Religion

“The child who has been exposed from his earliest years to good classical music, and has seen his soul being developed by it, will not be nearly as tempted by the crude rhythm and message of rock and other contemporary forms of pseudo-music as someone who has grown up without a musical education. Such a musical education, as several of the Optina Elders have said, refines the soul and prepares it for the reception of spiritual impressions.

The child who has been educated in good literature, drama, and poetry and has felt their effect on his soul — that is, has really enjoyed them — will not easily become an addict of contemporary movies and television programs and cheap novels that devastate the soul and take it away from the Christian path.

“The story is told of Cardinal Kaspar, who heads the Vatican Congregation for Dialogue with other religions. He recently attended a Greek Orthodox service. Some of you may know that their services go on for a very long time. Afterwards the celebrant said to him, ‘I hope that you were not bored’. The Cardinal replied, ‘no, not at all’. ‘It did not go on too long for you then? Perhaps you think we might modernise it or make it simpler’, the celebrant asked. ‘No’, replied the Cardinal. ‘It should stay exactly as it is. It is very beautiful’. So the celebrant said, ’so why did you do all that you have done to your Mass then’? And it is quite true of course, that many people now look towards the east to recover that sense of the mysterious and spiritual in a religion that has sometimes been stripped bare to its essentials and sometimes even beyond. That’s why we need the traditional liturgy…”

The submission of wives to their husbands has got to be one of the least popular teachings of the Catholic Church today — and the case can be made that the Catholic Church isn’t teaching this today at all. The folks at Heart, Mind, and Strength are busy finessing this doctrine into oblivion where it shall die the Death of a Thousand Nuances. For instance, Greg Popcak writes:

“BUT, when the man stops listening to the voice of God speaking through the needs of his wife and children, he becomes not a leader, but a despot. And obedience to such a husband would not be Christian obedience, but rather, idolatry … A husband can only claim authority to the degree that he is aware of the specific needs God has written on the heart of his wife and children and spends his days finding godly ways those needs can be fulfilled.”

At the bidding of a friend, I am reading Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson. The night before last I came across this astonishing passage:

“Then he waited for communications, and they came, so soft and delicate, passing like shadows, that his will sweated blood and tears in the effort to catch and fix them and correspond. . . .

Here’s my take on The Passion of The Christ. There is no subject more worthy of meditation. There is no event more important in the history of the world. Mel Gibson’s movie, I predict, I pray, will convert thousands. It is not in the least anti-Semitic, except to those who believe the Gospels and the Christian Faith are inherently anti-Semitic.

With that said … I am very reluctant to give unqualified support to any theatrical depiction of Christ. Some of the Eastern Orthodox claim that a theatrical portrayal of Christ is against their canon law. I don’t know, but I would not be surprised. How could a movie, a play, not diminish the reality of Christ in the mind’s eye? He was — He is — the incarnate God. GOD! Can any film possibly do Him justice?

Dr. Peter Chojnowski’s blueprint for Distributism here highlights six elements of a Catholic economy: Guilds, Family-Owned Businesses, Homesteading, Apprenticeships, Barter and Credit Unions, and Neighborliness. The article is a good reminder of distributist ideals, even if they seem unattainable in our time. Perhaps the most salient characteristic of Distributism is the emphasis on Property:

“First, we must commit ourselves to the goal advanced by the economic teachings of Pope Leo XIII (Rerum Novarum), Pope Pius XI (Quadragesimo Anno), and the Distributist theorists, the attainment of real property for families. It is only with the attainment of real property (i.e., not mortgaged to the modern day usurer) that we shall establish fixed ‘realms’, footholds of Christendom capable of sustaining over a indefinite period of time families dedicated to the Social Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Kathy the Carmelite won our little “Name That Theologian” contest some weeks ago, and she would have been followed by Alicia and perhaps a few other well-read ladies. (Do we have educated women at St. Blogs or what?) This one should be a little harder. The excerpt is taken from a book that was moderately influential in shaping my own worldview — a book that, in my opinion, should be much better known. I’ll give you a couple of clues: the philosopher is a European, and the book was first published in 1926.

Permalinks aren’t working now, but Fr. Jim Tucker has some common-sense things to say about “centrism” as the strategy of those Catholics who want to oppose “extremism” (scroll down to “Centrism the Answer?”). Another problem with centrism is that it is entirely dependent upon where the shifting extremes of Left and Right happen to be. But Truth, and the prudential judgments that should flow from Truth, are completely independent of an ideological sliding scale. To be a Centrist, therefore, is to be a relativist.

Traditionalists are often accused of having a “hermeneutic of suspicion”, meaning that they don’t trust the hierarchy enough, that they are too critical of new ways of doing things, that they suspect whatever proceeds from the post-conciliar Church to be somehow an agent of Modernism. In fact, this criticism is fair, although there are as many degrees of suspicion as there are variants of traditional Catholics. This suspicion sometimes becomes irrational, uncharitable, and excessive, making a fine carciature for our enemies to toy with. But to some degree it is necessary. I myself automatically and reflexively distrust the USCCB, and find that most individual bishops are safely ignored (except when they must be opposed). I realize this attitude is totally backwards, and it goes completely against my establishmentarian instincts. I dread the day when my children, who piously pray for all bishops and priests, discover that most Catholic bishops and priests in this country are, shall we say, doctrinally challenged.

The subject of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer always ignites a little nostalgia for my Anglican days. So it was in that frame of mind that I began rummaging through some old discs this afternoon looking for misplaced articles I had written. Because I am still an admirer of Charles I of England, whom Anglo-Catholics traditionally venerate as a saint (and who, in my opinion, may well be a saint), I was pleased to have recovered the following article commemorating his martyrdom:

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SAINT CHARLES, KING AND MARTYR

“Constant from cradle to the grave,

Gold of a loving heart he gave,

Prayer was his frankincense and breath,

And myrrh his brave and kingly death.”

- D.F.G.

“Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

From the February archives of Theresa’s Destination:Order here, the journal of an articulate sophmore attending Christendom College:

“The discussion had merged from classes to the spirit of Christendom. ‘Here’s the essence of Christendom,’ said Sabatino. ‘Do you know what that great Catholic queen–’ (aside to us: ‘Isabella? yeah–’) ‘ –queen Isabella once said were her three favorite things? No?’ The visitors did not; nor did we. Now all Sabatino’s energies come to the point–compelling voice, dramatic flair, blazing brown eyes in his dark Italian face, with one hand gripping the table and the other emphasizing the points. We stood spellbound. ‘She said ONE, a Pregnant Woman! –TWO, a Priest Celebrating Mass! –and THREE, a Thief Hanging at a Crossroads! –THAT is the Essence of Christendom!!’”