Not all understanding relates to the supernatural Gift. We have natural capacities for understanding that can give us insight into natural things. The Gift of understanding allows us to see holy things that could not have been grasped through our natural capacities alone. Thus, when we get intimate insights into the nature of grace, the Sacraments, the lives of the Saints or theological truths of the faith, the Gift of understanding is probably aiding us.

For the modern English-speaker, the Gift of counsel is somewhat badly named, because for us counsel is something that one person gives to another. Evidently the Latin consilium also had this as a possible connotation, because St. Bonaventure mentions it as one possible meaning of the word. It is not, however, the meaning most relevant here (though in a secondary sense it might not be wholly inapplicable, since the person blessed with the Gift of counsel will surely be better equipped to advise others.) Though there is indeed an etymological connection to the Italian consiliari, you should banish from your mind at once all associations with The Godfather.

The Gift of courage (also sometimes called the Gift of fortitude) is initially curious in that it is the only Gift to actually be the duplicate of a natural virtue. Courage is of course included among the four cardinal virtues, together with prudence, temperance and justice. So, given that courage is already a virtue, why should it also be a Gift?

To answer that question it will be worthwhile to take a look at the natural virtue of courage. Courage, like all natural virtues, is characterized by Aristotle as being a mean between two unhealthy extremes. Courage relates to feelings of fear and confidence, so in this case the relevant extremes would be on the one hand fearlessness or rashness, and on the other cowardice. It should be noted that the acts appropriate to the virtue will not be the same for every person. Suppose, for example, that a man walks into a bank, demands a large sum of money and, upon receiving it, shoots the teller and flees. If I am a policeman in the vicinity who is alerted to what’s going on, it is my obligation to chase the man and try to stop him from escaping. If fear keeps me from doing my job, I will rightly be condemned as a coward. On the other hand, if I am an unarmed civilian with no relevant training who just happens to be standing in the bank line, it would be merely foolish of me to take off after an armed and dangerous criminal. Particularly if there are police or security guards present to handle the situation, the virtuous thing would be to leave the job to them (though I might make myself useful in other ways, say by tending to the injured teller or by calming other bank patrons who are beside themselves with terror.) The courageous person is able both to stand firm in the face of danger and to flee, depending on what prudence dictates.

There is some disagreement among the Doctors regarding the Gift of piety. St. Augustine lays out the different possible meanings of the term pietas in The City of God when he explains that, “Piety most properly has been understood to be the worship of God, which the Greeks call theosebiam, and yet it is also said to be had dutifully towards parents, and in the customs of the commoners this word is even often used of works of mercy (Cap.1, n.3).” So for St. Augustine, it seems that true piety is directed towards God, though he recognizes that there are parallels between this kind of worship and earthly filial piety, such as is offered to parents.

St. Thomas, thinking in a similar vein, declares that the Gift of piety is that thing “whereby, at the Holy Ghost’s instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father.(II.II.121)” Though he says relatively little about this Gift, I would imagine that he thinks of piety as the Gift whereby we worship God specifically as our spiritual Father (as opposed to our Creator, our Judge, our final end, or any of His other aspects.)

Taking the Gifts in ascending order, fear of the Lord is the first among them. It happens also to be the Gift about which the Scholastics had by far the most to say, probably in part because it seems a bit counterintuitive at first to denote fear as a Gift. Is not fear one of the most unpleasant of life’s experiences? Did not St. Paul promise us that we had not been given a “spirit of fear”?

Speaking in broad and generic terms, fear was traditionally classified as one of the four basic emotions (the other three being hope, joy, and grief or pain.) Fear is an aversion to, or shunning of, something that is evil. Like all the emotions, fear is in itself neither salutary nor pernicious; it can be either one depending on how it is directed. The Gift of fear enables us to feel this aversion towards those things that are appropriately feared, which is to say, towards those things that are genuinely the most evil. Obviously we don’t fear God as an evil thing, but we should fear certain things by virtue of their relationship to God. We can fear God’s punishments, most especially if they involve our own separation from Him, and we can also, out of love, fear to do what would be displeasing to God.

So, I’m finally back from my trip to the Northeast. It’s a little sad to see that no one decided to post in my absence… though I happen to know that at least some of our contributors have had good excuses for lying low. It was certainly a pleasure to see so many of our CSGT contributors over the last week (the only ones we missed, in fact, were Iacobus and Catharina Oxoniensis. With most of us moved or moving from the Ithaca area, it’s hard to say when we’ll be so lucky again.)

Anyway, I thought I would share with you all, in the spirit of good-natured fun, some of the sillier things that I’ve run across in the past few days from some of the Doctors. I might start out by saying that St. Augustine seems perhaps the least naive. (Perhaps this should not be surprising. The Bishop of Hippo had a bit more, err, experience than the Angelic Doctor.)

The Doctor and I enjoyed a rare and special honor last week. We got to see the movie Expelled in the same theatre where it was seen by the infamous Richard Dawkins! (But I wonder which of us enjoyed the film more?) It wasn’t something I was dying to see, but we were trapped for an afternoon at the mall, and as one who used to be quite attentive to the debate about Darwinism I thought I might enjoy seeing what Ben Stein did with the topic.

Having seen it, I would neither advise others to see it nor discourage them. If you want to enjoy cheap laughs at the expense of the minions of scientism (a perfectly respectable form of entertainment in my view), you should see it. If you mainly want to get some clarity on the crazy debate surrounding Darwinism, don’t. Mind you, I’m not calling Stein a liar. His most central point — that the academic community has systematically persecuted anyone who shows the least bit of sympathy with religiously-motivated critiques of Dawinism — is surely right. His evaluation of the science may be a little fuzzy. But at the end of the day, the debate about evolution gets into some very deep metaphysical questions, and there really wasn’t much chance that they were going to get neatly sorted out in a little film like this.

May 2nd, 2008 at 6:30 PM

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I don’t normally read recent scholarship in sociology (nor even in theology for that matter — most of my theological reading is restricted to the works of the long-deceased) but I was referred to William Portier’s Here Come the Evangelical Catholics by a good friend from college, and when she posted it on her blog I thought I’d take a look. Portier teaches theology at the University of Dayton, and was the dissertation advisor to my friend’s husband. I knew from her description that his article concerns Catholic culture in America, and particularly the culture of younger generations of Catholics who grew up after Vatican II. I also had the general impression that Portier was using the term ‘evangelical Catholic’ in a fairly positive sense, which was confusing; why in the world would a group of serious Catholics want to be named for evangelicals? To me it sounds like a taunt or a jab. However, I know my friend and her husband to be serious and well-educated Catholics, so I figured I’d better take a look.

As befits a Prince of the Church, Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos will be welcomed at the Cathedral west door in full cappa magna before processing to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to pray; he will then vest in the sanctuary whilst the Cathedral choir sings. Pontifical High Mass will then be celebrated at the High Altar with all the breathtaking ceremony and music integral to the Traditional Rite. Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos will also preach.

This from the website of the Latin Mass Society of England & Wales. Their excitement is palpable, I think, and no doubt it ought to be! I suppose that there are rather few Masses of this liturgical caliber in the world each year; add to that the location, and you have a very special Mass. I put into bold those parts of the text which caught my eye - notice how the fact of his preaching is almost an afterthought (’also’) in comparison with the magnificence and splendour set to attend his entrance into the cathedral? I’m looking forward to seeing the pictures. Classy, also, I thought, how they managed to use the word ‘integral’ - wouldn’t be an integral traditionalist announcement otherwise!

Apologies for my long absence here… I was sorry to be away from the blogosphere for the exciting event of the Holy Father’s visit to America, but the Doctor and I were on a house-hunting trip and had little access to the internet. (We’re packing our bags and moving north in about six weeks. This is the life of young academics.) Since then I’ve been burning the midnight oil to finish an academic project, which I finally did. The Doctor hasbeen patiently eating a lot of takeout and fast food over the last week or so. Anyway, I have more to say about the Holy Father’s visit (and many thanks to Iosephus for covering it in a more timely fashion) but first of all I wanted to say a few words about the Solemn High Tridentine Latin Mass that our Traditional community celebrated last Sunday.

First of all: it was a full house. Packed, even. The church officially holds 450, but we filled the overflow and had people standing. For a town like Knoxville, TN — hardly the most Catholic region of America — this was an accomplishment. There were plenty who didn’t think it would ever happen, and it warmed the heart to see the skeptics proven wrong. Sadly, we don’t get to celebrate the Latin Mass in this lovely church every week, but it’s a good thing we weren’t in our usual venue for this Mass. We’d have had to turn hundreds away.

Last Sunday at Mass, I met another Iraqi family traveling through Turkey - this time on their way to the USA. I’ve met and had occasion to talk to a few dozen now. Each time I feel slightly awkward - especially when I’m inevitably asked what my profession is — wondering if they harbor any resentment. I’ve yet to come across one family with any resentment or anger toward the USA. And I don’t think they are just being polite. This particular family from last Sunday were on their way to either California or Michigan (not surprising since those are where most of the Chaldean churches are within the USA). I’ve not thought it appropriate in these situations to talk politics or inquire about their feelings. But this is a region where people have an opinion on everything and aren’t shy to share it with you. So it’s my estimation that even given all that’s happened to their communities, they don’t blame America. As the EU continues to play the politically correct game of not showing any special preference to the plight of Christian refugees over Muslim refugees, I’m glad to see the US State Department continue to expand their visa program for the Christians (predominantly Catholics) feeling Iraq.

At any rate, the Pope certainly said some interesting things at his address to the ecumenical gathering at St. Joseph’s Church. I had already singled these passages out to send to some of my non-Catholic family members, and I’ll put them up here, too.

Too often those who are not Christians, as they observe the splintering of Christian communities, are understandably confused about the Gospel message itself. Fundamental Christian beliefs and practices are sometimes changed within communities by so-called “prophetic actions” that are based on a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition. Communities consequently give up the attempt to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according to the idea of “local options”. Somewhere in this process the need for diachronic koinonia - communion with the Church in every age - is lost, just at the time when the world is losing its bearings and needs a persuasive common witness to the saving power of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1:18-23)….

]]> Iosephus http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/thoughts-on-b-in-a-day-two/ 2008-04-18T02:49:14Z 2008-04-18T02:49:14Z

I didn’t get a chance to watch any video today, but I did read the Pope’s various addresses. The strongest and most interesting words from the homily at the Mass at the Nationals ballpark were these about the Sacrament of Penance - heck, even calling it the Sacrament of Penance is a strong statement in itself:

In today’s Gospel, the risen Lord bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and grants them the authority to forgive sins. Through the surpassing power of Christ’s grace, entrusted to frail human ministers, the Church is constantly reborn and each of us is given the hope of a new beginning. Let us trust in the Spirit’s power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the sacrament of Penance! The liberating power of this sacrament, in which our honest confession of sin is met by God’s merciful word of pardon and peace, needs to be rediscovered and reappropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes.

]]> Iosephus http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/thoughts-on-b-in-a-day-one/ 2008-04-17T04:43:02Z 2008-04-17T04:43:02Z

I wanted to share some of my impressions after watching a good bit of the coverage of the first day of Pope Benedict’s visit to America. First of all, I should mention that EWTN has a nice page where you can view the various events (with the stupid Windows Media Player, unfortunately), fast forwarding, as it were, or rewinding to watch an exciting part again. :) It’s a great thing not to have to watch the coverage live because this would require listening to Raymond Arroyo and, far worse, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus.

- Thank the good Lord for Msgr. Guido Marini! At so-called “Evening Prayer” on Wednesday, the Pope wore a magnificent cope, recently restored, Arroyo said, and dating from the time of the original dedication of the shrine to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. And, as according to the story I linked in the Ephemeris a couple days ago, the beautiful and impressively large staff (is there a more proper name for it?) - it looks like the Pope could fit off the Huns single handedly with it, given its size and apparent weight - was also used.

]]> Clara http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/solemn-high-mass-in-knoxville/ 2008-04-15T02:06:03Z 2008-04-15T02:06:03Z

For any who are (or could be) in the area of Knoxville, TN, you should check out this event next Sunday afternoon. I’ll just give you the press release (removing a few superfluous paragraphs explaining what the Traditional Latin Mass is); the website doesn’t seem to be working at the moment that I’m writing this, but it is here.

As an additional attraction, one of your beloved CSGT contributors will be singing with the choir for this Mass.

Knoxville Catholics’ First Solemn Latin Mass in Decades

At 2 pm on Sunday, April 20 at Knoxville’s historic Holy Ghost Catholic Church — currently celebrating its centennial — area Catholics will enjoy the city’s first solemn Latin Mass celebrated in the four decades since the newer vernacular Mass was introduced in the years following the Second Vatican Council.

As a special feature for this festive occasion, a combined multi-parish choir and orchestra directed by Mary Frazier Garner will sing the principal choral parts of the Mass in the famous “Coronation Mass” setting composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This unique event will afford the opportunity of hearing some of the Church’s greatest sacred music presented not solely in concert but as an active part of the liturgy in a “live” church worship service.

]]> Iosephus http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/peace-is-our-hope/ 2008-04-13T15:19:50Z 2008-04-13T15:19:50Z

The USCCB has a very informative website dedicated to the Pope’s upcoming visit to the United States (he arrives on Tuesday night, at Andrews Air Force base). This is the link for his itinerary. The itinerary is surprisingly detailed (at least I thought so); details like “The Pope kneels before a pool of water and candle, offering a silent prayer” (in connection with his visit to Ground Zero) are included. (That one struck me as a little too detailed, which is partly why I used it as an example.)

There will, of course, be one interreligious gathering and one ecumenical prayer service while the Pope is here. Now the visit’s “theme” or “title” is “CHRIST OUR HOPE”. But what is the theme or title for the interreligious meeting next Thursday? “PEACE OUR HOPE”. So who’s it gonna be, Christ or Peace? This kind of thing disgusts me. It’s the message of freemasonry: believe what you will in your own homes, but when you come out into public, remember that our ultimate goal is peace; peace is at the top of the pyramid, not Christ.

Here’s the description of the event - no surprise that it’s taking place at the John Paul II Cultural Center, is it? :)

6:30 p.m. - Interreligious Gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
The Pope will meet with representatives of other religions on the theme “Peace Our Hope.” Construction on the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center began in 1997 on 12 acres adjacent to the Catholic University of America. Since its dedication in 2000, the Center has been the site of many interreligious discussions and events.

]]> Clara http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/censoring-uncle-fulton/ 2008-04-13T07:51:06Z 2008-04-13T07:51:06Z

From Angelus Press:

Archbishop Fulton Sheen!

Also, be sure to check out our excellent collection of titles by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

Bishop Sheen will help you strengthen your spiritual life with these selections, all of which can be found on our new page dedicated to Fulton Sheen. You will find there only his best and most orthodox works.

I for one am certainly relieved to know that they won’t be including any of his shady, heretical works in the collection! Good thing we have Angelus Press to screen these things for us.

]]> Iosephus http://www.cornellsociety.org/2008/04/the-education-of-a-jesuit/ 2008-04-11T16:14:52Z 2008-04-11T16:14:52Z

I came across this while doing a very unrefined search on the web for “Cicero’s epistles”. It’s from a two volume work published in 1848 and written by Andrew Steinmetz, History of the Jesuits: From the Foundation of their Society to its Suppression by Pope Clement XIV. It is, apparently, a rabidly anti-Catholic work. But I found a page in it that has some very interesting things to say - though only by way of a sort of laundry list - about the education of the aspirant to the Company of Jesus.

THE matchless efforts, success, and reverses which we have hitherto contemplated throughout the heathen world of Jesuit-adventure, from the commencement of the seventeenth to the middle of the eighteenth century, have had their counterpart in the contemporaneous expansion of the Company in Europe. Men, such as we have seen at their work, went forth to the ends of the earth, crossing every sea; and created power for the Company; and they were adapted for their enterprise. But they left their equals behind,—men equally adapted for theirs,— which was not less comprehensive.

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