Monday School

No Class Tonight--Church Offices Closed

2009-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

Have a good evening at home! See you on the 26th!

Welcome St. Joan of Arc!

2008-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hi, welcome to the Monday School blog!

I really enjoyed speaking at Joan of Arc tonight. I hope you enjoyed it also. I would love to hear from any of you with comments and questions if you have any. Please come back and visit this site often. I promise you (and my regular students) that I'll be updating the blog more often.

In the next few days, I'll put up a transcript of the talk I gave and a more comprehensive list of resources.

Peace!

Rob

Monday School is Starting Up Again!

2008-09-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

The new year of Monday School is starting up this Monday, September 8, 2008 at 7:00 PM in the Activity Center at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Phoenix.

This year, we'll be reading Dr. Peter Kreeft's book, Fundamentals of the Faith.

Come join us!

Introduction to the Devout Life

2008-05-20T10:01:00.001-07:00

Here is an excerpt from the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Frances de Sales

Devotion is Suitable to Every Vocation and Profession

Part I, Chapter 3

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When God created the world He commanded each tree to bear fruit after its kind;and even so He bids Christians,--the living trees of His Church,--to bring forth fruits of devotion, each one according to his kind and vocation. A different exercise of devotion is required of each--the noble, the artisan, the servant, the prince, the maiden and the wife; and furthermore such practice must be modified according to the strength, the calling, and the duties of each individual. I ask you, my child, would it be fitting that a Bishop should seek to lead the solitary life of a Carthusian? And if the father of a family were as regardless in making provision for the future as a Capucin, if the artisan spent the day in church like a Religious, if the Religious involved himself in all manner of business on his neighbour's behalf as a Bishop is called upon to do, would not such a devotion be ridiculous, ill-regulated, and intolerable? Nevertheless such a mistake is often made, and the world, which cannot or will not discriminate between real devotion and the indiscretion of those who fancy themselves devout, grumbles and finds fault with devotion, which is really nowise concerned in these errors. No indeed, my child, the devotion which is true hinders nothing, but on the contrary it perfects everything; and that which runs counter to the rightful vocation of any one is, you may be sure, a spurious devotion. Aristotle says that the bee sucks honey from flowers without damaging them, leaving them as whole and fresh as it found them;--but true devotion does better still, for it not only hinders no manner of vocation or duty, but, contrariwise, it adorns and beautifies all. Throw precious stones into honey, and each will grow more brilliant according to its several colour:--and in like manner everybody fulfils his special calling better when subject to the influence of devotion:--family duties are lighter, married love truer, service to our King more faithful, every kind of occupation more acceptable and better performed where that is the guide.

It is an error, nay more, a very heresy, to seek to banish the devout life from the soldier's guardroom, the mechanic's workshop, the prince's court, or the domestic hearth. Of course a purely contemplative devotion, such as is specially proper to the religious and monastic life, cannot be practised in these outer vocations, but there are various other kinds of devotion well-suited to lead those whose calling is secular, along the paths of perfection. The Old Testament furnishes us examples in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Job, Tobias, Sarah, Rebecca and Judith; and in the New Testament we read of St. Joseph, Lydia and Crispus, who led a perfectly devout life in their trades:--we have Saint Anne, Martha, Saint Monica, Aquila and Priscilla, as examples of household devotion, Cornelius, Saint Sebastian, and Saint Maurice among soldiers;--Constantine, Saint Helena, Saint Louis, the Blessed Amadaeus,and Saint Edward on the throne. And we even find instances of some who fell away in solitude,-- usually so helpful to perfection,--some who had led a higher life in the world, which seems so antagonistic to it. Saint Gregory dwells on how Lot, who had kept himself pure in the city, fell in his mountain solitude. Be sure that wheresoever our lot is cast we may and must aim at the perfect life.

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Week 23: Homework

2008-04-28T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for posting this so late!

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 27 of Theology and Sanity, “Habituation to Man”—pp. 371-382.

Questions:

In what way is man extraordinary, according to Sheed? (pp.372-3)
Why is all the excitement of our universe centered in man? (p.373)
List the two pairs of facts that Sheed says summarize the truth about all men. (p.374)
What is never lost in the Church’s fellowship? (Hint: Who is never lost?) (p. 374)
How do Protestantism and Secularism deal with the facts from question 3 above? (pp. 374-5)
What does Sheed mean when he says “the only home left for personality is the Church? (p. 375)
What does it mean to say “man is a union of spirit and matter”? Why is it not enough to simply know the definition of man? (pp. 377-9)
How does the conflict between rationality and animality lead to perversion and depravity, which we wrongly call “animal”? (p.381)
Why should we not judge others? (p.381)

Reflection Questions:

Writing about the uniqueness of man, C.S. Lewis once said that “we have never met a mere mortal”. If that’s true, how might that affect the way we interact with others? The way we treat ourselves?
What are some of the cultural/political/technological ramifications of a belief in the uniqueness of mankind and of each individual? Is it an accident that the Christian West produced hospitals, universities, and democratic states?

Week 22: Homework

2008-04-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 26 of Theology and Sanity, “Habituation to Reality”—pp. 361-370.

Questions:

What does Sheed mean when he says that “the facts of religion are not simply facts of religion, but facts”? (p. 361)
What is the context of our religion? (Who are the actors and what are the events in our story?) (p.362)
What are the three possible relationships we can have towards reality? (p.362)
What danger confronts theologians who study elements so far beyond the reach of daily experience? Why must we study creation? (p.364-5)
Explain this statement: “The more is means to us, the richer our knowledge of God.” (p.365)
How can poets help us see God in creation? (p.368)

Reflection Questions:

Re-read section iii on pages 366 and 367. Sheed says that our knowledge of God is enriched by study the created universe; it is a way that God communicates with us. He also says that a much of this enrichment will be spontaneous and unmeditated. If this is true, how might it affect the way we see our work and our hobbies?

Week 21: Homework

2008-04-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 24-25 of Theology and Sanity, “Life after Death” and “The End of the World”—pp. 336-358.

Questions:

What are the three “states” we can be in at any given time in our lives/at the end of our lives? (p. 336)
Why does Sheed speak of the “formidable finality of death”? Why is death final if the soul lives on? (p.335)
What, according to Sheed, are the two categories that all of our choices are ultimately between? (p. 338)
Define mortal and venial sin. (p. 338)
Why can’t the soul of someone who is separated from God go to Him after death? Who sends people to hell? How do we know that hell is not a contradiction of God’s love? (p. 340-1).
What is the cure for self-love that we find in purgatory? (p. 342)
Define Beatific Vision. (p.343)
How can the happiness of heaven be total, but not equal, for all? (343-4)
How can the saints be more with us in heaven than our neighbors on earth? (p.347)
Who will be saved from worshipping the Anti-Christ? How? (p. 352)
When will we have our bodies restored to us after death? Why will we have bodies in heaven? (p. 356)

Reflection Questions:

Americans seem to be flippant about hell. People will casually condemn someone who cuts them off in traffic or joke about partying with sinners in an infernal after life. But, if we really thought about what hell means, would we ever joke about it or wish it upon our worst enemies?

The Distributist Review

2008-04-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is a very informative blog about Distributism, an economic philosophy promoted by G.K. Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc. They've put out a request for new readers and I thought you might be interested.

The Distributist Review: A Request To Our Readers

Sheen Quotation for Peter

2008-03-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

"There are not one hundred people on the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are thousands who hate what they think the Catholic Church is."
Fulton Sheen

NO CLASS TONIGHT 03-24-08

2008-03-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

We will not be having class tonight, March 24, 2008 due to the office being closed for Easter.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We will meet again next week to discuss chapter 21 of Theology and Sanity, "Dispensing the Gifts"

Have a blessed Easter Week!

Week 19: Homework

2008-03-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 21 of Theology and Sanity, “Dispensing the Gifts”—pp. 289-310.

Questions:

Man is a social being. In what ways are we bound to others as social beings? What does this fact require of religion? (p.290)
How did Christ leave his followers organized? How does this parallel the relationship God had with the Jews in the old covenant? What expression is used in the Apostle’s Creed to describe this? (p. 291)
By what means does God offer us the spiritual gifts of Life and Truth? (p.291)
What do we mean when we say the Church is infallible? Why? Where does this power of infallibility come from? (p.294)
How is the Pope infallible? Does God promise the pope some special message or illumination? How does the pope learn his doctrine? (p. 295)
In a definition of faith and morals by the pope what does Infallibility account for? (p.295)
What does Sheed mean when he says the Bible cannot defend itself? (p. 296)
What, according to Sheed, is man’s principal business on earth? (p. 298)
How do the sacraments reflect man’s nature? (p. 300)
Why must men maintain the proper balance between spirit and matter? What are the dangers of becoming imbalanced? (p. 301)
How is the Eucharist different from the other sacraments? (p.302)
Do priests offer new sacrifices in order to give the faithful life? (p.303)
On page 305, Sheed says that the gifts of life and truth that the Church offers come through the Church, but not from it. Why is this an important distinction?

Reflection Questions:

On page 291, Sheed, speaking of man’s responsibility to seek truth and life, states “It is not part of His [God’s] purpose to do for men what they can very well do themselves, but only what they cannot. . .God […] expects man to the uttermost that he can.” How well do you think you’re fulfilling this responsibility? Do you have reason to be proud of yourself? Do you need to improve your game?
How would you respond if someone asked you why you remain a Catholic when there are so many sinful people in the clergy and the Church in general?

Week 18: Homework

2008-03-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 20 of Theology and Sanity, “The Kingdom”—pp. 279-89.

Questions:

What are the two elements of God’s plan for mankind that emerge from Jesus’ teachings? (p.280)
What kind of kingdom was Jesus founding? (p.281)
What is the significance of Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, “I dispose to you, as My Father has disposed to Me, a kingdom?” (p. 281)
How did Jesus prepare his Apostles to understand God’s kingdom and teach the Truth? (p.282)
How did Jesus prepare the Apostles to be dispensers of Life? (p. 282)
On page, 282 Sheed seems to suggest that the Apostles were over-prepared for their jobs. What was Jesus doing when he prepared them so thoroughly? (p. 282-3).
What does the word “Catholic” mean? What does the word “universal” mean?(p.284)
Why did the Apostles need the Holy Spirit? (p.285)
What is the function of Peter? In what ways is this Christ-like? (p.286-9)

Reflection Questions:

At the bottom of page 281, Sheed states that the Apostles and their successors are to dispense the gifts of Truth and Life, but that these gifts cannot be given once for all. He says that each new generation and each person must receive them. Is there is any tension between dispensing the gifts faithfully and giving the gifts to new generations? Are there some who sacrifice the integrity of the gifts to accommodate a new audience? Are there some who alienate new audiences in order to transmit the gifts as they were received?
Jesus promises his Apostles that He will be with them “all days, even to the consummation of the world.” Sheed remarks that this continuous presence of Christ with His Apostles gives a double guarantee: first that gifts we receive from the Apostles and their successors are His gifts to us and, second, that when we are in contact with these men we are in contact with Christ. How does this knowledge affect your understanding of what the church can/can’t do with respect to some hot-button issuses like women priests or the prohibition on artificial contraception?

Week 17: Homework

2008-03-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 19 of Theology and Sanity, “Redemption”—pp. 268--279.

Questions:

What does it mean to say that God died? (p.268-9)
How could Christ offer a true human act in expiation of sin? How could a human act satisfy the sins of all men? (p. 269)
Could Christ have pricked his finger to save the world? Why or why not? (p. 269)
What two things is Christ’s death at Calvary proof of? (p. 270)
What does it mean to say that Jesus was “made perfect” through what he suffered? Was he somehow imperfect before he suffered? (p. 271)
What two things did the Redemption accomplish? (p.272)
How are Adam and Jesus each a representative man? (274-5)
How do our relationships with Adam and Christ differ from each other? (276)
If Christ’s death redeems the whole human race, how can there still be some people who aren’t saved? (p.277)

Reflection Questions:

Catholics are often accused of “works righteousness”—the idea that we are saved by doing good works instead of by faith. Given what you’ve learned in this chapter, how would you respond to such an accusation?
Re-read the two paragraphs of the chapter. Reflect for a while on what it means that Jesus is constantly interceding for us in Heaven. Find some way to thank Him this week.

Week 16: Homework

2008-02-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 18 of Theology and Sanity, “The Redeeming Sacrifice”—pp. 255--268.

Questions:

Which three words sum up what Our Lord is? How do these express what he did as well? (p.255)
What was the thing He [Jesus] had come to do? (p.256)
What is the “life-formula” of the Atonement? (p.261)
What was the suffering from which Jesus shrank in the Garden of Gethsemane if not the bodily torments he was about to endure? (p.262)
Does Christ undergo his suffering unwillingly? (p.262)
What happened to Christ’s soul after He died? (p.265)
What is meant by the word hell in the Apostle’s Creed? What are three synonyms for this place? (p.265)
How does Christ’s bodily Resurrection demonstrate complete victory over death? (p.266)
How are the Resurrection and the Acension organically part of the Sacrifice of Christ?

Reflection Questions:

What is the consequence of thinking of the Truth as a person as opposed to merely an idea?
If Christ’s prayer for the Church was that it be one as He and the Father are one, what do you think He thinks about all the denominational/intra-denominational division in the Christian community? Is there a remedy for this division?
Some people claim that the Resurrection of Jesus was not a physical event but rather a spiritual event that takes place in the hearts of believers. Do you think this belief is compatible with authentic Christian faith? Why or why not?

Week 15: Homework

2008-02-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 17 of Theology and Sanity, “The Redeemer”—pp. 242--268.

Questions:

Why was it the Second Person of the Trinity who was chosen for the redemption of the world? (p. 242-3)
How is Jesus more of a man than we are? (p. 243)
What’s the significance of Jesus being conceived of a human mother? Couldn’t he have just suddenly appeared among us with a human body and human soul? (p. 243-4)
Does Christ’s sinlessness diminish his humanity? Why or why not? (p. 244)
How could Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, grow in wisdom? (p. 245).
Does the fact that Jesus had infused knowledge and the Beatific Vision contradict his humanity? (p. 246)
How did the Holy Spirit help Jesus in his ministry? (p. 247)
Did Christ have faith, hope, and charity? (p. 247)
If Christ was God, in what sense was he praying to God? (p. 247)
Why must we look closely at Christ in the Gospels? (p. 248)
What does it mean to know Christ personally? Why is it important? Where do we meet Him? (p. 249-50)
What is the particular modern error about Christ that Sheed mentions on page 250? How does this misperception of Christ differ from real love? (p. 250-1)
Explain how Jesus could say both “I and the Father are one and the Father is greater than I”? (p. 253)
How did Jesus teach? (p. 254)

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever dismissed Christ as “meek and mild”? What can you do during this Lent to improve your understanding of him?
If we are related to Jesus through Mary (c.f. question 3 above), what kind of relationship with Our Lady do you think would be most pleasing to Christ? What can you do to develop a relationship like that?

Prayer Has Nothing to Do With the Animal Part of Us

2008-02-25T05:03:00.001-08:00

I found this quotation from Archbishop Fulton Sheen on The Catholic Spitfire Grill.

We said prayer is the lifting of the heart and minid to God. Notice we said noting so much about emotions. Why not? Because prayer really does not have very much to do with sensations or emotions or feeling. It's not a feeling in the stomach. Just as it is not a pain in the stomach. It is not a capricious feeling, something that makes us purr on the inside. It has nothing to do with the animal part of us. It is not in the glands. It is in the intellect. It is in the will. It is in the heart. As embracing a love of Truth which belongs to the intellect and also a resolve and a determination to grow in love which is one of the acts of will. We do not therefore pray because we feel like it. Sometimes our prayers are much better when we do not feel like praying. St. Francis de Sales said "An ounce of desolation is of greater worth a pound of consolation." Very often in prayer we do not have a sense of the presence of God. I say 'sense' referring it to the biological or emotional part of our lives Really we are very much like children that are carried in mother's arms. If we are carried in Our Lord's arms, we rarely see His Face. We know it is there. Prayer then is an intercourse between the created spirit and the uncreated spirit which is God. It is a communication, a conversation, an adoration, a penance, a happiness, a work, a rest, an asking, a submission. ~Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Week 14: Homework

2008-02-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 16 of Theology and Sanity, “The Mission of Christ”—pp. 231--242.

Questions:

What did the angel tell Joseph about Jesus’ mission? (p. 234)
List the things Jesus directly says he has come to do. (p.235)
What are the three words St. Paul uses repeatedly to describe the Lord’s work? (p.236-7)
What is justification? What is redemption? (p.237-8)
What are the “two elements in what Our Lord did?” (p. 238)
What is the significance of St. John the Baptist saying that Our Lord takes away the sin (singular) of the world? (p. 239)
How does the Incarnation answer “the double problem that faced fallen mankind?” (p. 240-2).

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever seen the words “John 3:16” displayed at a sporting event? Do you think this is a good way to evangelize? Does this verse capture the essence of the mission of Christ? Read the passage and commit it to memory. Read John 3:17, too. Is that verse important to remember too?

Our Lady of Lourdes

2008-02-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. John F. Kippley has an interesting article entitled The Exquisite Timing of Lourdes: Confronting the Skeptics about the appearances at Lourdes over at Catholic Exchange.

Here is a snippet:

The timing of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes
beginning on February 11, 1858 was not only providential in the sense of God's
loving kindness to us sinners but was absolutely exquisite in terms of what was
going on in European intellectual circles at that time.

The sex scandals involving priests and bishops, the very low rate of
acceptance of Humanae Vitae, the continuing liturgical abuses, the surveys
purporting to show the unbelief of Catholics, and other negative indicators lead
many of us to dream of living in more faith-filled times. The times in which
Bernadette Soubirous lived in Lourdes were not such times.

Read the rest here. For more about Lourdes, read this.

Change of Venue

2008-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight's class will not meet in the Activity Center. We will instead be meeting in a classroom 16, which is across from the Gift Shop (so I'm told).

Note: There is no food or drink allowed in the classrooms. I don't know what I'll do with myself...

THE DONKEY by G.K. Chesterton

2008-01-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a poem that's probably a lot more accessible than the previous one. It's also the first thing I ever read by Chesterton. It was assigned by Fr. Becker.

You can't tell from this picture, but most donkeys have a black cross on their backs. Legend says that this mark was put there by God in honor of the donkey that Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

The Donkey
by G.K. Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

Fr. John Becker, S.J. (July 9, 1925 – January 19, 2008)

2008-01-29T05:49:00.000-08:00

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Link

The Windhover

2008-01-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

I found this on the Internet this morning. It is an interlinear translation of the poem we read in class. It's worth a read--they make more sense of it than I did.

Here is the poem again for your listening pleasure (read it aloud):

The Windhover

To Christ our Lord

I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.

Automatic Confession

2008-01-29T05:16:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine sent this to me. It's pretty funny.

Week 13: Homework

2008-01-29T04:59:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 14-15 of Theology and Sanity, “The Fall of Man” and “Between the Fall and the Redemption”—pp. 191-231.

Questions:
1. What was the immediate effect of Adam’s sin? (p. 190)

2. What kind of death did Adam suffer from eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? (p. 192)

3. List some ways that Man’s nature was damaged by the Fall. (p. 193-4)

4. Did Adam and Eve ever regain sanctifying grace? Were they able to repair the damage done to themselves? (p.195-7)

5. On page 197 Sheed says that the human race became a fallen race to which heaven was closed. What is the effect of this on members of the race who die with sanctifying grace before Christ?

6. What else fell with Adam? What else suffers the result of the Fall? (p.200)

7. Why are people born without the supernatural life? Are we guilty of Original Sin? Explain. (p. 201-2)

8. Is God unfair to deprive us of supernatural life after the Fall? (p.203)

9. Who is the lord of the world? (p.204)

10. In what ways is our testing similar to Adam’s? How is it different? (p.206)

11. What is meant by the expression “the fullness of time”? (p. 208)

12. What did the human race bring out of Paradise for the adventure of regaining the maturity it had rejected? (p. 210)

13. What are the two elements in man upon which man builds notions of God? (p.213)

14. How does human nature deform religion? (p.214-5)

15. Read pages 217-231 carefully. How does God prepare the world for the “fullness of time”?

Reflection Questions:
1. Sheed talks about the modern mood that will have none of this notion of a personal Devil. Why is it so important to not reduce evil to merely forces and tendencies?

NO CLASS TONIGHT

2008-01-21T10:36:00.000-08:00

There will not be class tonight in observance of MLK Day.

Classes will resume next Monday, January 28th with a discussion of chapter 13, "The Testing of Angels and Men".

Week 12: Homework

2008-01-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 13 of Theology and Sanity, “The Testing of Angels and Men”—pp. 173-190.

Questions:
1. What is the only certain way of learning something’s purpose? (p.174)

2. What is the purpose of all created beings (spiritual and material)? What is true only of spiritual beings? (p.174)

3. What is the significance of names in Scripture? What does Adam’s naming of the animals tell us about Adam/Man? (p.175)

4. On page 176, Sheed says that God has told us that our destiny is to see God face to face. How is this possible if God is spirit and has no face? (p. 176)

5. What is the name of the principle which enables us to operate above our nature? (p.176) What is another name for this principle? (p. 186)

6. Why is Pride the worst of all sins? (p.178)

7. What are the two meanings of the word freedom as explained by Sheed? (pp. 179-80)

8. Why can’t demons be totally without God? (p.183)

9. Can angels sin? (pp. 181-3)

10. How does the testing of angels differ from that of Man? Why does it differ? (p. 183)

11. What was the first man like? What were his “preternatural” perfections? (pp.183-4)

12. Cocktail Question: What is impassibility? (p.185)

13. What is the purpose of supernatural life? (p.185)

14. When are we given supernatural life? What are the first effects of it on us? Hint: Think virtues. (p.186)

Reflection Questions:
1. Reread the passage about the state of demons in Hell (p.181-82). Given how Hell is described there, how would you respond to someone who says something like “I’d rather go to Hell and be with my friends than go to Heaven and be without them?”

2. The philosopher Plato thought that people do evil because they don’t know the good; the Christian tradition disagrees with him. On page 178, Sheed suggests that sin is not merely a matter of knowledge but of a “far more mysterious thing, will.” In what ways can we strengthen our will to avoid sin if merely knowing right from wrong is not enough?

The Star of Bethlehem

2008-01-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Probably the best Christmas present I received was a DVD about the Star of Bethlehem. I'm thinking about bringing it in for the class to see, but in the meantime, check out the Web site associated with the film. It is a truly amazing video that shows what great lengths God goes to to reveal himself to us.

Here is the link: The Star of Bethlehem

Below is a short promotional video about the DVD.

Grow The Heart of a Man

2008-01-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know Michael John Poirier. Here is a new blog for men that he's started. He wanted me to pass it on. So, please go check it out. I love the story of the origin of the blog's name--what a beautiful prayer!

Here is the link: Grow The Heart of a Man

Message from a friend

2007-12-21T12:55:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!

I just got this email from our classmate Romano who has been stationed in Qatar for the last month and a half. I thought you might enjoy reading it--I did.

Please pray for Romano and all our brave soldiers overseas.

Hi Rob,

Hope Monday School has been a success, so far. I've been here at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, for about six weeks. I have about a month to go. Yes, I am reading "Theology and Sanity," among other things ( i.e. The Letters of Mother Teresa, Pope Benedict's first Encyclical). I don't believe I exaggerate when I say that, aside from the Bible, "Theology ..." is the most important book I've ever read. I'm on page 270 and I'm just amazed at how much clearer I see God. I think it should be required reading for every Catholic. (Our computer firewall prevents me from accessing your blogspot, so I don't know how far along in the book the class is.)

Please say hi to my classmates for me, and you and your family have a blessed Christmas.

Sincerely.
Your friend,

Romano Cedillos

Class Cancelled 12-17-07

2007-12-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to cancel, but I'm home sick with highly contagious, unpleasant stuff.

We'll pick up in January with the lesson we had planned for tonight.

Hopkins Poems from Week 11

2007-12-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

GOD'S GRANDEUR

THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

PIED BEAUTY

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

THE WINDHOVER
To Christ Our Lord

I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, king-
dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion.

Week 11: Homework

2007-12-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:Read Chapter 12 of Theology and Sanity, “Angels, Matter, Men”—pp. 151-173

Questions:
1. What type of being is highest in the created order? How do we know of the existence of these beings? (p.152)

2. What does the word angel mean? Does this word accurately convey the chief function of these beings? What is their chief function? What is their second great function? (p. 155)

3. How are levels of angels differentiated? List the nine choirs of angels. (p. 156-7)

4. In what way does matter resemble spirit? (p. 159)

5. What is the dominating division in the material order? (p. 159)

6. What is the definition of a living being? (p.160)

7. What are the three divisions of the created universe? (p.160)

8. Why does Sheed say “there is no reason to believe that [an animal’s soul] is not a material soul, ‘immersed’ in the matter of the animal’s body?” (p. 162)

9. According to Sheed, what is the function of man? How does man perform it? (p. 163)

10. What makes man different from other living material beings? (p. 164)

11. What is our “greatest glory”? With what is it bound up? (p. 169)

12. What are the two different sets of laws that govern our universe? How are they distinguished? (p. 171)

Reflection Questions:
1. On page 155 Sheed says that “God has shown us with overwhelming evidence that He wills to give His gifts to creatures through other creatures so that we may learn by the receiving of God’s gifts from one another and the transmission of God’s gifts to one another, our family relationship within the great household of God.” What effect might this have on the way we relate to our fellow creatures (men, animals, matter)?

2. Look at what Sheed has to say about how man was formed on page 167. Can you formulate a Catholic response to the theory of evolution based on what he says here?

Funny Joke

2007-12-16T13:27:00.001-08:00

There were four country churches in a small Texas town: The Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church. Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels.

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will.

In the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But -- The Catholic Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

Prayer Before and After Spiritual Reading

2007-12-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Before
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.

R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation.

Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

After
V. We give you thanks, almighty God, for all your benefits, who live and reign for ever and ever.

R. Amen.

V. May the Lord grant us his peace.

R. And life everlasting.

V. Amen.

Week 10: Homework

2007-12-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 11 of Theology and Sanity, “The Created Universe”—pp. 139--151.

Questions:
1. Why did God create a world that is “multitudinous and complex”? (p. 140)

2. Why is the world not “a merely chaotic complexity”? What is it instead? (p. 140)

3. What are the things made in God’s likeness called? What are the rest of the things called? What kind of being is both? (p. 141)

4. How do the Heavens (and everything else) show forth the glory of God? (p. 141)

5. What does Sheed mean when he says that “spirit is more than matter is”? (p. 142)

6. What causes change? (What is change always the result of?) (p. 145).

7. What does it mean to say that created spirit cannot suffer substantial change? What kind of change can created spirit suffer? (p.145)

8. What are the three relations to change? What are the three kinds of duration that correspond to the three relations to change? (pp.145-6)

9. Define contemplation in your own words (pp. 146-7)

10. Is it true that the never was a time when the universe did not exist? Explain. (148)

11. List the truths in the first chapters of Genesis that Sheed says are of “towering importance.” (p.150)

Reflection Questions:
1. Reflect on question 4 above. How is Man different from the rest of creation in showing forth the glory of God?

Week 9: Homework

2007-12-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for putting this up late...I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble!

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 10 of Theology and Sanity, “God as Creator”—pp. 127-139.

Questions:
1. Why did God create the universe? (pp. 127-128; there are two answers)

2. Explain in your words the statement, “For our sakes, He made us for His sake.” (p.1 127)

3. How does the created universe exist? How is this different from how God exists? (p. 130)

4. Why did God make us from nothing? (p.130)

5. What is the difference between creating and making? (p.130)

6. Why is imagining the process of creation from nothing doomed to failure? (p.131)

7. Write out the St. Augustine quotation on page 131. What does it mean?

8. What is the corollary of the truth that God created us from nothing long ago? (p.132)

9. Explain the analogy of the mirror that Sheed uses on page 132.

10. Do all things only really exist in the mind of God? (p.133) What truth do people who think so recognize? What do they fail to grasp? (p.135)

11. What are the two elements in creation envisaged by Scripture? How are these appropriated to the Trinity? (p.137)

12. How does God utter himself in the uncreated? In nothingness? (p.139)

Reflection Questions:
1. Re-read the last paragraph of section ii on page 135. What is the main idea expressed in the Scripture passages mentioned? What kind of effect does (or should) that truth have on our relationship with the created world? In what ways is this different from other worldviews (e.g. Protestant, materialist, etc.)

No Meeting on November 19th.

2007-11-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that we will not be having class on Monday, November 19th, 2007.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Week 8: Homework

2007-11-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapters 8-9 of Theology and Sanity, “Some Further Precisions” and “Concluding This Part”—pp. 110—123.

Questions:
Chapter 8
1. Why are you a distinct person? (p. 111)

2. Whose words can wholly express God? (p.113)

3. If the Three Persons of the Trinity all possess infinite knowledge, why does only the Father’s generate an idea? (p.113)

4. Upon what does success in finding answers to questions about the Trinity have bearing? (p.114)

5. If our finite nature cannot fully know the Infinite, of what (concerning God) can we be sure? (p.115)

Chapter 9
6. How are we to understand the sendings of the Son and the Holy Spirit? (p.118)

7. Why is Creation attributed to the Father, Sanctification to the Holy Spirit, and Redemption to the Son?

8. Define appropriation. Explain it in your own words.

9. What reason does Sheed suggest for having appropriation?

Reflection Question:
Re-read Section iii of Chapter 9. Now that we’ve finished this part of our study, how your knowledge of God compare to when you started this class? How about your love for Him?

Week 7: Homework

2007-11-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 7 of Theology and Sanity, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”—pp. 98—110.

Questions:
1. What are we exploring in this chapter? (p.98)

2. God know and loves, for God is a spirit and these are the proper operations of Spirit. What follows from the fact that God is infinite spirit? (p.99)

3. What are the two names for the Second Person of the Trinity given to us in Scripture? (p.99)

4. What two elements constitute the essence of being a son? Give the philosophical definition of sonship. (p. 99)

5. What is God teaching us when He tells us to call the second person of the Trinity “the Son”? (p. 100)

6. Was God ever not a Father? (p.101)

7. What is the only adequate object of infinite knowledge? (p.103)

8. The Second Person of the Trinity proceeds from the First by way of knowledge. How does the Third Person proceed? How does this relate to the operations of spirit? (p. 105)

9. How is the word spirit when used in the term Holy Spirit different from how it used when we speak of God as spirit? (p. 106)

10. What verbs do we use to describe the respective processions of the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity? (p. 107)

Reflection Questions:
1. Read 2 Timothy 1: 7. What kind of spirit has God given us? How does this relate to what we’ve been studying?

The Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

2007-11-08T16:27:00.001-08:00

This week in class I mentioned the impossibility of knowing our final hour. I said, "you never know when a cow might land on you and kill you."

One of our classmates then came across this article:

FALLING COW LANDS ON WESTLAND COUPLE'S MINIVAN

MANSON, Wash. -- A Westland couple celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary in Washington State barely escaped disaster when a 600-pound cow fell 200 feet and landed on the hood of their minivan.

The county fire chief says the couple were lucky they weren't killed by the cow that fell off a cliff as they drove on a highway on Sunday.

Charles Everson Jr. and his wife Linda were checked at a hospital as a precaution. The van was heavily damaged, including a broken windshield.
Charles Everson says he kept repeating, "I don't believe this. I don't believe this."

The cow had been reported missing by a breeder. It was euthanized at the scene.

Einstein on the Trinity

2007-10-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

Week 6: Homework

2007-10-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 6 of Theology and Sanity, “Three Persons in One Nature”—pp. 88—98.
Questions:
1. Is there any arithmetic involved in the doctrine of the Trinity?
2. Why is it folly / insensitive / callous to not think of the Trinity at all?
3. Why did God reveal the doctrine of the Trinity?
4. What are the words that usually get dropped from the definition of the Trinity? (p.90)
5. What are the 4 statements that set out the doctrine of the Trinity?
6. Why is there no arithmetic involved in the doctrine of the Trinity?
7. What question does nature answer? What person?
8. What kinds of beings are persons?
9. How are nature and person the sources of action?
10. What is an example of anthropomorphism Sheed talks about on p. 94?
11. Do the persons of the Trinity share the divine nature?

Reflection Questions:
1. Has your understanding of the Trinity changed after this chapter? What difference do you think that will make in your relationship with God?

The Song that Made Me Weepy In Class

2007-10-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Last night, during our discussion of Week 4's reflection question, I mentioned a song that always makes me verklempt.

Below are the lyrics to the song and a link to where you can hear it performed by the original artist (I prefer the version of my friend who introduced me to the song, but she's not on the Internet...)

You'll need Real Audio Player to listen.

How Much Do You Think You Are Worth?

Is a rich man worth more than a poor man?
A stranger worth less than a friend?
Is a baby worth more than an old man?
Your beginning worth more than your end?

Is a president worth more than his assassin?
Does your value decrease with your crime?
Like when Christ took the place of Barabbas
Would you say he was wasting his time?

Well, how much do you think you are worth, boy?
Will anyone stand up and say?
Would you say that a man is worth nothing
Until someone is willing to pay?

I suppose that you think you matter
Well, how much do you matter to whom?
It’s much easier at night when with friends and bright lights
Than much later alone in your room

Do you think they’ll miss one in a billion
When you finish this old human race?
Does it really make much of a difference
When your friends have forgotten your face?

If you heard that your life had been valued
That a price had been paid on the nail
Would you ask what was traded,
How much and who paid it
Who was He and what was His name?

If you heard that His name was called Jesus
Would you say that the price was too dear?
Held to the cross not by nails but by love
It was you broke His heart, not the spear!
Would you say you are worth what it cost Him?
You say ‘no’, but the price stays the same.
If it don’t make you cry, laugh it off, pass Him by,
But just remember the day when you throw it away
That He paid what He thought you were worth.

How much do you think He is worth, boy?
Will anyone stand up and say?
Tell me, what are you willing to give Him
In return for the price that He paid?

Graham Kendrick
Copyright © 1974 Make Way Music

Hear it.

Week 5: Homework

2007-10-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 5 of Theology and Sanity, “God Tells Man”—pp. 76—87.

Questions:
1. What are the ways Jesus teaches us about God? (Hint: the answer is in the section titles.)

2. What difference does the Incarnation with respect to our ability to know God?

3. Why did Jesus keep his divinity a secret for so long? Explain.

4. What are some of the things Christ did and said that only God had a right to do and say?

5. What was the “principal fruit” of the Apostles’ three year companionship with Jesus?

6. How do we “vivify all that hard thinking about the Infinite? (p.83).

7. Why are our words and concepts of God, though inadequate, not useless?

8. What “new element in God’s revelation of Himself to men” did Christ reveal?

Reflection Questions:
1. How familiar are you with the words and ministry of Jesus? Have you ever read a Gospel account all the way through? If not start reading one today.

Reality Check

2007-10-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mark Shea has an interesting article at Catholic Exchange about the modern tendency to misunderstand "realism" and reality.

http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/64095

Week 4: Homework

2007-10-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 4 of Theology and Sanity, “The Mind Works on Infinity”—pp. 61-76.

Questions:
1. Where was God when the universe was created?

2. Why must an infinite being be a spirit? Hint: what are the two kinds of limitations an infinite being is free from?

3. On p. 65, Sheed says that “for all spaceless beings the word ‘where’ has one meaning.” What is it? (Where are spaceless beings?)

4. God’s Immensity is another way of describing what?

5. What is time?

6. What does the phrase “before the universe was created” mean?

7. Does eternity mean time open at both ends? What is the philosophic definition of eternity?

8. On pp. 72-73 Sheed list five limitations on our knowing—three are obvious, two are less so. List all five.

9. Explain (as best you can) how God is His attributes (Knowledge, Love, Justice, Mercy, etc.).

Reflection Questions:
1. Read Matthew 13: 44-46 and then re-read the last paragraph of the chapter. What connections can you make between what Sheed says and the two parables?

Here's another argument for God's existence.

2007-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Week 3: Homework

2007-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 3 of Theology and Sanity, “He Who Is”—pp. 47-60.

Questions:

1. What are the two modern tendencies about God?

2. Why is dismissing the belief in the true God as a private affair more grotesque than dismissing as private affairs the belief in Moloch (who demanded child sacrifice) or Kali (who demanded followers to strangle strangers)?

3. What are the two ways we can come to a knowledge of God and grow in that knowledge? What is a third, supplementary way?

4. Can the existence of God be known by human reason without the aid of revelation?

5. Why should someone who already accepts God’s existence still study the “proofs” for his existence?

6. What does Sheed say is the primary cause of most people’s unbelief? Do you agree?

7. Restate in your own words the proof of God’s existence using the argument from contingency.

8. Why is a universe with only receivers of existence a contradiction in terms?

9. Who made God?

10. Define nature. (p. 55)

11. What, according to Sheed, is “the primary Truth about God”? How is this truth revealed to the Jewish people?

12. On page 57, Sheed states that whatever perfections are found in created existence must be in God. He goes on to say that knowledge and love are found in created things. What does he conclude from this?

13. Define person. (p.57)

14. Your brain may be full and hurting—don’t give up! Reread the last two paragraphs of the chapter and be encouraged! This way of thinking is hard, but it’s good.

Reflection Questions:

1. Read Luke 11: 5-13. What does this passage say about how we are to seek the Lord? What does it say about those who seek Him?

Concerning Angels

2007-10-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last night we asked one of our classmates to find out about angels and report back to us. Here is what she discovered. Good Work!!

rosary lady said...
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us “Angels are spiritual creatures who glorify God without ceasing” (no.350). Although the Church does not have a formal teaching on guardian angels, it is a traditional belief that every person has their own particular angel. The Church has always held the belief, even designating October 2 as the Feast of the Guardian Angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 336, states:

From its beginning until death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life” [quoting St. Basil in Adv. Eunomium III, I]. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

God does not create a new angel for each new baby. Angels were created sometime before the creation of the world; they “have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation” (Catechism no. 332). They are created immortal beings, meaning that they are created (not eternal, like God) and they cannot die. Angels are not separated from us after death, but remain with us in heaven, not to help us attain salvation, but ad aliquam illustrationem (to enlighten us with their angelic ministry) (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica).

If, God forbid, we should not go to heaven, we can assume that our angel would continue, as it has always done, to glorify God unceasingly.

Please Indulge My Vanity...

2007-10-02T11:08:00.001-07:00

Today I got an email from Dappled Things informing me that I'm officially published.

Dappled Things is an online (now print as well) literary magazine for young Catholic writers/artists. As of my next birthday, I am no longer a young Catholic (I turn 36 this year). So, this was my last chance to get in.

My poem is called "Bread from Heaven". I hope you enjoy it.

Week 2 Homework (For October 8)

2007-10-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 2 of Theology and Sanity, “Examination of Intellect”—pp. 30-44.

Summary:
In this chapter, Sheed takes a closer look at the intellect. He describes for us the role of the intellect in religion and then tells us of some of the intellect’s limitations. Some of these limitations are due to our bad habits; others are simply the natural limitations of the human mind. He concludes by cautioning us to be vigilant about staying intellectually fit.

Questions:
Once again, these questions are meant to help you understand the reading, not to exasperate you. If you find that you are dissatisfied with one of your answers, chances are others had similar difficulties. Make sure you mention any thing you need clarified when we go over these in class. Don’t be afraid—we’re all friends here and there’s no final…

1. What is the special function of the intellect in religion?

2. What must be “firmly put in its place” before the intellect can be trained?
Why is this so hard?

3. Define imagination. What is it limited to? Why?

4. What is spirit? What does it lack? What does it do?

5. What are some qualities of material things?

6. What are the three ways imagination interferes with intellect?

7. Explain in your own words the difference between the terms “inconceivable” and “unimaginable”.

8. Can God make an object so heavy He can’t lift it? Explain.

9. What is the first test of any statement concerning spiritual reality?

10. What about the nature of our minds is a “vastly more important limitation” than our imagination?

11. How does Sheed define Mystery?

12. What are three different approaches to dealing with the apparent contradictions in mysterious truths revealed by God?

Reflection Questions
1. On page 31 Sheed says, “...the plain truth about most of us is that we have let our intellects sink into a condition in which they do not have the muscles or the energy or the right habits for the job [of exploring reality], or any effective inclination toward it.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not? If you think he’s right about you, what resolution(s) can you make to improve your intellectual fitness?

2. Reread the first paragraph of section iii. Have you ever had your faith shattered in the way he describes?

Worth a Read

2007-09-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/64091

Week 1 Homework

2007-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Reading Assignment:
Read Chapter 1 of Theology and Sanity, “Religion and the Mind”—pp. 21-30.

Questions:
These questions are meant to help you understand the reading. Writing down your answers is a good way to find out if you really understand something. Some of the questions will be more challenging than others.

1. What is does Sheed say his concern is in this book?
2. What are the two faculties of the soul? What is the work of each?
3. Which of the two faculties matters more?
4. What, according to Sheed, does it mean to have a Catholic will and a Catholic intellect?
5. What follows logically from the fact that we are made from nothing? (p. 23)
6. Define “rigidity”. (p.24)
7. How is seeing God everywhere a matter of sanity?
8. What was the point of Sheed’s example of the human eye on page 26?
9. Explain Sheed’s fire analogy on page 29.
10. What is one practical consequence of seeing as the Church sees?

Reflection Questions
1. On page 22 Sheed says, “[W]e have not so much Catholic minds as worldly minds with Catholic patches.” Do you agree with this statement?
2. On page 28 Sheed says, “Many…find the use of the intellect in religion actually repellant…” What has been your attitude towards the use of the intellect in religion?

Worldviews and Amateur Theologians

2007-09-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a worldview, that is, a philosophy. There's no escaping this. Even if you are resolved to not think philosophically, that is a philosophy.

Some people see the world only in terms of money--everyone is involved in a class struggle: rich vs. poor; haves vs. have-nots; the common man vs. The Man. Others see the world in terms of evolutionary struggle (Darwinism), sex (Freud), or physical matter (materialists). The Church denies the fatalism of these views and affirms Man's freedom. What's more, the Church affirms the Common Man's ability to know and make sense of the world around him. She affirms our ability to develop an accurate and sane worldview.

This is good news for you and me.

Last Monday I related something that happened the other day at the bookstore. A lady from our class asked me if she'd be able to understand the book we're using in class, Theology and Sanity. I said, "yes", but she remained a little skeptical.

"Well, you're a real theologian."
"No," I replied, "I'm a fake theologian."

Did I mean by this that I was a fraud? No. I simply meant that I'm not a professional theologian--someone who studies Theology for a living. I am an amateur--one who studies Theology out of loving.

Karl Barth, a famous Protestant theologian, once said, "The Word became flesh and, through theologians, it became words again." Sadly, many of us can attest to the truth of that statement. Or, at least we can agree that a lot of our religious training has felt more like curling up with a dictionary than going for a walk with a friend. But, just because so many professional theologians have complicated things, there's no reason to dismiss Theology as a useless subject, a field of inquiry for elitists and snobs. On the contrary, our Church has an illustrious history of amateur theologians.

From St. Peter (a Galilean fisherman) to St. John Vianney (a notoriously bad student) to G.K. Chesterton to Mother Theresa, the Church is full of people who loved God without PhDs and who sought to know Him to the best of their abilities. We can all do this. We can all strive to know God better and to see reality from his perspective.

Frank Sheed asserts that a Catholic worldview is the only sane worldview. Why? Because it sees the world the way it really is. The Catholic Church has confidence that all of us can do this.

As amateur theologians in this Monday School class, this is ultimately what we're after--to know God and understand the world He gave us.

What is Monday School?

2007-09-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Monday School is a “Theology for Beginners” course.
Many of us stopped actively learning about our faith when we finished our childhood Sunday School classes. So, while our knowledge of secular subjects has grown and matured throughout our lives, our knowledge of Church teaching is often very elementary. Monday School is a remedy for this. It is what should have come after Sunday School but didn’t.

Even though we will look at Scripture, pray for each other, and learn how to give reasons for our faith, this class is not a Bible study, a prayer meeting, or an apologetics class. In the Scripture passage quoted in this blog's header, St. Paul speaks of giving up childish ways once he became a man. That’s what Monday School is all about: how to think and act like a grown-up Catholic.

Monday School is Underway!

2007-09-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

We had our first meeting last night and I was pleased to see so many faces. This blog will be updated regularly throughout the course of the class, so come back often!