Totus Tuus - To Jesus through Mary.

To impel the beauty of the new evangelization – this is the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel; Its founder, Monsignor João Dias explains."The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope."

The Heralds of the Gospel are an International Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right, the first to be established by the Holy See in the third millennium, during a ceremony which occurred during the feast of the Chair of St. Peter (February 22) in 2001.

The Heralds of the Gospel strive to be instruments of holiness in the Church by encouraging close unity between faith and life, and working to evangelize particularly through art and culture. Their apostolate, which differs depending upon the environments in which they work, gives pride of place to parish animation, evangelizing families, providing catechetical and cultural formation to young people, and disseminating religious Iiterature.



Sunday 22 July 2012

The Hierarchy of Truths [Part 2]


The Hierarchy of Truths
[From: http://rciablog.com/2010/08/the-5-foundational-truths-of-revelation/#more-541]

The Hierarchy of Truths
The Deposit of Faith – much like a house – exists according to a Hierarchy of Truths, wherein some truths are more foundational than other truths.  The latter rest upon the former as the 2″ x 4″ studs constituting the frame of a home rest upon the concrete foundation and the plumbing.  Before the frame is built, the concrete must be poured, and even before the pouring, the first pipes for the plumbing must be set in place.  With regard to catechesis, the existence of a hierarchy of truths does not mean some truths are more true than others.  Rather, it means that for an effective pedagogy (or, method of teaching), the catechist must lay the foundation first and teach the remainder of the deposit with the foundation always in mind, connecting the pieces.

5 Foundational Truths
In order for RCIA participants to get a solid hold on the Deposit of Faith, it is critical to show them how all of the truths are grounded in several foundational truths. These truths are contained in one significant paragraph within the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.” (CCC, #1)
These five foundational truths of revelation are invoked throughout the Catechism and provide a framework in which all doctrine finds its proper context. They are:
1.            The Blessed Trinity: God is an eternal loving communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
2.            The Person of Jesus: A divine person who took on human nature in the Incarnation
3.            The Paschal Mystery: the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ
4.            The Dignity of the Human Person: made in the image and likeness of God
5.            The Church: the Body of Christ brought to life in the Holy Spirit
Breaking It Down
Let’s take a look at each of these foundational truths individually.
The Blessed Trinity
All creation comes from the Trinity, receives its truth, goodness and beauty as a reflection of God’s nature, and finds its end in the Trinity. Therefore, it makes sense that all reality should be understood in terms of the Trinity. Human dignity flows from its being made in the likeness of the Trinity. Holy Matrimony participates in the inner life of the Trinity. Our being male and female reflects the Trinity (e.g., the Theology of the Body). Eternal life consists in living in the bosom of the Trinity.
The Person of Jesus
Pope John Paul II tells in in Catechesi Tradendae (On Catechesis in Our Time): “At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth” (CT #5). Everything is summed up in Jesus. Everything must be taught in relation to him. The Mosaic Law prepared Israel for Jesus. Jesus is the center of history. Jesus is the fulfillment of divine revelation. Jesus makes the Father visible. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit. Jesus governs over his Church as its invisible head. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Mary’s importance flows from her relation to her Son.
The Paschal Mystery
The Paschal Mystery sheds light on every truth. It reveals God’s love for us. It is the means by which we are saved. Mary shared in Jesus’ suffering. The grace of the resurrection is communicated through the Sacraments. We share in Christ’s priesthood. It serves as the foundation of redemptive suffering. The Church is formed from the side upon the Cross. Jesus teaches us how to be self-less lovers from his work upon the Cross.
The Dignity of the Human Person
The dignity of the human person springs from the remarkable fact that, starting from the beginning, the sublime love among the three Persons of the Trinity, needing nothing else, nevertheless overflowed with a desire for other persons to share in their divine love. God crown creation with the creation of man. Being made in God’s image makes us capable of receiving his life through the salvation that flows from the Redemption. The Christian moral life flows from our human dignity. Holiness consists in being formed into the image of Christ, who is the eternal image of the Father.
The Church
God created the world for the sake of the Church. Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead in order to create and imbue the Church with his divine life. The Church is God’s chosen instrument of salvation and the dispenser of the Sacraments. Mary is the Mother of the Church. The Holy Spirit guides and animates the Church. The liturgy is the public worship of the Church and unites the Church in heaven with the Church on earth. God prepared Israel in the Old Testament to be united with the Gentiles in the Church. The Church safeguards the Deposit of Faith and faithfully hands it on from one generation to the next.

What Does This Mean Practically?
The ordering of teachings within the catechumenal process requires a firm understanding of the foundational truths and the way in which all other truths flow from them. These foundational truths, then, should be laid out at the beginning and referred back to during subsequent sessions. In this way, the catechist can provide participants with an overarching framework in which the entire Deposit of Faith can and must be understood.

The Hierarchy of Truths [Part 1]




Understanding The Hierarchy of Truths | Douglas Bushman, S.T.L.

This article may be found at the website of Ignatius Insight: http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/dbushman_hiertruths_sept05.asp

Catechists, evangelists, apologists and others today sometimes encounter the term "hierarchy of truths." Sometimes the term is misused to imply that some truths of the faith are negotiable or that some truths are less true than others. In fact, the hierarchy of truths is merely the principle of ordering the mysteries of faith based on the varying ways they are related one another as elements of Christian revelation, as summarized in the Creed.

Because the hierarchy of truths is so often misunderstood, it is important to examine it. What follows is an examination of the principle itself, based on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, as well as a discussion of some implications of the hierarchy of truths for evangelization and apologetics.

Hierarchy of Truths in Magisterial Texts

The first magisterial use of the expression was at Vatican II, in the context of ecumenical dialogue: "When comparing doctrines with one another, they [theologians] should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a ‘hierarchy’ of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith" (Unitatis Redintegratio, no. 11). This is closely allied to the axiom that the bond of faith that unites Christians is greater than the things that divide them.

Here the Church recognizes that the way to agreement regarding disputed points of doctrine is the way of faith itself, grounded in essential truths about God and Christ. The hierarchy of truths also has application in the Church’s catechetical activity: "This hierarchy does not mean that some truths pertain to faith itself less than others, but rather that some truths are based on others as of a higher priority, and are illumined by them. On all levels catechesis should take account of this hierarchy of the truths of faith."

These truths may be grouped under four basic heads: the mystery of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Creator of all things; the mystery of Christ the incarnate Word, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation; the mystery of the Holy Spirit, who is present in the Church, sanctifying and guiding it until the glorious coming of Christ, our Savior and Judge; and the mystery of the Church, which is Christ’s Mystical Body, in which the Virgin Mary holds the preeminent place" (General Catechetical Directory, no. 43).

This text excludes a misunderstanding, summarized by Cardinal Schönborn: "the ‘hierarchy of truth’ does not mean ‘a principle of subtraction,’ as if faith could be reduced to some ‘essentials’ whereas the ‘rest’ is left free or even dismissed as not significant. The ‘hierarchy of truth . . . is a principle of organic structure.’ It should not be confused with the degrees of certainty; it simply means that the different truths of faith are ‘organized’ around a center" (Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 42).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) employs the hierarchy of truths, linking it to the teaching of Vatican I on the mutual connections among the mysteries or articles of faith (no. 90). Vatican I taught: "If reason illumined by faith inquires in an earnest, pious and sober manner, it attains by God’s grace a certain understanding of the mysteries, which is most fruitful, both from the analogy with the objects of its natural knowledge and from the connection of these mysteries with one another and with man’s ultimate end" (Dei Filius, Ch. IV).

Following the Church’s Creeds, the CCC identifies the Trinity as the central mystery of Christian faith and "the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light which illumines them" (no. 234). Finally, the recent General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) states: "All aspects and dimensions of the Christian message participate in this hierarchical system" (no. 115). It goes on to mention: the Christocentric nature of the history of salvation; the Trinitarian structure of the Creed; the centrality of the Paschal Mystery, and therefore of the Eucharist, in the sacramental system; the primacy of the two commandments of love of God and neighbor in Christian moral teaching; the way the Lord’s Prayer is a "summary of the Gospel" and sum of all petitions. For Pope John Paul II, "The truth that God is Love constitutes as it were the apex of all that has been revealed . . . . This truth illumines the whole content of divine revelation" (Gen. Audience, Oct. 2, 1985). God is Himself love (1 Jn 4:8), and this love is fully revealed in Jesus Christ.

Theology of the Hierarchy of Truths

God’s ordering wisdom is the foundation for the hierarchy of truths. God has revealed this order to man, who by faith receives it and expresses it through propositions (CCC, nos. 156, 170). The use of propositions corresponds to the human mode of knowing: composing and dividing based on causal relations. Since the human mind grasps reality through causes, ordering what God has revealed depends upon the various ways in which "cause" is understood.

For example, the text of Dei Filius, above, identifies an order based on the final cause or end of man: All that God has done in the economy of salvation is directed to our salvation, eternal life with God. This allows the mind to identify the order of means to end, a distinction with profound implications, for example, in doctrine pertaining to morals, sacraments, and the Church. In morals, this is verified in the Lord’s teaching about the Sabbath being made for man (Mk 2:27) and the Church’s understanding of the dominical obligation; in the sacraments, it is seen in Trent’s teaching on Baptism of desire; in ecclesiology, its application yields an understanding of apostolic authority as a divinely instituted means at the service of holiness. But at the beginning and end of all is God Himself, the first and final cause of all things. This is often expressed in Church documents by reference to God’s wisdom and goodness (or love) as the absolute starting point for all that exists and all that has been revealed (see Lumen Gentium, no. 2; Dei Verbum, no. 2).

Since God is Three Consubstantial Persons, the doctrine of the Trinity is the central truth of faith. A Trinitarian-based hierarchy of truths must also be Christologically-based. Jesus Christ, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, is the fullness and perfection of revelation. He is the Alpha and Omega and the center of history. He is the instrumental efficient cause of the fulfillment of God’s plan, as well as the exemplary and meritorious cause of our salvation. Thus, a "christocentric accent is not opposed to the trinitarian view; it is through the Incarnation of the Eternal son, his life, death and Resurrection, that the Father is revealed and the Spirit is given. Therefore, catechesis, to be trinitarian, has to be christocentric" (Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pp. 44-45).

Throughout the Church’s history, controversies have been the occasion for the Church to define some necessary implications of a doctrine. For example, the doctrine of Mary as Mother of God defined at the Council of Ephesus is incomprehensible without prior knowledge of Jesus Christ as true God and true man. Again, the doctrine on the human and divine wills of Christ presupposes the doctrine of the two natures of Christ. These two examples show how the hierarchy of truths is a principle of the development of doctrine.

Implications for Evangelization

The principle of the hierarchy of truths allows evangelists to build a solid foundation for the development of faith while focusing on a kerygmatic central proclamation of the Good News of God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ Who died to forgive sins. To be effective, the evangelist’s message must correspond to the basic questions people have about life, death, suffering, justice, love and sin. The evangelist knows that Jesus Christ is God’s answer to all questions (CCC, no. 68), and needs to be skilled in showing how all questions are reducible to a few fundamental ones.

Christocentric evangelization seeks to lead people to faith in Jesus Christ who revealed God’s love and died to save us. Once Jesus is loved for what He has done for us, a person can begin to love Him in Himself, and becomes interested in all of His message, His relationship with His Father, with Mary, the apostles, etc. Vatican II affirmed the Christocentric foundation of Catholic faith when it taught that entering and remaining in the Church becomes a religious obligation, and therefore determines one’s relationship with God, precisely when one sees that the Church was made necessary by Christ (LG, no. 14). The task of catechesis is to make this explicit, but this task is greatly aided by a prior Christocentric faith. A Christocentric introduction to Mary might go as follows: "St. Paul taught: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’ (Gal 2:20); ‘Christ enables us to live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us’ (CCC, no. 521). Now Christ’s relationship with His mother is an essential element of his human experience. Therefore, I must also have a relationship with Mary."

The re-evangelization of people who have already heard the Christian message, including the baptized who have abandoned the practice of their faith, is a special difficulty. Two issues are involved. The first is a question of relevance of doctrine which is not perceived because of an erroneous understanding of one or several elements of Catholic faith. Through dialogue the evangelist can show that what the Church teaches is God’s answer the mystery of life.

Second, the Church’s faith can appear as a list of propositions having no coherent order. The perceived lack of order is itself an obstacle, since man by nature is made to know order. "If the interrelatedness of all of the doctrines regarding both faith and morals is not perceived, one can be left with the impression that it would be possible to accept one or other doctrine, and leave the rest aside" (Archbishop William Levada, Origins, vol. 23, p. 739). By showing the connections among the articles of faith, the evangelist can lead a person to perceive the integrity and unity of the whole of Catholic faith.

Implications for Apologetics

The mind’s natural capacity to grasp causal connections and consequent order is a great asset to the apologist. Sometimes a person does not see that the denial of one truth leads to the denial of another which he does not intend to deny. By pointing out the unintended, ancillary denial, the apologist can lead a person to reconsider his first denial. Often a person’s difficulty is due to an exaggeration of a truth which conflicts with another.

For example, in response to claims that Catholics elevate Mary to the level of God, an apologist need simply to refer to Vatican II on the subordinate role of Mary, on her mediation being totally dependent upon Christ’s, and her veneration contributing to, not detracting from, the worship of God (LG, Ch. 8). Mary can only be understood in the light of Christ, though it is true that, by better understanding Mary’s place in God’s plan, we more fully comprehend the mystery of Christ.

Another apologetic use of the hierarchy of truths is to show how one fundamental truth sheds light on many others. For example, the truth that in the saving actions of Jesus Christ God’s love is effective necessitates the conclusion that grace brings about a real change in the human condition. This is the foundation for the Catholic understanding of the sacraments causing grace ex opere operato, and for the insistence that moral teaching is more than just an ideal at which to aim, but an obligation we are made capable by grace of fulfilling.

Another example is the relationship between Christ and the Church. Ecclesiologists point out that the early Christological heresies reappear as errors about the Church. The mystery of Christ is so closely connected to the mystery of the Church that errors about Christ implicitly contain errors about the Church. As a final example, moral theologians following the lead of Vatican II (esp. Gaudium et Spes, no. 24) and Pope John Paul II ground Christian anthropology and morality in the mystery of the Trinity as a communion of Persons. Because God is a mystery of interpersonal communion, man, who made in His image, is made for communion based on the truth.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2000 issue of Catholic Faith magazine.


Douglas Bushman holds a licentiate in sacred theology from the University of Friebourg. He is Assistant Director of the Institute for Pastoral Theology at Ave Maria University, and author of the adult faith enrichment program, In His Image, published by Ignatius Press. Professor Bushman and his wife, JoAnn, home school their six children in Green Bay, Wisconsin.


Sunday 15 July 2012

We are all called to a Consecrated Life.

In October 1994 the world Synod of Bishops considered the consecrated life and its mission. On March 25, 1996, the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata (the Consecrated Life), his reflections on the proceedings of the Synod. In this lengthy but important document, the Holy Father presents to all members of the faithful his reflections on the gift and mission of the consecrated life at the service of the Church. This study guide to Vita Consecrata has been prepared for groups and individuals who wish to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the consecrated life as presented by Pope John Paul II. This guide is not a substitute for the complete text of the document but is intended to stimulate further prayer, study and reflection.
The guide is a printable document. You may print and use it in order to further your study of consecrated life.
The full document may be found at:  http://www.religiouslife.com/vc_intro.html












Unbounded generosity 


104. Many people today question the value of consecrated life and its particular commitments. These questions result from our utilitarian and technocratic culture, in which things and people may be valued according to their “usefulness.” The answer can be found in the Gospel episode of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany. Judas, using the needs of the poor as an excuse, complained that this use of the expensive oil was a waste. To this Christ responded: “Let her alone!” The consecrated life enriches the Church through unbounded generosity, a life spent in loving and serving the Lord without reserve. This transcends all utilitarian considerations.

The consecrated life in the service of the Kingdom of God 

105. The importance of the consecrated life to the Church rests in this unbounded generosity and love, all the more so in a world that risks suffocation in the whirlpool of the ephemeral. The Church cannot renounce the consecrated life, for it expresses her inmost nature as Bride of Christ. The Church needs people able to show the fatherly face of God and the motherly face of the Church, so that others can have life and hope. The whole Christian community—pastors, laity and consecrated persons—is responsible for the consecrated life, and for promoting new vocations.

To young people 

106. If you hear the Lord’s call, do not reject it! Dare to join great movements of holiness. Readily accept God’s invitation to seek holiness in the consecrated life.

To families

107. It is a great honor if the Lord calls one’s child to the consecrated life. Parents must live the values of the Gospel so that the young will be able to truly discern God’s call. Children must be trained in the responsible use of their freedom so they may live in accordance with the loftiest spiritual realities.

To men and women of good will 

108. Seek the paths to the living and true God, including the consecrated life. Consider the example of consecrated men and women, their self-mastery by grace and God’s love, their good works and devotion to God.

To consecrated persons 

109. Live to the full your dedication to God. You are on a journey of continuous conversion, to bear witness to the grace that transfigures Christian life. Bear witness to Christ in your life, work and words. Give Him everything! Be a unique example to the young. Live faithfully your commitment to God in mutual edification and support. 

Looking to the future 

110. Consecrated life has a glorious past, but also a great history still to be accomplished. The consecrated must make their lives a fervent expectation of Christ. They must be always faithful to Him, to the Church, to their institutes, and to the men and women of our time. 

Prayer to the Holy Trinity 

111. The Holy Father invokes the Holy Trinity—Father Most Holy, Jesus our Savior, and Holy Spirit—to bless, sanctify and strengthen all consecrated sons and daughters of God.

Invocation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
112. May the Blessed Virgin sustain consecrated persons on their journey toward sole and eternal blessedness; teach them to proclaim the mighty works of the Lord; support them in their work; and obtain for them, from her Son, the ability to bear witness to the gift of the consecrated life by their transfigured lives.