"He led them up": the journeys of life and the pilgrimage to Eternity

As the weather becomes warm again and invites us outdoors we begin to think of the journeys we might take to new places or old familiar and favorite retreats during the Easter vacation and summer months. I am now in my final days of training for a journey by foot of 26.2 miles in next week's National Marathon. The path that leads me to that event took the form of a series of smaller outings by foot up hills and down to prepare the body and mind for the daunting physical challenge ahead.

Many of our journeys promise adventure and entice us with the promise of new people to meet and new experiences to enjoy. And when we finally arrive at our destination we are sometimes tempted to leave our ordinary existence behind and to say with Peter: "this is very good; let's pitch our tents and stay a while". But, as is true of everything in this world, even the most beautiful and happiest moments of our lives are short and fleeting. Our mountaintops of joy are set off from each other by the valleys of everyday life and even sometimes by sorrow.

For the complete text of the homily for the Second Sunday of Lent, please visit Meeting Christ in the Liturgy.

"Ite ad Joseph"

St. Joseph, foster father of Christ, husband of Mary, patron of the universal Church and of a happy death, pray for us.

In photo: St. Joseph window, St. Joseph Church in Morganza, Maryland.

Big win for the Vatican in European crucifix case

by John L Allen Jr on Mar. 18, 2011

• NCR Today

In a big win for the Vatican in terms of church/state relations in Europe, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has reversed an earlier ruling and upheld the right of Italy to display crucifixes in its public school classrooms.

Though the Vatican was not formally a party to the case, it strongly supported the position taken by Italy and a coalition of other European states, mostly drawn from the majority Orthodox regions of Eastern Europe, in defense of Italy’s right to have crucifixes in the classrooms.

Read the entire article here.

How NOT to be Catholic

How NOT to be Catholic? “Someone convinced of already possessing all the answers, with the duty simply to impose them.”

Those were the words of Cardinal Ravasi in preparation for a new initiative to be called "The Courtyard of the Gentiles" after a suggestion by Pope Benedict XVI; an opportunity for believers and non-believers to speak to one another without judgement or condemnation.

Catholics, blessed with the way of Jesus Christ, the Way the Truth and the Life, have a responsibility before all others do to speak and act in love, inviting others to Faith. Pope John Paul II, to be beatified in Rome this May, said it well: "The Church proposes, the Church does not impose".

Pope Benedict used the phrase in a recent address as a suggestion.

As John L. Allen Jr., describes it: "Inspiration came from Benedict XVI’s speech to Roman Curia in December 2009, when the pontiff looked back on his trip that year to the Czech Republic -- statistically, at least, the most secularized society in Europe, with the highest percentage of avowed atheists and agnostics.

"Reflecting on the experience, Benedict said: 'I think the church today should open a sort of "Courtyard of the Gentiles,” ' referring to the space in the ancient Jerusalem temple where non-Israelites could enter."

"Ravasi and the Council for Culture took that notion and ran with it. In February, during a trial run for the 'Courtyard of the Gentiles' in Bologna, Ravasi explained its spirit.

“ 'Encounter between believers and non-believers occurs when they abandon ferocious apologetics and devastating desecrations,' he said, 'revealing the deep motives for both the hope of the believer and the hesitation of the agnostic.'

"Ravasi clearly identified the personality type of someone unsuited for such an exchange, whether a believer or not: 'Someone convinced of already possessing all the answers, with the duty simply to impose them.'"

John L. Allen, Jr, does a very good job explaining this very good initiative for the New Evangelization and a positive development on the sometimes rocky Catholic landscape. I offer a link to his article on the subject in The National Catholic Reporter here.

In photo: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture.

Patriarchate of Constantinople denounces Vassula Ryden

From Rorate Caeli:

"Yesterday, the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a strongly-worded decree denouncing Vassula Ryden and her works, excluding her supporters from (Orthodox) communion, and warning people from spreading her teachings her lest they incur canonical censures. An initial English translation of the new decree can be found here; the original decree is on the website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople. The relevant portion is as follows:

'In this spirit, and for the beneficial protection of our pious Orthodox plenitude from dangerous spiritual confusion, who do not know well matters underlying the risk of delusion, rejects from the Mother Church Vasiliki Paraskevis Pentaki - Ryden, widely known as a "Vassula", and her organization founded under the title "True Life In God" which rashly and frivolously proposes teachings based on the supposed "direct dialogue between her and the Founder of the Church Jesus Christ our Lord", and those conquered by her and the supporters of "True Life In God", which deviate arbitrarily from the God-given teaching of the Church, but also scandalize the Orthodox phronema of pious believers.

Hence, we call upon the proponents of these unacceptable innovations and the supporters who maintain them, who henceforth are not admitted to ecclesiastical communion, not only to not be involved in the pastoral work of the local Holy Metropolis, but also to not preach their novel teachings, to prevent the appropriate sanctions under the Holy Canons.'

"This comes a few months after the Romanian Orthodox Church defrocked one of its priests for concelebrating with a Roman Catholic priest, in an event that came about under the influence of Vassula Ryden. (See this and this for Rorate Caeli's posts on that incident, and this post on another website reporting on the rejection of the priest's appeal of his punishment.)

"Vassula continues to enjoy support from some Roman Catholic priests and bishops despite repeated Vatican warnings against her teachings. Hopefully this support will soon disappear..."

"Slainte!": Happy Saint Patrick's Day

May the road rise to meet you, the wind be always at your back, the sun shine warm upon your face and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

-- Irish Blessing

"I am the Light of the World"

Tonight the Light of Christ is on for you. Eucharistic Adoration and opportunity for the sacrament of Confession is offered in all the churches of the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington every Wednesday during Lent from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.

Photo: St Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Benedict, Md.