Cardinals' Quarterback Kurt Warner a devout Christian

Arizona Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner, who faces the Steelers in tomorrow's Superbowl, is a devout Christian. This is news to me.

Click here to learn more about Kurt Warner's faith.

Why John the Baptist was a Levite

We learn in Luke that John the Baptist's father was a priest and therefore a Levite. Why does this matter? Luke captures the Davidic aspect of Christ by highlighting the fact that Christ was baptized (i.e. anointed) by a Levite.

King David and all of his successors were anointed King and Messiah by Levites. John the Baptist does the honor for Christ who is the Davidic King of all Israel. Christ is anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit through the instrumental action of the Levite John the Baptist.

This transferal from a Levite to a Judahite is the transferal of the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.

New Patriarch of Moscow open to a papal visit to Russia!

A new Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow has been elected to replace the departed Alexy II - Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. Best of all, Kirill is rumored to be open to a papal visit to Russia. Axios!

What is a hecatomb?

Depending on the translation that you read, the opening book of Homer's Iliad often refers to the offering of a hecatomb (ἑκατόμβη). What is a hecatomb? It is the offering of one hundred victims in burnt sacrifice. In the case of the Iliad, the one hundred burnt offerings are bulls and goats.

The concept of massive sacrificial offerings is not foreign to the Bible. King Solomon the Wise offered 220 "hecatombs" of oxen (i.e. 22,000 oxen; 2 Chr 7:5) at one time. King Hezekiah also did something similar (cf. 2 Chr 29:32-33).

The Ethics of Photography and the Sacraments

There was a great online post over at the First Things blog awhile back by Glenn Arbery entitled "Pieties and Pixels." My friend Kevin Jones drew my attention to it. Please take a look at it. It discusses the "ethics" of photography for sacred occasions (e.g. weddings and confirmations).

I leave you with the provocative closing line of the post:

"So let it be with the sacraments. So let it be with my daughter’s wedding."

HT: Kevin Jones

SSPX's revoked excommunications - Are they now legit? FAQs

The Holy Father has lifted the excommunication of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X. Does this mean that they are legitimate? Not quite yet.

The following is very helpful and taken from Father Z's incredible blog "What does the prayer really say?":

Q: Is the SSPX now legitimate?

Not in a juridical sense, no. The SSPX still does not have the approval of the Pope or of a diocesan bishop. It is still a separated group, though these days many prefer not to speak of "schism".

Q: Is it okay for the SSPX bishops to ordain now?

No. The bishops of the SSPX are validly consecrated bishops, but the fact remains that they were illicitly consecrated. That hasn’t changed. They are still not reconciled with the Bishop of Rome. They are still suspended a divinis. They still have no permission to exercise ministry in the Church. They may not licitly ordain. They have no authority to establish parishes, etc.

Q: Are the chapels of the SSPX okay now?

Not in a juridical, legal sense, no. Many good things can happen in one of those communities, but the SSPX chapels are not, because of the lifting of the excommunications, suddenly made legitimate. They are not reconciled by this move.

Q: Are the priests of the SSPX in good standing now?

Not yet they aren’t. The priests of the SSPX are still suspended a divinis. They say Mass vaildly, but without the permission of the Church, either from a faculty of the Holy See or the local bishop. They do not have the necessary faculties to hear confessions and give sacramental absolution except in danger of death.

Q: Is it okay to go to chapels of the SSPX for Mass?

Yes and no. It is still not "okay" to go to chapels of the SSPX if you are doing so out of contempt for the Holy See or Holy Father, etc. If are are deeply attached to the older form of Mass, and it is very hard on you to go without it, yes, you can attend these Masses our of devotion. You can fulfill your Sunday obligation still, because the 1983 Code of Canon Laws says you do.

But the fact remains that these are still chapels separated from unity with the local bishop.

In my opinion, it is not a good idea to go to these chapels exclusively except perhaps in very rare circumstances wherein there really is no acceptable alternative.

Q: Is it okay to receive Communion at an SSPX Mass?

Yes and no. Yes… if you would otherwise have to go without the Eucharist for a long time because you are morally or physically impeded from receiving in a licit way. No… if you are doing so because of contempt for the Pope, bishop, Holy See, etc.

I don’t think it is a good idea to frequent and receive Communion often in the chapels of the SSPX. I think that undermines a person’s sense of unity with the Holy Father and the local bishop.

Remember: The lifting of the excommunications was a necessary step on the way to something better.

In his letter to followers of the SSPX, Bp. Fellay reminded everyone that they prayed that the older form of Mass would be derestricted, and it was with Summorum Pontificum. He said there was a Rosary campaign to aid the lifting of the excommunications. That happened today. Bp. Fellay now says that we must pray that the necessary talks with the Holy See can begin soon about theological questions. Amen. Let us pray.

So… folks… don’t suddenly get it into your head that all the problems with the SSPX have suddenly been removed. Nothing has changed about their status. What changed was the status of the four bishops: they are no longer excommunicated, but they are still in a state of separation from clear and manifest unity with the Holy Father.

This Day in History: The Heresy of "Americanism"

On this day (January 22) in 1899, Pope Leo XIII warned James Cardinal Gibbons against the "heresy of Americanism", which is the attempt to make traditional doctrines and practices more independent and egalitarian.

Poll: How did you feel about Rick Warren’s prayer at President Obama’s Inauguration?

Take this poll and let us know.

Imagine the Potential of an Infant

Please take a few seconds and watch this video. Powerful!

I'm watching the inauguration...

This inauguration is surreal. It's been a long eight years.

May God bless President Obama. Let us pray for him.

Epistle to the 'Hebrews' - Who were these Hebrews?

I continued to be fascinated by the Epistle to the Hebrews. I discussed the letter's authorship and the opinion of St. Thomas Aquinas in another post.

Today, let's look at the author's audience. Who were these 'Hebrews'? Obviously they were of Israelite descent, but where and when did they live. The epistle itself gives us seven hints.

1. The "Hebrews" were Septuagint readers.
First, the original audience accepted and used the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. The author's argument repeatedly relies on the Septuagint and even depends on several unique Septuagintal renderings - especially the argument in Hebrews chapter 10 that reads: "A body you have prepared for me" in reference to the incarnation of Christ. The Hebrew Masoretic has "ears" not "body".

[As an aside, check this post out to see how the Septuagint contains renderings that are more "Gentile friendly".]

2. The "Hebrews" had been persecuted already.
Hebrews describes them as having gone through persecution (Heb 10:32-34).

3. Their community had not recently experienced martyrdom.
Although they had been persecuted, they had not shed blood (Heb 12:4).

4. The "Hebrews" were facing an impending persecution.
Hebrews indicates that a new persecution was imminent (12:1-3; 13:12-13).

5. The "Hebrews" were metropolitan Christians.
Chapter 13 suggests that they live in a city and the temptations that they experience pertain to a city.

6. The "Hebrews" had abandoned Christian liturgy or were tempted to so.
Hebrews 10:25 suggest that some of their number no longer assembled for worship. This entails that they no longer participated in the Eucharistic liturgy of the Church. The author says that if they fail to join the assembly, they deny the sacrifice of Christ (10:26). The pressure on them not to assemble together is somehow related to the impending persecution described above since the admonition to assemble (10:25) introduces the section about the coming persecution (10:32-39).

7. The "Hebrews" have an Italian connection.
The "Hebrews" seem to be acquainted with Christian in Italy: "Those who come from Italy send you greetings" (Heb 13:24).

Tradition states that the "Hebrews" addressed in this epistle were Christian in Jerusalem in the early or middle years of the 60s. This would be around the time that the Jews of Jerusalem murdered James of Jerusalem. Paul is perhaps not the writer but the author.

That they were Septuagint readers suggests that they did not belong to the party of the Pharisees. Their temptation to abandon liturgical worship in favor of the Temple also suggests that they came from the party of the Sadducees. St. James of Jerusalem is described as having access to the Temple and this confirms the Sadducee connection of the Hebrew Christian community in Jerusalem. If Acts is written to the former High Priest and Sadducee Theophilus, then we're really on to something. The "Hebrews" connection to Italy would be explained by the fact that all Israelites were exiled from Rome by Claudius in AD 49 and may have returned to Jerusalem.

Anybody have anything to add?

Threefold Way of Purgation, Illumination, and Contemplation in the Old Testament

The purgation/illumination/contemplation model is ancient and present in the Church Fathers. St. Dionysius the Areopagite ("Pseudo-D") based all of his works on it. He also sees the sacramental framework mirroring this process. It only makes sense. You suffer, you learn, you draw near to God.

Also, the Old Testament temple complex foreshadowed it:

Purgation: The altar outside the temple was a place where the priests burned victims through fire. It was the place of holocaust (Greek for burnt offering).

Illumination: The holy place was the place of illumination - where the golden lampstand stood.

Contemplation: The holy of holies was the place of union with God - the dark inner sanctum of God's presence.

The spiritual life moves along this "temple pathway". And to "contemplate" is etymologically related to "temple" and "template". It's all connected.

Real Pelagianism and the role of Grace and Nature

I've been teaching a section on Pelagianism lately and it's got me thinking again about the complimentary aspects of nature and grace. I was once a Calvinist in my Protestant days and I was fond of labeling people as Arminian (those who deny the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election, etc.) However, the worst label one might receive is "Pelagian". If you were "Pelagian" then that meant you were living a life of "works righteousness" and trying to earn your way to heaven.

However, that's not truly the Pelagian doctrine. If you read Augustine and the canons of the Synod of Orange (AD 529), you'll see that the debate was primarily over the nature of grace and the purpose of sacramental baptism.

Calvinists, in their zeal to be "non-Pelagian" actually make several Pelagian moves. First, they confuse nature and grace. Second, they redefine the doctrine of original sin in accordance with their first mistake. Thirdly, they discount baptism as essentially doing nothing (other than marking a covenantal boundary). Fourth, each desire a pure Church of rigor in which moral corruption is not tolerated. All four are moves in the Pelagian direction. I realize that there are sophisticated "tractarian Calvinists" who could steer through these objections, but I think that Calvin's anthropology (especially Luther's) is essentially Pelagian.

Luther saw that raw human nature could never be transformed and so he sought a system of legal fiction by which God would impute righteousness to a believer that was not actually inherent in the believer. Pelagius also didn't believe that grace could transform a raw nature and so he understood "grace" to be the example and pattern of Christ. Luther's system is merely and exhausted Pelagianism. A throwing up of the hands.

What is missing in both is the Catholic doctrine stating that grace perfects nature. Nature cannot be redeemed apart from the perfection of grace transforming nature. Both Pelagianism and magisterial Protestantism believe that man is saved without the transformation of his nature. In his nature, he must simply try hard (Pelagius) or simply rely on a forensic declaration of God (Luther and Calvin).

The canons of the Council of Trent point to another way. Justification is the infusion of grace, righteousness, faith, hope, and charity into the soul of a believer so that he is conformed to Christ actually and in his person. He becomes righteous because righteousness is imparted, not merely imputed.

G.K. Chesterton on Chastity (I wish I could write like this)

I love G.K. Chesterton. I'm praying that I can one day write as well as he did. Here's a great quote:

"Chastity does not mean abstention from sexual wrong; it means something flaming, like Joan of Arc."

Inventor of birth controll pill condemns it

Eighty five year old Carl Djerassi the Austrian chemist who helped invent the contraceptive pill now says that his co-creation has led to a "demographic catastrophe."

In an article published by the Vatican this week, the head of the world's Catholic doctors broadened the attack on the pill, claiming it had also brought "devastating ecological effects" by releasing into the environment "tonnes of hormones" that had impaired male fertility, The Taiwan Times says.

The assault began with a personal commentary in the Austrian newspaper Der Standard by Carl Djerassi. The Austrian chemist was one of three whose formulation of the synthetic progestogen Norethisterone marked a key step toward the earliest oral contraceptive pill.

Djerassi outlined the "horror scenario" that occurred because of the population imbalance, for which his invention was partly to blame. He said that in most of Europe there was now "no connection at all between sexuality and reproduction." He said: "This divide in Catholic Austria, a country which has on average 1.4 children per family, is now complete."

He described families who had decided against reproduction as "wanting to enjoy their schnitzels while leaving the rest of the world to get on with it."

The fall in the birth rate, he said, was an "epidemic" far worse, but given less attention, than obesity. Young Austrians, he said, were committing national suicide if they failed to procreate. And if it were not possible to reverse the population decline they would have to understand the necessity of an "intelligent immigration policy."

The head of Austria's Catholics, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, told an interviewer that the Vatican had forecast 40 years ago that the pill would lead to a dramatic fall in the birth rate in the west.

"Somebody above suspicion like Carl Djerassi ... is saying that each family has to produce three children to maintain population levels, but we're far away from that," he said.

Schonborn told Austrian TV that when he first read Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical condemning artificial contraception he viewed it negatively as a "cold shower." But he said he had altered his views as, over time, it had proved "prophetic."

Read the whole thing from CathNews.

SOURCE

Catholic Church renews its attack on contraceptive pill (Taipei Times)

Medical Association points out prophetic nature of Humanae Vitae (Catholic News Agency)

Hat tip: Clint Rain

May Richard John Neuhaus rest in peace

The great former Lutheran pastor and Catholic priest Richard John Neuhaus has passed away and gone to his reward. He was the founder of First Things, the great journal/magazine discussing religion and the public square.

He was certainly influential in my conversion to the Catholic Faith.

May he rest in peace.

Christian Cosmology and the Days of the Week

The seven days of the week are named after the seven "moving stars" of the heavens visible to the naked eye:

1. dies Solis (Sun)
2. dies Lunae (Moon)
3. dies Martis (Mars)
4. dies Mercurĭi (Mercury)
5. dies Jovis (Jupiter)
6. dies Venĕris (Venus)
7. dies Saturni (Saturn)

How did these associations come to be? Well, it actually goes back to the domination of each hour of the day by one of the "seven moving stars" by order of how far each one is from the planet earth. The Greek Stoics established this order correctly and it provided the template. The Babylonians before them likely new of the order but the Greek Stoics confirmed the template:

Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon

Notice these do not correspond to the order of the days of the week. What's up with that?

Well, it is quite remarkable. We must return to the domination of each hour of the day by a certain star. The first hour of a day is dominated by Saturn, the second hour is dominated by Jupiter, the third by Mars, etc.

If you trace this out, you find that the 25th hour (the first hour of the new day) is the Sun.

Do it again and the 49th hour (the first hour of the second day) is marked by the Moon.

Do it again and the 73rd hour (the first hour third day) is marked by Mars.

You just keep doing this and the cycle spits out this order: Sunday, Moonday, Marsday, Mercuryday, Jupiterday, Venusday, and Saturday. A perfect match.

What does this mean for Christians. It means that the seven day week is mapped out in the cosmos. The seven day week is not an accident of history. Even pagans understood it as having a significant meaning. Genesis one says that the heavenly bodies are "regents" over day and night and so we should not be surprised that the cosmos is a divine clock that marks time properly.

The shifting of liturgical worship form Saturday to Sunday is also another sign of the New Creation. The Sabbath day is associated with Saturn, the "moving star" furthest from our planet. Saturn is eschatological because it is both last in order and farthest from our planet. However, in the New Testament, the day of the Sun becomes the chief day of worship because Christ rose on Sunday. The Sun is also the warmest and brightest of the "seven moving stars". The sun establishes the year and marks the four season. It is no surprise then that the "day of the Sun" surpasses the "day of Saturn" with the incarnation of Christ. It marks the New Creation, the New Heavens, and the New Earth.

The Biblical Meaning of Holocaust

We have become accustomed to associating the term "holocaust" to the murder millions of Jews and others during the era of Nazi Germany. However, for over two millennia, the word had a different association. It originally referred to the burnt offering prescribed by God through Moses. For this reason, many Jews resent use of the term "holocaust" as a description of of the 20th century murder of European Jews. Many prefer the term "Shoah".

The term holocaust comes from the Septuagint translation of the burnt offering and derives from two words: holos ("whole") and kaustos ("burnt"). This Greek translation corresponds perfectly to the Hebrew terms holah meaning "that which ascends" as in fire or smoke, and kalil meaning "whole" or "entire". Holokautein denoted that the offering was utterly destroyed and consumed, as opposed to thyesthai which denoted a sacrificial victim and a meal consisting of the victim's flesh. This latter kind of sacrifice became associated with the Holy Eucharist. When Saint Jerome translated the Sacred Scriptures into Latin, he preserved the term in Latin and translated the "burnt offering" as holocaustum and it enters English in this form.

For those interested, the Old Testament prescribes several kinds of holocausts. First there were two daily holocausts at the tabernacle, one in the morning and one in the evening. These two holocausts correspond to the Catholic practice of praying Lauds (morning prayer) and Vespers (evening prayer). These holocausts were combined with a wheat offering and a wine offering (typical of the Holy Eucharist). See Ex 29:38-42 and Nm 28:3-8.

Secondly, there was a holocaust appointed for the Sabbath which was a more elaborate version of the daily double holocaust.

Third, there was the monthly New Moon holocaust and those associated with annual feasts of the Passover, Trumpets, Tabernacles, and Atonement.

Lastly, there were personal holocausts prescribed for various liturgical rites, such as the ordination of priests, purification of women, cleansing of lepers, purifying unclean persons, and the completion of a Nazarite vow.

Thomism and the Archaeology of Ideas

One thing that I've learned at the University of Dallas is that there is scholarship proper and then there is mere "archaeology of ideas". The latter simply traces the development of thought but doesn't engage the subject at hand. It's neither positive nor negative. It is descriptive.

An example of this would be an archaeological discussion of the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. It would be a historical collection of ideas but it would not actually address what the assumption means. It takes a look at late Patristic quotes (e.g. St. John Damascene), liturgical texts, and medieval commentators. There is nothing wrong with this sort of study, but in contemporary circles "philosophy" and "theology" are often confused with the study of the history of ideas.

I was recently reading The Sacred Monster of Thomism by Richard Peddicord, O.P. about the great 20th century Thomist Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange (I have links to his works in the sidebar). Peddicord puts his finger on something that I had not yet considered. He cites this tendency toward "historicism" as the contemporary fruits of liberalism, particularly as manifested in the German historical-critical method that regards texts and their history as the only valid means of accessing a topic. Peddicord writes:

To say that "all theologies are historically conditions artifacts of particular cultures" doesn't really tell one something particularly significant: everything that one can point to is "historically conditioned." For the Thomist school, when an idea came into existence and where it developed are not as interesting as its particular truth claims. The Thomist is always more interested in the truth or falsity of an idea than its historical pedigree. To identify where an idea appeared and when it was formulated, say the Thomists, does not help you evaluate its truth claims. To say otherwise is blatant chauvinism.

One reason modern scholarship prefers the "historical" approach to philosophy and theology is that it is unfashionable to actually engage a subject as being significant. According to the secular academies, "all ideas" are worthy of study and carry the same significance. As a result, a single philosophical or theological school cannot be shown as being true or even better. The only way to study these things without making judgments is to study their history.

If you run in academic circles, next time you hear a paper presented, ask yourself is this a mere historical presentation or is the speaker actually making an argument.