Regarding current info that is making the rounds a…

Regarding current info that is making the rounds about Communists infiltration into the seminaries sixty or seventy years ago:

First, I do not doubt that such an enterprise was undertaken–most likely in Catholic countries like those in Latin America and in Europe (places like Poland and Italy). In fact those familar with theological trends would not be surprised that the trends in theology in Latin America attempted to mix Marxism and Christianity (Liberation Theology).

Secondly, the current crisis (involving sexuality and Clinton-Nixon like cover-up) seems incredibly American. It is more likely that we have exported and infiltrated seminaries with our “democratic” views of morality throughout the English speaking world. The relativism that has become popular in American seminaries is often traced back to Josef Fuchs (a German Jesuit priest, who I myself was taught by). Fuchs historically was a parish priest in Germany during World War II. He had the sad tasks of trying to make sense of the hiddeous complicity of the German people in Hitler’s war and holocaust. In doing so, he greatly questioned the culpability of people in almost any circumstance. But it was Americans like Charles Curran and Richard McCormack who popularized his views and even took them to new depths in this country. None of these people could hardly qualify as communists-rather than bringing people to work for the good of all–they are largely responsible for just the opposite–the rise and glorification of the individualism (which is hardly compatitlbe with the goals of communism).

A mirror is probably a better instrument to analyze the current crisis in the Catholic Church.

Day #2 of 9to pray a Cardinal Law’s Novena during…

Day #2 of 9to pray a Cardinal Law’s Novena during this period between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost, I will post the prayer for the next nine days, to make it easier for you to join in:

”Almighty and merciful God, by the power of the Holy Spirit you raised Jesus Christ, your Son, from death and filled him with new and abundant life.

”Then, in accordance with your loving plan, you sent the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Pentecost, that by his mighty gifts they might be joined to the Risen Lord in his Body, the Church.

”By a fresh outpouring of the Spirit’s gifts give new life to the Church in the United States this Pentecost.

”We beg that the Spirit will bring healing to the victims of clergy sexual abuse and their families.

”We pray that the Spirit will warm the hearts of those whose faith has been weakened by this scandal.

”We ask that the Spirit will bestow mercy and repentance on the abusers.

”We earnestly desire that the Spirit will renew and reform the whole Church in the likeness of Christ.

”Fill every member of the Church with holiness so that, working together as the Body of Christ, we might be built up in faith, hope and love in order to proclaim the Gospel with joy.

”We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

This is a continuation of the 73 Steps to Spiritua…

This is a continuation of the 73 Steps to Spiritual Communion with God. The previous posts are below and in the archives to the right. This is the 23rd step:

(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.

One of the genius’ of St. Benedict’s steps is that he teaches the monk to pay attention to what it in his heart. In the previous step it was anger that he counseled we should not give “way to, now it is revenge that we should not “foster a desire” for. If you have been hurt by someone you have a choice how you will respond to that hurt. Our Lord counseled us to forgive, forgive, forgive.

Forgiveness is more than just saying, “I pardon you,” to those who hurt us. It also requires an act of the heart that we actually wish the best for our enemy–who may very knowingly and willfully have hurt us.

This usually shocks people.

“Why should I?” “Isn’t doing so, making what they did to me right?”

No, in doing so you are not making them or what they did “God” in your life.

Too often we are motivated by anger and desires that have nothing to do with God but everything to do with what other people have done to us. We are not free as a result, but merely puppets of those who have hurt or harmed us in the past.

Not fostering a desire for revenge may seem impossible in some cases–but everytime that we are faced with a task that seems impossible to us–there is a new opening to our great need for God.

That’s why these are “steps” toward communion with God, because they make us face our great need for Him at every twist and turn of our lives.

In the same way that “lust” can lead one to commit acts of infidelity–so too in this case fostering a desire for revenge can only lead to the victim becoming the perpetrator of an evil act themselves. Better to cut the growth of something evil at the very roots and “fostering the desire” of something evil is the root of an evil act.