Bishops of Ireland Say St. Patrick's Day Is Time to Pray for Migrants

Dublin, March 16, 2014 (Zenit.org) | 614 hits

The Bishops of Ireland have published the following message for the Solemnity of Saint Patrick 2014.

We pray through the intercession of our national patron, St Patrick, for the faith and well-being of the people of Ireland. Saint Patrick was called to serve and bring God to a people far from his homeland.  As Saint Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics in Ireland, the best way to honour him is to attend Mass.

In 2014 we celebrate our national Saint’s day in the midst of an ongoing economic recession which has resulted in domestic heartbreak throughout Ireland for many individuals and families due to the pressure of unemployment and emigration.  As the plight of Patrick, himself a migrant, has been faced by many Irish people who have struggled to live and integrate into new cultures, we encourage all the faithful to pray for migrants at home and abroad as many face challenges arising from displacement and poverty.

We pray the blessings of the feast of Patrick on all the people of Ireland. We think especially of all our people who are exiles far from home: may the Christian faith of Patrick be their support and comfort always. We pray also through the intercession of Saint Patrick, for the many people who have come into this country in recent years seeking shelter, asylum and a new life: may the welcome amongst us they receive be generous; let us see to that, as people of God and of Saint Patrick.

An example of Eucharistic Devotion

From: http://www.heralds.us/

The following is a story told by a nun working on a mission in the far north of Canada at the beginning of the 20th century. She writes concerning a young girl called Christine from the Cree tribe. The young girl died a short time after receiving her first communion.

“The convent of Lake Athabaska is presently marvelling at the grace of God, which has brought a little girl of the Cree tribe to the Eucharist. She made her first communion of the 8th of December 1915, at the age of two years and 11 months. She could have received it six months earlier, because not only could she already tell the difference between the Eucharistic bread and ordinary bread, which is a required condition, but she also had a thorough knowledge of the essential truths of the catechism. We had the opportunity to question her on the latter and we did not find even a single error among her replies.

She turned two years old on the second Christmas of her life. We explained to her the nativity scene, the shepherds, the three kings; the reason for the lights and the decorations around the Divine Infant. What did Christine do? She went straight to the tabernacle, knelt in front of it and said her prayer.

Why do we never see you at the nativity scene?, the sister asked her. It is so beautiful! And all the other children go their to see the little Jesus!… But you, never.

But there, she responded, the little Jesus is not alive. Here, in his little house, he lives, and I speak to him.

She did not rest, until she was allowed to get out of bed to assist the Mass. During the Benedictions with the Blessed Sacrament, she gazed upon the Sacred Host, and nothing could distract her. However, one evening, during the Benediction, she babbled something. The Mother Superior, seizing the occasion to humiliate her, went to the little girls during the recreation time:

Christine is not very wise at all… She will not go to the Mass anymore, nor to the blessing. That is final; she will stay in her bed.

The child did not say anything; but in her eyes, raised toward her accuser, one could see large tears welling up. A few minutes later, the sisters were gathered in their community room when they heard some small fingers knocking on the door. It was Christine:

Will you forgive me sister? I will be a good little girl. Will you bring me to the Mass again?…

One afternoon, when they forgotten her, she remained there crying. A sister found her:

Tell me, what is wrong?

I am all alone!

But no, my child, Jesus is with you; he is everywhere.

Her sorrow was alleviated.

Some days later, Christine, while passing through the rooms, encountered the same sister, who was herself alone:

Are you all alone, sister?

Indeed I am.

Indeed you are not alone! The little Jesus is with you. He is everywhere…

She then raised herself up on her tiptoes, and reaching her hand until the sister’s chest she said:

He is there, the little Jesus. He has entered your heart, in the Mass!…

Finally, the long awaited day arrived. Many times she had escaped the vigilance of her guardians and made her way to the communion rail with the others. But the priest had passed her by, and each time it was a great disappointment! On December 8th, feast of the Immaculate Conception, he stopped and placed the white host on the lips of this innocence… From that time on, Christine only lived for the morning communion and for that of the next day.

I love my heart more, now that the little Jesus is there, she said.”

The Habit of the Heralds of the Gospel

http://www.heralds.us/

Just as love for one’s neighbour is truly demonstrated by external acts and faith is manifested through works (James 2:14-18), so also we should not hide the light of our faith under a bushel (Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25 and Luke 8:16–18). Imbued with the desire to give public witness of our faith in the world and of our consecration to the service of the Church, the Heralds dress in a manner that reflects the ideal of sanctity to which every baptized person is called. This witness is a powerful form of evangelization.

In an age “which is often very secularized and yet sensitive to the language of signs”, the Church “seeks to make visible her presence in the world” and has the right to expect that consecrated persons bear clear witness to their faith. “The habit is a sign of consecration” and using it the Heralds become “true signs of Christ in the world.” (Vita Consacrata 25).

The Habit

The persons who made the first attempt in common life – at a former Benedictine house that would later become the motherhouse of the Heralds – were all members of the Carmelite Third Order, and so they wore a brown scapular over a full-length brown tunic. In memory of its Carmelite roots the Heralds continue to wear the brown scapular as part of their own habit.

The sober and austere brown tunic is reserved for the clerical members, priests and deacons, of Heralds of the Gospel, while the consecrated laymen use a white tunic. Young people, who are beginning their vocational experience, use the an beige colored tunic and scapular. The consecrated women, on the other hand, use the brown scapular over a golden colored tunic.

The cowl used by the clergy and consecrated laity living in community is a sign and constant invitation to a life of contemplation through prayer and listening to the voice of God speaking in their interior.

The cross use by the Heralds is inspired by the cross of Santiago de Compostela: the quintessential symbol of the pilgrim in search of the Father’s house. This cross has been slightly stylized to represent the flowers that blossom from the cross; that is, the pain and suffering symbolized by the cross and spikes, when borne with a Christian spirit of hope, blooms into joy and sweetness. The colors of the cross have also been changed. While the original is entirely red, the cross is red and white, vertically divided by a golden band. White represents purity of mind and body, the image of the innocence of the Immaculate Lamb; red love and sacrifice, until the total holocaust of oneself, as the shedding of precious blood of Sacrificial Lamb; and gold the beauty and excellence of the state of holiness to which all the baptized are called by Christ the Saviour. The cross extends the full length of the scapular worn by the Heralds, from the the shoulder until the knees, indicating that those who want to follow Christ must learn to bear the cross in its entire length, as commanded by the Divine Master: “If someone one would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The chain, worn around the waist as a belt, represents the “true devotion” to the Blessed Virgin preached by Saint Louis de Montfort. He invites devotees of Our Lady to consecrate themselves as “slaves of love” to Jesus through Mary’s hands and to demonstrate this act of devotion by wearing a small chain on one’s wrist or neck. This devotion was very dear to Blessed John Paul II, who proposed Mary as the example of submission to God’s will at the Annunciation: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38).

If unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is the most effective means to obtain favors from God (Luke 11:9), the Blessed Virgin assures us that the Rosary is among the most powerful, and its efficacy has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout history. Saint Pius X considered it “the most beautiful and most valuable of all prayers,” and Blessed John Paul II called it “the greatest weapon of a Catholic.” Following the example of various religious orders, the Heralds carry a large rosary on their chain. Everyday they recite all four mysteries of the rosary.

Perhaps the part of the Herald’s dress that arouses the most curiosity are the boots. The men use black boots, while the women use burgundy colored boots. The raison d’être is neither a need nor a special purpose. They are a symbol; they convey a message – indeed the entire habit does -they represent the missionary, who knows is not constrained by limits or by boundaries, by distances or by obstacles. In the rain, in the mud, on the road or crossing open fields, the Heralds are constantly called to respond to the challenge of Saint Paul when he wrote: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

Therefore using the habit every Heralds finds an efficacious tool for the apostolate and, in the language of symbols, the expression of what they strive to be and do. However, the use of the habit is the prerogative of those who live in community, and so, in spite of their desire, the young people who participate in activities promoted by the Heralds can only start using it once they have begun to live in community, even if only on a trial basis,  and it has been properly bestowed in a ceremony.

The Capes

To protect themselves against the cold and inclement weather, the Heralds will wear a cape over their habits.  Their are several types and styles depending upon the habit used by the Herald and the circumstances in which it is used.

On special occasions, such as solemnities and feast days, a white cape with a deep red interior lining and cross on the left shoulder will be used.

In ordinary circumstances, those who wear the beige colored tunic use a similarly colored cape.  On the other hand, clerics and laymen use a deep blue cape over their respective brown and white tunics, while the women use light purple cape.

Moreover, there is special waterproof cape for use in the rain.

Other Uniforms

Besides this dress, there are three other types of uniforms:

• The student uniform: consisting of a white dress shirt, navy blue pants and a red jacket, together with black dress shoes, is used by day students enrolled in schools operated by Heralds of the Gospel, but who do not yet live in community and, consequently, do not use the habit;
• The provisional uniform: consisting of white dress shirt, navy blue pants and a red sweater, together with black dress shoes, is used by those who, for one reason or another, are momentarily unable to wear more formal dress, such as, for health reasons, medical examinations, travel, and so forth;
• The work uniform: consisting of a green shirt, and, when necessary, a matching green sweater, and khaki pants, is used for some works and services, which because of their nature, it would not be appropriate to use the habit or student uniform, such as, working in the kitchen or the garden.

The Will and The Good In Being

KYLA MARY ANNE MACDONALD

From Heralds of the Gospel, Canada: http://heralds.ca/blog/2012/09/22/the-will-and-the-good-in-being/

“In the Thomistic synthesis, the good has an extraordinary importance. St. Thomas conceives it as the motive of creation and the end of the created” 1 .The Aristotelian concept of the universe is one of order. Transferred into Thomistic thought, the resultant concept of the universe is one in which each part has some relation to each other part, inasmuch as all parts are ultimately linked with the Creator-God. It is thus that the purpose of the will emerges in light of its object.

THE GOOD

It is in the first part of his Summa Theologica, in which St. Thomas treats of God and the divine attributes, that he first touches upon the idea of goodness. A superlative and causative goodness is imputed to God in the description of His essential perfection and being. Referring to Aristotle‟s Metaphysics, St. Thomas states that God is called universally perfect since He cannot lack any perfection that is found in any other genus. For by reason of His being effective cause, He possesses all that the effect possesses. Continuing, he expounds:

God is existence itself, of itself subsistent. Consequently, He must contain within Himself the whole perfection of being. (…)

Now all created perfections are included in the perfection of being, for things are perfect precisely so far as they have being after some fashion. It follows therefore that the perfection of no one thing is wanting to God. This line of argument, too, is implied by Dionysius (loc. cit.) when he says that “God exists not in any single mode, but embraces all being within Himself, absolutely, without limitation, uniformly”; and afterward he adds that He is the very existence to subsisting things 2 .

This excerpt not only demonstrates the relation between being and perfection but also shows that a relation exists between created things, in their particular degrees of being and perfection, and God. This relation, in addition to being that of cause and effect, is one of a certain similarity: “all created things, so far as they are beings, are like God as the first and universal principal of being” 3 . It follows, as a consequence, that: “Every being that is not God, is God’s creature. Now every creature of God is good (1Tim 4:4): and God is the greatest good. Therefore every being is good” 4 .

The infinite being and goodness of God is, therefore, represented in His work, His creation. However, creatures have but finite being and goodness; no one creature can adequately reflect the divine likeness. For this purpose, the existence of a multiplicity and variety of creatures are required 5 . It is important to note that the excellence of the divine agent is seen, therefore, in the totality of his work and not completely in any individual part. The resultant variety or distinction among creatures signifies unequal degrees of perfection, and where there are degrees of perfection there is necessarily a hierarchical order. In this order, plants are more perfect than minerals, animals above plants and man being the most perfect among animals 6 .

This scale of greater and lesser perfection among created entities is nothing other than a scale of greater or lesser participation of being. Living things have more being than things that merely exist without life. That which understands surpasses life without understanding 7 . By virtue of the concept of all being as good, the universe is likewise conceived as the ordination of distinct levels of goodness according to their participation in the good 8 . Yet even seen thus, the most profound root is that of being; to have goodness, above all, is to have being 9 .

The human person finds himself on the pinnacle of the material universe, ─ perfectissimum in tota natura (De Pot., I,29,3) ─ since he is endowed with the highest level of being which comprises intelligence and free will 10 . Among creatures, only an intelligent, personal being that is devoid of all material ─ angelic nature ─ can surpass human nature 11 . Yet in contrast with all created nature which has being in varying degrees, God is pure being, in such a way that He is His own being 12 . Being as a nature is present only in God 13 . In other words, this signifies that God is a necessary being, without need of cause, while all creatures are contingent beings in relation to God. Applying this principle to the goodness of God and creatures, God is His goodness while the goodness of creatures is a finite participation of the infinite goodness which is God 14-15 .

This decidedly Theo-centric view of the ontological goodness of the universe illustrates the fundamental metaphysical optimism which characterizes the philosophy of St. Thomas. Chesterton identifies the primary target of these arguments as being the Manichean philosophy in its various manifestations. One such school assigns the production of the material world to an evil spirit, rendering all nature and being within it essentially evil, while the good spirit resides in an entirely separate spiritual world. Other developments present a different shade of dualism: God is the sole creator, but he creates and wills both good and evil in the world in a sort of equal and parallel position, in which neither can claim primacy 16 .

In contrast, St. Thomas maintains that while God is the supreme and essential good that is the cause of all being and first principle of all good, there cannot be a supreme evil that is the first principle of all evil, since its very being would imply some good 17 . Evil, in the metaphysical sense, does not have positive existence, but can only be considered in a negative sense as the privation of good in the same way that darkness is but lack of light 18 . This concept will later be reconciled with the spectrum of moral good and evil, but for the present the ontological good is significant as we consider in its appetitive sense, as an object of the will.

THE WILL IN THE GENUS OF APPETITE

We have thus far considered the good as being. This is, in effect, to consider good as a transcendental of being, thereby sharing ─ with oneness and truth ─ the same identity as being. But although the transcendentals are in reality the same as being, they are not identical in concept 19 . In what sense, then, is the notion of good distinct from that of mere being in Aristotelian and Thomistic thought?

Aristotle begins his Nichomachean Ethics with a definition of the good as that toward which all things tend: quod omnia appetunt. Thus, goodness refers to the relation between being and the appetite in the universal sense. In other words, goodness carries a nuance of meaning which the term being, alone, does not, namely, the aspect of appetibility 20 .
Accordingly, the very criterion of what is good is its appetibility. “Everything is good so far as it is desirable, and is a term of the movement of the appetite” 21 .

Given the metaphysical principle that every form elicits an inclination 22 , “appetition in general is a universal occurrence, existing in both inanimate and animate beings” 23 . Since the good exists in varying degrees in all levels of being, it stands to reason that this appetition is likewise of unequal degrees. “All things in their own way ─ says St. Thomas ─ are inclined by appetite towards good, but in different ways” 24 .

In following, St. Thomas traces the presence of appetite throughout the various levels of being. Minerals or inanimate things and plants are inclined to good naturally and without knowledge; this inclination is called natural appetite. The next level is that of irrational animals which although without knowledge of the good in itself, apprehend some particular good by means of the senses, and the inclination which follows is duly named sensitive appetite. The most perfect inclination to what is good occurs in beings that have knowledge of the reason of goodness, goodness in its universal sense; in them this inclination is called rational appetite or will 25 .

Appetites are aptly divided, then, into those of beings with knowledge and beings without. Clearly, appetition follows apprehension; therefore, a higher level of apprehension determines a superior type of appetition, as the following explanation illustrates:

As forms exist in those things that have knowledge in a higher manner and above the manner of natural forms; so must there be in them an inclination surpassing the natural inclination which is called the natural appetite. And this superior inclination belongs to the appetitive power of the soul, through which the animal is able to desire what it apprehends, and not only that to which it is inclined by its natural form 26 .

The irrational and hence inferior form of apprehension and inclination would hold little import for man if it were not for the fact that in the scale of being, each successively superior level possesses the potencies of the levels inferior to it, upon which something further has been added. Thus, sensitive nature includes natural or vegetative nature, and the human soul contains a spiritual nature in addition to all the preceding natures 27 . Considering that man´s position on the graduated scale of being is precisely at the intermediate point between the corporal and the spiritual world, between angels and brutes 28 , this accounts for an impressive diversity of natures at once present in the human being, rendering him the most complex of all beings, a composite of spiritual and corporal. St. Thomas 29 attests to this fact, stating that the human soul exists on the border of the spiritual and corporal worlds and for this reason, it possesses the potencies of both one and the other order.

As diverse as these various vegetative, sensitive and rational potencies are ─ the vegetative and sensitive being corporal and the rational being spiritual, they are all present within the human soul, united as it is to the body as its one substantial form 30 . The vegetative or nutritive nature present in man involves only corporal functions over which the intelligence and will have no direct dominion. Much more significant to our study, then, is the presence of sensitive life in man, since this, in addition to his spiritual nature implies two distinct faculties of knowledge, sense and intellect. These faculties, being endowed with distinct means of knowing, give rise to the correspondingly diverse sensitive appetite and the will 31 . In St. Thomas´ own words: “Since what is apprehended by the intellect and what is apprehended by sense are generically different; consequently, the intellectual appetite is distinct from the sensitive” 32 .

Endowed with these distinct potencies that reflect his composition of matter and form ─ in this case, soul and body ─, man is thus admirably equipped to live in a universe of which every part is made up of matter and form. For while the sensory perception is suited to capture the particular and individual aspect of things that present themselves in matter, the intellect is adapted to extract from this knowledge the universal, purely abstract* aspect which is reserved in the form of a given object 33 .

The will comes into play in response to an object that is represented to it by the intellect as good, just as the sensitive appetite desires only the good that one or other sense has captured. As a spiritual potency, the will is capable of desiring purely spiritual goods, such as knowledge and virtue. But the will would not be a human faculty and would be of little use to man in the material world if it were not also able to choose between things that exist as material singulars. But even so, it desires these according to some reason of the universal aspect of good (bonum in universali): either as an end (bonum honestum), or a means towards that end (bonum utile), and if successful, it rejoices in them as a good attained (bonum delectabile) 34 . Thus, the will´s essential disposition emerges, fixed in the desire for good and an absolute incapacity of desiring evil:

From this, the will cannot escape, and since all action is nothing more than a manifestation of nature, in all action which is fruit of the will can be seen the mark of the good and its influence. (…) To want evil, would be, truly, not to want, given that to want is, by definition, the seeking for the good, being the manifestation of an appetite of the good naturally executed. It could be said: The will does not want the good because it wants; it wants the good because it is: To want the good, for the will, is to be 35 .

1 FORMENT, Eudaldo. Id a Tomás : Principios fundamentales del pensamiento de Santo Tomás. p.29. [On line]. [Consulted: 12 Nov., 2008]. “En la síntesis tomista tiene una importancia extraordinaria el bien. Santo Tomás lo concibe como motivo de la creación y como fin de lo creado”.
2 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 4., a. 2. “Deus est ipsum esse per se subsistens, ex quo oportet quod totam perfectionem essendi in se contineat.[...]. Omnium autem perfectiones pertinent ad perfectionem essendi, secundum hoc enim aliqua perfecta sunt, quod aliquo modo esse habent. Unde sequitur quod nullius rei perfectio Deo desit. Et hanc etiam rationem tangit Dionysius, cap. V de Div. Nom., dicens quod Deus non quodammodo est existens, sed simpliciter et incircumscripte totum in seipso uniformiter esse praeaccipit, et postea subdit quod ipse est esse subsistentibus”.
3 Ibid., I, q. 4, a. 3. “Et hoc modo illa quae sunt a Deo, assimilantur ei inquantum sunt entia, ut primo et universali principio totius esse”.
4 Ibid., I, q. 5, a. 3. “Omne ens quod non est Deus, est Dei creatura. Sed omnis creatura Dei est bona, ut diciter 1 Ti4,4: Deus vero est maxime bonus. Ergo omne ens est bonum”.
5 SANTO TOMÁS DE AQUINO. Suma contra los gentiles. L. II, c. 45.
6 GILSON, Étienne. El tomismo. 4a. ed. Pamplona: Universidad de Navarra, 2002. p. 205-206.
7 FORMENT, Op. Cit., p. 45.
8 Ibid., p. 30.
9 GILSON, Étienne. Elementos de una metafísica tomista del ser. [On line]. In: Espiritu, No. 41 (1992). [Consulted : 9 Feb., 2009].
10 RODRÍGUES, Victorino. Temas clave de humanismo cristiano. Madrid: Speiro, 1984. p. 19. Rodrigues outlines the key principles of the special dignity of human nature: “Hence the superior dignity of man above the other beings of this world: as much by reason of his quasi generic factor (to subsist in himself with, moreover, an ultra-temporal projection, due to the natural immortality of the human soul) as by reason of his quasi specific factor (rational and free). (“De ahí la superior dignidad del hombre sobre los demás seres de este mundo: tanto por parte de su factor cuasi genérico (subsistir por sí, con proyección, además, ultratemporal, debida a la inmortalidad natural del alma humana) como por parte de su factor cuasi específico (racional y libre).) p.261.
11 SANCHEZ DE LEON, Pilar. 30 Temas de iniciación filosófica. Bogotá: Universidad de la Sabana, 1990. p. 92.
12 GILSON, Étienne. Elementos de una metafísica tomista del ser, Op. Cit., p. 18.
13 OWENS, Op. Cit., p. 48.
14 GILSON, Étienne. A filosofia na idade média. 2a. ed. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2007. p. 659-663.
15 Ibid., p. 663. This is far from the pantheistic interpretation that creatures are part of God and are, therefore, God, as Gilson explains: “To participate in the pure act or in the perfection of God is to possess a perfection that pre-existed in God, and which, in fact is found in Him without having been either augmented or diminished by the appearance of the creature which reproduces it in a limited, finite manner. To participate is not to be part of that of which is participated, it is to owe one‟s being and receive it from another being, and the fact of receiving from another is exactly what proves that one is not the other”. (Personal translation)
16 CHESTERTON, G.K. St. Thomas Aquinas. [On line]. [Consulted: 12 Nov., 2008].
17 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 49, a. 2.
18 Ibid., q. 48, a. 1.
19 GARDEIL, H.D. Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas: Metaphysics. St. Louis: Herder Book, 1967. p. 126. Vol. 4.
20 Ibid., p. 142, 143.
21 St. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 5, a. 6. Nam bonus est aliquid, inquantum esta appetibile, et terminus motus appetitus.
22 GARDEIL, H.D. Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas: Psychology. St. Louis: Herder Book, 1956. p. 197. Vol. 3.
23 GARDEIL, H.D., Introduction to the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas: psychology, Op. Cit., p. 79.
24 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 59, a. I. “Omnia suo modo per appetitum inclinantur in bonum, sed diversamode”.
25 Ibid.
26 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. I, q. 80, a. 1. “Sicut igitur formae altiori modo existunt in habentibus cognitionem supra modum formarum naturalium, ita oportet quod in eis sit inclinatio supra modum inclinationis naturalis, quae dicitur appetitus naturalis. Et haec superior inclinatio pertinet ad vim animae appetitivam, per quam animal appetere potest ea quae apprehendit, non solum ea ad quae inclinatur ex forma naturali”.
27 GARRIGOU-LAGRANGE, Reginald. Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought. St. Louis: Herder, 1950. p. 184.
28 SERTILLANGES, A. D. Foundations of Thomistic Philosophy. St Louis: Herder, 1931. p. 199.
29 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 77, a. 2.
30 KRETZMANN, Norman. Philosophy of mind. In: The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas. Op. Cit., p. 131.This is an important factor in understanding the human soul as a “microcosm” in which all elements of the cosmos are represented. “In a theory that recognizes the soul of a plant as a merely nutritive first intrinsic principle of life, and the soul of a nonhuman animal as a nutritive + sensory principle of that sort, it comes as no surprise that the soul of a human
being is to be analyzed as nutritive + sensory + rational. Aquinas thinks of the human soul not as three nested, cooperating substantial form, however, but as the single form that gives a human being its specifically human mode of existence, including potentialities and functions, from its genetic makeup on to its most creative talents”.
31 GARDEIL, H.D. Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas : Psychology. Op. Cit., p. 198, 199.
32 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologica I, q. 80, a. 2. “Quia igitur est alterius generis apprehensum per intellectum et apprehensum per sensum, consequens est quod appetitus intellectivus sit alia potentia a sensitivo”.
33 GILSON. A Filosofia na Idade Média. Op. Cit. p. 666 – 668.
* Ibid., p. 666-668. Since an in-depth description of the process of abstraction is outside of the scope of this study, see this passage for an overview of the respective functions of agent intellect and possible intellect in the process of rendering intelligible the sensible species.
34 GARDEIL, H.D. Introduction to the Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas : Psychology. Op. Cit., p. 199.
35 SERTILLANGES, A. D. Santo Tomas de Aquino II. Buenos Aires : Desclée de Brouwer. p. 213 – 214. (Personal translation). “A esto no puede la voluntad escapar, y como toda acción no es en el fondo más que una manifestación de la naturaleza, en toda acción fruto de la voluntad se podrá ver La marca del bien y su influencia. (…) Querer el mal, será, en verdad, no querer, puesto que querer es, por definición, La búsqueda del bien, al ser la manifestación de un apetito del bien realizado naturalmente. Se podrá decir: La voluntad no quiere el bien porque quiere; quiere el bien porque ella es: Querer el bien, para ella es ser”.
* This necessity is not equivalent to coercion, and is not incompatible with freedom. Davies explains that for St. Thomas, “it is not against will that one should be drawn to what one‟s nature needs for its fulfillment. This kind of necessity is, he thinks, essential to will, just as the being drawn of necessity to truth is needed for the intellect to be itself. (DAVIES, Op. Cit., p. 177.)

A Society Open to Life: The Push for Euthanasia

Rome, March 02, 2014 (Zenit.org) Father John Flynn, LC | 1273 hits

The recent approval of euthanasia for children in Belgium confirmed there is indeed a slippery slope. Euthanasia lobbyists argue that euthanasia is only for very limited cases, but experience shows that once it is approved it will inevitably expand to more and more cases.

Just last year a Belgian was euthanized after a sex change operation went awry. Nancy Verhelst underwent surgery to become a man, but was put to death on the grounds of "unbearable psychological suffering," the London Telegraph reported, Oct. 1.

According to the article, Belgium recorded a record number of 1,432 cases of euthanasia in 2012, up 25% from the previous year. It also mentioned that in Holland the number of people killed by euthanasia doubled in the 10 years since it was legalized and that in 2012 the number rose by 13% to 4,188.

Then, there was the case of an Italian woman, Oriella Caszzenello, 85, who ended her life at a Swiss euthanasia clinic because she was upset about losing her looks, according to a report in the Daily Mail newspaper, Feb. 20.

During the debate over the legalization of euthanasia for minors in Belgium, Alex Taylor wrote a moving article for the London Times on Feb. 13. Born prematurely, and confined to a wheelchair, he explained that right after his birth, doctors had urged his parents not to have him resuscitated.

“I have wondered what might have crossed my parents’ minds had euthanasia been an option,” he said.

“But I am still here, despite what the doctors said,” he added. “If they can be wrong, what chance do parents have judging the sanctity of their child’s life?”

Prior to the vote 160 Belgian pediatricians signed an open letter opposing the proposal, saying that there was no urgent need for it and that modern medicine is capable of alleviating pain, the BBC reported, Feb. 13.

Canada

Euthanasia is on the agenda in Canada, specifically in Québec. The proposal – Bill 52 – looked set to go ahead, but seems to have stalled for the moment. Parliament is in recess until March 11 and according to press reports it is possible that an election might soon be called, in which case the bill will not be voted on.

According to information provided by the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Bill 52 would give Québec doctors the right to lethally inject their patients when they are suffering, physically or psychologically.

The coalition also noted that the proposed law does not limit euthanasia to terminally ill people. The bill states that a person must be “at the end of life” but the bill does not define end of life. Bill 52 also allows euthanasia for psychological suffering, which is not defined.

The coalition affirmed that the bill puts people with disabilities in danger. Bill 52 states that a person must be in “an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability.” Many people with disabilities fit these criteria, according to the coalition.  

Political support for euthanasia is growing in Canada. A Feb. 25 report in the Canadian Catholic newspaper the Catholic Register, noted that two days previously the Liberal Party’s biennial convention voted in favour of the decriminalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Doctors, however, still have strong objections to euthanasia. On Feb. 21 the British Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) revealed the results of a poll of more than 1,700 of its members.

According to the poll 77% expressed the opinion that the college should remain opposed to a change in the law to permit assisted dying. Among the reasons given was that any change to the law would be detrimental to the patient-doctor relationship and that it would put the vulnerable at risk.

Deprivation of love

On Feb. 19 Pope Francis sent a message to those present for the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which had as its theme “Aging and Disability.”

“Indeed, in our society one encounters the tyrannical dominion forced upon us by a logic of economics that discounts, excludes and at times evens kills our elderly––and today so many fall victim to this. We have created a ‘throw away’ culture which is now spreading,” Pope Francis said.

“The social-demographic predicament of the aged is a stark reminder of this exclusion of the elderly person, and especially when he or she is ill, disabled or for any other reason rendered vulnerable,” he commented.

“The gravest deprivation experienced by the aged is not the weakening of one’s physical body, nor the disability that may result from this. Rather, it is the abandonment, exclusion and deprivation of love,” Pope Francis observed.

“When society affirms that the call to the realization of one’s humanity does not exclude suffering, and instead teaches how to see sick and suffering persons as gifts for the entire community, whose presence calls everyone to solidarity and responsibility, only then may this society call itself open to life,” he said.

In a time when many countries have rapidly aging populations this call to be open to life is a very real challenge.

(March 02, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.

'Nothing you confess could make me love you less.' - Preparing for Confession this Lent

From: http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Home/News/Confession

Catholic Bishop, Kieran Conry, is leading a drive to invite Catholics back to Confession this Lent, and he is keen to highlight how your mobile phone can help you to prepare to make a good Confession – whether it is your first Confession in thirty years, or you go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly in your local parish.

This follows a national survey of Cathedrals conducted last year which highlighted a rise in the number of people going to Confession, and a call for additional resources to help penitents prepare for the Sacrament and know what to say.

Bishop Conry said:

“I’ve observed in recent years that more young people, in particular, are celebrating the Sacrament with an increasing number using digital apps to help them prepare and guide them through. There are a number of digital tools available to help people, but whatever age you are, know the priest is not there in the confessional to judge you, but to help you celebrate God’s forgiveness and freedom. There is nothing that you can say that he won’t have heard before. What is said during Confession is completely confidential and isn’t repeated to anyone. So if you’re thinking about going along for the first time, or coming back after a long time, there is nothing to fear.”

God’s mercy has been a recurrent theme in the first year of Pope Francis’ pontificate. Recently, he shared that he goes to Confession every two weeks and he heard confessions when he visited a parish within his Diocese of Rome.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated by Catholics and allows people to share, in total confidence, their shortfalls and failings (sins), and receive God’s forgiveness. Bishop Conry added:

“We all carry in our hearts things that weigh us down – knowledge of our shortcomings and failings, our sins. Every Catholic parish celebrates a wonderful gift of God that enables us to be forgiven, healed and freed from these things, and it is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As Lent starts on 5 March – the time of the Church’s year traditionally associated with repentance and forgiveness – the bishops are providing new materials to encourage people to go along and rediscover this channel of God’s love and mercy."

The Bishop’s new initiative is called ‘Confession 2014’ and has as its central message: “Nothing you confess could make me love you less. Come before Him with trust in His mercy.”

These words feature on downloadable parish posters and invitation cards, along with the following quote from Pope Francis: “Jesus receives us with all of our limitations, he brings us the mercy of the Father who forgives us, and transforms our heart, rendering it a new heart, capable of loving him, who loved his own to the end (cf. John 13:1). And this love is manifested in his mercy. Jesus always forgives us.”

Also provided online:

• Two-part teaching video featuring Rt Rev John Arnold, Westminster Auxiliary Bishop
• Video testimonies
• Bible extracts
• Catechism
• Pope Francis quotes
• ‘How to’ Confession guide
• PowerPoint for groups
• Daily tweets for Lent and more...

Margaret Mizen, whose son was murdered in May 2008, is one of the people featured in the testimony videos. Reflecting on the meaning of forgiveness in light of her family’s loss, she shared:

"God was a part of our experience from the moment that Jimmy was killed. People often ask me, ‘have you forgiven the boy that killed Jimmy?' I can say hand on heart that I have. I think it just happened as a process, as an expression of the love that God shows me, that I am invited to show other people. So yes, I have forgiven him… If anyone is finding it hard to forgive, I would love to take you in my arms and just let you know how, when you can let go, and you learn to forgive, how it helps you yourself. Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, ‘forgiveness is the best form of self-interest’ and believe me it is. When you don’t forgive, you’ve this weight on your shoulders and it pulls you down. When you forgive and learn to let go, your eyes are opened to a whole new world."

She added:

“I just feel that going to Reconciliation - it’s what we share with young people in schools – is really my way of just being able to sit down and talk to God. Yes, there are always things to share that I’ve done wrong – sometimes they are simple things, something they are big things – but for me it gives me a clear heart to be able to go on and do all the other things that I want to do. And I just think it’s just a way of making ourselves pure.”