Prayer, Random Thoughts, and Theology of the Body

There's nothing like a new relationship to motivate you to pray.

I can honestly say that I haven't prayed this much or this intently for a long time. It's not that I don't normally have a prayer life, but for some reason, I find my prayer has become much clearer, much more focused, much more intense since I've started dating.

Perhaps it's because I'm so much out of my comfort zone, I'm finding myself clinging to God, asking Him to calm my nerves and help me just be me. Or maybe it's because I'm scared and I need to learn trust. Mostly, it's because I'm just incredibly thankful right now; I feel like the tenth leper who just got cured and I can't help but run back to Jesus and tell him "THANKS!!!". On the other hand, maybe it's because I really like this person and I really want it to work out between us. Or - maybe I know that this whole thing is in God's hands and unless I surrender my desires, my hopes, my dreams to Him, I'm going to be grasping, and miss the opportunity to receive him as a gift from God.

The last point is something that struck me while I was reading TOB Explained by Christopher West. "The [person] who lives "the gift" recognizes [the other] as a gift to be received both from the hands of the Creator and through the freedom of [the other's] own self-determination as a personal subject. But the [person] who denies the gift does not wait to receive [the other] as a gift. Instead, [one] extorts [the other's] gift; [one] grasps at [the other] instead of receiving [the other]" (TOB Explained, p. 219).

Another point that stuck out to me was that this person does not belong to me. Although in another sense, one can say of one's beloved that there is a sense of belonging; however, "a man and woman can only speak of belonging to each other only by way of analogy." (TOB Explained, p. 205). Ultimately, each of us belongs only to God.

I think what all this means is that the only way we can understand the saying "one belongs to another (the lover to his or her beloved, and vice versa)," that is, to a person other than God, means to say that one has received their beloved as gift from God, and similarly have themselves been given to the other by God. I think one can ultimately say that this is true (most really and profoundly true) only when the two are married to each other. Thus, even as my affection grows, I have to remind myself that the reality in which I currently live is not one of belonging but of hope; of hoping, and patient waiting to see if it is God's will that one day I will receive him as a gift from God.

There is a certain humility required here; a certain acknowledgment that I do not know the plans God has for me, or for him. I do not know what God has in store. I cannot anticipate it, but must patiently wait for the plan to be revealed in the fullness of time. What I've noticed is that this view can sound in many ways similar to a pessimistic realism. But it is quite different in quality, the essential difference between the two views being the theological virtue of hope. Hope is looking forward to the fulfillment of a promise - which is greater even than this present reality. It is the fulfillment of a promise that is beyond our vision (to use a line from Romero's work which I referenced in an earlier post). In that sense, there is a true peace and joy in knowing that whatever happens, God is in control. And the God who holds me and my future in His hand is a God who wills both my good and my happiness.

What a liberating, consoling thought!

Merry Christmas!

I was just reading through some emails, and each day I get one from ZENIT - Vatican News - to keep up on what's going on in the universal Church.

Anyway, I usually skim through and just read what interests me. So when I saw that Benedict XVI had had a meeting with University students, my interest was piqued.

I'll post the whole thing [well, almost the whole thing] because I think it is a beautiful reflection us students should keep in mind!

Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What is this wisdom born in Bethlehem? I would like to ask myself and all of you this question during this traditional pre-Christmas meeting with the University world of Rome. Today, instead of Holy Mass, we are celebrating Vespers, and to mark the felicitous coincidence with the beginning of the Christmas novena we will soon be singing the first of the "Greater Antiphons": "O Wisdom from the mouth of the Most High, you fill the whole world. With strength and gentleness you order all things: come to teach us the way of prudence" (Liturgy of the Hours, Vespers of 17 December).

This wonderful invocation is addressed to "Wisdom", the central figure in the Books of Proverbs, Wisdom and Sirach. These are in fact called the "Sapiential" Books, and in them the Christian tradition discerns a prefiguration of Christ. This invocation becomes truly stimulating and even provocative when we find ourselves before the Nativity scene that is, before the paradox of a Wisdom that "from the mouth of the Most High" comes to lie in swaddling cloths in a manger (cf. Luke 2: 7, 12, 16).

Already we can anticipate the response to that initial question: the One born in Bethlehem is the Wisdom of God. St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, uses the phrase: "a hidden wisdom of God" (1 Cor 2: 7): in other words, a divine plan, which has long been kept hidden and that God himself has revealed in the history of salvation. In the fullness of time, this Wisdom took on a human Face, the Face of Jesus, who as recited in the Apostle's Creed "was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty; from hence he shall come to judge the living and the dead".

The Christian paradox consists precisely in the identification of divine Wisdom, that is the eternal Logos, with the man Jesus of Nazareth and with his story. A solution to this paradox cannot be found if not in the word "Love", which naturally in this case is written with a capital "L", in reference to a Love that infinitely exceeds human and historical dimensions. Therefore, the Wisdom that we invoke this evening is the Son of God, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. It is the Word who, as we read in John's prologue, "was in the beginning with God", or rather, "was God": who with the Father and the Holy Spirit created all things and who "became flesh" to reveal the God whom no one can ever see (cf. Jn 1: 2-3, 14, 18).

Dear friends, a Christian professor, or a young Christian student, carries within him a passionate love for this Wisdom! He reads everything in her light; he finds Wisdom's imprints in the elementary particles and in the verses of poets; in juridical codes and in the events of history; in works of art and in mathematic formulas. Without Wisdom not anything was made that was made (cf. Jn 1: 3) and therefore in every created reality one can see Wisdom reflected, clearly visible in different ways and degrees. Everything understood by human intelligence can be grasped because in some sense and to a certain extent it participates in creative Wisdom. Herein lies, in the last analysis, the very potential of study, of research, of scientific dialogue in every field of knowledge.

At this point I cannot omit to reflect on something a bit disquieting but nevertheless useful for us here who belong to the academic world. Let us ask ourselves: who was present on Christmas night at the grotto in Bethlehem? Who welcomed Wisdom when he was born? Who hurried to see him, to recognize him and adore him? They were not doctors of law, scribes or sages. There were Mary and Joseph, and then the shepherds. What does this mean?

Jesus was one day to say: "Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Mt 11: 26); you revealed your mystery to the little ones (cf. Mt 11: 25). But then is there no use in studying? Or is it even harmful counterproductive in understanding the truth?

The two thousand-year-old history of Christianity excludes the latter hypothesis, and suggests to us the correct one: studying entails deepening one's knowledge while maintaining a spirit similar to the "little ones," an ever humble and simple spirit, like that of Mary, the "Seat of Wisdom". How often have we been afraid to draw near to the Grotto in Bethlehem for fear that doing so would be an obstacle to our critical sense and to our "modernity"!

Rather, in that Grotto, each of us can discover the truth about God and about humanity, about ourselves. In that Child, born of the Virgin, the two came together: mankind's longing for eternal life softened the heart of God, who was not ashamed to assume the human condition.

Christ Turns Down 3-Year, Multimillion Dollar Deal To Coach Notre Dame

From : http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/christ_turns_down_3_year

SOUTH BEND, IN—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Savior of All Mankind, and current defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, said Monday that He would not accept Notre Dame's 3-year, $5.6 million offer to coach the Fighting Irish. "I love Notre Dame and respect their football legacy, but no matter what you've accomplished before coaching there, once you're a Golden Domer, the expectations, frankly, are unrealistic," said Christ, whose family has been involved with the university since its founding. "I've had people turn on Me before, and it really put Me through hell. But even more importantly, I've made a commitment to stay with the Blue Raiders through 2015." Christ denied asking Notre Dame to remove His likeness from the building overlooking their stadium, saying He liked a good joke as much as anybody.