Vivat Agnus Dei

Read Readings Do you ever notice the feeling of anticipation that accompanies Advent? To me, Advent is a season symbolic of the journey of this life: we wait in eager hope for the life to come—the fullness of health, happiness, and holiness in Christ—and we conform ourselves so as to receive that fullness with eagerness and readiness, that is, to long in the proper way. In this sense, it is a livelier Lent, because it holds the anticipation of Christ in one hand and the strong conviction that all promises are about to be fulfilled in the other. As I read—and even before I read—I could not help but feel overcome by the sense that the biggest thing is about to happen: the one thing God has been laboring toward with us, namely the fulfillment of every covenant, God among us; what was destroyed in our sins and the sins of others beginning to be undone; people who once sneered now rejoicing in communion. It is much like last Sunday’s reading from Isaiah 11, which highlights how those natura...

The word hour appears twenty times throughout the Gospel of John. More often than not, Jesus uses it to symbolize the climactic event of His glorification through suffering (cf. John 12:23, 27, NRSVCE). “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father” (John 13:1). This verse begins the Last Supper discourse, and the language signals that the decisive moment has truly “come.” In chapter 16, the word is used to foretell the suffering of the Apostles (John 16:2–4). Later in the same chapter, Jesus foretells their sorrow at His departure: “When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:21–22). Here, suffering is revealed as necessary for th...

Whenever someone asks, “why not?” Usually, it seems the right question has been asked, and it’s understood to mean there is not a sufficient reason to think contrary to what someone has said. It is dismissive framing, suggesting either/both ignoratio elenchi or intentional rhetoric to discredit the contrary without engaging counterarguments. This undermines credibility in balanced discourse, prioritizing persuasion over accuracy. This is not unlike the first sin tantamount to: "He said..." which is honest and responsible for the most part, and it is replied to with "but why not? after all, this is really what God is about..." This is similar to the way the world defines freedom or addresses any significant issue regulated by religion, i.e., an undiscerning, uninvestigating, daft, and disinterested Occam's razor interested in mere perpetual apathy via vincible and therefore culpable ignorance. This "ignorance is bliss and I unilaterally decide to strawman an...

Pictured (color-edited with some error in the shadow): Josemaria Escrivá The atheist, materialist, and even some scientific interpretations of the "soul" differ sharply from that which the Catholic Church teaches. In the popular or materialist view, the soul is often portrayed as a "ghost in a machine," a Gnostic concept that posits the body as merely a vessel or the soul as merely a part of either the brain or mind. This misunderstanding becomes a strawman for atheists and materialists to refute, for it seems to conflict with empirical science. However, the Catholic understanding, rooted in Aristotle and perfected by St. Thomas Aquinas, presents no true quarrel with science. The Church teaches that the soul is the form of the body, constituting with it a single human nature (cf. CCC 365 , 382 ). As Aquinas beautifully articulates, "the soul is not in the body as contained by it, but rather contains the body" ( Summa Theologiae I, q. 76, a. 8 ). The soul,...

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem ,  Pietro Lorenzetti ,  Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi Introduction Today, I thought we could consider the early church practice of Lectio Divina, or "divine reading," which allows one to receive God's communication through scripture. One may say that if God does not seem to speak (typically considered in audible fashion), it is because He has already spoken or speaks in a way that one is not listening. Lectio Divina tunes one to both possibilities, by obtaining direct information concerning a Person who should be Our Everything straight from the subject Himself rather than taking someone else's interpretation and formulation of facts about Him, which often leads to inconsistencies if someone is not educated in saying things about Him and even then, we have to understand what they mean and they have to do it pretty well to compensate for all the potential problems. This is what makes going to the source itself in the Sacraments a...

It seems to me there is a lot of confusion surrounding the faith vs. works disagreement between Protestant and Catholic Soteriology. There are distinctions between homophonic definitions and the rhetoric continually gets stuck here. Let us begin there: "Works" as actions in general, without faith being necessary, including all human actions, whether morally good, neutral, or sinful. These works may stem from natural abilities and dispositions but lack salvific value apart from faith and grace. Without the proper orientation toward God, even virtuous actions remain within the natural order and cannot justify a person (cf.  Isaiah 64:6). "Works" as actions ad salutem to human cooperation with the grace of God, where one’s actions are oriented toward forming virtue, disposing the soul to receive the infused virtue of justice (justifying grace) but are not themselves the cause of justification (cf.  Ephesians 2:8-10). "Works" as actions ex salutem  or from h...

The proposed course of correction to  Carter Carruthers, "Chronic Pursuit of Instant Gratification", Vivat Agnus Dei, November 24, 2024 . If you have ever had an in-depth spiritual conversation with a spiritual director, minister, a friend who is reading the saints, or even a recovering addict, odds are you have/will have heard the word "surrender" at least 5 times in the course of that conversation. Given the fact this word can begin to seem like vocal clutter solution more than a real term or concept or an opportunity to be dismissive of your trials (or effects of the sins others have committed against you), and how essential this concept appears to be in such conversations, it is well worth presenting at least an attempt at defining surrender. In consulting Scripture, the Magisterium, and 12-step group texts, it seems that surrender is best understood as the following sentences delimit: Surrender is the grace-filled act of aligning one’s will with God’s, born of ...

  Psychological and Moral Implications of Chronic Pursuit of Instant Gratification on Self-Control and Ethical Decision-Making in Adolescents “In a society that, for various reasons, fosters doubt and cynicism, fear and helplessness, immaturity and childishness, some young people tend to stay at the level of primary gratification.”[1] It is well known that chronic pursuit of instant, primary gratification (CPIG for short) is a constant between our phones, social media accounts, and spending habits. What exactly is instant gratification? This immediate desire for gratification is characterized by a shallow focus on oneself, not through (often at the expense of) thoughtful introspection, reflective prayer, or long-term foresight and benefit, but an attempt at satisfying the fickle and fleeting physiological/primary desires born of perceived need, often inspired by a negative emotional state.[2] It leads individuals to neglect deeper or more arduous pursuits such as willing the good o...