> Father: Thanks for your welcome and thoughtful letter. Could you tell me a little more about your disagreement with me over Schweitzer et.al.? I'm delighted by the way to hear that someone is actually preaching a sermon that includes allusions to Archbishop F. He was very much a controversial character(in a good way). There is much in the larger Quietist worldview that we can benefit from-esp. when supported by the Sacramental life which Fenelon was for (obviously the Jansenists had their influence in that era to some degree but nevertheless...) I doubt 99% of our people even know who Fenelon was so its good their getting some catechesis. My principal problem with Quietism/Anabaptism/Pietism is that it peripheralises the Church.In their worldview the Church is an 'optional extra' too often & I think you would agree that thats one of the problems with parts of our poor old Continuum. Anyway I hope to hear from you. I loved your sister's joke (what diocese is she in in Ireland? The Cof I is a favourite province of mine-my Celtic relations and all that). I will respond with a bit of humor: An American decided to go to Ulster to find out what all the 'Troubles' were about. He decided to pretend atheism and began pub crawling. Finally one night he was asked by one of the '6 sheets to the wind brigade' (And I love Bushmills & Guinness too)"...well your atheism; thats grand. But tell me. Are ye a Prot. atheist or a Catholic atheist..." Please pray for Lee Kirkpatrick who dropped dead yesterday of an infarct at the agre of 51. He was a lapsed RC who was driven out of the Church by Vatican 2 and what I can only call Irish-Janzenist ignorance. Blessings of Ascensiontide. GDVW+ > > Your comment posted on 21 May (N.T. Wright Overview) Schweitzer I > find > important and insightful and indeed a critical criticism. . Your > comment reflects, it seems to me, well thought-out theological and > political views implied in other of your postings. That said, I would in > this instance stand strongly beside Wright and Schweitzer. I am not > saying that your analysis is wrong, but that I disagree with your value > judgment. As a law school professor might say, you address the issue. > You wrote: "In regards to the first chapter, I have to grouse a bit, > but this is not a serious criticism as it relates to Wright's evaluation > of a modern scholar, not of St. Paul or Jesus. N. T. Wright gives > extravagant praise to Albert Schweitzer as 'a lonely and learned giant > amidst the hordes of noisy and shallow theological pygmies' during the > first half of the 20th century. ...While there is no doubt that > Schweitzer was a genius, I have always thought since he stopped Biblical > research and writing while in his mid thirties, he was a little less > than mature as a Biblical scholar. ... The emphasis at the end of > Schweitzer's quest seems to me more on the individual's emotional > response to a perceived call of a shadowy Christ than to a more > substantial recognition of the Reign of God." > I I find those words to have profound implication. Perhaps I can > explain by reference to Francois Fenelon, "the good Archbishop of > Cambry" (1651-1715). I ran across one of his sermons a couple of years > ago while I was preparing a sermon of my own. Fenelon's advocacy of > "Semi-Quietism" brought him much persecution, culminating in 1699 with > condemnation from Pope Innocent XII, at the insistence of King Louis > XIV. Fenelon promptly submitted to the Pope--a prudent decision--so as > to continue as archbishop and begin work on a complete study of mystical > theology never before that time undertaken. Strictly speaking, > Quietism, as I understand it, is the doctrine of Miguel de Molinos, that > Christian perfection may be approached by internal contemplation > available to anyone with divine assistance. Quietism was at first > approved in Rome, then condemned as heresy by Innocent XI. In extreme > form, Quietism would avoid any activity to improve the world through the > "Reign of God"-- to repeat your words, Father Scott. Quietists would > not be concerned about salvation, perfection, or anything else, but > should leave everything to God. It is not necessary that they perform > ordinary exercises of piety. Since they worship God in spirit and in > truth, they should exclude the use of all pictures and images, icons and > statues. I am reminded of Henry David Thoreau, no doubt some sort of a > Quietist on Walden Pond: "I came into this world, not chiefly to make > this a good place to live in, but to live in it, be it good or bad." On > the other hand, there's Don Quixote of La Mancha, no Quietist he, about > in the world, tilting at windmills. > For me, not Quietism, but the Semi-Quietism of Fenelon rings true. > I > used an excerpt from his sermon on Rogation Sunday: "Of all the duties > enjoined by Christianity, none is more essential, and yet more > neglected, than prayer. Most people consider this exercise a wearisome > ceremony, which they are justified in abridging as much as possible. > Even those whose profession or fears lead them to pray, do it with such > languor and wanderings of mind, that their prayers, far from drawing > down blessings, only increase their condemnation. God alone can instruct > us in our duty. The teachings of men, however wise and well disposed > they may be, are still ineffectual, if God does not shed on the soul, > that light which opens the mind to truth. .A thousand suspicions, > jealousies, fears, and prejudices preventing us from profiting, as we > might, by what we hear from men; and though they announce the most > serious truths, yet what they do weakens the effect of what they say. In > a word, it is God alone who can perfectly teach us. .To pray is to say, > 'Let Thy Will Be Done!' .under all circumstances we have need of prayer. > We find in our temperament, or in our habits, or in the peculiar > character of our minds, [discordant] qualities. One person is [married] > to another [of such different temperament] that life becomes a perpetual > warfare. Some.exposed to the contagious atmosphere of the world, find > themselves so susceptible to the vanity which they inhale > that .their .desires [warp]. Others have solemnly promised to renounce > their resentments, to conquer their aversions, to suffer with patience > certain crosses, and to repress their eagerness for wealth; but nature > prevails, and they are vindictive, violent, impatient, and avaricious. > Why are our resolutions are so frail? It is because our own strength and > wisdom, alone, are not enough. .It is at the foot of the altar that we > must seek for counsel and must lay our plan. Let us then pray, that we > may learn what we are and what we ought to be. [The whole purpose of > prayer] Do not devote all your time to action, but reserve a certain > portion.for meditation upon eternity. We see Jesus Christ inviting his > disciples to go apart, in a desert place, and rest awhile, after their > return from the cities, where they had been to announce his religion. So > must we sometimes turn from the busy scenes of life. Look upon prayer as > the remedy for weaknesses, the rectifier of faults, [a mind or soul > cure, in my phrasing] Jesus prayed constantly; how much more should we! > God listens to the heart, not the lips. . How can God grant you, says > St. Augustine, what you do not really want? How can you utter sincerely, > Thy will be done when you prefer you own will to His? If God at this > moment were to offer to give you a new heart, willing to bear your > cross, would not your pride rebel and you reject the offer; or make > reservations?" > The "Reign of God" for me--and I suspect for Albert Schweitzer--is > an > individual, internal matter that nevertheless affects my behavior in the > world, as it did Schweitzer's. In the words of the hymn,"Our heart's > desire is our perpetual prayer, and it is always answered, always! I > believe that. (Later, I'll send along later a sermon I did on that > theme.) I do not fret that I-- or any religious or secular organization > to which I am > connected--may not save the world or bring about the Reign of God. What > I can do-- and I think it's quite a bit-- is to do the best I can, as > God gives me the light through prayer and study, accepting those > "imposters," failure and triumph, with some detachment. I think my life > is important, but only a small part of God's plan for the universe, a > scenario that my faith tells me was laid out "at the foundation of the > world." I ran across the following prophetic words from an Austrian > psychoanalyst, Alfred Adler (1870-1937), who from his name, I > "pre-judge" to have been a Jew: "There is a law that man should love > his neighbor as himself. In a few hundred years it should be as natural > as breathing or the upright gait but if he does not learn it, he must > perish." Is this not "all the Law and the Prophets, spoken at our > service of Holy Communion?" As a teacher, I never "taught" anyone > anything. I've helped quite a few to learn, and I've done an awful lot > of counseling. I submit that learning takes place only on an > individual basis. Speaking to the article you posted on "religious > prejudice" ("The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice"), > have I not heard in this chat room much that would at least suggest > prejudice directed toward PROTESTANTS. Have I mistakenly detected a > distinct taste of RC cola, if you will allow the metaphor? (I prefer > Coke myself, having sampled R.C. as well as Pepsi!) Prejudice, of > course, implies "pre-judgment." (See reference to Albert Adler, above.) > Suppose someone has diligently tastes various name brands and comes > strongly to prefer one cola, or maybe a mixture. Is that prejudice? > For me, the aphorism--"Reasonable minds can differ!"--ultimately derives > from the Reformation. (Debating an interpretation of Scripture invites > scholarly research. Infallible pronouncements do not.) No amount of > advertisement, I > am afraid, can get me to swallow the notion of the Magesterium, "hook, > line, and sinker." Now, I agree with John Paul's words a few years > back on Heaven and Hell--but I reserve my "Reformed" right to disagree > as I see fit with other pronouncements, e.g., on Iraq, Mary Ever > Virgin, Pio Nono, etc. > > On a much lower level--reminiscent of "beating a Puritan like a > dog"--please note as an example only, the"Irish Humor," sent by my > cousin, Ann MURPHEY, an IRISH Reformed Catholic (Anglican). Somewhere > my "poor benighted cousin" no doubt picked up the canard that Roman > Catholics are prejudiced against Protestants! In charity, maybe the > e-mail should be titled: "Protestant strikes back!" (From the hash > marks, I conclude that the joke has been around the block a time or > two.) > > ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Ann Murphey >> Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2003 3:49 PM >> Subject: Irish Humor - Corrected Copy >> >> > >>>>>>A young Irish woman went to London to work as a secretary, and >> > >>>began >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>sending home money and gifts to her parents. After a few years >> > >>>they >> > >>>>>>asked >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>her to come home for a visit, as her father was getting frail >> > >>and >> > >>>>>>elderly. >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>She pulled up to the family home in a Rolls Royce and stepped >> > >>out >> > >>>>>>wearing furs and diamonds. >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>As she walked into the house her father said "Hmmm - they seem >> > >>to >> > >>>be >> > >>>>>>paying secretaries awfully well in London." The daughter took >> > >his >> > >>>>hands >> > >>>>>>and >> > >>>>>>said "Dad - I've been meaning to tell you something for years >> > >but >> > >>I >> > >>>>>>didn't >> > >>>>>>want to put it in a letter. I can't hide it from you any >> > >longer. >> > >>>I've >> > >>>>>>become >> > >>>>>>a prostitute." >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>Her father gasped, put his hand on his heart and keeled over. >> > >>The >> > >>>>>>doctor was called but the old man had clearly lost the will to >> > >>live. >> > >>>He >> > >>>>>>was >> > >>>>>>put to bed and the priest was called. >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>As the priest began to administer the sacrament of extreme >> > >>>unction, >> > >>>>>>with the mother and daughter weeping and wailing, the old man >> > >>>muttered >> > >>>>>>weakly >> > >>>>>>"I'm a goner --killed by my own daughter! Killed by the >> > >shame >> > >>of >> > >>>>>>what you've become!" >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>"Please forgive me", his daughter sobbed, "I only wanted to >> > >have >> > >>>>>>nice things! I wanted to be able to send you money and the >> only > way >> > >I >> > >>>>>>could do it was by becoming a prostitute." >> > >>>>>> >> > >>>>>>Pushing the priest aside, the old man sat bolt upright in bed, >> smiling."Did you say prostitute?.... I thought you said >> > >>>PROTESTANT!!" >> > > >> > >> >> > > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to > <faithandlife-unsubscribe@...> ----------------------------------------- During the Lenten Season, please help support the mission of Catholic Online by purchasing goods and services from our sponsors at http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent