The formulas of the faith and the conversion of the heart (originally posted 12/18/2008)

The formulas of the faith and the conversion of the heart

2008-12-18

Laurence:

I have five minutes to myself today, a rare occasion in my life over the last 6 weeks. 

I look at this book, and others that you have reviewed and I have a deep reservation about the value of these essays.  The reservation is that they are constructed in the mathematical logic style of Thomas Aquinas.  They do not present the soul of Scripture and the invitation of Jesus to be His disciple.  This is the methodology of the theology that I was taught and which I have put behind me for many years now.  At the risk of sounding too Protestant, I have to make the point that the Scripture holds the foundation of our sacramental life.  The books you present are products of rules, regulations and Canon Law.  It is not very fulfilling to follow rules, regulations and laws.  It is much more fulfilling to choose a Master, listen to the teachings and follow the moral behavior that is handed down from from Master to Disciple.  You know the story of the rich young man who had followed the law all his life but couldn't accept the invitation of Jesus to give it all up and follow Him.  Confirmation, the third step of our initiation into the life of the disciple as illuminated by the Church is essentially the finally step of our moral conversion into discipleship.  We have to find a way to extend the invitation in a way that goes to the heart of discipleship and ultimately, mission.  Let me tell you, this is the more difficult way.  The traditional way turns into a paper chase.  You confirm a lot of people, but you convert very few.  Last year at the confirmation ceremony that was held at St. Christopher, the answer to the question, "Why do you want to be confirmed?" was shouted out, "I want to get married."  We are not doing the job that Jesus came here to teach us. 

Finally, Jesus sure knew His theology and His Mother taught it to him from the Bible.  I have been going that way for a long time now.  My RCIA groups of inquirers have the Bible as their "textbook." 

Finally, part two: I am starting to get the priests here to weave the Hebrew Bible story into the Gospel story in the homilies.  Not easy to do as was pointed out in the "instrumentum laboris" of  few months ago.

Just a thought or two.

Hey Paul,

My philosophy, and it may not always be clear because I emphasize so much of this mathematical-logical style of St. Thomas Aquinas, is that children need formulaic “mathematical-logical” forms of catechesis. As they grow older they develop a more complex and sophisticated sense of moral principles, that not everything is always a neat “black and white” kind of issue. So, a more Socratic approach is best with these pre-adults, in my opinion. Once the person becomes an adult, I believe there is a balanced appreciation between the “rigid” formulas, and the “exceptions to the rules”. I see this drawn out in Scripture:

Catechesis in stages: 1 Cor. XIII. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.

I would be very upset if I found out that traditionalist adults are perfectly satisfied with their Baltimore Catechism no. 3 level of understanding of the faith. We never stop learning; we never stop converting- this side of the sepulcher. Some will say, the faith isn’t all about “book smarts”. They’re right it isn’t. And yet the same people wouldn’t mind spending hours on Facebook and Myspace reading up on all the updates of their friends. Yes, I guess its okay reading up on your friends, learning more and more about them, and it’s too much to want to know what the Incarnation was all about.

Adults who need to brush up on the basics, then come back to the more mature sense of morality: Heb. V. 12 For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God: and you are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that is a partaker of milk, is unskillful in the word of justice: for he is a little child. 14 But strong meat is for the perfect; for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil.

This balance, between formulas (to prevent false ideas) and personal and unique conversion of heart to the Master, to the Teacher (to respond to Jesus’ invitation to “Follow Me”)… is the mind of the Church, I believe, and is manifested in their promotion of three texts: Scripture; the Universal Catechism; and the recent Compendium. If the formulaic approach is truly so passé, then we would not be given by Holy Mother, such a wonderful summary of the principle truths of our faith, in the question-answer form Compendium, reminiscent of, to those who can remember, the Baltimore, Penny, and Pius X Catechisms.

Indeed, you are right; it is not sufficient, and even fulfilling to simply follow rules and regulations. However, what my principle concern with regard to young people and adults today is that they don’t know the rules to start off with. It is easy for you and others of the pre-Vatican II generations to move past the things of a child, because you had the benefit of that sound doctrinal formation. Persons of the post-Vatican II era, my generation and the ones after did not benefit from this solid doctrinal foundation. Perhaps this is why I know of Catholic school trained and catechized young people who are part of the “Repeal Prop 8” crowd. They won’t understand the Church’s position because they don’t have a concept of truth which is consistent with the mind of the Church, and even non-theistic philosophy for that matter.

I see the post-Vatican II individual to be expected to live out in his lifetime, a summary of all of salvation history. St. Paul says the law was given to give recognition to sin. Then the law of grace, the new covenant, gives us a more mature understanding of the relationship between Father and son, Creator and creature; it must be free, and it must be moved not by fear, but by love. Fear is sufficient (imperfect contrition), but it is never ideal. Love is the mature relationship between God and man (perfect contrition for sins).

If you are right, lots of folks held the line before Vatican II, and were seldom truly converted. If I am right, many today seem to have happier experiences with their Catholic faith, but also hold erroneous ideas, perhaps bordering on heresy; again, far from a life of conversion. What is the solution?

I think it’s Buddhism…

Yup… everything is alright in Buddhism…

;-)

As Mother Angelica taught once, Humility comes from a word which means fertile, like fertile ground. It takes a certain sense of humility to say that the Church’s wisdom is greater than mine, and so, if She says that the union of Christ’s divinity and humanity is described as a “hypostatic union”, then so be it. I believe that having a wider knowledge base of these seemingly random formulas of the faith, has given me the opportunity to explain them all the more readily at the drop of a hat. In the talks which I gave these days, I tend to give them extemporaneously, as opposed to how I used to give them, with meticulous notes, lots of quotes, and very little personal story. Now I don’t need much of that stuff, because I am able to make the connections between certain dogmas and everyday experience.

Next week I have been asked to give catechesis on the theology of the Mass… yikes… a new crop of youngins, waiting to be proselytized to tradism… As per your suggestion… we shall begin with the Old Covenant. The Sacrifice of Abel, Abraham, Melchizedek, The Temple, the Passover, etc.

AMDG.

Laurence