerate’ or not ‘tolerate’- truth, goodness and moral righteousness. Why should we tolerate lying, cheating and stealing often covered with a deceptive mask? Why should we put up with immoral conduct which undermines the very social fiber of our society?

If we hold the current course of cultural tolerance proposed by modern social scientists, we should be ready to embrace the consequences of the moral relativism which will invade our world and undermine any source of social stability existent today. We will become a schizophrenic people unable to live with any sort of principles whatsoever. The last standing principle will simply be the ‘survival of the fittest’ which really means the survival of the strongest- those who wield the power and can impose their views, political ideologies, values, belief systems, creeds and practices on everyone else.

God help us.

Absurd and Insane

curitaloca — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:24:16 +0000

This past Tuesday a Connecticut beer distribution center in Manchester became a gruesome scene of anguish and confusion as family members arrived to find their loved ones dead. Eight people were killed by a man who went on a shooting rampage after resigning from his job because he was caught stealing beer. We look at these things and shake our head saying, “How absurd. What can possibly motivate a person to do something so bizarre?” Absurdity and insanity seem to be our daily bread.

How do we get to this? There are two reasons: Firstly, we have forgotten God. Our lives without Him have no meaning. Secondly, when we lose God we also lose our respect for one another. Our life becomes void of meaning and others’ lives also become void of meaning.

We Christians are in this world as signposts. Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” When we lose sight of our true treasures -God and our brothers and sisters- our treasures become totally mundane and meaningless. Our souls and our very lives become senseless too. We are in this world to give hope to those who have lost their true treasures and show them the way to live a life with true meaning.

Life is not Assured with Possessions

curitaloca — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:27:26 +0000

I know of a person who, years ago, went off to a foreign country to work. As most foreign workers do, he went along to the bank to set up an account. The account rep sat down with him and spoke about all the marvelous investment and retirement programs the bank offered. He wasn’t interested in them. He just wanted a regular checking account from which to live. The representative used her best arguments and -after a long conversation- convinced her client that the best thing for him was to open his account and begin setting aside a size-able amount of money toward a future retirement program.

He gathered up his documents and took them home to study. After sifting through, reading and signing all the documents he resolved to go back early next morning to speak to the account representative and leave everything arranged.

As he entered the bank the receptionist greeted him with the accustomed, “Good morning, may I help you?” ”Yes,” he said, “I’d like to speak with Wendy.” “Ah…. Wendy? “Yes, Wendy. I was here yesterday speaking with her about a new account that I’d like to open.” “Ah….. I see,” she said. ”Well……….. unfortunately Wendy will not be able to help you. You see……… she died last night.”

Wendy had worked late the prior evening. She left the bank at 6:00 p.m., walked across the street to her car and, as she started it, she fell dead.

It would never happen to us. Of course not…..

Jesus says, “though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Our very life may be required of us tonight and, “all the things you have stored up, to whom will they belong?” Do not store up treasure for yourself. Rather, become rich in what matters to God.

New Wine in New Skins

curitaloca — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:28:03 +0000

The long awaited papal delegate to oversee the renewal process for the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ has been recently named by the Holy Father (see here and here). Cardinal Velasio De Paolis has received his marching orders from the Holy See that explain the scope and desired outcome for his interim governing (see here).

The individuals occupying current leadership within the Congregation, while beginning this new phase of the Legion’s history, would do well to learn a few things from some recent papal interventions.

Firstly, Pope Benedict’s Pastoral Letter to Irish Catholics regarding the recent abuse scandals among clerics in Ireland is something to reflect upon (see here). In that letter he addresses the bishops:

“Only by examining carefully the many elements that gave rise to the present crisis can a clear-sighted diagnosis of its causes be undertaken and effective remedies be found. Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include:

- inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life;

- insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates;

-a tendency in society to favor the clergy and other authority figures; and

-a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person.

Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing.”

The Holy Father urges the bishops to act in a positive way in the face of this scandal:

“…in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, “to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes.”” (Address to the Bishops of Ireland, 28 October 2006).

Pope Benedict goes on to say:

“…it must be admitted that grave errors of judgment were made and failures of leadership occurred. All this has seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness.

Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives.

This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal.

I therefore exhort you to:

1. renew your sense of accountability before God, to

2. grow in solidarity with your people and to

3. deepen your pastoral concern for all the members of your flock. In particular, I ask you to

4. be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of each one of your priests. Set them an example by your own lives,

5. be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement at this difficult time and stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sisters.

Secondly, the acting superiors of the Legionaries should also draw some practical conclusions from the recent statement on the Situation of the Ecclesial Family “Miles Jesu” (see here).

The statement reads in paragraph #2, “In a Decree issued on March 25, 2009, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the Pope’s Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, named me, Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., as Commissary for Miles Jesu invested with full authority. The mandate is to write a new Constitution which defines the charism, spirituality, and apostolic nature of the Institute; to develop adequate vocational discernment and formation policies (ratio formationis); to review the financial policies, and in general to completely revise all its practices and customs.”

Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S. goes on to state that, “In time it has become clear and undeniable, that the Founder, Fr. Alfonso Durán, presented erratic behaviors that were totally beyond the scope of the powers given to him. Some members have identified wounds caused by the inappropriate exercise of authority under his leadership. The mistaken sense of allegiance and obedience instilled in the membership facilitated his behavior, which was totally unacceptable and not in accord with the discipline of the Church nor supportable in any way by a healthy sense of consecrated life.

Members who challenged his actions or behavior were often ostracized. The internal discipline and customs of the Institute provided protection for the Founder. It must be said in justice, that most of the members had no idea of the improper conduct of the Founder. Some of the allegations against Fr. Durán are hearsay and have not been verified. However, many are factual. It is important for all that the truth be disclosed, which is the reason for this public statement.”

Paragraph #6 of the communiqué states, “Though this communication may come as a surprise and be painful to many members, Vinculum members, and friends of Miles Jesu, the truth cannot be hidden. Only in truth can a better and healthier future for Miles Jesu be achieved. The work of renewal is already in progress and there is enthusiasm for the future that the members are building together. United in prayer and in fraternal love, and assured of the Church’s motherly care, we will get through this time of difficulty and come to the dawning of a new day. We walk towards that day in hope and trust in God’s loving care and protection.”

I hope that the current leadership of the Legion of Christ can finally step up to this challenge for the good of the congregation and its members. If not, they should step aside and let others begin the house cleaning.

In Whom do We Trust?

curitaloca — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:40:01 +0000

When a family invites me to visit their home, mom and dad show me the kids’ trophies and medals, rewards for their achievements, and pride and joy for them as parents. They even sometimes show me their children’s report cards. Please don’t tell the other kids! They take out the family photo albums and talk about trips and activities and special events. Mom and dad will show me their home and speak about their own academic, professional and civic accomplishments too.

We pride ourselves on our achievements. We all feel pretty good about what we have accomplished in life, material or otherwise. That’s human.

We more than often, however, make one big mistake regarding our achievements and accomplishments. Much too frequently we place our trust in them. That means when they fail, we fail. Not good. In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that our security should not to be placed on all the wonderful things we pride ourselves on:

“You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have stored up, to whom will they belong?”

Our security should be placed in God alone. He will never fail us.

Mary Magdalene

curitaloca — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:53:06 +0000

Today’s liturgy sums up pretty well some of my earlier reflections regarding prayer. We see reflected in the Sacred Scripture passages and the prayers of today’s Mass the deepest spiritual sentiments of the human heart regarding our Creator, our Provider, our Sustainer and our Redeemer.

Prayer, to paraphrase the reading from the Song of Songs, is “the search for Him whom my heart loves.” The attitude of the prayerful soul is the continuous search for its True Love.

The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 63) expresses the need of the soul for its only Love:

“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”

“O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.”

The holy Curé of Ars had said that prayer is like rain: “Prayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains. You may perform good works as much as you like; if you do not pray frequently and pray properly you will not be saved, for prayer opens our mind’s eye and shows our soul the magnitude of our misery and the necessity of divine assistance.”

A true encounter with God unleashes the torrents of heavenly water to irrigate our barren soul and make it fertile. God is the fountain of Life and Goodness. Prayer is the key to open that fountain.

In the Gospel we see Mary Magdalene doing what she does best: seeking the Lord. She went to the tomb early in the morning to be with her dead Jesus; such was her love. Oh! She was in for a big surprise! There was no dead Jesus. He did die, of course, but He was no longer dead. She discovered that only because she sought Him.

At the tomb she encountered His messengers and then the Living Lord Himself who responded to her sentiments of love in two ways: Firstly, He told here to let go. He told her not to cling to her old and erroneous concept of the Lord. He renewed her understanding as to who He was. Secondly, He entrusted her with a mission- to go to her brothers and sisters and tell them that He is alive and that He will fulfill his promise of going to the Father.

So, in prayer, the soul is renewed. One’s understanding of Jesus and His mission is refreshed. At the same time God himself touches the soul and sends it on its way as His messenger of the Good News- God who is faithful to His promises.