Spiritual Anger

I n today’s Gospel reading Jesus rebukes James and John who wish to punish the Samaritan village for its lack of hospitality;

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?"
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

In St John of the Cross’s Dark Night of the Soul, he comments on the imperfections of beginners in the spiritual life.  He uses the capital vices pride, avarice, lust anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.  Each of these can be a “spiritual” imperfection in the beginner.   He comments that “because of the strong desire of many beginners for spiritual gratification, they usually have many imperfections of anger.”  He notes “they become peevish in the works that they do and easily angered by the least thing, and occasionally they are so unbearable that nobody can put up with them.” (DNS 1.5.1).

SGM

US Bishop’s Committee Condemns Book

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Committee on Doctrine has condemned the work of two Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska professors.  They note;

 

 

 

 

Professors Lawler and Salzman published a book, The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology (Georgetown University Press, 2008). This book contains the same erroneous conclusion. Moreover, applying a deficient theological methodology to additional matters, the authors reach erroneous conclusions on a whole range of issues, including the morality of pre-marital sex, contraception, and artificial insemination. Because of the pastoral danger that readers of the book could be confused or misled, especially since the book proposes ways of living a Christian life that do not accord with the teaching of the Church and the Christian tradition, the USCCB Committee on Doctrine has examined the moral methodology found in the book and offers the following brief presentation of the problems posed by it.

Shiny, Happy People

She's crying again. I bet there are parents out there that do not feel frustration when their baby screams because of a gas bubble, or a soiled diaper, or for seemingly no reason at all. These parents also have their lawn mowed, their furniture dusted, their floors clean. Their teeth are gleaming and straight, their kids do not fight and always put away their toys, their fridge is full of handpicked vegetables, and they wake up with perfect hair. They are not sinless, and they would tell you so (because they are very humble). Their savings account is full, their car oil is changed frequently, and their children know how to do things like play musical instruments, sew, dance, and multiply by the ripe age of 6. If I met these parents I would not envy their strength. I would not covet their children. I would not try to emulate them. The truth is, the whole world dances before an audience of One. God "himself has suffered and been tempted, (so that) he is able to help those who are tempted."(Heb 2:18 RSV parenthesis added) Jesus sat, and I believe in so many ways still sits, with tax collectors and sinners revealing the light of the knowledge of the glory of God through His own face. He is not intimidated by my weakness, but is actually made strong through it. God the Father delights in mercy and I give Him ample reason to be delighted by asking for it. I do not want to be a perfect father. I want to be a dependent son.

Alex Weber