Anthropological Mutation... Pope Benedict XVIs Homily to a Charterhouse

Pope Benedict 16 brings up the very necessary vocation that pursues silence to hear God's whisper. His comment "... the development of the media has spread and extended a phenomenon that had already been outlined in the 1960s: virtuality that risks getting the upper hand over reality. Unbeknown to them, people are increasingly becoming immersed in a virtual dimension because of the audiovisual messages that accompany their life from morning to night.
The youngest, who were already born into this condition, seem to want to fill every empty moment with music and images, as for fear of feeling this very emptiness."

This is a reminder that the Plain Catholic emphasis on tech as a tool, not a lifestyle is also a much needed vocation. Following is the entire text of his homily to a Carthusian community:

“Fugitiva relinquere et aeterna captare": to abandon transient realities and seek to grasp the eternal. These words from the letter your Founder addressed to Rudolph, Provost of Rheims, contain the core of your spirituality: the strong desire to enter in union of life with God, abandoning everything else, everything that stands in the way of this communion, and letting oneself be grasped by the immense love of God to live this love alone.... 

Technical progress, markedly in the area of transport and communications, has made human life more comfortable but also more keyed up, at times even frantic. Cities are almost always noisy, silence is rarely to be found in them because there is always a lingering background noise, in some areas even at night. In the recent decades, moreover, the development of the media has spread and extended a phenomenon that had already been outlined in the 1960s: virtuality that risks getting the upper hand over reality. Unbeknown to them, people are increasingly becoming immersed in a virtual dimension because of the audiovisual messages that accompany their life from morning to night. 

The youngest, who were already born into this condition, seem to want to fill every empty moment with music and images, as for fear of feeling this very emptiness. This is a trend that has always existed, especially among the young and in the more developed urban contexts but today it has reached a level such as to give rise to talk about anthropological mutation. Some people are no longer capable of remaining for long periods in silence and solitude.

I chose to mention this socio-cultural condition because it highlights the specific charism of the Charterhouse as a precious gift for the Church and for the world, a gift that contains a deep message for our life and for the whole of humanity. I shall sum it up like this: by withdrawing into silence and solitude, human beings, so to speak, “expose” themselves to reality in their nakedness, to that apparent “void”, which I mentioned at the outset, in order to experience instead Fullness, the presence of God, of the most royal Reality that exists and that lies beyond the tangible dimension. He is a perceptible presence in every created thing: in the air that we breathe, in the light that we see and that warms us, in the grass, in stones.... God, Creator omnium, [the Creator of all], passes through all things but is beyond them and for this very reason is the foundation of them all. 

I have come here for this reason... to tell you that the Church needs you and that you need the Church. Your place is not on the fringes: no vocation in the People of God is on the fringes. We are one body, in which every member is important and has the same dignity, and is inseparable from the whole. You too, who live in voluntary isolation, are in the heart of the Church and make the pure blood of contemplation and of the love of God course through your veins.”

--Pope Benedict XVI
Homily to the Carthusian Community
Charterhouse of Serra San Bruno
Calabria, 10 October 2011

St. Francis is still at work

It seems that St. Francis is still quite busy with his ecumenical outreach. Two thirds of the protestant churches in our area had a blessing of the animals in celebration of St. Francis' feast day. Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans/Episcopalians: all feel a kinship with the gentle saint who once discussed the Faith with a Muslim Sultan with such glowing charity it is said the Sultan converted to Christianity on his deathbed. You can read a little more about it here St. Francis of Assisi: Converter of Muslims
Not being able to transport all the chickens, dogs, cats and goats for blessing, we procured our own holy water and celebrated the blessing ourselves.

May all enjoy the loving companionship of family and animals, giving thanks to God for His bounty. Below are some animal pictures that remind me of Bible verses.

Psalm 61: 4, 5  ...for you are my refuge, a tower of strength against the foe. Let me dwell in your tent forever, take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

1 Peter 3: 8, 9  Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.

Spes... the Final Frontier

Have you ever had to wait at an airport and be subject to the incessant bad news coming from the tellys suspended every ten feet for an hour or more? Every 20 minutes the bad news repeats itself on the cable news networks with only the occasional new tidbit tossed into the mix of mayhem, murder, and market madness. No wonder sales of meds for depression and high blood pressure never falter.

The true and faithful Christian continues in hope in spite of persecutions from governments, from other religions, and from those who believe in diversity as long as it does not include a Christian in that mix. A Disciple's faith feeds that hope which in turn, fuels the fire in our bellies to continue the difficult road every day. We need hope and God is generous when we pray for hope. He always answers our prayers. Spes... hope... really is the Final Frontier in today's overcast world. (HT to Gene Roddenberry).

As a kindness to yourself, turn off the bad news and open the Good News for some uplifting strength. May hope be your companion, your faith fervent, and charity your signature on your every action.

'Umble

'Umble: that's the way we Texan Plain Catholics say "humble". What is being 'umble? It's not about being a door mat. On the contrary we stand firm in our faith. It's not about being lower than everyone else: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23. 

Really, being 'umble means we admit to the possibility that we might be wrong. It means not getting into a debate or argument about every little point on the news today. It means asking for help when we need it without being embarrassed or ashamed. It shares the same root word with the Latin word for humus or "soil". So being 'umble recognizes who we really are, dust but with one exception. We're God's dust. We've been given a second chance to follow Him. Now mix that dust with a little manure and you'll have some mighty fine tomatoes too!

That's us, just dust. And like those tomatoes we come in all shapes, sizes and stages of maturity in our Christian discipleship.

We're redigging the garden for Fall plantings of cabbage and collards. Praying yall have a blessed day. Don't you forget to feed Hester the Hamster down below. Just click on her picture and out pops some kibble.

Coping with the computer

Forums, blogs, indeed the very internet have wrapped themselves around us and can immobilize us for hours. The solution was to share the duties as we have received more inquiries and contacts about our life and charism.

In the past year, this blog has added some new Plain Catholic authors to share the responsibility. The number of posts will continue to vary from month to month as we remain dedicated to the priorities of Faith, Family and then if there is time, computer or anything else. To represent the new authors, both men and women, the avatar has changed as well... yes, people have noticed.

Our Plain Catholic families have volunteered to commit to one forum or blog each, so that the computer time is managed without damage to Faith and Family time. At last we can control the time-hungry computer monster.

We have all decided to post simply as "Plain Catholic" to protect our families from the less honorable who cruise in cyberspace. The anonymity is also protective of our desire to avoid personality cults that seem to spring up in any effort to spread the Gospel. It is important to us to avoid pride and vanity and to remain in humility as we serve God.

"Just as the 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." (Matt 13:40-43)

Looks like we had better be distinguishable from the weeds for the sake of the angels. Our actions as well as our Faith will produce good fruit or bitter seed. Let us all choose to be producers of good fruit for Jesus.

A mini course on holy living

Proverbs 2 is a mini-course on holy living. Though it is directed to young men who are being taught to avoid evil companions, it also speaks of our service to God and the pursuit of holy wisdom. In light of the terrible events of this summer, let us pray these verses and remember that God is in control of it all.

[1] My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee, [2] That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence: [3] For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence: [4] If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure: [5] Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.

[6] Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge. [7] He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity. [8] Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints. [9] Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path. [10] If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

[11] Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee, [12] That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things: [13] Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways: [14] Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:[15] Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

[16] That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words: [17] And forsaketh the guide of her youth, [18] And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. [19] None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life, [20] That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

[21] For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it. [22] But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.

http://www.drbo.org/chapter/22002.htm