And the Jews wondered, saying: How doth this man know letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do the will of him; he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.Continue reading “Whether it Be of God”
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Committed in a Holy Place
As we reach back into the section of our spiritual wardrobe where sackcloth and ashes are providently stored, this blogger would like to impart a friendly word, spoken in Christian mercy, to those who fancy that occupying a place somewhat loftier than their fellow mortals, not yet deceased, equips them with an alchemical power toContinue reading “Committed in a Holy Place”
Frivolous People
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Luke 8:11 Scatterbrained frivolous peoplerob themselves of the Word’s power.Belial with his childrenanyhow seeks to obstruct itso that it produces nothing useful. Cantata BWV 181 For your (non-frivolous) delectation & meditation, here is a link to a marvelous performance of this Cantata forContinue reading “Frivolous People”
Ratio as Remedy
According to Eric Voegelin, the “spiritual disorder of our time” is driven by the prevalence of ideologies whose aim “is to destroy the order of being, which is experienced as defective and unjust, and through man’s creative power to replace it with a perfect and just order.” Since this last bit is an absurdity—as theContinue reading “Ratio as Remedy”
Intellectual Swindlers
Eric Voegelin’s Science, Politics, and Gnosticism presents a diagnosis of the mental illnesses plaguing modern political societies, and a remedy to boot. With ingenious simplicity, Voegelin outlines the differences between the pursuit of genuine science (Greek: episteme) and its counterfeit (so-called gnosis). The first, exemplified in Socratic philosophy and Christian theology, “is concerned with theContinue reading “Intellectual Swindlers”
Praying With the Whole Soul
Jean-Baptiste Chautard’s The Soul of the Apostolate is justly regarded as a modern spiritual classic. It began with a 1907 pamphlet presenting a model for the reconstruction of the French Church after a period of persecution, and gradually expanded into an essential guide for anyone doing apostolic work in the modern world. The argument ofContinue reading “Praying With the Whole Soul”
Two Yawns for (the Spirit of) Vatican II
The documents of the Second Vatican Council, promulgated as they were by men entrusted with the governance of Christ’s Church, are worthy of a respectful hearing, and faithful submission where appropriate. Thus my (quasi-heroic) effort above to suppress a third yawn. Nonetheless, as Dom Alcuin Reid advises in his incisive essay (link below), the practicalContinue reading “Two Yawns for (the Spirit of) Vatican II”
Asking God and Intellect to Rule
“One who asks law to rule,” Aristotle observes, “seems to be asking god and intellect alone to rule, while one who asks man adds the beast.” By god, Aristotle means the supreme intellect, whose superiority consists partly in not relying on a limited supply of brain cells, and partly in being free of the passionsContinue reading “Asking God and Intellect to Rule”
Good News About Evil
Evils are so thoroughly overcome by good, that though they are permitted to exist, yet good can exist without evil, but evil cannot exist without good, because the natures in which evil exists, in so far as they are natures, are good. And evil is removed, not by removing any nature, or part of aContinue reading “Good News About Evil”
One Last Hurrah!
As Aristotle observes, the weakness of human nature renders even the most fulfilling of activities tiresome. If, as Josef Pieper reminds us, the greatest thing we can do is to celebrate the greatness and goodness of our Creator and Redeemer, it nonetheless remains a sad necessity that any particular celebration (or cycle thereof) come toContinue reading “One Last Hurrah!”
"His Tongue shall Speak Judgment" 