A New Endeavor...

Today, I began a new chapter in the life of my working career. I have begun to teach at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary a class on the Catholic Social Teaching of the Church. As one book puts it, this is "our best kept secret."

For my students one of the text I am having them read is "The Reign of Christ the King" by Michael Davies. Michael Davies is not known to be a big supporter of Vatican II, to put it lightly. But the text of the book is a very interesting one which many Catholics should consider, despite Davies insistence that only in the Tridentine Mass will the Church find salvation from all her current woes.

As my class and I will explore, what Davies recommends is that we return to the Social Reign of Christ the King - a point which I think every one of us, especially here at St. Jude - should agree and integrate into our lives. For if we desire to serve the Son of God, let us not withhold anything from him. Let us abandon ourselves to His care. For God created us for communion, or friendship, with Him. As with any friend we should entrust ourselves to God, but since He is our Creator and Redeemer, let us recognize that we can not only entrust but we are able to totally abandon ourselves to his care. This is what St. Paul meant when he said, "In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus (1Thess 5:18)." Certianly this is a challenge to see things this way, but Jesus never said carrying our own cross would be. Hopefully, I won't be too big a cross for my students, but just enough that they learn the Social Teaching of the Church well.

Finally, please pray for my students as they endure my rants and general goofiness!