Category: Uncategorized

Studying Church history is like reading medical textbooks–one sees symptoms everywhere.

There aren’t really any new heresies. Heresy is the original recycling movement. You run into Arianism in every age, for example.

Well this really bizarre heresy came out in the late 12th century, because of the delusions of a poor fellow named Amalric, who was so wrong that even though he had taken back his heresy during his lifetime, his body was exhumed and burned after his death. This is because his whacky ideas became influential, and became even stranger in the different versions believed by his followers.

Part of the problem with his teaching was the garden-variety pantheism that some people involved in the New Age buy into. People believe that they are divine, and all creation is divine.

It’s thankfully hard to fool anyone with even a minimum of catechesis that this is true. As the 4th Lateran Council taught in its 2nd Canon, “We also reject and condemn that most perverse doctrine of the impious Amalric, whose mind the father of lies blinded to such an extent that his teaching is to be regarded as mad more than as heretical.”

As with a lot of heresies, however, the Free Spirit heresy was more pernicious when it was more “spiritual.” When put into terms that are religious–in this case, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit–all sorts of mayhem can follow.

You can see how this happens. Instead of blatantly claiming “I’m divine, so I know all,” which everyone will realize is a psychosis, what if instead I said “The Holy Spirit is inspiring me to say or do such-and-such.” In that case, I might still be appropriating infallibility to my thoughts, words, and actions, and because of the “spiritual” language, I might get away with it.

This has been a frightfully divisive issue in the Church since St. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in response to it. As in Corinth, the late medieval variations of the Free Spirit heresy often resulted in the countenancing of licentious behavior, because, after all, each individual is a law unto him or herself. Other effects are a reaction against priests and sacraments–presumably because I can commune with God all by myself.

You can see how this plays out in daily parish life too. Musicians can be subject to this fallacy. I might think that the Holy Spirit is inspiring me to sing a certain motet at offertory, and anyone who opposes the motet is opposing the Holy Spirit. This sounds crazy but people act like this, in a lot of different ways.

It’s tricky, isn’t it, because in fact we are given the Holy Spirit with the sanctifying grace of baptism. But how do we cooperate with that gift?

I suppose this is one of the reasons that humility, obedience, and sacred Tradition are emphasized in the Catholic faith, because my own “power” and “wisdom”–to use St. Paul’s words–should be both subjected and in service to the community.

As St. Paul says in another place, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect.”

Those who are interested in understanding what Catholicism means must be prepared to incorporate this mysterious phenomenon into their views of what moves the hearts of the people.

The crowds attracted to the relics of St. Francis Xavier are reminiscent those who flock to visit his fellow Patron of the Missions, St. Therese of Lisieux.

The right arm of St. Francis Xavier, which baptized tens of thousands, has been on tour in Canada throughout the past month.

In His Holiness’ famous encyclical, Musicae sacrae disciplina, Venerable Pope Pius XII emphasized the need of two basic requisites in an artist, namely, an artist who will create true religious or sacred art. 

• The artist must possess skill in the techniques of one’s discipline, as the very title of the document points us.  
• The artist must have faith in God which will give him/her the interior vision needed to perceive what God’s majesty and worship demand.

Music, art and architecture form the Sacred arts with skill and Faith.

+Monsignor Richard Schuler (1920-2007) and his mighty legacy wrote prolifically on this very subject (c.f. Sacred Music, Vol 107, No 3, Fall 1980).  He said so eloquently:

“The work of art that the Church seeks will come from the trained and talented craftsman who has a vision of faith, is humble before the creativity of God in which he shares, and who has conceived in the depths of his soul a concept that he expresses in the material, but in which shines for the majesty of God.”

May our Faith and skill bring honor and glory to God, as well as holiness to mankind.

The elevation of the United States’ latest Minor Basilica was announced today by the Ordinary of Arlington, Bishop Michael Burbidge.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alexandria was founded in 1795. One of the main sponsors of the original church building at the intersection of Church Street and the George Washington Parkway was Colonel John Fitzgerald, an aide during the Revolutionary War to General George Washington, who is said to have donated to the church’s construction. That site continues to function as the parish cemetery, and the parish school is nearby, while a new church building is closer to the city center on Royal Street.

St. Mary’s is an historic center in the region, the first Catholic church in Virginia and the “mother church” of a host of missions.

The sanctuary of the church was restored in 2010 with some of the original features that had been removed in the 20th century. A symposium featuring a discussion of the renovation was held at the Catholic University of America.

The music at the parish has recently been renewed as well. Today’s announcement, for example, followed the singing of the Alma Redemptoris Mater, the seasonal Marian antiphon for this time of year. The parish sponsors a host of learning opportunities and a large number of active groups.

At the same time, St. Mary’s is active in the corporal works of mercy. The parish partners intensively with a homeless shelter in the area called Christ House. Members of the parish serve weekly at a nearby Missionaries of Charity soup kitchen, and the parish, like other parishes in prosperous neighborhoods, is routinely (perhaps exhaustively) asked to support good causes in the Church.

One of the many lovely things about today’s elevation is that the effort was spearheaded by a lay woman, Mary Petrino, who saw the reasonableness of the project and, as is her custom, worked tirelessly to accomplish it. Arlington is a uniquely blessed with a strong, young, often conservative presbyterate, and the combination of supportive and innovative lay people whose cooperation is welcomed by the pastors promises well for the future, as does the large number of men and women from the diocese pursuing priestly and religious vocations.

At the Lord’s appearing in His virgin birth,
Sudden grace and glory rush around the earth,
From the heights of heaven where a new star shines
To the Eastern Wise Men, to their rev’rent minds.

Who shall see His glory and His holy face?
Ev’ry time and country lie beneath His grace.
For this tiny Baby is the Lord of all:
Ev’ry knee shall bend and ev’ry throne shall fall.

Four and twenty elders cast before Him crowns.
Little children greet Him: “Blest is He who comes!”
What can bring the Gentiles to acclaim His praise?
Purity and wisdom and the light of grace.

Through the snares of Herod, past the envious foe,
Trav’ling past all wisdom that the mind can know,
Moving ever onward, into Bethlehem,
Where the Babe and Mother wait to welcome them.

Praise to God the Father for His Holy Son.
Praises to Christ Jesus, shining only One.
Praise the Holy Spirit for the gift of sight,
Guiding human footsteps to the Blessed Light.

 Kathleen Pluth
Copyright © 2005  CanticaNOVA Publications.  Duplication restricted.

Meter:  6.5.6.5 D Suggested tune:  King’s Weston, or others: Une vaine crainte