Benedict on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 8, 2011, 1:51 pm
Posted by David Gibson
Wisdom from the pope this feast day, via CNS:
ROME (CNS) — The church should fear the sin of its own members more than hatred against Christians, Pope Benedict XVI said.
While the church has suffered from persecution throughout its history, it “is supported by the light and strength of God” and will always end up victorious, he said.
Overcoming trials and outside threats shows how the Christian community “is the presence, the guarantee of God’s love against all ideologies of hatred and selfishness,” he said on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
“The only danger the church can and should fear is the sin of her members,” the pope said.
Huh?
Peggy at 3:40pm: “Huh?”
Huh?
Wisdom? Feast of the Immaculate Conception? We’re all sinners. But what about the Immaculate Conception?
I think this is great. Thanks. It is also worth reading Terrance Klein’s piece from “The Good Word” in which he uses Harry Potter to explain the IC. I stole shamelessly from it today (with attribution):
http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=1&entry_id=4797
Maybe these paragraphs from the Second Vatican Council can help to pull things together.
Happy feast day, everyone!
63. By reason of the gift and role of divine maternity, by which she is united with her Son, the Redeemer, and with His singular graces and functions, the Blessed Virgin is also intimately united with the Church. As St. Ambrose taught, the Mother of God is a type of the Church in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ.For in the mystery of the Church, which is itself rightly called mother and virgin, the Blessed Virgin stands out in eminent and singular fashion as exemplar both of virgin and mother. By her belief and obedience, not knowing man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, as the new Eve she brought forth on earth the very Son of the Father, showing an undefiled faith, not in the word of the ancient serpent, but in that of God’s messenger. The Son whom she brought forth is He whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, namely the faithful, in whose birth and education she cooperates with a maternal love.
64. The Church indeed, contemplating her hidden sanctity, imitating her charity and faithfully fulfilling the Father’s will, by receiving the word of God in faith becomes herself a mother. By her preaching she brings forth to a new and immortal life the sons who are born to her in baptism, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of God. She herself is a virgin, who keeps the faith given to her by her Spouse whole and entire. Imitating the mother of her Lord, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, she keeps with virginal purity an entire faith, a firm hope and a sincere charity.
65. But while in the most holy Virgin the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she is without spot or wrinkle, the followers of Christ still strive to increase in holiness by conquering sin.(300) And so they turn their eyes to Mary who shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of virtues. Piously meditating on her and contemplating her in the light of the Word made man, the Church with reverence enters more intimately into the great mystery of the Incarnation and becomes more and more like her Spouse. For Mary, who since her entry into salvation history unites in herself and re-echoes the greatest teachings of the faith as she is proclaimed and venerated, calls the faithful to her Son and His sacrifice and to the love of the Father. Seeking after the glory of Christ, the Church becomes more like her exalted Type, and continually progresses in faith, hope and charity, seeking and doing the will of God in all things. Hence the Church, in her apostolic work also, justly looks to her, who, conceived of the Holy Spirit, brought forth Christ, who was born of the Virgin that through the Church He may be born and may increase in the hearts of the faithful also. The Virgin in her own life lived an example of that maternal love, by which it behooves that all should be animated who cooperate in the apostolic mission of the Church for the regeneration of men.
(Lumen Gentium, obviously)
Anthony,
thanks for the link. I liked Klein’s conclusion:
“One could say that the Immaculate Conception tells us that Mary’s story was more than Mary’s story. It was God’s. For those of us who aren’t destined to play a major role in salvation history—who won’t be battling Lord Voldemort anytime soon—the great joy and consolation of the feast is knowing that even we have a role to play, a destiny writ into the very designs of God. As an infant, Harry was touched by evil; it still shows in his scar. Mary was touched by grace, and that mark still shines in her countenance.”
“The church should fear the sin of its own members more than hatred against Christians, Pope Benedict XVI said.”
All he has to do is look around his own dicasteries and a large number of (arch)diocesan seats to see that.
And if he really would like to get discouraged, a series of listening sessions with some of the sheople might really open his eyes.
“The only danger the church can and should fear is the sin of her members.”
It reminds me of marriage. When young people get married and promise to stay together for better and for worse, they think of external obstacles getting in the way: illness, 2-body problems,… But when you have been married for a while, you realize that the real dangers come not for the outside but from inside the couple. What is to be feared the most for the marriage lies within the spouses.
Two kinds of responses here: one the value of Mary who in loving service shows us a way.
The other, BXVI’s words that the danger in the Church is on the inside; and, questions about how well he applies this to himself and his coleagues.
Was his own curia appointee Cardinal Kurt Koch among his listeners, or did he receive a copy of the homily? That’s the man who just launched the Ecumenism of Persecution campaign.
Bob Nunz,
perceptive analysis; but there is a third (mostly missing category — except for a brief mention in Peggy’s comment): how well do we apply Benedict’s words to ourselves.
Why do we insist on the “Little Lady dressed in Blue.” She may have never worn blue. She was a peasant women who said: “The rich will go away empty.” Yet the Empire church has catered to the rich and bowed to Charlemagne and princes. Hitler too. Are all the papal “legates” celebrating the IC while they celebrate their military power. For what else do legates do. Now she is the mother of God because Cyril had this notion of supremacy. Yet she was a peasant who could not find a room for her new baby. Yet people drool to sing hymns to Mary while we imprison Christ’s little ones and starve them to death. Jesus came to set the captives free but apologetics and mariology seeks to ignore them while fostering idolatry. Mary would have laughed at the concept of IC and insisted that the captives go free.
The sin of the members is apathy. I think our numbers in the pews are going down because many think the church will go on without us. We don’t value ourselves as contributing memebers who can have an influence on others. The sad thing is that as those sitting in the pews are preached to, others who need the “preaching” aren’t there. And we are not very effective at carrying it to them. The Pope said something profound, but now he needs to follow it up with workable suggestions.
For the first time, our bishop put an ad on television wishing our community and state a very merry Christmas, and at the end the ad stated who the message was from. Let’s have more of this. It made me feel proud to be part of the church.
These comments from B16 reminded me of what my sainted sixth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Adelaide, would often say whenever someone’s words gave the lie to their actions:
“Words come cheap. Actions always cost more.”
I may be in the minority on this blog, but I don’t think Catholics are apathetic. I believe our reaction to the hierarchs is the only appropriate and mature response aware people can have when confronted with betrayal and corruption from their leaders: Walk away and live the Beatitudes in your daily life the best one can.
The sad truth is that B16 and the rest of the hierarchs are too narcissistic [just ask Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny] to even notice how alienated from and irrelevant they are to the daily lives of most Catholics, and Christians for that matter.
No amount of Advent and Christmas “happy talk” is going to change that.
Rahner was right: it is wintertime in Catholic Church! And will probably remain so for the rest of our lives, at least for a century or two.
Jim, I hear you, and to an extent I agree. Is it hypocritical to adhere to faithful churchgoing even though you disagree with the flawed human laws? That’s where I stand because faith in God transcends the church, in my opinion. However, I’m sure their are those who won’t go because of the flaws. But they are denying themselves the divine grace of community.
Denise –
The community of Christians on Earth is not the only Christian community. There is the Communion of Saints.
As to community here, I have never placed my faith in the members of this community — we’re too unstable in our choices and actions. And, as with members of one’s family, one doesn’t abandon them because of their sins, just as they don’t abandon us. Of course, that often means a fight. Sigh.