Author: Capital Catholic Happenings

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The worldliness of the Church

I had the great fortune of being in Rome for the past ten days, attending a colloquium and doing some lecturing on the mission and vocation of the laity. The events brought together theologians, canon lawyers, diocesan directors and ecumenists to reflect on the role of the laity in church and society since the Second Vatican Council.  In my own preparation I came across a phrase from Hans Urs von Balthasar who described the mission of the laity as “turning the face of the church toward the world.” He went on to say that the laity reveal “the worldliness of the church.”

 Is this a good thing?

My first thought was “Is this a good thing?” We often hear the church accused of being too worldly—too concerned about money and material things. On the other hand, we have been trained to think of the church as all about the sacred and the world as all about the secular. Certainly, while walking the streets of Rome you see the sacred and secular living side by side. The vocation of the laity is to move the church from the side into the middle! The laity take the church to places that priests cannot; to boardrooms and bedrooms to breakfast tables and backyards.

A Church committed to the World

Rather than separating the secular and sacred, rather than thinking of the church as a refuge from the world or as an alternate existence, the Council Fathers pledged that the hopes and fears of the world will be the very hopes and fears of the church. We Catholics see the world as full of great ways to experience the love of God and share the love of God. We don’t see the world has hopeless and sit waiting for the kingdom to come. We don’t see people who don’t realize they’ve been given the gift of faith and decide we should simply ignore them. We don’t think that nothing good can possibly come from the marketplace. What we do see is a world that is good and can be made great by the power of the Gospel.

What the Fathers at the Council did realize was that the church can’t do this without the laity. The particular mission of the laity is secular, not in opposition to the sacred but rather living the sacred in the midst of the secular and thereby making the ordinary holy.  Don’t we see people whose lives can be transformed by the Gospel and do we decide to share it with them? Haven’t we all seen a situation at work that can be solved or made better with the application of Gospel principles even if we never mention that is where we learned them? Haven’t we found ourselves thinking if only my friend would talk to a priest, he or she would feel so much better and see a way through this situation? Do we offer to make the introduction to the priest?

As lay women and men we need to recognize the power we have to make holy the ordinary things of life by infusing them with the spirit of God. The Church is depending on us to take it to the world.

If you are interested in learning more, my friend and colleague, Aurelie Hagstrom, who is chairperson of the theology department at Providence College wrote a book called  The Emerging Laity in which she explores the work of the Second Vatican Council in this area.

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Set the World on Fire

I awoke this morning to a text from my sister – “I love her dress!!!!!”  Like many women, I ran down the stairs to catch a quick glimpse of the soon-to-be princess as she stood in Westminster Abbey next to her prince.  I must say, I completely agree with my sister.  I too, love her dress!  It was quite refreshing to see feminine beauty expressed in such an eloquent and sophisticated style.  For a brief moment I thought, maybe Kate’s choice in dress will be a trend setter and bring modesty back into bridal fashion.

Then suddenly, my attention was turned to the Bishop of London.  He started his sermon with these words, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”  I couldn’t believe it!  Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Catherine of Siena and as millions watched to see the dress, the first balcony kiss, the complete “fairytale wedding” they would also have the opportunity to hear the words from one of our great saints.  In some sense, these words which are echoed through time, give meaning today to sacred nature of the marital bond.

God created us out of love as a means to reflect His love.  And marriage, as authored by God, is one of the ways we can express that love.  For it is in the sacrificial love shared between husband and wife, that man and woman become what God desired them to be – a reflection of His love!  When we allow our lives to reflect His goodness, His truth, His love, we reach one conclusion.  We set the world on fire.  Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

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Walking in the footsteps:Choosing Christ

San Stefano Rotondo dates from the 5th century, may be the oldest round Roman Church. It originally held the relics of St. Stephen, the first Martyr , whose relics had been discovered in the Holy Land. Because of this connection, the Church was modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The frescoes on the walls, depicting twenty-four scenes of martyrdom, depicting how saints suffered for the Faith are a constant reminder of the importance our Faith should have in our lives and they are quite memorable. The relics of St. Stephen are unfortunately not kept here anymore, so the Church was later rededicated to St. Stefan, King of Hungary.

Proclaiming the truth

Being in the Church originally dedicated to St. Stephen, it is fitting that the readings today speak of persecution and of an attempted stoning of Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming the truth about Christ, that he was the Son of God. In the Gospel, that is what the crowd takes issue with, that Jesus says he is the Son of God. But that is true. As he asks them, “can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” We are called to witness to the truth, despite who may find it difficult to accept, because the truth does not depend on people’s perception of it.  They tried to stone Jesus for it, but he escaped from their power.

Choosing Christ and the Gospel

Today’s station church, which has stood from the 4th Century, with its wonderful frescoes, stands as a testament to those who gave their lives for Christ. It bears witness to the extreme worth of their choice to cling on to Christ and the Gospel, that now millennia later we can stand here now as believers. For through the sacrifice of these martyrs, we can see that they bore witness to the truth, just as in the end of today’s Gospel people came to believe because they saw that Jesus bore the truth. “everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.” That is still our mission in the world. That others may believe in Christ, because they see we bear witness to the Truth.

Written by: Mario Majano
Photos by: Fr Justin Huber

 

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Walking in the Footsteps: In Search of Truth

Honoring Christ’s Victory over Death

The church (San Marcello) we walked to today dates back to the late fourth century. Walking through the normally busy streets of Rome in the quiet morning helps us to meditate on what it might have been like for Saint Marcellus as he was taken prisoner shortly after he was named pope. In 308, during the Diocletian Persecution, he was arrested and taken to the imperial stables where he was forced to work until he died soon afterwards. Less then 100 years later, a church was built on this very sight in honor of the holy pope who gave his life rather than reject Christ. Today’s church is therefore a great reminder of Christ’s victory over evil.

Encountering the Cross

In today’s readings at Mass we also encounter young men who were willing to give their lives rather than reject their faith in the true God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship a false god. Yet Jesus tells us in the Gospel that “the truth will set you free.” Though bound and thrown into the fire, the young men were saved by God and set free. God’s truth is greater than human wickedness. And this truth is encountered in the cross of Jesus Christ. By taking our sinfulness upon himself and nailing it to the cross, Jesus has destroyed sin and death. The truth is that through our baptism, we too have died with Christ and now live with him. God has set us free from our slavery to sin and death and has given us new life in Christ. Let us truly receive this gift He has given to us in our baptism so that as we approach Holy Week, we may let this new life affect every aspect of our lives.

Written by Chris Seith

Photos by Fr. Justin Huber

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Walking in the footsteps: In season and out

“When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.” (Acts 28:16)

Paul’s final days

The book of Acts ends with Paul’s arrival in Rome and his preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ there while he awaits trial before the Roman emperor. Paul had been arrested for treason in Jerusalem, but he appealed to the emperor and so was transported to Rome for trial. He was held under house arrest at a Christian house in Rome, where he may have penned his Letter to the Philippians. Although the Bible does not record it, tradition holds that he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death by beheading sometime in the mid-60s AD in Rome.

Today’s church, Santa Maria in Via Lata (St. Mary’s on Broad Street), lies adjacent to the Corso, from Roman times a major street running out the north side of the city. One tradition holds that this was the very site of Paul’s house arrest, the Christian home where he spent the last few years of his life. Archaeological studies have found remnants of a building dating back to the first century AD under the current church.

Spreading the Gospel in season and out of season

The ending of the book of Acts signifies the fulfillment of the words which Jesus had spoken to his apostles: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Indeed, Paul’s preaching of the Gospel in Rome – the Caput Mundi, the center of the world – started a chain of events which would end with the entire Roman Empire accepting the Christian faith. Paul, of course, could not have foreseen this. All he knew was that he had been entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that he was called to be faithful to that message even under the duress of his confinement. We, too, can promote the spread of the Kingdom by holding fast to that same Gospel and preaching it in season and out of season, knowing that God’s Providence will bring our efforts to fulfillment.

Written by Aaron Querishi

Photos by Fr. Justin Huber

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Walking in the Footsteps: Fidelity

The Witness of Martyrdom

Today’s pilgrimage brings us to the Basilica of San Crisogono in Trastevere.  Situated on the site that is believed to have once been occupied by the oldest Church, built as such, in Rome.  The church honors the memory of Saint Chrysogonus, a Roman military officer who was martyred under Diocletian at the Northern Italian town of Aquileia in 304. His veneration in Rome dates back to at least the Roman Synod of 499, which mentions the church as the “Titulus Chrysogoni.” The church even has a Washington connection: it is administered by the Trinitarian Order, the same order that runs DeMatha high school. Saint Chrysogonus has the added distinction of being venerated by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Our Call to Fidelity

The theme of martyrdom ties in closely with the readings for the day, which recall two women accused of adultery: Susana, who is aided by the prophet Daniel and the unnamed woman, who is added by Jesus. One is innocent, the other guilty, but both find themselves attacked by those acting out of a lust for power and pleasure.  Their example provides us with lessons to consider as we make our way as pilgrims through the world. First, in the face of guilt, we must renew ourselves by acknowledging our guilt and asking for God’s forgiveness. Second, in the face to unjust attacks on faith and on the Church, we must continue to strive for holiness in witness to the Gospel of Christ, which infuses our lives with purpose and finality.  And finally, in the face of the uncertainties and challenges of life, we must stand undaunted, living with the hope that God’s grace will ultimately overcome and transform them.

Blog and Photos by Fr. Justin Huber

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Walking in the footsteps: Giving Testimony

 

Witness to faith

Saturday morning, pilgrims walked along the Tiber River and crossed it to reach the church of San Nicola in Carcere.  This church stands over the remains of three ancient temples that stood at the edge of the Forum Holitorium, the vegetable market of the ancient city.  Perhaps at some point, part of this temple complex was used as a detention site because the church built over it commemorates St. Nicholas in chains.  St. Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, was brought to Rome under the persecutions of Diocletian only to be released after the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which granted Christianity legal status.

Today’s station church corresponds well to our Gospel in which we hear the chief priests and Pharisees ridicule some guards tasked with arresting Jesus.  The guards’ defense is that Jesus spoke with authority – “never before has anyone spoken like this man.”  Yet their reply is met only with ridicule from the authorities, who dismiss the guards and the crowd as naive.

In the face of ridicule

In some ways this passage holds true today.  In the eyes of the broader society and culture some aspects of our faith are ridiculed especially in areas of morality.  Like the guards in the passage we may feel chastised by a society that views our values as antiquated or quaint.  However, through the gift of faith we hold strong to our convictions despite ridicule and, in some parts of the world, even open hostility.  We strive to remain firm in our beliefs because we know their source of origin lies not only in the Church, but ultimately through her in Christ – the one who speaks with authority.  He established the Church to safeguard and pass on his teachings and to expound them as necessary to face the challenges of each new generation.

This Lenten season is marked by practices aimed at converting our hearts so we may deepen our relationship with Christ.  In doing so, may his teaching take deeper root in us too!  May our conviction in Christ and his teachings be enriched so that we might give bold witness to our faith in this age, just as St. Nicholas was willing to bear imprisonment for this faith in his own.

Written by: Francisco Aguirre

Photo by: Fr. Justin Huber

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Walking in the Footsteps: God’s Fidelity

First Proclamation of the Nicene Creed

The Thursday after the Fourth Sunday of Lent brings us to San Martino ai Monti. Originally a house church, the original structure was built by Saint Sylvester (314-335) and was later dedicated to St. Martin of Tours (317-393) and Pope St. Sylvester. A preparatory meeting for the Council of Nicea in 325 was held here. Here Christians in Rome first proclaimed the Nicene Creed, a practice that continues to this day through the entire catholic world.

God’s Fidelity

Our reflection today is on the fidelity of God. The Lord made a promise to Israel, to build a house for it, to make it a great nation with descents beyond number. The Holy Catholic Church is the new Israel and the Lord’s promise extends to each of us.  We often think of making acts of faith in the Lord, but don’t as often think about His fidelity to us, His great love for us. Even when we fail to trust in Him, even when we fail to follow His word, He is still faithful to us. He will never turn back on his promise. He is always there for us, always available. Because of our sins, we have much to answer for. But because of God’s promise, He has more to answer for. God is faithful

Written By Fr. C. Gallagher

Photos by Fr. J. Huber