Settling in

My impression was that it has been a while (at least two weeks) since my last post, but, in fact, it has been just seven days! These seven days, however, have been absolutely jam-packed with activities and functions as many of our visitors arrived last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and they joined us for common prayer and meals as well as classes and walks around town. Fr. Timothy Gallagher's Saturday and Sunday seminar on the topic of Discernment of Spirits was quite well attended, and we were glad to have the visitors' help to set up and clean up the hall, as well as give all of them the opportunity to attend the talks. This was Fr. Tim's first major speaking engagement since his throat surgeries early last summer; it has been a long recovery, but one that has afforded him time to finish writing the first draft of the new biography of our founder, Venerable Fr. Pio Bruno Lanteri (1759–1830).

Now that our crazy events are over for the time being, we can really dive into our studies and the rest of our formation activities. Dr. Peter Kreeft's class on "The Meaning of Life" at Boston College has been quite entriguing; we have already read the book of Ecclesiastes, Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, and Plato's Gorgias, as we seek to unpack the question and begin to see certain philosophers' answers to (or attempts at answering) that quintessential question. On the historical front, in "Introduction to Sacred Scripture," we are going over the geo-political context in which the Old Testament was written, and in "Introduction to Vatican II," we are going over the geo-political dynamics within which the early church councils were convoked.

In the history of the ecumenical councils, it is fascinating to see how those first centuries of evangelization gave rise to increasingly distant (geographically) communities that, in the course of encountering great ideological diversity, required more elaborate explanations of the articles of our faith, in order that these peoples might understand more deeply and in accord with what they already held true.

In other news, we were very happy to read in the news today of Susan G. Komen Foundation's withdrawal of funding toward Planned Parenthood; their contribution has been quoted at less than 5% of Planned Parenthood's annual budget, but what they stand for and their name recognition are great enough that their stance has made big news and evoked great response from Planned Parenthood supporters. At the same time, a critical moment has come in the debate over whether healthcare providers should be obligated to provide for abortions and other procedures deemed necessary or desirable in the category of "reproductive health" that inherently violate the dignity of human life. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published on the broader issue of the weakening of conscience, and provides a convenient method to contact lawmakers in the name of life. The more disheartening aspect is precisely that compulsory aspect - that no medical facility would be exempt from providing such procedures, and that, with federal tax dollars going into this very same market, the American people as a whole are also funding these procedures whose permissibility so many deeply oppose.

In this difficult time, let us unite in prayer and political action, so far as we are able, seeking and striving after the peace that comes with a society that respects the ultimately fundamental value and dignity of every human life. Let us entrust our efforts to Our Blessed Mother, whose consent to life brought us Life itself in human flesh, and with the intercession of her devout disciple and patron of the pro-life movement, St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941), may the culture of life triumph over the culture of death!


Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca