On Theology of the Heart or the Reason

"To Make Truth Triumph in Charity"

Here is a translation of Benedict XVI's address today during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

In the last catechesis I presented the main characteristics of 12th century monastic and scholastic theology, which in a certain sense we could call, respectively, "theology of the heart" and "theology of reason." A wide debate, at times fiery, took place between the representatives of each current, represented symbolically by the controversy between St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Abelard.

To understand this confrontation between the two great teachers, it is good to recall that theology is the search for a rational understanding, insofar as possible, of the mystery of Christian revelation, believed by faith: fides quaerens intellectum -- faith seeking understanding -- to use a traditional, concise and effective definition.

Now, whereas St. Bernard, typical representative of monastic theology, places the accent on the first part of the definition, that is, on fides -- faith, Abelard, who is a scholastic, stresses the second part, that is, the intellectus -- on understanding through reason. For Bernard, faith itself is gifted with a profound certainty based on the testimony of Scripture and on the teaching of the Church fathers. Faith, moreover, is reinforced by the testimony of the saints and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the soul of each believer. In cases of doubt or ambiguity, faith must be protected and enlightened by the exercise of the ecclesial magisterium.

So for Bernard it is difficult to agree with Abelard and, more generally, with those who subjected the truths of the faith to the critical examination of reason, an examination that, in his opinion, entailed a grave danger, intellectualism, the relativization of truth, discussion of the very truths of the faith. Bernard saw in this way of proceeding an audacity to the point of lacking scruples, fruit of the pride of human intelligence, which attempts to "grasp" the mystery of God. Pained, he wrote thus in one of his letters: "Human wit grasps everything, leaving nothing to faith. It confronts what is beyond it; scrutinizes what is superior to it; invades the world of God; alters, more than illumines, the mysteries of the faith; it does not open what is closed and sealed, but eradicates it, and what is does not find viable, it considers as nothing, and refuses to believe in it" (Epistola CLXXXVIII,1: PL 182, I, 353).

For Bernard, theology has only one end: that of promoting the intense and profound experience of God. Therefore, theology is an aid to love the Lord ever more and better, as states the title of the treatise on the Duty to Love God (De diligendo Deo). Along this way, there are different degrees, which Bernard describes in detail, up to the highest, when the soul of the believer is inebriated on the summits of love. The human soul can attain already on earth that mystical union with the Divine Word, a union that the doctor mellifluus describes as "spiritual espousals." The Divine Word visits her, eliminates the last resistances, illumines her, inflames her and transforms her. In this mystical union, [the soul] enjoys great peace and sweetness, and sings to her Spouse a hymn of joy. As I reminded in the catechesis dedicated to the life and doctrine of St. Bernard, for him theology cannot but be nourished by contemplative prayer, in other words, by the affective union of the heart and mind with God.

Abelard, on the other hand, who is precisely the one who introduced the term "theology" in the sense in which we understand it today, places himself in a different perspective. Born in Brittany, in France, this famous teacher of the 12th century was gifted with a very acute intelligence and his vocation was study. He concerned himself first with philosophy, and then applied the results obtained in this discipline to theology, which he taught in Paris, the most cultured city of the time, and subsequently, in the monasteries in which he lived. He was a brilliant orator: His lessons were followed by true and proper masses of students.

Of a religious spirit but of a restless personality, his life was full of dramatics: He refuted his teachers, had a child with Eloise, an educated and intelligent woman. He was often in controversy with his theological colleagues. He also suffered ecclesiastical condemnations, though he died in full communion with the Church, to whose authority he submitted with a spirit of faith.

In fact St. Bernard contributed to the condemnation of some of Abelard's doctrines in the provincial synod of Sens of 1140, and he also requested the intervention of Pope Innocent II. The abbot of Clairvaux rejected, as we recalled, Abelard's too-intellectualist method, which in his eyes reduced the faith to a simple opinion detached from revealed truth. Bernard's fears were not unfounded, but were shared, moreover, by other great thinkers of his time. In fact, an excessive use of philosophy made Abelard's Trinitarian doctrine dangerously fragile, and thus his idea of God. In the moral field his teaching was not lacking in ambiguity: He insisted on considering the individual's intention as the only source to describe the goodness or evil of moral acts, thus neglecting the objective meaning and moral values of actions: a dangerous subjectivism. This is -- as we know -- a very pertinent element for our times, in which culture often seems marked by a growing tendency to ethical relativism: only the "I" decides what is good for me, at this moment.

However, we must not forget the great merits of Abelard, who had many disciples and who contributed to the development of scholastic theology, destined to express itself in a more mature and fruitful way in the next century. Some of his intuitions should not be undervalued, as for example when he affirms that in non-Christian religious traditions there is already a preparation for the acceptance of Christ, Divine Word.

What can we learn today from the often heated confrontation between Bernard and Abelard and, in general, between monastic and scholastic theology? Above all I believe it shows the usefulness of and the need for a healthy discussion in the Church, especially when the questions debated have not been defined by the magisterium, which continues to be, however, an essential point of reference. St. Bernard, but also Abelard himself, always recognized, without doubting, its authority. Moreover, the condemnations that the latter suffered remind us that in the theological field there must be a balance between what we might call the architectonic principles that have been given to us by Revelation and that, because of this, always are of prime importance, and the interpretative principles suggested by philosophy, that is, by reason, which has an important function, but only instrumental. When this balance between the architecture and the instruments of interpretation diminishes, theological reflection runs the risk of being contaminated with errors, and then it corresponds to the magisterium to exercise that necessary service to truth that is proper to it.

Moreover, it must be emphasized that, between the motivations that induced Bernard to place himself against Abelard and to request the intervention of the magisterium, was, also, the concern to safeguard simple and humble believers, who must be defended when they run the risk of being confused or led astray by opinions that are too personal and by theological argumentations without scruples, which might endanger their faith.

Finally, I would like to recall that the theological confrontation between Bernard and Abelard ended with full reconciliation between them, thanks to the mediation of a common friend, Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny, of whom I spoke in a previous catechesis. Abelard showed humility in acknowledging his errors; Bernard used great benevolence. There prevailed in both what should truly be in the heart when a theological controversy is born, that is, to safeguard the faith of the Church and to make truth triumph in charity. May this also be the attitude with which there are confrontations in the Church, always keeping as the aim the pursuit of truth.

Papal Address to Astronomy Congress

"True Knowledge Is Always Directed to Wisdom"

The International Year of Astronomy was convoked by UNESCO in memory of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope.

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Your Eminence,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to greet this assembly of distinguished astronomers from throughout the world meeting in the Vatican for the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, and I thank Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo for his kind words of introduction. This celebration, which marks the four hundredth anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first observations of the heavens by telescope, invites us to consider the immense progress of scientific knowledge in the modern age and, in a particular way, to turn our gaze anew to the heavens in a spirit of wonder, contemplation and commitment to the pursuit of truth, wherever it is to be found.

Your meeting also coincides with the inauguration of the new facilities of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. As you know, the history of the Observatory is in a very real way linked to the figure of Galileo, the controversies which surrounded his research, and the Church’s attempt to attain a correct and fruitful understanding of the relationship between science and religion. I take this occasion to express my gratitude not only for the careful studies which have clarified the precise historical context of Galileo’s condemnation, but also for the efforts of all those committed to ongoing dialogue and reflection on the complementarity of faith and reason in the service of an integral understanding of man and his place in the universe. I am particularly grateful to the staff of the Observatory, and to the friends and benefactors of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, for their efforts to promote research, educational opportunities and dialogue between the Church and the world of science.

The International Year of Astronomy is meant not least to recapture for people throughout our world the extraordinary wonder and amazement which characterized the great age of discovery in the sixteenth century. I think, for example, of the exultation felt by the scientists of the Roman College who just a few steps from here carried out the observations and calculations which led to the worldwide adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Our own age, poised at the edge of perhaps even greater and more far-ranging scientific discoveries, would benefit from that same sense of awe and the desire to attain a truly humanistic synthesis of knowledge which inspired the fathers of modern science. Who can deny that responsibility for the future of humanity, and indeed respect for nature and the world around us, demand -- today as much as ever -- the careful observation, critical judgement, patience and discipline which are essential to the modern scientific method? At the same time, the great scientists of the age of discovery remind us also that true knowledge is always directed to wisdom, and, rather than restricting the eyes of the mind, it invites us to lift our gaze to the higher realm of the spirit.

Knowledge, in a word, must be understood and pursued in all its liberating breadth. It can certainly be reduced to calculation and experiment, yet if it aspires to be wisdom, capable of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his final ends, it must be committed to the pursuit of that ultimate truth which, while ever beyond our complete grasp, is nonetheless the key to our authentic happiness and freedom (cf. Jn 8:32), the measure of our true humanity, and the criterion for a just relationship with the physical world and with our brothers and sisters in the great human family.

Dear friends, modern cosmology has shown us that neither we, nor the earth we stand on, is the centre of our universe, composed of billions of galaxies, each of them with myriads of stars and planets. Yet, as we seek to respond to the challenge of this Year -- to lift up our eyes to the heavens in order to rediscover our place in the universe -- how can we not be caught up in the marvel expressed by the Psalmist so long ago? Contemplating the starry sky, he cried out with wonder to the Lord: "When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place, what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man, that you should care for him?" (Ps 8:4-5). It is my hope that the wonder and exaltation which are meant to be the fruits of this International Year of Astronomy will lead beyond the contemplation of the marvels of creation to the contemplation of the Creator, and of that Love which is the underlying motive of his creation -- the Love which, in the words of Dante Alighieri, "moves the sun and the other stars" (Paradiso XXXIII, 145). Revelation tells us that, in the fullness of time, the Word through whom all things were made came to dwell among us. In Christ, the new Adam, we acknowledge the true centre of the universe and all history, and in him, the incarnate Logos, we see the fullest measure of our grandeur as human beings, endowed with reason and called to an eternal destiny.

With these reflections, dear friends, I greet all of you with respect and esteem, and I offer prayerful good wishes for your research and teaching. Upon you, your families and dear ones I cordially invoke Almighty God’s blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.

Papal Address to Astronomy Congress

"True Knowledge Is Always Directed to Wisdom"

The International Year of Astronomy was convoked by UNESCO in memory of the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope.

* **

Your Eminence,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to greet this assembly of distinguished astronomers from throughout the world meeting in the Vatican for the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, and I thank Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo for his kind words of introduction. This celebration, which marks the four hundredth anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s first observations of the heavens by telescope, invites us to consider the immense progress of scientific knowledge in the modern age and, in a particular way, to turn our gaze anew to the heavens in a spirit of wonder, contemplation and commitment to the pursuit of truth, wherever it is to be found.

Your meeting also coincides with the inauguration of the new facilities of the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo. As you know, the history of the Observatory is in a very real way linked to the figure of Galileo, the controversies which surrounded his research, and the Church’s attempt to attain a correct and fruitful understanding of the relationship between science and religion. I take this occasion to express my gratitude not only for the careful studies which have clarified the precise historical context of Galileo’s condemnation, but also for the efforts of all those committed to ongoing dialogue and reflection on the complementarity of faith and reason in the service of an integral understanding of man and his place in the universe. I am particularly grateful to the staff of the Observatory, and to the friends and benefactors of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, for their efforts to promote research, educational opportunities and dialogue between the Church and the world of science.

The International Year of Astronomy is meant not least to recapture for people throughout our world the extraordinary wonder and amazement which characterized the great age of discovery in the sixteenth century. I think, for example, of the exultation felt by the scientists of the Roman College who just a few steps from here carried out the observations and calculations which led to the worldwide adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Our own age, poised at the edge of perhaps even greater and more far-ranging scientific discoveries, would benefit from that same sense of awe and the desire to attain a truly humanistic synthesis of knowledge which inspired the fathers of modern science. Who can deny that responsibility for the future of humanity, and indeed respect for nature and the world around us, demand -- today as much as ever -- the careful observation, critical judgement, patience and discipline which are essential to the modern scientific method? At the same time, the great scientists of the age of discovery remind us also that true knowledge is always directed to wisdom, and, rather than restricting the eyes of the mind, it invites us to lift our gaze to the higher realm of the spirit.

Knowledge, in a word, must be understood and pursued in all its liberating breadth. It can certainly be reduced to calculation and experiment, yet if it aspires to be wisdom, capable of directing man in the light of his first beginnings and his final ends, it must be committed to the pursuit of that ultimate truth which, while ever beyond our complete grasp, is nonetheless the key to our authentic happiness and freedom (cf. Jn 8:32), the measure of our true humanity, and the criterion for a just relationship with the physical world and with our brothers and sisters in the great human family.

Dear friends, modern cosmology has shown us that neither we, nor the earth we stand on, is the centre of our universe, composed of billions of galaxies, each of them with myriads of stars and planets. Yet, as we seek to respond to the challenge of this Year -- to lift up our eyes to the heavens in order to rediscover our place in the universe -- how can we not be caught up in the marvel expressed by the Psalmist so long ago? Contemplating the starry sky, he cried out with wonder to the Lord: "When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place, what is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man, that you should care for him?" (Ps 8:4-5). It is my hope that the wonder and exaltation which are meant to be the fruits of this International Year of Astronomy will lead beyond the contemplation of the marvels of creation to the contemplation of the Creator, and of that Love which is the underlying motive of his creation -- the Love which, in the words of Dante Alighieri, "moves the sun and the other stars" (Paradiso XXXIII, 145). Revelation tells us that, in the fullness of time, the Word through whom all things were made came to dwell among us. In Christ, the new Adam, we acknowledge the true centre of the universe and all history, and in him, the incarnate Logos, we see the fullest measure of our grandeur as human beings, endowed with reason and called to an eternal destiny.

With these reflections, dear friends, I greet all of you with respect and esteem, and I offer prayerful good wishes for your research and teaching. Upon you, your families and dear ones I cordially invoke Almighty God’s blessings of wisdom, joy, and peace.

On Theology in the 12th Century

"Knowledge Grows Only if It Loves Truth"

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Dear brothers and sisters,

Today I pause to reflect on an interesting page of history, regarding the flowering of Latin theology in the 12th century, which came about by a providential series of coincidences. In the countries of Western Europe there reigned then a relative peace, which assured society of economic development and the consolidation of political structures, and fostered a lively cultural activity thanks also to contacts with the East. Perceived within the Church were the benefits of the vast action known as the "Gregorian reform," which, vigorously promoted in the preceding century, brought greater evangelical purity to the life of the ecclesial community, above all of the clergy, and restored to the Church and the papacy genuine liberty of action. Moreover, a vast spiritual renewal was spreading, sustained by the exuberant development of consecrated life: New religious orders were being born and spreading, while those already existing experienced a promising renewal.

Theology was also flourishing, acquiring greater awareness of its own nature: It refined its method, addressed new problems, advanced in the contemplation of the mysteries of God, produced fundamental works, inspired important initiatives of culture -- from art to literature -- and prepared the masterpieces of the next century, the century of Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio.

There were two realms in which this fervid theological activity developed: the monasteries and the town schools, the scholae, some of which very soon gave life to the universities, which constituted one of the typical "inventions" of the Christian Middle Ages. In fact from these two realms, the monasteries and the scholae, one can speak of two different models of theology: "monastic theology" and "scholastic theology." The representatives of monastic theology were monks, in general, abbots, gifted with wisdom and evangelical fervor, dedicated essentially to arousing and nourishing a loving desire for God. The representatives of scholastic theology were cultured men, passionate about research; magistri wishing to show the reasonableness and soundness of the mysteries of God and of man, believed in with faith, of course, but understood also by reason. The contrasting objectives explain the differences in their method and their way of doing theology.

In the monasteries of the 12th century the theological method was linked primarily to the explanation of sacred Scripture, of the sacra pagina, to express ourselves as the authors of that period did. Biblical theololy was particularly widespread. The monks, in fact, were all devoted listeners and readers of sacred Scripture, and one of their main occupations consisted in lectio divina, namely, prayerful reading of the Bible. For them the simple reading of the sacred text was not enough to perceive the profound meaning, the interior unity and the transcendent message. Therefore, they had to practice a "spiritual reading," leading in docility to the Holy Spirit. Thus, in the school of the Fathers, the Bible was interpreted allegorically, to discover in every page, of the Old as well as the New Testament, what is said about Christ and his work of salvation.

Last year's synod of bishops on the "Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church" recalled the importance of the spiritual approach to sacred Scripture. To this end, it is useful to treasure monastic theology, an uninterrupted biblical exegesis, as also the works composed by its representatives, precious ascetic commentaries on the books of the Bible. Therefore, to literary preparation, monastic theology joined spiritual preparation. It was, in fact, aware that a purely theoretic or profane reading was not enough: To enter the heart of sacred Scripture, it must be read in the spirit in which it was written and created. Literary preparation was necessary to know the exact meaning of the words and to facilitate the understanding of the text, refining the grammatical and philological sensibility. Jean Leclercq, the Benedictine scholar of the last century titled the essay with which he presented the characteristics of monastic theology thus : "L'amour des lettres et le desir de Dieu" (The love of words and the desire for God).

In fact, the desire to know and to love God, which comes to us through his Word received, meditated and practiced, leads to seeking to go deeper into the biblical texts in all their dimensions. There is then another attitude on which those who practice monastic theology insist, that is, a profound attitude of prayer, which must precede, support and complement the study of sacred Scripture. Because, in the last analysis, monastic theology is listening to the Word of God, one cannot but purify the heart to receive it and, above all, one cannot but kindle it with fervor to encounter the Lord. Therefore, theology becomes meditation, prayer, song of praise and drives one to a sincere conversion. Not a few representatives of monastic theology reached, along this way, the highest goal of mystical experience, and they constitute an invitation also for us to nourish our existence with the Word of God, for example, through more attentive listening to the readings and the Gospel, especially in Sunday Mass. Moreover, it is important to reserve a certain time every day for meditation of the Bible, so that the Word of God is the lamp that illumines our daily path on earth.

Scholastic theology, instead, -- as I was saying -- was practiced in the scholae, arising next to the great cathedrals of the age, for the preparation of the clergy, or around a teacher of theology and his disciples, to form professionals of culture, at a time in which learning was increasingly appreciated. Central to the method of the scholastics was the quaestio, namely the problem posed to the reader in addressing the words of Scripture and Tradition. In face of the problem that these authoritative texts pose, questions arose and debate was born between the teacher and the students. In such a debate appeared, on one hand, the arguments of authority, and, on the other, those of reason, and the debate developed in the sense of finding, in the end, a synthesis between authority and reason to attain a more profound understanding of the word of God.

In this regard, St. Bonaventure says that theology is "per additionem" (cf. Commentaria in quatuor libros sententiarum, I, proem., q. 1, concl.), that is, theology adds the dimension of reason to the word of God and thus creates a more profound, more personal faith, and therefore also more concrete in the life of man. In this connection, different solutions were found and conclusions were formed that began to construct a system of theology. The organization of the quaestiones led to the compilation of increasingly extensive syntheses, that is, the different quaestiones were composed with the answers that ensued, thus creating a synthesis, the so-called summae, which were, in reality, ample theological-dogmatic treatises born from the confrontation of human reason with the word of God.

Scholastic theology sought to present the unity and harmony of Christian Revelation with a method, called specifically "Scholastic," of the school, which gives confidence to human reason: grammar and philology are at the service of theological learning, but so increasingly is logic, namely that discipline that studies the "functioning" of human reasoning, so that the truth of a proposition seems evident. Also today, reading the scholastic summae, one is struck by the order, clarity, logical concatenation of the arguments, and of the depth of some of the intuitions. Attributed to every word, with technical language, is a precise meaning and, between believing and understanding, there is established a reciprocal movement of clarification.

Dear brothers and sisters, echoing the invitation of the First Letter of Peter, scholastic theology stimulates us to be always ready to answer anyone asking for the reason for the hope that is in us (cf. 3:15). To take the questions as directed to us and thus be capable also of giving an answer. It reminds us that there is between faith and reason a natural friendship, founded on the order of creation itself.

The Servant of God John Paul II, in the beginning of the encyclical "Fides et Ratio," wrote: "Faith and reason are like the two wings, with which the human spirit soars towards contemplation of the truth." Faith is open to the effort of understanding on the part of reason; reason, in turn, recognizes that faith does not mortify it, rather it drives it toward wider and loftier horizons. Inserted here is the perennial lesson of monastic theology. Faith and reason, in reciprocal dialogue, vibrate with joy when both are animated by the search for profound union with God. When love vivifies the prayerful dimension of theology, knowledge, acquired by reason, is broadened. Truth is sought with humility, received with wonder and gratitude: In a word, knowledge grows only if it loves truth. Love becomes intelligence and theology the authentic wisdom of the heart, which orients and sustains the faith and life of believers. Let us pray, therefore, that the path of knowledge and of deepening in the mysteries of God is always illumined by divine love.

Witness for the Month of September

Testimony for September 2009
John Roderick
October 8th 2009

With the beginning of the academic year at the Lateran University just around the corner, I have time to reflect and judge certain of the notable events experienced during the month of September at the house of formation for the Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo. The month of September is best described as being like a short prologue for the seminary year, that meaning a time to get settled back into the rhythm of the daily life at the house, to learn and begin the new responsibilities and tasks around the house, and especially a time for the new entrants to break the ice and get their feet wet regarding the what it means to be a seminarian. There is also the ever important beginning lesson accompanied with a day of silent prayer and reflection, a launch for the seminary year.

Every year these weeks prior to the beginning of the school year are given a theme. This year’s theme was The Word, and the words (La Parola, e le parole), and to reflect on our contact with the material world through manual work. The month began with a series of lectures on the Psalms, reflecting on their origin and significance for the life of the Church and especially for priests and seminarians who are asked to pray the liturgy of the hours daily. Some of the themes under analysis were the entering and participation in the divine dialogue between Christ and his spouse the Church. The first week’s lectures were followed by a presentation by don Massimo on the theme of the month, where he concentrated on John the Evangelist’s providential choice of using the words Logos and Amore to describe the irruption of God into the world. One of the meanings of the word Logos is word, and how God decided to speak to man by sending his Son into the world. He developed and explained the importance of Scripture in the monastic schools, which later developed into schools being in city centres with the local bishop being the head of the school, which in turn prepared the way for the first medieval universities, uni –veritas (the pursuit and research of the one unified truth).

The next two weeks were lessons given by Franco Camisasca, Massimo’s twin brother, and were dedicated to the theme of reading and writing, to read in order to learn to write, and to write in order to learn how to read. Later in the month, don Massimo gave another follow-up lesson which focused on the universality of the word of God, and how not one culture or language has a monopoly on God’s speaking to the world. There are two particular cultures that have a given primacy, them being the Hebrew, and the Greek. We can never forget the fact that the Word was made flesh at a particular time and place, within a particular culture, way of life and sensibilities, and subsequent encounter with the Greek Hellenistic culture. As a missionary fraternity of priests, it is very important to learn that mission passes through the embrace of cultures, languages, and peoples that are other, it is never the abolition or negation but the welcoming embrace, and through the embrace the gradual conversion to what is true and beautiful within the culture.

In regards to the manual labour aspect of the month, we began by dedicating one of the first Saturday mornings to getting the gardens and park back up to par. Later in the month, we were given the task to re-varnish the desks from the library and computer room, and to construct as well, park benches and tables for the park. Some pictures are on the Fraternity of St. Charles website, and I may try to make some available on my site.

One of the biggest highlights was the preparation for the temporal Incorporation into the Fraternity of St. Charles, one of the first steps during the years of formation on the way to priesthood.

Another one of the major projects for the month was the finishing up the written assignment of writing the story of my life. This turned into pulling an all night, last minute dash, to get the assignment done and handed in before Jonah went home to the USA to preside at his younger brother’s wedding.

One of the highlights that has surprised me is the newness of being able to welcome the new seminarians into the house. The new life and enthusiasm which they bring to the house, and the fact that they concretely help me to be more aware of where I have come from, and the growth that I lived and experienced during the first year.

Day trip to Frosenone to go hiking, and visit the parents of one of the guys in my year at the house of formation.

We had a lesson on the Risk of Education, and we will be studying this text throughout the year.

We as well, participated in the beginning day for the Communion and Liberation community of Rome. This took place in an auditorium with a video conference with Julian Carron.

We have also begun a choir dedicated to the singing of the traditional mountain songs sung in the Italian Alps during the First World War.

The important keys by which I am standing in front of these experiences and everything I am being asked to life, are best summed up with a couple of key questions: 1) Who am I, and what am I looking for within the Fraternity of St. Charles?, 2) What does it mean to be in second year, and to be temporarily incorporated?, 3) What difficulties do I still have, or what obstacles or preconceptions exist that may prevent me from fully being myself, and entering the life?.

1. The month began with the Beginning of the year retreat and day of silence which took place at the house of formation with the Missionary Sister’s of St. Charles. The morning began with Mass in the chapel followed by a lesson by the former rector of the seminary, don Gianluca Attanasio. The lesson was based on God’s love which ultimately precedes us, and our vocational journey, and the unity of our lives. We met outside in the park and began with the singing of a couple of songs from the movement. I remember the distinct difference between my disposition prior to and following the reflection. There was definitely a renewed seriousness regarding what is ultimately at stake with me being here with the fraternity, and the beauty of the flesh that I am surrounded by, how the path to my vocation passes by these people that have been given to me.

This love that ultimately precedes us began with our parents love, and our first meeting or encounter with it being the warmth embrace and smiles of our parents when we were born. How we were welcomed and given a home, a place to dwell and discover the world and ourselves. And how this journey of seeking the fulfilment of our humanity and liberty has made us reasonable and freely decide to leave our homes and ask to enter a new home, a new place of dwelling and discovery and fulfilment. God never leaves us without a home, it is the privileged place of our growth, of our education, and our learning how to judge and be in the world.

We are given these years of formation and growth to discover ourselves, to discover our humanity and liberty within a new community, a new home and dwelling place. The years are a time of preparation to live what we learn in the world, to learn to live as though the first Apostles lived, who had to stay with and follow Jesus for three years before they started going out on their own in groups of two. These years are a time of sacrifice, since we will not readily see the fruits of our labour, our hours of study and prayer, but they are definitely not lost, all is taken up with Christ, and can be offered as time lived with the Mystery.

All of this has its main point of synthesis in the liturgy. The liturgy is where we take what we have lived and judged and offer it in thanksgiving to the Father through Jesus. We must learn to enter and stay in front of the liturgy which ultimately precedes us, we do not make the liturgy but participate in something that is already given. An incredible and dramatic love story that we are freely asked to participate in with our very lives and experiences, our joys and sorrows and uncertainties. We learn how to be together, and what is the principle that unites and makes our communion and friendship true. For mission is nothing but the expansion of this friendship and communion lived and anchored in the liturgy.

Three forms of silence, we cannot stay in front of what we live, or what God is trying to communicate to us through the concreteness of our lives without taking time to be silent, and to take time to remember what most struck us during the day. The three privileged forms are 1) oratio, vocal prayer and asking God for clarity of vision and understanding of one’s life and mission, 2) lectio, we must read and stay in front of the text, be in front of the Sacred Scriptures and the text proposed for school of community, 3) meditation, to compare out lives with the texts which we are reading and to discover the link between them. All of these paths need a lot of repetition and patience, we learn through slowly suffering through, and gradually entering a new logic by which to view and understand our lives. The goal is to gradually go beyond the limited scope by which we view our lives, others and the world, and slowly enter the way by which God views our lives, those of our friends and the world, the logic of mercy and love.

On a personal note, immediately after this meditation I found a letter in my mailbox from my sister Marie Claire, which awoken me to some of my own limitations by which I view certain relationships in our family. As well awakening the need to pray and work on these given relations, even though I am on the other side of the ocean. Thanks Sally

2. The lessons on the Psalms were excellent. The concentration on the psalms helped to enter more fully into the logic of prayer, and the importance of reading Scripture. It is wild to think that reading and becoming familiar with these texts can be a path to enter more fully into the divine dialogue between Christ and the Church. But also to be reminded that I don’t ever take the initiative in prayer, it is always a response to a love that precedes me. God has given these words and texts to help reveal himself to all men and women, and also to reveal the greatness of man to himself. We only discover our full integrity by gradually entering into the way by which God looks upon us, and this is nothing that we do or create by ourselves. It was great to hear the testimony of this priest and for him to share what he has met and encountered by entering more fully into the prayer of the Church, as well, the renewed understanding of really praying with and for the Church, for those who cannot pray who are part of the body of Christ. These days were an incredible awakening and deepening of some the ideas that I have come across.

3. The lectures by Franco Camisasca were a good introduction to many of the important aspects of reading and writing that we often don’t pay attention to or are just ignorant to. What does it mean to communicate a message, how does one communicate a message, who is the writer and who is the audience, what language and sensibilities to people or cultures have. We focused on many of these fundamental questions, as well, questions regarding the various types of material or books we read, what kind of approach or stance should we have in front of them. Is there any difference between reading the newspaper and a novel, or a philosophy book? How much time and what kind of attention should we have with these various texts? We also worked on listening skills, listening to the reading of a short novel, and writing a summary.

These two weeks of lessons were very helpful for me. There was nothing utterly new from many of the things I have read, or from the approach I have to writing a paper or a summary. However, the way Franco put the class together, and got all of us writing every day was very helpful. To learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others, and to see how other people write and express themselves was a real treat. It is a real reflection of self, the way one writes and takes time communicate, one can never leave the complex culture and experiences which one has lived when writing, it all is born or arises out of a way of looking at the world.

4. Manual work. For two weeks we dedicated three days to study and to working on reading and writing skills, and the remaining two to manual work. The projects included the removal of the old varnish from the desks from the library and from the computer room, as well as the building of park benches and tables. We initially were divided into two groups, the philosophy students working on removing the varnish and preparing the tables for a fresh coat, whereas the theology students were working on the building of the benches and tables. I always get a little nervous when it comes to doing manual work with my Italian brothers, from past experience I have tended to become frustrated with their style and approach to work. However these days were slightly different which was a real treat. There was a real ambition on the part of the first year guys, and it carried over to the whole group and we had a grand time. To remover the old varnish we used a liquid chemical which we painted on the various sides of the desk, following sixty seconds to allow for the chemical reaction to occur with the old varnish, the old varnish came off with little work. On each side of the desk, we had to place at least three or four coats of the chemical to completely remove the old and dirty varnish. The chemical burned a little bit on the contact with exposed skin, and a couple of guys who were working a little carelessly, had to continually run to the sink to wash off the chemical. At mid morning, we had a nice break with sandwiches and wine and water. One thing I can definitely say from my time spent in Italy, is that Italians sure know how to relax and take breaks in style, which initially was a little difficult getting used to, but I must confess I am starting to get a hang of it. I had to laugh taking a half an hour break following an hour’s worth of work, but I have to embrace this aspect of the culture. We finished the work on the desks and had them ready to be varnished with a fresh coat after two days.

Near the end of the second day of manual work, I ended up helping the guys in theology drill the tables together. This was a lot of fun, since I got to work with Pato and Diego, two other seminarians from Chile and Mexico. We were teasing each other a little bit, because we were the only one’s remaining at the end of the day.

5. Temporary Incorporation into the Fraternity of St. Charles occurred on September 17th 2008 during the evening Mass. At our Monday lunch together with all the guys in the second year, Jonah told us that we all had been accepted to continue our discernment with the Fraternity, by making the temporal incorporation. We were asked to write a letter to don Massimo, seeking temporal incorporation, which helps us to freely determine whether we want to make this choice and continue to follow and deepen our understanding of what we have met, and our following. It was made clear that it is not a necessary given that all seminarians following their first year are permitted to make this step. Personally, I was a little excited and a little nervous about the whole thing. Excited since I was confirmed by the Fraternity that they want me to continue to grow and seek my vocation and place within the Fraternity, them saying “yes” to me, for my vocational pursuit, that is, the truth of my person and my freedom. A little nervous since, I initially thought that I should be further along the path of certainty and clarity of questions not yet resolved. However, God accepts and works with what he has, and where his people are in their journey. Don Paolo Sottopietra celebrated the Mass, and all of us in second year went before the altar and publicly and freely expressed our desire to be embraced by the Fraternity, and to continue our vocational verification. We all got dressed up with our suits and ties, and had a practice earlier in the day. I am happy that I had time to write a letter, a prayer in my journal, expressing my joy and some of my questions that I wanted to lay before God. Later in the evening, I joined two of the guys in first year for Gelato at a nearby gelateria within walking distance to the house.

6. The writing assignment, to write the story of your life, had the purpose to help our superiors better know the story of each of the second year seminarians, how each of us arrived at the house of formation, as well, to possibly see specific areas where we may need growth and maturation, or possible problems that need to be resolved prior to ordination. Initially, my goal was to get a good start and have it completed before returning to Saint John for the summer vacation. However, that definitely was not the case. I remember well my initial reflections and notes, a schema or general outline that I put together one afternoon when in adoration at the Cathedral in Saint John following the noon hour Mass. I remember thinking about the various places I felt at home, the various schools, universities and educational experiences, sports and music lessons, beaver-cubs-scouts and venturer’s, piano and violin lessons, and having my family and friends being the glue that keep all these experiences together, or at least being the keys by which I understand everything that I have lived, and what has been given to me over the years. This was a great experience, since it helped me better understand the desire I have to be known, to share and reveal who I am with the people I have been given to live with.

As well, it helped me better understand the challenge that I lived last year, the inability or lack of full ability to fully be myself, being oneself means being in relation with others, giving of oneself and making space for another all at the same time. I am consoled since I find that I am much more capable of entering into communion and friendship with the guys I am living with, and better understand much of the frustration that I was asked to live through last year. This is also a boost for the hope I have for the upcoming year, to see how I have grown with my level of comfort at the house and with the guys. I am exciting to see what God has in store for me this year, and am much more certain that I am walking together with God and with all the guys at the house to the truth of our vocations, and the fullness of our respective persons. I think this was a hurdle that was able to be overcome through the project. Also, I was deeply reminded that I am here because God has enabled me to meet certain people, and be interested in following them, and the beauty that they are following. I was able to reminded of who I am, where I am from, what I have met, and what attracted me to taking the reasonable risk to come to Rome, and ask to verify my vocation with the Fraternity of St. Charles. It is wild to see how God works through every aspect of our lives, that there is unity, even amongst the chaos and disorder, there is a presence which calls us forth, and asks us to follow.

The assignment had to be written in Italian which involved a lot of work, I still have a limited vocabulary and often do not have the words to express to the extent that I would like certain events and happenings, which have made it possible for me to be in Rome. The pages slowly came together, and by the end of it, I was please with the work. I was honest with myself, and tried to communicate that as best as possible, knowing that it can only help my superiors better know who I am and where I come from, while at the same time, to better understand myself and how I view and judge the world.

7. The Alpine Choir is made up of a group of seminarians who meet to sing traditional Italian war songs, songs sung by the Italian people who recount the experience of fighting, living and working in the mountains. Luigi Giussani always encouraged the singing of these songs as a way to participate in the story and history of the Italian people. They are a path to better understand who the Italian people are, and what and how they lived. Initially, I was a little hesitant since when I first arrived one of the vice rectors asked me if I was there to watch, and I surprised him by telling him I was there to sing. I have a desire to go to the heart of the community, to see if this is what truly responds to what I want to live and dedicate my whole person to. Unfortunately sometimes, almost always, involves taking risks and overcoming obstacles and barriers when they arise. However, what is at stake is the fulfilment of our person and freedom, and we must love the truth of our person more than what others think of us, or their prejudices and limited understanding of who we are and what we are looking for. I had the pleasure to go running on a couple of occasions with the head of the choir, a first year guy named Giovanni Fasani from Rimini, and he encouraged me to join. I told him that I found it difficult last year when singing with the folk choir, because there was a lack of direction and seriousness about being together and singing. However, I could not let that get in the way with my desire to sing, and to be with the other guys, and to learn more fully the Italian people and culture.

8. Welcoming the new seminarians and showing them the ropes regarding life at the house was a lot of fun. I was excited during the first couple of weeks, since I was frequently asked to go running, and or pray the rosary in the park. I remember thinking to myself how much I was being blessed to have four new running partners, as well as people with an openness to helping me better understand what it means to be Italian, and to share their experience of the CL movement. Spending time with them helped me to be reminded as well, of my first few weeks at the house of formation, and my initial impressions of what it means to be a seminarian and seeking my vocation with the Fraternity of St. Charles. I was really excited with their enthusiasm and excitement about this new beginning, and helped me to re-kindle the fire within me.

9. Prior to the beginning of the school year, I was invited to make a day trip to Frosenone to go hiking with a group of guys in second year and afterward visit a Cistercian monastery, and then go for dinner at Andrea Aversa’s parents house at Ceccano. We had a grand time, hiking and jumping into a small and freezing cold creek. We even transplanted a tree for one of the guy’s birthday presents. The monastery Santuario Madonna Delle Cese, was located at Trisulti. Before arriving at the monastery, we stopped and visited a hermitage, a sanctuary carved out of a whole in a mountain. Here we prayed mid-afternoon prayer before proceeding to the monastery. Upon entering, we found a monk working in the gardens and he offered to give us a guided tour of the facility. A couple of the highlights of the monastery were the herbarium, many missionaries would often come to the monastery after their missions for check ups, and to return herbs from the places they ministered, many shrubs carved into shapes of the various animals referred to in the Scriptures, the cloistered areas for prayer and reflection, the main Church with many fresco’s painted on the walls.

Dinner at Aversa’s house was a fantastic experience. We were welcomed like kings, or like groomsman having a feast before the wedding. We asked many questions about how Andrea let his parents know about his desire to enter the seminary, and stories about his childhood, and his experiences being a boy scout. After dinner, we sat around and looked at family pictures for close to an hour. This experience was really important for the whole day spent together was like a gradual and deepening revelation of who Andrea is, to better see the concreteness of his history and family, his stomping grounds. Through experiences like this, we grow closer together, more of each other is revealed, and more space is asked to be made to welcome the other. It is in making space for the other, that we are revealed to ourselves, many of his stories and his relationships with his parents shined a little light on my own, and helped me to better see my own life, and experiences.

Overall, September proved to be a very important month for it got the ball rolling again, rekindled the fire to seek the truth of my life and person within the community of the Fraternity of St. Charles. As well, to stay in front of the questions that I still have, and the answers I am looking for, for it is being faithful to these questions and everything that I live, where the answers will be revealed and gradually made clear. Nothing is ever not taken up, and there is no need to short circuit any of our questions, or uncertainties. God really wants his servants to walk in peace, and in truth and the light of His love and mercy, we are given these months and years of formation to grown in the certainty that He does and will respond to what we are looking for, if we adhere and our faithful to the circumstances and life we are being asked to live.