COMMENT: Feast of Church "twentieth-century Father of the Church". Balthasar and Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe 

Feast of the Church Lateran Rome 9 November

Lk. 15: 1-10 Robinson Crusoe Joy Repentant Sinner

This morning, the commentary on the Mass from MAGNIFICAT was unusual,

  An excerptfrom Robinson Crusoe c. 6&7 by Daniel Defoe (+ 1731).   

Avid readers of Hans Urs von Balthasar often describe Heart of the World as a "surprise". The "pure serenity of a volcano under snow" readers usually find in Balthasar, as translator Erasmo Leiva puts it, gives way to "the poet-theologian" who dares to "bare his own heart". The result is what can only be described as lyrical, even intimate spiritual reflections.

"Heart of the World", the translator continues, "deserves a place next to the Imitation of Christ. Especially in the passages where Christ speaks to the soul, Father von Balthasar shows himself a worthy successor of Thomas :a’Kempis. Both works combine an intense personal piety with a precise awareness of the believer's position as child and servant of Christ's Church .... For Balthasar, as for Kempis and all genuine Christians, the saint is first and foremost the one who renders constant thanks for having been loved."

Heart of the World is a profound and theologically rich reflection on the Heart of God.

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century, perhaps of all time. He was a priest, a publisher, a translator, a prodigious author, and the spiritual leader of a religious community in Basel, Switzerland.

Henri Cardinal de Lubac called him a "twentieth-century Father of the Church, an embodiment of Catholic culture".

Heart of the World, Hans Urs von Balthaser , p 66 "Robinson Crusoe..."

“But who is this sun? Who has overburdened himself with the hard-labour of love? Who is the light which illumines every man who comes into this world? It is a Heart like ours, a human Heart, which itself thirsts for a return of love. A Heart like other hearts full of warm folly, full of imprudent hope, full of obstinacy. A Heart that pines away when it is not loved. Who can love his whole life among nothing but enemies? And if one of us should be cast like Robinson Crusoe on an empty island, we  would still have the memory of our youth and would nourish our solitude with images of long-past friendship. A human heart is not like God: it does not revolve upon itself; it is not without its needs. It beats, it pulses, it searches, it requires alien blood in order in order to live. . . .”

Feast of the Church Lateran Rome 9 November

Dedicazione della Basilica Lateranense 

Friday, 09 November 2012    

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome - Feast

Feast of the Church : Dedication of St. John Lateran (Feast)

See commentary below or click here
Saint Aelred of Rielvaux : «The temple of God is holy, and that temple is you» (1Co 3,17)
Commentary of the day : 

Saint Aelred of Rielvaux (1110-1167), Cistercian monk 
Sermon 8, for the feast of Saint Benedict 

«The temple of God is holy, and that temple is you» (1Co 3,17)

We have often heard that, after he had led Israel out of Egypt, Moses built a tabernacle in the desert, a tent of sanctuary, thanks to the gifts of the sons of Jacob... We need to see clearly that all this was a symbol, as the apostle Paul says (1Cor 10,6)... It is you, my brethren, who are now God's tabernacle, God's temple, as the apostle explains: “The temple of God is holy, and that temple is you”. His Temple, where God reigns eternally, you are also his tent since he is with you on the journey: he thirsts in you, he hungers in you. This tent is still being carried... in the desert of this life until we come to the Promised Land. Then will the tent become Temple and the true Solomon will carry out its dedication “for seven days and again for seven days more” (1Kgs 8,65), namely the twofold repose... of immortality for the body and blessedness for the soul.

For now, however, if we are truly Israel's spiritual children, if we have spiritually left Egypt, then let each one of us carry out the offerings for the construction of the tabernacle...: “For each of us has a particular gift from God, one of one kind, one of another” (1Cor 7,7)... So let everything be common to all... Let no one consider the gift they have received from God to be their own property; let no one be jealous of whatever gift their neighbor may have received. But let each one think of what they have as belonging to all their brethren, and let them not hesitate to consider as their own what belongs to their brother. God acts towards us according to his merciful design in such a way that each needs the other: whatever one person lacks can be found in his brother... “Though many, we are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another” (Rom 12,5).

Lk. 15: 1-10 Robinson Crusoe Joy Repentant Sinner

Thursday, 08 November 2012 31st week Ord. Time  

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 15:1-10. Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."    

Thursday, 08 November 2012 Blessed John Duns Scotus, O.F.M. (c.1266-1308)
COMMENT: Father Charles Balic, O.F.M., the foremost 20th-century authority on Scotus, has written: "The whole of Scotus's theology is dominated by the notion of love. The characteristic note of this love is its absolute freedom. As love becomes more perfect and intense, freedom becomes more noble and integral both in God and in man" (New Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1105).

This morning, the commentary on the Mass from MAGNIFICAT was unusual,

Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday

 An excerpt from Robinson Crusoe c. 6&7 by Daniel Defoe (+ 1731). 

MAGNIFICAT - MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Joy over the Repentant Sinner

While I was thus gathering strength, my thoughts ran exceedingly upon this Scripture, "I will deliver you"; and the impossibility of my deliverance lay much upon my mind, in bar of my ever expecting it; but as I was discouraging myself with such thoughts, it occurred to my mind that I poured so much upon my deliverance from the main affliction, that I disregarded the deliverance I had received, and I was as it were made to ask myself such questions as these - viz. Have I not been delivered, and wonderfully too, from sickness - from the most distressed condition that could be, and that was so frightful to me? And what notice had I taken of it? Had I done my part? God had delivered me, but I had not glorified him - that is to say, I had not owned and been thankful for that as a deliverance; and how could I expect greater deliverance? This touched my heart very much; and immediately I knelt down and gave God thanks aloud for my recovery from my sickness.

In the morning I took the Bible; and beginning at the New Testament, I began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read a while every morning and every night; not tying myself to the number of chapters, but long as my thoughts should engage me. It was not long after I set seriously to this work till I found my heart more deeply and sincerely affected with the wickedness of my past life. The impression of my dream revived; and the words, "All these things have not brought you to repentance", ran seriously through my thoughts. I was earnestly begging of God to give me repentance, when it happened providentially, the very day, that, reading the Scripture, I came to these words: "he is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission." I threw down the book; and with my heart as well as m¥ hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of ecstasy of joy, I cried out aloud, "Jesus, you Son of David! Jesus, you exalted Prince and Saviour! Give me repentance!" This was the first time I could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed in all my life; for now I prayed with a sense of my condition, and a true Scripture view of hope, founded on the encourage­ment of the Word of God; and from this time, I may say, I began to hope that God would hear me.

Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, "call on me, and I will deliver you", in a different sense from what I had ever done before; for then I had no notion of anything being called deliverance, but my being delivered from the captivity I was in; for though I was indeed at large in the place, yet the island was certainly a prison to me, and that in the worst sense in the world. But now I learned to takeit in another sense: now I looked back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my soul sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was nothing.

Oratory, Community Chapel, for occasion during Church refurbishing

Dear Trevor,

Thank you for the kind affirming of the Homily from Fr. Raymond.

The Mass was exceptional. The congregation was invited to the Oratory in the Enclosure. For the present the Church was out of use during the the installation of the eleven tall windows for double glazing. Fortunately, the heating was on for the Oratory.
Thank God for refurbishings and for the workers during the seven weeks' constructions.

In Dno.

--- On Sun, 4/11/12, Trevor G... wrote:

From: Trevor G. . .
Subject: fr. raymond's sermons
To: "Dom Donald" . . .
Date: Sunday, 4 November, 2012, 19:32

Dear Fr. Donald,

 

I have heard Fr. Raymond's sermons in the Guest House at Nunraw over many years and latterly over the miles to Turkey on the Internet.

 

There is much to consider and learn from them. They always seem to strike a chord and have relevance to everyday life - they seem to put things into a personal perspective and have meaning for me and i am sure many. 

 

His sermon "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart" is yet another gem to take along life's journey.

 

Has consideration been given to putting Fr. Raymond's sermons/thoughts into booklet form?

 

Oratory Mass, the time during of the Church being refurbished.

Regards as always.  

 

Trevor.