Having spent some time reading the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, this weekend I must say I found it quite encouraging. The document is not difficult to read, if you have never read a Papal document before. There are a few Latin phrases strewn throughout, but most of which have translations accompanying them.
In the past these sorts of documents where often addressed only to the bishops, primarily because all bishops knew Latin and these sorts of documents were written in Latin. Unfortunately, in our own day, much of our Catholic Patrimony in the form of having a working knowledge of Latin has been left by the wayside for some of our Bishops. For this reason, these documents are often published in the various vernacular languages - though the official text is still in Latin. A positive of vernacular publications is that we layfolk have an opportunity to read these things. No one is meant to be left out of the loop with the recent or upcoming papal documents, and in fact if you just look at the beginning of this document you will notice that it is not addressed solely to bishops or the clergy, rather also to religious and the lay faithful. We all are supposed to take-up this document and be "edified" by it, that is "have our faith built up."
There are many points which are very beautifully put in this document. One of note, which will be affecting the RCIA next year, is the Holy Father's comments in #20. He speaks of the Church Fathers calling Reconciliation "laboriosus quidam baptisimus" - a certain laborious thing of the baptized. In other words, as baptized Christians, our labor is to be reconciliation. That is the very essence of what it means to bring the world to Christ - to reconcile God and man. Have you ever thought that this is the case? One is challenged by a great many things who takes this vocation seriously, but as St. Paul tells us "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Another beautiful point speaks to the reality of the Gift & Mystery of receiving the Holy Eucharist. It is profound to consider the Holy Father's point that we are drawn to Christ in the Eucharist from the moment of our baptism. In this sense beauty is fundamental to the Church's liturgy. For, as the pope states, "The truest beauty is the love of God (#35)."
From this flows our necessity to have a continuing conversion throughout our lives (#55). For precisely in this slow dying to our sinful desires, we find the glory of the resurrection and living the life of Christ. If we do not die to ourselves, then we will not be living for Christ. This is not necessarily an easy thing to do, however as we overcome our pride and passions we will realize, as 2000 years of Christians have, that God's wisdom really does yield the greatest joy in our lives. If you like, our investment in the divine Lord Jesus, yields the greatest spiritual returns.
There are so many other points of beauty and light given to us in this document, and I encourage all who might read this post to consider reading it for themselves. I am always available here for any questions you might have, about the Latin, theology or any question about this document you might have.
The final point I want to refer you to regards the mention by the Holy Father of some martyrs of North Africa who were killed for attending Mass in the days of Imperial Rome. He quotes them as saying, "Sine dominico non possumus." Could we also unite ourselves to this declaration, "without the Lord (in the Eucharist) we could not live?" How serious are we about our Catholic Faith? This is not a matter of guilt, rather it is a matter of spiritual purification and asking God to give us the grace to see what it is that these martyrs saw. The world is passing away and yet our Lord Jesus has given us a way to overcome the sin and temptation of this world, and yet, we are left to make the choice to follow the road to salvation or to meander into the pitfalls of this world. If love has been given to us, and it has, then we must ask ourselves will we respond in love or remain idle and indifferent? Only you can make that choice, but the Sacrament of Love remains and beckons you to the union of heaven.
In the past these sorts of documents where often addressed only to the bishops, primarily because all bishops knew Latin and these sorts of documents were written in Latin. Unfortunately, in our own day, much of our Catholic Patrimony in the form of having a working knowledge of Latin has been left by the wayside for some of our Bishops. For this reason, these documents are often published in the various vernacular languages - though the official text is still in Latin. A positive of vernacular publications is that we layfolk have an opportunity to read these things. No one is meant to be left out of the loop with the recent or upcoming papal documents, and in fact if you just look at the beginning of this document you will notice that it is not addressed solely to bishops or the clergy, rather also to religious and the lay faithful. We all are supposed to take-up this document and be "edified" by it, that is "have our faith built up."
There are many points which are very beautifully put in this document. One of note, which will be affecting the RCIA next year, is the Holy Father's comments in #20. He speaks of the Church Fathers calling Reconciliation "laboriosus quidam baptisimus" - a certain laborious thing of the baptized. In other words, as baptized Christians, our labor is to be reconciliation. That is the very essence of what it means to bring the world to Christ - to reconcile God and man. Have you ever thought that this is the case? One is challenged by a great many things who takes this vocation seriously, but as St. Paul tells us "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Another beautiful point speaks to the reality of the Gift & Mystery of receiving the Holy Eucharist. It is profound to consider the Holy Father's point that we are drawn to Christ in the Eucharist from the moment of our baptism. In this sense beauty is fundamental to the Church's liturgy. For, as the pope states, "The truest beauty is the love of God (#35)."
From this flows our necessity to have a continuing conversion throughout our lives (#55). For precisely in this slow dying to our sinful desires, we find the glory of the resurrection and living the life of Christ. If we do not die to ourselves, then we will not be living for Christ. This is not necessarily an easy thing to do, however as we overcome our pride and passions we will realize, as 2000 years of Christians have, that God's wisdom really does yield the greatest joy in our lives. If you like, our investment in the divine Lord Jesus, yields the greatest spiritual returns.
There are so many other points of beauty and light given to us in this document, and I encourage all who might read this post to consider reading it for themselves. I am always available here for any questions you might have, about the Latin, theology or any question about this document you might have.
The final point I want to refer you to regards the mention by the Holy Father of some martyrs of North Africa who were killed for attending Mass in the days of Imperial Rome. He quotes them as saying, "Sine dominico non possumus." Could we also unite ourselves to this declaration, "without the Lord (in the Eucharist) we could not live?" How serious are we about our Catholic Faith? This is not a matter of guilt, rather it is a matter of spiritual purification and asking God to give us the grace to see what it is that these martyrs saw. The world is passing away and yet our Lord Jesus has given us a way to overcome the sin and temptation of this world, and yet, we are left to make the choice to follow the road to salvation or to meander into the pitfalls of this world. If love has been given to us, and it has, then we must ask ourselves will we respond in love or remain idle and indifferent? Only you can make that choice, but the Sacrament of Love remains and beckons you to the union of heaven.
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