Blessed Pope Benedict XI, P.C.O.P.

Nicholas Boccasini was born into a poor family of which we know little else, though there are several different traditions concerning it. One claims that his father was a poor shepherd. Another that he was an impoverished nobleman. Whichever he was, he died when Nicholas was very small, and the little boy was put in the care of an uncle, a priest at Treviso.

The child proved to be very intelligent, so his uncle had him trained in Latin and other clerical subjects. When Nicholas was ten, his uncle got him a position as tutor to some noble children. He followed this vocation until he was old enough to enter the Dominican community at Venice in 1254. Here, and in various parts of Italy, Nicholas spent the next 14 years, completing his education. It is quite probable that he had Saint Thomas Aquinas for one of his teachers.

Nicholas was pre-eminently a teacher at Venice and Bologna. He did his work well according to several sources, including a testimonial from Saint Antoninus, who said that he had “a vast store of knowledge, a prodigious memory, a penetrating genius, and (that) everything about him endeared him to all.” In 1295, he received the degree of master of theology.

The administrative career of Nicholas Boccasini began with his election as prior general of Lombardy and then as the ninth master general of the Order of Preachers in 1296. His work in this office came to the notice of the pope, who, after Nicholas had completed a delicate piece of diplomacy in Flanders, appointed him cardinal in 1298.

The Dominicans hurried to Rome to protest that he should not be given the dignity of a cardinal, only to receive from the pope the mystifying prophecy that God had reserved an even heavier burden for Nicholas. As papal legate Nicholas traveled to Hungary to try to settle a civil war there.

Boniface VIII did not always agree with the man he had appointed cardinal-bishop of Ostia and dean of the sacred college. But they respected one another, and in the tragic affair that was shaping up with Philip the Fair of France, Cardinal Boccasini was to be one of only two cardinals who defended the Holy Father, even to the point of offering his life.

Philip the Fair, like several other monarchs, discovered that his interests clashed with those of the papacy. His action was particularly odious in an age when the papal power had not yet been separated completely from temporal concerns.

The French monarch, who bitterly hated Boniface, besieged the pope in the Castle of Anagni, where he had taken refuge, and demanded that he resign the papacy. His soldiers even broke into the house and were met by the pope, dressed in full pontifical vestments and attended by two cardinals, one of whom was Cardinal Boccasini. For a short time it looked as though the soldiers, led by Philip’s councilor William Nogaret, might kill all three of them, but they refrained from such a terrible crime and finally withdrew after Nicholas rallied the papal forces and rescued Boniface from Anagni.

Cardinal Boccasini set about the difficult task of swinging public opinion to the favor of the pope. Successful at this, he stood sorrowfully by when the pontiff died, broken-hearted by his treatment at the hands of the French soldiers. On October 22, 1303, at the conclave following the death of Boniface, the prophesied burden fell upon the shoulders of the cardinal-bishop of Ostia, who took the name Benedict XI.

The reign of Benedict XI was too short to give him time to work out any of his excellent plans for settling the troubles of the Church. Most of his reign was taken up with undoing the damage done by Philip the Fair. He lifted the interdict on the French people that had been laid down by his predecessor and made an uneasy peace with Philip. He worked to reconcile warring parties in Europe and the Church and to increase spirituality. His reign, short though it was, was noted for its leniency and kindness.

There are few personal anecdotes regarding Benedict, but at least one worth telling. Once, during his pontificate, his mother came to the papal court to see him. The court attendants decided that she was too poorly dressed to appear in the presence of the Holy Father, so they dressed her up in unaccustomed finery before allowing her to see her son. Benedict, sensing what had happened, told them he did not recognize this wealthy woman, and he asked them where was the little widow, pious and poorly dressed, whom he loved so dearly.

Benedict XI died suddenly in 1304. He had continued to the end with his religious observances and penances. Some people believed that he had been poisoned, but there has never been any evidence that this was the case. Many miracles were performed at his tomb, and there were several cures even before his burial.

Born: Born in Treviso, Italy, 1240

Papal Ascension: 1303

Died: died in Perugia, Italy, April 25, 1304

Beatified: beatified by Pope Clement XII in 1736

Representation: In art, Pope Benedict wears a Dominican habit and papal tiara, while holding the keys. He is venerated in Perugia.

We Have a Job to Do. Git ‘er Done!!!!!!!!!

In the readings appointed for today, we find, from Psalm 48:  12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers, 13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.

And then from Ezekiel:  2:3 He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.
2:4 The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD.”
2:5 Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

And finally, from the Gospel according to Mark:  6:7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.   6:8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 6:9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.  6:10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.  6:11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”  6:12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.

It would seem that we have a  job to do.   The constant theme throughout today’s readings is simple:  Go and tell.  Go and witness.  Go and preach.  Some of you may say, “Well this is fine, well, and good for those who are ministers, preachers, and priests.  I am not called to preach, though.   What am I supposed to do????”  We will think about that in a few seconds.

Preaching is the very purpose of the Dominican Order, to which I belong.  Our Order is even known as “The Order of Preachers.”   And true, that in English, preaching means pulpit oratory, but St. Dominic did not name his Order in English, but in Latin – Ordo Praedicatores – meaning those who are engaged in “praedicatio.” If you look in a Latin dictionary you will find that “praedicatio” means “making known” or “proclamation.” This has a much broader, much wider meaning than mere pulpit oratory.  ALL of us are called to preach, to proclaim.  The very second that you accepted Christ into your heart, you were charged with the mission to become a preacher, a proclaimer, of the Gospel.   Simply living your life as Christ has called you do live it is proclaiming the Gospel.  We are not to be selfish, but to use what we are given to help each other, and to spread to the world the message of Christ’s redeeming love. This, as St. Dominic said, was essential for us if we were to give a good example to others.  Nothing will win others more than our living our Christian lives, no matter how difficult it may be at times.

 

Another way of preaching that you can do, is the sharing of your faith with others. You are going to run into people, as I am sure you do all the time, who have a false and twisted idea of what true Christians believe.  These people will challenge you.  In these circumstances we should always follow St. Peter’s advice: Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence. (I Peter 3: 16b-17a) But to do this effectively you really have to know your religion thoroughly. There are so many false ideas out there about the true meaning of being a Christian, and about what Christ taught, about the Scriptures and about morals.  When they present all kinds of false ideas about the Bible, how are you going to answer them? There are answers and it is incumbent on you, as a Christian, to know them.

Admittedly, none of these are spectacular or glamorous ways of preaching, but they are most effective ways. You may not feel that you  have been effective and you may think you have failed to make any impression at all and, of course, you may not have. But you never know how God is going to use what you say and how you say it. We must keep in mind that rarely is one person responsible for the conversion of another. The process of conversion is something like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. People along the way slip in a piece or two until finally the puzzle is complete,  but the picture is not finished until every single piece is in place. God may be asking you to put in only a few pieces but they are necessary pieces. You will not know, however, until the Last Judgment when you will see the whole picture, completed and perfect, just what great influence you have had. That is, perhaps, the only way that any of us are going to be able to see the results of our preaching.  Let each one of us take seriously the charge of St. Paul: Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship, perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. (II Timothy 3: 2-5)  If we do this, then we can say with him: I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. (II Timothy 3: 7 & 8)

 

 

GUEST POST: What Makes Our Country Special? The Rt. Rev. James St. George

As we approach the 4th of July, I wonder if we can all stop and remember what make this country so special. I didn’t say the best in all the world, as all countries have their frailties and flaws. For me, personally, yes, this is the greatest country., but I also recognize that for others they have their own opinion – I respect them for that. So, maybe we can all use social media for what it does best – bring us closer together no matter the miles between us; reunite long lost friendships and family; use it for good, rather than divisive rhetoric, at least for one day?

Instead of posting hate speech or rude comments, let us recognize that this country was built on honoring each other and our differences; why not just say, “I disagree with you, but I respect your opinion” and move on?

Instead of making fun of and promoting hatred of immigrants and aliens, look at our family tree and give thanks that no one stopped our great grandfather when he fled here and could only speak Italian, etc.

Instead of posting photos that make fun of others, or promote sexism, misogyny, homophobia, racism, or inequality, even with humor, let us post only those things that build up and show respect for all others. There are well over 7 billion people in this world…each has inherent rights.

Instead of posting words or images that make fun of the poor, or the mentally ill, or any in need, recognize they exist and stop stepping over them, or worse, on them, with your insensitivity.

Instead of posting rude images that banter another’s political party or ideation, why not acknowledge that our government was built on an adversarial system where each party is called to fight for their unique position, but then, equally, they are called to come together. Let us support them in their opinions, but pray for them in their coming together for the good of the whole?

Instead of calling the President a liar, or a cheat, etc., let us respect him for the position and that he chose to serve this nation. Note that he won by votes, no matter what you think of the process, and let us recognize that none of knows what it is like to deal with hard decisions the person who sits in this office are called on to make everyday. If I were called to serve again and even die for my country, I would tell The President, ‘Yes, sir/madam, I will go.” would you do anything less no matter who is in that office or what party they hail from? Then stop being mean.

Instead of being vehement in our opinions, why not honor the fact that we do not always have all the facts, or history, or wounds, and that others’ may just have more facts than us? Then, ask them ‘why’ they believe what they do for we may just learn from one another, rather than promote hatred and division.

Instead of seeing the world through ‘your lens’, why not recognize that your truth may not be my truth, or others’ truths. Love them (and me) where we are.

Finally, on this 4th of July, why not simply give thanks for all you do have instead of what you want and do not need. Why not make an effort to go to church this Sunday, and not just to a picnic? Why not say a prayer of thanksgiving for this country and her people, who stand side by side you, even in your brokenness. Stop and give thanks to those who serve in uniform and who died defending your right to be less than noble in your words, spoken and even posted here, then turn a page and look for ways of making this nation even greater by showing your love.

I wish you all a blessed holiday.

No Explanation Necessary~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But Thomas said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, and said ‘Peace be with you.’  Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put you finger there. See my hands. Reach out and put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’  Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God.’  Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe.'”  ( John 20:24-29 )

We have all heard the phrase, “a Doubting Thomas.” Rooted in the scripture above, it tends to come from the scientific and critical aspect of our culture. We have science to prove or disprove claims. We require evidence to make things a certainty. After all it is said, “seeing is believing.” ut in this day and age, can a faith in Jesus Christ and his deeds from oh so long ago- be rational? We have our holy scriptures and our teachings, but is this something we can hold up to the ‘litmus test’ of debate against a skeptic? A cynic? Someone who; by disaster, tragedy or death of a loved one, demands further proof from us of a loving and compassionate God?  We must admit, there are days when even we ourselves, can become a “Doubting Thomas”.

First, it is important to remember Christianity is built upon faith. “For faith is confidence in what we hope for and an assurance about what we do not see.” ( Hebrews 11:1 )  The First Chapter of the Book of Hebrews goes on to serve up as evidence, all those who have lived by faith… Moses, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah… the list goes on and on. For if we are Christians, we truly do, “…walk by faith, not by sight.” ( 2 Corinthians 5:7 )  Life is full of uncertainty. The key is, to surrender ourselves to our faith.

“For to have faith, we must also have doubt. We must become like Thomas…” – Thomas Merton.  Merton (b.1915-d1968) was a mystic and social activist, as well as a Cistercian Trappist monk.  He wrote more than seventy books on spirituality, including his autobiography – The Seven Story Mountain, a New York Times best seller. From it, he writes, “Faith means having doubt, not the suppression of doubt. The only way to fully overcome you doubt is to live through it. Someone who says they have no doubt, cannot be a person of faith.”  Merton agreed with Saint Paul, “To have faith, is a gift from God.” ( ref. Ephesians 28 ) And even centuries earlier, Saint Augustine agreed, “Doubt is but an element of faith.”

In his book, Threshold of Hope, Saint John Paul II wrote; “We must be allowed to have doubt. To search for God and truth on our own terms. To do this is nothing but a manifestation of the grace of the Holy Spirit at work. Questioning God, reveals your faith in him.”

It seems paradoxical; for clerics, religious, or even firm Christians to admit they have doubt. To question  faith, even to dare and question God, seems like an insurmountable offense. It can be frightening. Perhaps a sign of weakness or sinful spirit; vulnerable to temptation and even rebellion. But people, good people of faith,  facing critical circumstances, terminal illness or unexpected loss, wrestle with these emotions and ‘doubts’ all the time. And they need not be life-altering; even slight bump in the road can cause many of us to question.  Just like Thomas.  Mother Teresa often wrote of “dark periods of spiritual desolation; questioning whether God cared, loved or even existed at all.”

So when all is said and done, when all is really questioned and considered, we do end up sometimes being Thomas. It is then however, that we must surrender ourselves to our faith. For it is our faith upon which we build everything else. It is on our faith that we fix upon our most trusted and inspired promise given to us by our Lord, Jesus Christ:  life everlasting.

Ahhh, I can sense the skeptics circling. Prove to me, there is a life everlasting. No need. Christ tells me so. I have faith enough to believe. In this, I can answer just like a most famous Dominican and yet another Thomas, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Considered one of the great teachers and early doctors of the Church, Saint Thomas said: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one who has no faith, no explanation is possible.”

Passing the Test~The Very Rev. Lady Sherwood

Genesis 22:1-14

22:1 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 22:2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.  22:4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.22:5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.”  22:6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.  22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  22:8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.  22:9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.  22:11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  22:12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  22:13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.  22:14 So Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

When we have times in our lives of severe hardship or difficulties, Illness, bereavement, debts, homelessness,or employment issues ,it can be all too easy for us  to either blame God or to think God has abandoned us. But this is far from the truth. As true Christians and children of God we should know that our Father in heaven loves us far too much to abandon us. Just as in the scripture above when the Lord tested Abraham’s trust and faith when he asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac, we also must from time to time have our faith and trust tested. This is because it is far too easy for us to say we love and follow the Lord when we are in the good times and all is going well. It is in the difficult and trying times when we prove to our heavenly Father that we are indeed sincere in our relationship with him and as such, at times we need to be tested. Abraham shows us by his actions just how strong his love and faith in God truly was and we should strive to be likewise.Even the hard times that may not in themselves be a test of faith may indeed be true blessings in disguise which the Lord will show us if we love and have true faith in him as our heavenly father and saviour. An example of this from my own life is that I was brought up in an extremely abusive family, where I was put in care and forgotten as I was not loved and wanted. I was placed in horrid places with locked doors at aged 10 because they mistook my young age temper tantrums as bad instead of realising I was hurting inside. Everyone always treated me as a nuisance to the world. However my love and faith even at that young age was strong and I knew in my heart that the Father loved me and had plans for my life.Yes, I went through years of illness and trauma, but no matter what, my faith remained, and in fact heightened. The Lord showed me the hate and dischord that was in the world, and I knew more and more as I grew older that I was being called to show the Father’s light of love to those we as human’s have placed in darkness by hardening our hearts. I remained strong in my faith and the Lord brought me to a place where now I can do that which the Lord has called and prepared me to do for his people. Although not the same test as was given Abraham, it still has shown my sincere love, trust and faith in God. There has been, and no doubt there will be further, tests, but my heart will remain strong and faithful to God as did Abraham’s. The Lord will always be there eternally for each of us, we only need to trust and have faith in him and he will never fail us. So we should accept troubles and tests with joy in our hearts. My trust and faith in our God is strong, How about yours?

Corpus Christi: One Bread, One Body, Warts and All

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.
Gentile or Jew, woman or man, no more.   Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.
Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all.

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.  And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Today is a great Feast Day in the life of the liturgical church throughout Christendom:  The Solemnity of Corpus Christi.  This day is celebrated in recognition of the Eucharist, and everything the Eucharist is and means.  Today we celebrate, literally, the Body of Christ.  We all know that the Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.  We all know that we, as Catholics, believe that the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Our Lord.  We all know that our Protestant brothers and sisters believe that the bread and the wine are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord.  We all know that wars have been fought over these two basic, yet entirely different beliefs.  We also know that from many, if not most, of the liturgical pulpits in the world, the Word will be proclaimed concerning the Eucharist.  Today, however, I would like to put a different spin on Corpus Christi.  I would like for us to leave the upper room of Christ and the disciples, and jump ahead a few years to Corinth, and to listen to what the Apostle Paul has to say about “the body of Christ.”

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into[c] one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.  15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole bodywere an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.  27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best[d] gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.  (1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NKJV)

We, the Church, we, the people of God, we, puny imperfect people that we are, WE are the body of Christ.  Some of us dress funny.  Some of us talk funny.  Some of us have emotional issues.  Some of us just have issues.  But we, ALL of us, together, make up the body of Christ.  Warts and all.  Some of us are wildly and multiply talented.  Some of us are incredibly intelligent.  Some of us have been blessed with physical beauty.  Some of us have been blessed with spiritual beauty.  Be we, ALL of us together, make up the body of Christ.

Because we are all of us different, it can be said that we make up different parts of the body of Christ.  We each of us have different gifts.  Some make up the head, some the heart.  Others are the feet and the hands of the body of Christ.  Granted there are parts of the body of Christ that we would rather keep hidden, under wraps.  But are these parts any less important?  Do these parts not serve a major and important function in the working of the body?  I believe that they do.

Several months ago, we were struggling with the problem of readmitting someone to the Order of Preachers Old Catholic.  This person and come and gone more than once, and had tried our patience severely.  As is my custom  when in need of guidance, I went to our dear Archbishop and asked his advice.  Do I give her one more chance, or not?  He and I talked about it, mulled it over, prayed about it, and decided to wait on a definite answer from God to see what it was, exactly, we were to do.  That night, he had a dream.  In his dream, Jesus appeared to the Archbishop, held out His nail-scarred  hands and said, “I did this for her, too.  Can you do any less?”  Needless to say, the person in question was readmitted to the Order…as a part of the Body of Christ.

Last Sunday, I was privileged to be at the inaugural Mass at one of our new parishes.  After Mass, there was a pot luck meal.  The dishes were plentiful and varied.  There was something there for everyone.  Not everyone liked or ate the exact same thing, (and a few of us ate way too much of just about everything,) and no one went away hungry.

My point, here, folks, if I haven’t made it already is simply this:  WE, all of us, make up the body of Christ.  What one person brings to the table may not be of particular interest or value to another person, but there is someone at that table who needs just that.  Perhaps we feel that this person or that person isn’t quite what we would like to see in our church, or in our family, or in our lives, but to someone, somewhere, that person is exactly who is needed.  The very person whom we consider to be “less than worthy” to represent Christ and His church may just be the exact one who is needed in certain situations.

As we go along in our daily lives, let us remember the lessons of today, this Feast of Corpus Christi, that we all of us make up the One Bread, the One Body, the One Cup, that is the Body of Christ.  Amen.

Blessed Innocent V

Peter of Tarentaise was barely 10 years old when he was admitted to the Dominican Order by Blessed Jordan of Saxony as a boy-novice and sent to Paris to study. Like Saint Thomas Aquinas, Blessed Ambrose of Siena, and other luminaries of the 13th century, he fell under the masterly tutelage of Saint Albert the Great.

He received his master’s degree in theology in 1259, then he taught for some years in Paris, where he contributed a great deal to the order’s reputation for learning. He wrote a number of commentaries on Scripture and the Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, but he devoted most of his time to the classroom. He soon became famous as a preacher and theologian, and in 1259, with a committee including his friend Thomas Aquinas, composed a plan of study that is still the basis of Dominican teaching.

At age 37, Peter began the long years of responsibility in the various offices he was to hold in his lifetime as prior provincial of France. He visited on foot all Dominican houses under his care, and was then sent to Paris to replace Thomas Aquinas at the University of Paris. Twice provincial, he was chosen archbishop of Lyons in 1272 and administered the affairs of the diocese for some time, though he was never actually consecrated for that see.

The next year Peter was appointed cardinal-archbishop of Ostia, Italy, while still administering the see of Lyons. With the great Franciscan, Saint Bonaventure, assumed much of the labor of the Council of Lyons to which Saint Thomas was hastening at the time of his death. To the problems of clerical reform and the healing of the Greek schism the two gifted friars devoted their finest talents. Before the council was over, Bonaventure died, and Peter of Tarentaise preached the funeral panegyric.

In January 1276, Peter was with Blessed Pope Gregory X when the latter died at Arezzo. The conclave was held in the following month. On January 21, 1276, Peter of Tarentaise received every vote except his own. With a sad heart, he left the seclusion of his religious home to ascend the Fisherman’s Throne as Pope Innocent V.

The reign of the new pope, which promised so much to a harassed people, was to be very brief. But, imbued with the spirit of the early apostles, he crowded a lifetime into the short space given him.

He instigated a new crusade against the Saracens and began reforms in the matter of regular observance. He actually succeeded in solving many of the questions of the Greek schism and in establishing a short-lived truce. He struggled to reconcile the Guelphs and Ghibellines, restored peace between Pisa and Lucca, and acted as mediator between Rudolph of Hapsburg and Charles of Anjou. He restored the custom of personally assisting at choral functions with the canons of the Lateran, and he inspired all with the love that animated his heart.

Had the measures begun by Innocent V had time to be fully realized, he might have accomplished great good for the Church; he did at least open the way for those who were to follow him. Death stopped the hand of the zealous pope when he had reigned only five months. Like his friends Saint Thomas and Saint Bonaventure, he was untouched by the honors and dignity with which he had been favored, and death found him exactly what he had been for more than 40 years–a simple, humble friar.

Born: 1245 at Tarentaise, Burgundy, France as Petrus a Tarentasia

Papal Ascension: 1276

Died: 1277 at Rome of natural causes

Beatified: cult was confirmed by Leo XIII in 1898

Blessed Hosanna of Mantua

Osanna Andreassi was the daughter of the wealthy patrician Andreasio. She experienced visions from her early childhood, but kept the experiences to herself. At the age of six, she saw the Child Jesus carrying a cross and wearing a crown of thorns. He told her that He has a special love of children and purity. She was so impressed, as we all would be, that she immediately consecrated her entire life to God.

Osanna begged her father to allow her to learn to read so that she might be able to pray the Divine Office. He refused her request because it was a waste for a woman who was expected simply to raise a family. Osanna couldn’t explain why she wanted to learn; she couldn’t reveal her plans to him. When she was 14 and knew that he was arranging a marriage for her, she furtively went to the Dominican church and received the habit of its tertiaries. When she appeared at home in her religious garb, she explained that she had made a vow and must wear it until she had fulfilled her promise.

Now, this should not be understood as condoning deceit, but it served God’s purpose. Her pious father accepted her explanation for a time. As the months passed he began to suspect what had happened. He had already refused to give her permission to enter the convent, and he was displeased that she should try to live as a tertiary in his own home. Eventually, his father’s heart melted and he allowed Osanna to continue her routine of prayer, penance, and charity for the rest of her life. She was not professed until a few months before her death forty-two years later.

After the early death of both her parents, Osanna spent her fortune in the service of the poor. Her house became a center for people to discuss spiritual matters, for the needy and the sick, for the wealthy and the noble.

It is said that like Saint Catherine, she miraculously learned to read. One day she saw a piece of paper with two words and said, “Those words are ‘Jesus’ and ‘Mary.'” From that time she could read anything pertaining to spiritual matters. By the same sort of favor, she also learned to write.

At age 28 (1477), Osanna received the mark of the wound in Jesus’ side, caused by a long nail. For the next year various of the sacred wounds would appear, including the crown of thorns. Others saw them only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and during Holy Week, but it appears that they were visible to her and caused both pain and joy.

At this time Osanna felt the need for a spiritual director and prayed for one with wisdom, patience, and understanding. She found him during Mass when an interior voice said to her, “That’s the one you need, the one who is saying Mass.” Osanna thought he was too young, but, upon meeting him in the confessional a few days later, all doubts were erased.

Before her death, the soul of Blessed Columba of Rieti, another Dominican tertiary, appeared to her and told Osanna to prepare for death.

Born: January 17, 1449 at Mantua, Italy

Died: 1505 of natural causes

Beatified: November 24, 1694 Pope Innocent XII (cultus confirmed)

Representation: In art, Osanna is a Dominican tertiary wearing a crown of thorns, surrounded by rays of light (not the halo of a saint), a lily, a broken heart with a crucifix springing from it, the devil under her feet, two angels (one with a lily, one with a cross). This is similar to the image of Saint Catherine of Siena, who has a halo. Osanna is the patroness of school girls.

E Pluribus….WHAT? Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday is a difficult day for priests, who often feel they have to try to explain the idea of God as Trinity. It’s sometimes an even more difficult day for our parishioners, because they have to listen to us priests, trying to explain the Trinity.  It’s a difficult day for priests because we find we have to talk about God.  You may think we are always talking about God, but in my experience most of us actually talk rather little about God. We talk a lot about what God wants of us.  We talk even more of what God has done for us and is doing for us. That, after all, is the Gospel. But we don’t talk very much about who God is. Perhaps they leave that to the liturgy and the hymns, which probably do it better than sermons usually can.

Have you ever tried to express your feelings when you feel something very deeply?  That’s what usually happens when we talk about God, really talk about God, actually trying to say who God is – this is one of those times when language fails us.   The only words you can find are terribly makeshift, totally inadequate, and not at all what you want to express, but you must use what you’ve got and try to express yourself.  Not to say anything would be worse. You must say what you can and hope the words point to what you can’t really say.  So it is with the Trinity.  There are several Christian ways of trying to say who God is. The one that says the most about God is the one we use in the creeds, when we say we believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is those Three and the Three are one God. The Christian shorthand for that is: God is Trinity. But if that says the most about God, it is also the most difficult thing Christians say about God.

How to explain the Trinity?  We haven’t done that yet, simply because we can’t wrap our heads around the concept.   The story is told of St Augustine of Hippo, the great philosopher and theologian. He was preoccupied with the doctrine of the Trinity. He wanted so much to understand the doctrine of one God in three persons and to be able to explain it logically. One day he was walking along the sea shore and trying to understand just how one God can be in three persons. Suddenly, he saw a  child all alone on the shore. The child made a hole in the sand, ran to the sea with a little cup, filled her cup with sea water, ran up and emptied the cup into the hole she had made in the sand. Back and forth she went to the sea, filled her cup and went and poured it into the hole. Augustine drew up and said to her, “Little child, what are you doing?”   She replied, “I am trying to empty the sea into this hole.”   “How do you think,” Augustine asked her, “that you can empty this immense sea into this tiny hole and with this tiny cup?”  She answered back, “And you, how do you suppose that with your small head you can comprehend the immensity of God?” With that the child disappeared.

The doctrine of the inner relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God, yet there are not three Gods but one, cannot be fully comprehended by the human mind. It is a mystery.  But, we continue to try.  St. Patrick certainly did it his best.  He gave us a visual example in the shamrock or three leaf clover.  As the shamrock is one composed of three, so, he said, is the Trinity:  Three in One and One in Three.  In the story of salvation we usually attribute creation to the Father, redemption to the Son and sanctification to the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, though they are distinct as persons, neither the Father nor the Son nor the Holy Spirit ever exists or acts in isolation from the other two persons of the Godhead, just as a three leaf clover without all three leaves is incomplete.

If we expected today’s readings to give us a clear and elaborate presentation of the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, we have found out that they simply do not. The doctrine of three persons in one God, equal in divinity yet distinct in personality, is not explicitly spelled out in the Bible. In fact the very word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. Early Christians arrived at the doctrine when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. Jesus spoke about the Father who sent him (the Son) and about the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. He said that the Father had given him (the Son) all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father. In this we see the unity of purpose among the three persons of the Trinity.

We believe in the Triune God, and to embrace a doctrine we cannot fully comprehend or explain. It is another thing entirely to base our understanding of God on what we see God doing.  So, let me make the most important statement about the Trinity that I can make, and that is — Our understanding of the Trinity, or as much as we can understand of the Trinity, is based on what we see God has done and is doing in the world.  Let me give you some examples.

In the Old Testament, God is Creator of both the world, and of the nation of Israel through whom he will bless the world. Of course, God is present as Spirit, and the Messiah is both prophesied and foreshadowed in various theophanies (appearances of God, such as the angel who wrestles with Jacob). But primary on the stage of the unfolding drama of the Old Testament is the God of Israel, Yahweh, El-Shaddai, Elohim, Adonai, and all the other names by which God is called and worshipped.

In the New Testament Gospel accounts, the emphasis is upon Jesus — his birth, his baptism, his message, his life, his death, and his resurrection. But God the Father approves his Son, and the Holy Spirit descends upon — anoints — Jesus for ministry.

In the New Testament Book of Acts and the epistles, the Holy Spirit is at the forefront, equipping, enabling, guiding, empowering the early church.  In the Book of Revelation, God the Father, Son, and Spirit are all present, each featured in a way that is both consistent with the Old Testament, witnesses to the New Testament, and brings fully into being the Kingdom of God in its closing chapters.

Okay, that surveys the “What is the Trinity?” question, even though I am sure you probably have more questions now than when we began. But to keep this from being merely an academic exercise, we need to turn our attention to “Why do we care?”  This is what’s important and what we need to understand. Doctrine is important, but doctrine comes from the lived experiences of God’s people as they interpret the work of God in the real world.  First, the reason we should care about the Trinity, and be aware of the uniqueness of the One-in-Three and Three-in-One is this: Without a balanced view of all three persons of the Trinity, we can misinterpret the work of God in this world.  For instance, if we emphasize some aspects of God in the Old Testament, and subordinate Jesus and the Spirit, then we come away with a picture of a god of wrath and judgment, who has little compassion. One very well known Baptist preacher did just that after the tornadoes in Oklahoma last week, when he compared the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma with the story of Job who lost all of his children to a mighty wind that collapsed Job’s house.  If we emphasize the person of Jesus to the exclusion of God the Father and the Holy Spirit, we miss out on the fact that God sent Jesus because “God so loved the world…” The purpose of God is to redeem the world, not just the individuals in it. Salvation is the work of God, and that salvation extends not just to individuals but to God’s creation as well. Another famous and trendy preacher was quoted as saying that Jesus is coming back to burn up the world, so he can drive a huge SUV because he’s not worried about this physical earth. Not a good theological position, in my estimation.  Finally, if we emphasize the Holy Spirit, and the charismatic experiences and gifts of the Spirit, it it is easy to loose sight of God as Creator, Son as Redeemer, and the role that the Holy Spirit played and plays in both of those aspects of God’s work.

Who is God? He is our heavenly Father who made us, takes cares of us and calls us his dear children.
Who is God? He is Jesus Christ who gave his life on the cross to re-establish our relationship with God. He reveals the way to God and to eternal life.
Who is God? God is the Spirit in you giving you faith in God and guiding you in your daily walk as a Christian.
Faith in the Triune God acknowledges the might and majesty of God but at the same trusts in a God who cares.  Amen.

 

Blessed Stephen Bandelli

Stephen Bandelli was born into a noble family. Little is known of his early years except that he applied for admission to the Dominicans in his hometown and received the habit while still very young.

Stephen earned a degree in canon law and a master’s degree in theology, and lectured at the University of Pavia. He was a man of superior intellect and a careful student. Tradition holds that he was “another Saint Paul,” and that his sermons were effective in bringing many Christians to a more fervent life and many sinners back into the fold. Aside from this, one reads only the traditional assurances–that he was prayerful, penitential, had a spirit of poverty, was charitable, and was a model religious.

When Stephen died, he was buried in the Dominican church of Saluzzo. Many miracles were worked at his tomb, and the citizens of Saluzzo invoked him, in 1487, when the town was attacked by one of their neighbors. Their preservation was attributed to Stephen’s intercession, as it was claimed that he had appeared in the sky above them while they were fighting. An annual feast was kept there in his honor for many years.