Year IX, Number 28

16. How could the idea have developed that Jesus's message is narrowly individualistic and aimed only at each person singly? How did we arrive at this interpretation of the “salvation of the soul” as a flight from responsibility for the whole, and how did we come to conceive the Christian project as a selfish search for salvation which rejects the idea of serving others? In order to find an answer to this we must take a look at the foundations of the modern age. These appear with particular clarity in the thought of Francis Bacon. That a new era emerged—through the discovery of America and the new technical achievements that had made this development possible—is undeniable. But what is the basis of this new era? It is the new correlation of experiment and method that enables man to arrive at an interpretation of nature in conformity with its laws and thus finally to achieve “the triumph of art over nature” (victoria cursus artis super naturam)[14]. The novelty—according to Bacon's vision—lies in a new correlation between science and praxis. This is also given a theological application: the new correlation between science and praxis would mean that the dominion over creation —given to man by God and lost through original sin—would be reestablished[15].

17. Anyone who reads and reflects on these statements attentively will recognize that a disturbing step has been taken: up to that time, the recovery of what man had lost through the expulsion from Paradise was expected from faith in Jesus Christ: herein lay “redemption”. Now, this “redemption”, the restoration of the lost “Paradise” is no longer expected from faith, but from the newly discovered link between science and praxis. It is not that faith is simply denied; rather it is displaced onto another level—that of purely private and other-worldly affairs—and at the same time it becomes somehow irrelevant for the world. This programmatic vision has determined the trajectory of modern times and it also shapes the present-day crisis of faith which is essentially a crisis of Christian hope. Thus hope too, in Bacon, acquires a new form. Now it is called: faith in progress. For Bacon, it is clear that the recent spate of discoveries and inventions is just the beginning; through the interplay of science and praxis, totally new discoveries will follow, a totally new world will emerge, the kingdom of man[16]. He even put forward a vision of foreseeable inventions—including the aeroplane and the submarine. As the ideology of progress developed further, joy at visible advances in human potential remained a continuing confirmation of faith in progress as such.

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

I think my friend has a vocation because he wants to learn Latin and possibly would like go to a monastery over the summer. Also he is a great leader and when people say bad words he always tells them to not say them again. He likes to listen to good catholic music. So how could I encourage more to follow up a vocation that a lot of people think he has?

-John

A. Dear John,

I had a friend too that I used to think should be a priest, not me, and things did not turn out quite the way I thought. Maybe it will be different for you and your friend, so here are some suggestions (a lot depends, of course, on how close you are as friends and how frank you can be with him).

1. Pray for him. Pray that both you and he will be generous enough to do whatever it is God wants of each one. This thought that has come into your mind is God's hint for you to give serious consideration to what he wants you to do with your life. You know that the Church is Christ's Mystical Body, the health of each member affects all the others, and here is one of its concrete applications: you don't make others holy by telling them to be holy, but first of all by striving to be holy yourself. Same if you want to help others with their vocation.

2. Mention it to him. Don't just think it, say it. You may well be the instrument that God needs to make him realize what is happening in his life.

3. Stick together and help each other. Create a circle of good friends, and as well as having fun together and keeping each other out of trouble, do some constructive things that will help others in some way (charitable works, help the poor, teach younger kids the faith, help out some old folks now that Summer is here and the grass is growing, help younger kids at Summer camps...).

4. Invite him on a retreat with you so that you both can pray about your vocations.

I hope some of this helps, and I will say a prayer for both of you.

-Fr. Bannon

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

Excuse me for my English, I'm German and French. I just discovered your website yesterday. I'm 20 years old and I live in France. During the last three months a big desire to announce the Gospel has grown in my heart. I also have the impression that God is calling me to the consecrated life.

The problem is that I started my studies a year ago in an engineering school. It is quite a bit of work and I would prefer to give up my studies in order to announce the Gospel and to discern my vocation. I had a very precise call to do this two weeks ago when I opened my bible and read this:

"throw your bread into water,..., you dont know the work of God which can do everything."

I have a spiritual director, but we haven't talked about this yet. My parents are separated and my mother thinks pursuing my vocation is a waste of time. She wants me to have a university post-graduate professional degree before I take a time to discern my vocation. But I feel that God wants me to throw all my studies into the water in order to announce the Gospel!

Should I abandon myself to God and stop my studies now or should I take the advice of my mother and wait until I finish my studies(in 4 years)?

Thank you for what you do.

-Florian

A. Dear Florian,

Certainly, what you are feeling may well be an inspiration and a call from God. However, it needs to be tested, and the way to do that is to bring up the subject with your spiritual director without delay. There is more to a vocation than the wish to serve the Gospel and the feeling that God is calling you to the consecrated life, although they are very good grounds for thinking that a vocation may be there if those two are present.

Your spiritual director knows you; he knows your past and the lines upon which your relationship with Christ has been developing. He knows your qualities and abilities, your weaknesses and where you need to grow. He will be able to help you discern your vocation and prepare you for it if you have one but are not ready for it yet.

Once you are going through this process with your spiritual director you will have much more information and explanations to help your mother understand your decisions.

God bless,

-Fr Anthony

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

Introductory Prayer: My Father, I thank you for adopting me as your child, thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, my Lord and your Only Son. I begin my prayer In the name of you, my Father who loved me by creating me, of your Son who loved me by dying for me, of your Holy Spirit who dwells within me. Amen.

Petition: Lord, help me to live as you told me to by the words of St. Paul: by the perfect law of freedom so that in my life the fruits of the Spirit may be present, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22)

1. He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Why is evil allowed to persist, so often ruthlessly overcoming goodness and causing unspeakable suffering? Why are the weeds allowed to spread through the wheat? Our hearts turn to God in prayer with so much suffering and evil around us. At the core of this mystery is human freedom which God respects. The weeds are the children of the evil one, but we can change and become children “of the Good One”. That is God’s hope. Since we are free, those who do evil can always change, and those who do good can always fall. That is the mystery of our freedom, and that, coupled with God’s mercy is our hope. He has sent his children into the world to bring his pardon and to change lives. God does not want the evildoer to perish, and he needs those who will bring the light of his teaching and the reality of his mercy and forgiveness so that all can be saved. We are messengers of hope.

2. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened." The parable refers to the capacity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ to transform society but it can also be applied to the power of grace to transform our freedom. That freedom is a fallen freedom, it needs to be nourished, educated and strengthened. Very often when we think we are acting freely we are really acting under the influence of our passions or of our human respect, so again we need here light and guidance. Mary is the one who used her freedom always well, and God’s grace grew and grew in her life without hindrance. The greatest expression of her freedom was her total and absolute love for God, which she expressed in her words, “may it be done unto me according to your words.

Grace or Divine Life, which we receive and increase by frequently receiving the sacraments of the Church, is the yeast that transforms our fallen human nature until our whole person is transformed. If at times we feel powerless before temptation, we need to remember that we are not alone. We can say with St. Paul: It is when I am weak that I am strong for I can do all things in him who strengthens me. And this strength comes through the sacraments.

3. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, ought to hear." In all matters, look to the goal said the ancients. And what is the goal of human existence if not Heaven! Amidst the ongoing struggles on the seemingly never-ending battle of life, it is easy to become discouraged, making it even more necessary not to lose sight of the final victory that has, paradoxically, already been won in the victorious defeat of the Crucified One on Calvary. His victory is your victory guaranteeing us the final outcome if we truly exercise our freedom to pursue the truth and to do the good. Even when the weed seems to be winning, be it in our personal life or in the world, we have to work for the good, sowing good seed in our own hearts and in the world around us. Pope Benedict XVI at his inauguration said: The world was not saved by the power of the crucifiers but by the crucified one. And the peace of Christ, which the world cannot give, will thus enter our souls.

Conversation: Lord, grant me your pardon and the strength to change when I see the weeds in my own life. Grant me perseverance to work with love and perseverance when I see the weeds multiply in the world around me. Grant me the grace always to hope that with your grace you can make me leaven for my brothers and sisters, in my home, my school, my workplace. Grant me always to work in the firm belief that your Kingdom will come.

Questionnaire:

1. What is my reaction to evil? Do I only perceive the evil in the world and forget to examine the failings in my own life?

2. In what concrete way can I become leaven in my home, and in my school/workplace?

3. In what way can I strengthen and renew my hope in Christ?

On November 1992, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed an associate member of the prestigious Académie Française in the section for moral and political sciences. The Académie was founded by Armand-Jean Cardinal Richelieu in 1635. Its members, known as les immortels, have included Victor Hugo, Louis Pasteur, and Voltaire. This honor from a completely secular institution in the capital of a country renowned for keeping God out of the public realm, at least since 1789, is some indication of Ratzinger’s high standing in the world of European letters. As one of the most prolific theologians of his generation he has held positions in 4 prestigious universities. He speaks several modern languages, and is quite at home with classical Greek, Latin and Hebrew. He plays the piano and especially enjoys the music of Mozart and Beethoven. While busy as Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for almost 23 years he continued to publish substantial academic works.

He is not inflated with his importance, he considers himself “a humble laborer in the Lord’s vineyard”, and everywhere he goes he captivates people of all ages and all walks of life with his humility, his spirituality, his clarity and his accessibility.

He is the Successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ. Servant of the servants of God.

7. The need and urgency of mission

Many young people view their lives with apprehension and raise many questions about their future. They anxiously ask: How can we fit into a world marked by so many grave injustices and so much suffering? How should we react to the selfishness and violence that sometimes seem to prevail? How can we give full meaning to life? How can we help to bring it about that the fruits of the Spirit mentioned above, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (no. 6), can fill this scarred and fragile world, the world of young people most of all? On what conditions can the life-giving Spirit of the first creation and particularly of the second creation or redemption become the new soul of humanity? Let us not forget that the greater the gift of God - and the gift of the Spirit of Jesus is the greatest of all so much the greater is the worlds need to receive it and therefore the greater and the more exciting is the Churchs mission to bear credible witness to it. You young people, through World Youth Day, are in a way manifesting your desire to participate in this mission. In this regard, my dear young friends, I want to remind you here of some key truths on which to meditate. Once again I repeat that only Christ can fulfil the most intimate aspirations that are in the heart of each person. Only Christ can humanize humanity and lead it to its divinization. Through the power of his Spirit he instils divine charity within us, and this makes us capable of loving our neighbour and ready to be of service. The Holy Spirit enlightens us, revealing Christ crucified and risen, and shows us how to become more like Him so that we can be the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ (Deus Caritas Est, 33). Those who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit understand that placing oneself at the service of the Gospel is not an optional extra, because they are aware of the urgency of transmitting this Good News to others. Nevertheless, we need to be reminded again that we can be witnesses of Christ only if we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit who is the principal agent of evangelization (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75) and the principal agent of mission (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 21). My dear young friends, as my venerable predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II said on several occasions, to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to the faith is more necessary than ever today (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 1). There are those who think that to present the precious treasure of faith to people who do not share it means being intolerant towards them, but this is not the case, because to present Christ is not to impose Him (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80). Moreover, two thousand years ago twelve Apostles gave their lives to make Christ known and loved. Throughout the centuries since then, the Gospel has continued to spread by means of men and women inspired by that same missionary fervour. Today too there is a need for disciples of Christ who give unstintingly of their time and energy to serve the Gospel. There is a need for young people who will allow Gods love to burn within them and who will respond generously to his urgent call, just as many young blesseds and saints did in the past and also in more recent times. In particular, I assure you that the Spirit of Jesus today is inviting you young people to be bearers of the good news of Jesus to your contemporaries. The difficulty that adults undoubtedly find in approaching the sphere of youth in a comprehensible and convincing way could be a sign with which the Spirit is urging you young people to take this task upon yourselves. You know the ideals, the language, and also the wounds, the expectations, and at the same time the desire for goodness felt by your contemporaries. This opens up the vast world of young peoples emotions, work, education, expectations, and suffering ... Each one of you must have the courage to promise the Holy Spirit that you will bring one young person to Jesus Christ in the way you consider best, knowing how to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but [to] do it with gentleness and reverence (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

In order to achieve this goal, my dear friends, you must be holy and you must be missionaries since we can never separate holiness from mission (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 90). Do not be afraid to become holy missionaries like Saint Francis Xavier who travelled through the Far East proclaiming the Good News until every ounce of his strength was used up, or like Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus who was a missionary even though she never left the Carmelite convent. Both of these are Patrons of the Missions. Be prepared to put your life on the line in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ; to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim the hope of the risen Christ in every corner of the earth.

Upcoming Events & Retreats

(( Listed here are retreats directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members. For a listing of diocesan activities and other events, click here to go to the vocation.com website ))

LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST

Test Your Call Weekends. Experience the novitiate in Cheshire, CT with retreats for young men ages 16-27 sponsored by the Legion of Christ. These weekend retreats combine time for personal reflection, preached meditations, conferences, and opportunities for confession and spiritual direction with the experience of the day to day life of the seminarians. For more information, please call Br. Francois at (800) 420-5409 or email vocation@legionaries.org. Dates in 2008: July 25-27, Aug 14-17, Oct 10-12, Nov 26-30, Dec 19-23, and Dec 26-30

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