Pope Francis Calls for Natural Law & Ethics

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Our Holy Father Pope Francis recently spoke about the new idol or 'golden calf' of the First World: the quest for money and power (May 16, 2013). The Holy Father proposed that this dire situation requires a return to ethics.

There is one phrase in the Holy Father's speech that I haven't yet seen noted as significant. It is the Holy Father's phrase "natural ethics." The Holy Father speaks of a true "natural ethics" as opposed to a false "ideological ethics."

I wrote my PhD dissertation on Thomas Aquinas' doctrine of natural law and when I read things like this, my Thomist alert system starts going off.I am exhilarated to read this. Personally, I find it refreshing to see Pope Francis as willing to attack materialism and false economies through the lens of natural law and ethics.

If you read the speech, you begin to discern that natural law is between the lines. This signals that Pope Francis will be continuing Pope Benedict's insistence on the authentic natural law tradition of Thomas Aquinas and the Catholic Tradition.

In September of 2011, Pope Benedict addressed the German Bundestag (Parliament) and insisted on a return to natural law as a possible way forward for Germany and Europe. Benedict was greatly mocked and derided for his "archaic ideas," as you may remember. Nevertheless, Benedict was bold and heroic.

It now appears that Pope Francis is willing to continue that same fight against secularism with the same tools.

Personally, I believe the American obsession with "the right of religious freedom" is battle which we will lose. We have a much better footing if we follow Benedict and Francis' lead with a return to the authentic natural law tradition. This is a rich and hallowed tradition and the Church...and it is powerful. For me the battle over a "right to religious freedom" sounds more like Thomas Jefferson and less like Thomas Aquinas.

Bravo to Pope Francis. I will be reading Pope Francis' speeches and I'll keep you posted. If any of you note something related to natural law in Pope Francis' discourses, please let me know via Twitter or Facebook. I look forward to being in touch with all of you. Thank you for reading!

Godspeed,

Taylor

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4 Encouraging Ideas from a 12 Year Old Saint

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857) was a young man under the spiritual care of Saint John Bosco. He began to study for the priesthood until he became ill and died at the age of 14.

When he was still only 12 years old, Dominic set down four rules by which he would live and become a saint. 

They are simple and beautiful:

1. I will go to Confession and to Communion often.

2. I will keep holy the feasts days.

3. Jesus will be my best friend.

4. And I would rather die than to commit a sin.

How is that for a list of resolutions? Only a child would love so simply. 

If we could keep these four resolutions in our hearts with love, each of us would become a great saint. 

By the way, this would be a great little list to give young people at the First Communion and Confirmation. This should be printed up on holy cards. I'd buy 100 of them!

Please print these four resolution and put in on your mirror to remind you every morning the simple and small way to sainthood.

Also, please forward this on to your friends for their edification.

Question: Are you skeptical? Can becoming a saint be this simple? Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts. 

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Photos of My Children at Confirmationon Saturday

By Dr. Taylor Marshall

The Marshall family celebrated a very special weekend. Our three oldest children received the sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Seitz in Dallas was recently appointed Bishop of El Paso by Pope Francis. Due to the news, Father Longua, our pastor at Mater Dei, did the honor of conferring the sacrament.

Here is Gabriel William who took the name 'Sebastian'

with his Sponsor Jordan Low and Father Longua

after the ceremony.

And here are my twins Mary Claire (confirmation name Philomena) 

and Rose (confirmation name Veronica)

with their Sponsors Amanda Halisky and Deserae Low

Soldiers of Christ!

Please say a Hail Mary for each of them that they continue to bear the standard of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Thomas Aquinas on the Special Crown of the Martyrs

By Dr. Taylor Marshall

At the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this past Sunday, Pope Francis canonized 813 Martyrs from the Italian city of Otranto who were beheaded for refusing to become Mohammedans.

“As we venerate the martyrs of Otranto," proclaimed Pope Francis," let us ask God to sustain those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence, and give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good.”

These martyrs of Otranto are our brothers and sisters in Christ. They still love us. They still care for us. Their share in Christ is much more profound than we now experience.

Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that the martyrs in Heaven receive a special crown or "aureole" when gives them a share in the reign of God. 

The aureole is a special halo that only martyrs, consecrated virgins, and ecclesiastical doctors receive in reward for striving against evil. Saint Thomas holds that the aureole is a divine endowment of regal power so that these saints have a special share in the divine power. This idea goes back to the Old Testament, the Apocalypse of Saint John, Saint Augustine, and Saint Bede.

Saint Augustine wrote: "No one, methinks, would dare prefer virginity to martyrdom" (De Sancta Virgin. xlvi). Consequently, says Saint Thomas, an aureole is due to virginity, and also to martyrdom. Thomas also writes:

Further, the crown is due to one who has striven. But in martyrdom the strife presents a special difficulty. Therefore a special aureole is due thereto.

The martyrs then have a special share in the heavenly reign of God. They always have and they always will. 

This is a biblical teaching. We read in the Book of Revelation that to the martyrs of Christ are giving a special status in Heaven. They say to Christ: "Thou hast made us a royal race of priests, to serve God; we shall reign as kings over the earth" (Apocalypse 5:10). Moreover, it is given to the martyrs of Christ to dwell beneath the heavenly altar of God on high. They are closely associated with the eternal sacrifice of Christ.

This, by the way, is why the relics of martyrs were placed in Catholic altars in the early Church. Their sacrifice as martyrs was tangibly linked to the infinite sacrifice of Christ on the Eucharistic altar.

Let's open the comments: Might you be called to be a martyr? How does one train for this honor?

Saint Vincent Ferrar says that those who have not received the sacrament of confirmation will not persevere under the Antichrist. Perhaps, the theology of the sacrament of confirmation needs to be articulated more in terms of soldier/martyr. We often stress the idea of "soldier of Christ" in confirmation but do we emphasize that the greatest soldiers belong to the "army of martyrs," mentioned in the Te Deum? Perhaps the anointing with chrism on the head signifies the aureole that could be won through martyrdom in witness to the love of Jesus Christ...

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Photo: Pope Francis Honors His Mother in Heaven

Posted by Taylor Marshall 

Pope Francis honors Our Lady of Lujan (a Marian devotion from his motherland of Argentina).

The statue of Our Lady of Luján was crafted in Brazil and sent to Argentina. A settler ordered the statue of Mary in 1630 in order to reinvigorate the Catholic faith in Santiago del Estero. 

The cart carrying the new statue stopped at the residence of Don Rosendo Oramas, located in the present town of Zelaya. However, when the caravan wanted to resume the journey, the oxen refused to move. 

Puzzled by this, the travelers removed the statue from the cart. The oxen started to move again. This was taken as a sign that the Virgin wished for the statue to remain at this location. The statue was revered there for several decadues until it was enshrined at Lujan.

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