Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - Litany Lane Blog Content:
Good Day Bloggers! Happy New Year, Bonne Annee!
Wishing everyone a Blessed Week!
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
Added to blog For 2013: Catechism of the Catholic Church
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. Its your choice whether to rise towards eternal light or lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to Purgatory and/or Heaven is our Soul, our Spirit...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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January 2, 2013 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
December 25, 2012 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
Our Lady came with little Jesus in her arms and she did not give a message, but little Jesus began to speak and said : “I am your peace, live my commandments.” With a sign of the cross, Our Lady and little Jesus blessed us together.
December 2, 2012 Message From Our Lady of Medjugorje to World:
Dear
children, with motherly love and motherly patience anew I call you to
live according to my Son, to spread His peace and His love, so that, as
my apostles, you may accept God's truth with all your heart and pray for
the Holy Spirit to guide you. Then you will be able to faithfully serve
my Son, and show His love to others with your life. According to the
love of my Son and my love, as a mother, I strive to bring all of my
strayed children into my motherly embrace and to show them the way of
faith. My children, help me in my motherly battle and pray with me that
sinners may become aware of their sins and repent sincerely. Pray also
for those whom my Son has chosen and consecrated in His name. Thank
you."
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Today's Word: eucumenical ec·u·men·i·cal [ek-yoo-men-i-kuh l]
Origin: 1835–45; < Late Latin oecumenicus belonging to the whole inhabited world (< Greek oikoumenikós, equivalent to oikoumen- (stem of passive present participle of oikeîn to inhabit) + -ikos -ic) + -al1
adjective
1. general; universal.
2. pertaining to the whole Christian church.
3. promoting or fostering Christian unity throughout the world.
4. of or pertaining to a movement (ecumenical movement) especially among Protestant groups since the 1800s, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern.
5. interreligious or interdenominational: an ecumenical marriage.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 98:1-4
1 [Psalm] Sing a new song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm.2 Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,
3 mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.
4 Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, burst into shouts of joy!
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Today's Epistle - First John 2:22-28
22 Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son.23 Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too.
24 Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
25 And the promise he made you himself is eternal life.
26 So much have I written to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
27 But as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; since the anointing he gave you teaches you everything, and since it is true, not false, remain in him just as he has taught you.
28 Therefore remain in him now, children, so that when he appears we may be fearless, and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 1:19-28
This was the witness of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' He
declared, he did not deny but declared, 'I am not the Christ.' So they
asked, 'Then are you Elijah?' He replied, 'I am not.' 'Are you the
Prophet?' He answered, 'No.' So they said to him, 'Who are you? We must
take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about
yourself?' So he said, 'I am, as Isaiah prophesied: A voice of one that
cries in the desert: Prepare a way for the Lord. Make his paths
straight!' Now those who had been sent were Pharisees, and they put this
question to him, 'Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and
not Elijah, and not the Prophet?' John answered them, 'I baptise with
water; but standing among you - unknown to you - is the one who is
coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal.' This
happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was
baptising.
Reflection• Today’s Gospel speaks about the
witness of John the Baptist. The Jews sent “priests and Levites” to
question him. In the same way, some years later, they sent persons to
control the activity of Jesus (Mk 3, 22). There is a very great
resemblance between the responses of the people regarding Jesus and the
questions which the authority addresses to John. Jesus asks the
Disciples: Whom do people say that I am?” They answered: “Elijah, John
the Baptist, Jeremiah, one of the Prophets” (cf. Mk 8, 27-28). The
authority address the same questions to Jesus: Are you the Messiah, or
Elijah, the Prophet?” John responds by quoting the Prophet Isaiah: “I am
a voice of one who cries in the desert: Prepare a way for the Lord”.
The other three Gospels contain the same affirmation concerning John: he
is not the Messiah, but he has come to prepare the coming of the
Messiah (cf. Mk 1, 3; Mt 3,3; Lk 3, 4). The four Gospels give great
attention to the activity and the witness of John the Baptist. Which is
the reason that they insist so much in saying that John is not the
Messiah?
• John the Baptist was put to death by Herod around the year 30. But up to the end of the first century, the time when the Fourth Gospel was written, John continued to be considered a leader among the Jews. And also after his death, the souvenir of John continued to have a strong influence in the living out of the faith of the people. He was considered a prophet (Mk 11,32). He was the first great prophet who appeared after centuries of the absence of prophets. Many considered him as the Messiah. When in the year 50, Paul passed through Ephesus, in Asia Minor, he found a group of persons who had been baptized with the baptism of John (cf. Acts 19, 1-4). Because of this, it was important to spread the witness of John the Baptist himself saying that he was not the Messiah and instead to indicate Jesus as the Messiah. And thus, John himself contributed to radiate better the Good News of Jesus.
• “How is it that you baptize if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? The response of John is another affirmation with which he indicates that Jesus is the Messiah: “ I baptize with water, but standing among you, unknown to you, is one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal”. And a bit ahead (Jn 1, 33), John refers to the prophecies which announced the effusion of the Spirit in the Messianic times: “The one on whom you will see the Spirit descend and rest upon him, is the one who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit” (cf. Is 11, 1-9; Ez 36, 25-27; Joel 3, 1-2).
Personal questions• In your life have you had a John Baptist who has prepared the way in you to receive Jesus?
• John was humble. He did not try to make himself greater than what he was. In reality: Have you been a Baptist for someone?
• John was humble. He did not try to make himself greater than what he was. In reality: Have you been a Baptist for someone?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Saint Basil the Great
Feast Day: January 2
Patron Saint: Hospital Administrators
The theology of Gregory Thaumaturgus, a student of Origen, influenced Basil through his grandmother Macrina the Elder.
In addition to his work as a theologian, Basil was known for his care of the poor and underprivileged. Basil established guidelines for monastic life which focus on community life, liturgical prayer, and manual labour. Together with Pachomius he is remembered as a father of communal monasticism in Eastern Christianity. He is considered a saint by the traditions of both Eastern and Western Christianity.
Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa are collectively referred to as the Cappadocian Fathers. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches have given him, together with Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom, the title of Great Hierarch. His is recognised as a Doctor of the Church in both Eastern Orthodoxy and in the Roman Catholic Church. He is sometimes referred to by the epithet "Ουρανοφαντωρ", "revealer of heavenly mysteries".[6]
Life
Early life and education
Basil was born into the wealthy family of Basil the Elder, a famous rhetor,[7] and Emmelia of Caesarea around 330 in Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia[8] (modern day Kayseri, Turkey). His parents were renowned for their piety,[9] and his maternal grandfather was a Christian martyr, executed in the years prior to Constantine I's conversion.[10][11] Among Basil's siblings, four are commonly venerated as saints: Macrina the Younger, Naucratius, Peter of Sebaste and Gregory of Nyssa.Shortly after Basil's birth, the family moved to the estate of his grandmother Macrina the Elder, which was near the town of Neocaesarea. There, Basil was educated in the home by his father and grandmother. He was greatly influenced by the elder Macrina, who had been student of Gregory Thaumaturgus.[12] Following the death of his father during his teenage years, Basil returned to Caesarea in Cappadocia around 350-51 to begin his formal education.[13] There he met Gregory of Nazianzus, who would become a lifetime friend.[14] Together, Basil and Gregory went on to study in Constantinople, where they would have listened to the lectures of Libanius. Finally, the two spent almost six years in Athens starting around 349, where they met a fellow student who would become the emperor Julian the Apostate.[15][16] Basil left Athens in 356, and after travelling in Egypt and Syria, he returned to Caesarea, where for around a year he practiced law and taught rhetoric.[8] A year later, Basil's life would change radically after he encountered Eustathius of Sebaste, a charismatic bishop and ascetic.[17]
Basil soon abandoned his legal and teaching professions in order to devote his life to God. Describing his spiritual awakening in a letter, Basil said:
I had wasted much time on follies and spent nearly all of my youth in vain labors, and devotion to the teachings of a wisdom that God had made foolish. Suddenly, I awoke as out of a deep sleep. I beheld the wonderful light of the Gospel truth, and I recognized the nothingness of the wisdom of the princes of this world.[18]
Arnesi
Russian icon of Basil of Caesarea
It was here that Basil wrote his works regarding monastic communal life, which are accounted as being pivotal in the development of the monastic tradition of the Eastern Church and have led to his being called the "father of Eastern communal monasticism".[24] In 358, he wrote to his friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, asking Gregory to join him in Annesi.[25] Gregory eventually agreed to come; together, they collaborated on the production of the Philocalia, an anthology drawn from Origen.[26] Gregory then decided to return to his family in Nazianzus.
Basil attended the Council of Constantinople in 360. It was here that he first sided with the Homoiousians, a semi-Arian faction who taught that the Son was of like substance with the Father, neither the same (one substance) nor different from him.[27] Its members included Eustathius, Basil's mentor in asceticism. The Homoiousians opposed the Arianism of Eunomius but refused to join with the supporters of the Nicene Creed, who professed that the members of the Trinity were of one substance ("homoousios"). This stance put him at odds with his bishop, Dianius of Caesarea, who had subscribed only to the earlier Nicene form of agreement. Some years later Basil abandoned the Homoiousians, emerging instead as a supporter of the Nicene Creed.[27]
Caesarea
Icon of the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great (left), John Chrysostom (center) and Gregory the Theologian (right)—from Lipie, Historic Museum in Sanok, Poland.
Basil and Gregory Nazianzus spent the next few years combating the Arian heresy, which threatened to divide the region of Cappadocia. The two friends then entered a period of close fraternal cooperation as they participated in a great rhetorical contest of the Caesarean church precipitated by the arrival of accomplished Arian theologians and rhetors.[28] In the subsequent public debates, presided over by agents of Valens, Gregory and Basil emerged triumphant. This success confirmed for both Gregory and Basil that their futures lay in administration of the Church.[28] Basil next took on functional administration of the Diocese of Caesarea.[24] Eusebius is reported as becoming jealous of the reputation and influence which Basil quickly developed, and allowed Basil to return to his earlier solitude. Later, however, Gregory persuaded Basil to return. Basil did so, and became the effective manager of the diocese for several years, while giving all the credit to Eusebius.
In 370, Eusebius died, and Basil was chosen to succeed him, and was consecrated bishop on June 14, 370.[29] His new post as bishop of Caesarea also gave him the powers of exarch of Pontus and metropolitan of five suffragan bishops, many of whom had opposed him in the election for Eusebius's successor. It was then that his great powers were called into action. Hot-blooded and somewhat imperious, Basil was also generous and sympathetic. He personally organized a soup kitchen and distributed food to the poor during a famine following a drought. He gave away his personal family inheritance to benefit the poor of his diocese.
His letters show that he actively worked to reform thieves and prostitutes. They also show him encouraging his clergy not to be tempted by wealth or the comparatively easy life of a priest, and that he personally took care in selecting worthy candidates for holy orders. He also had the courage to criticize public officials who failed in their duty of administering justice. At the same time, he preached every morning and evening in his own church to large congregations. In addition to all the above, he built a large complex just outside Caesarea, called the Basiliad, which included a poorhouse, hospice, and hospital, and was regarded at the time as one of the wonders of the world.
His zeal for orthodoxy did not blind him to what was good in an opponent; and for the sake of peace and charity he was content to waive the use of orthodox terminology when it could be surrendered without a sacrifice of truth. The Emperor Valens, who was an adherent of the Arian philosophy, sent his prefect Modestus to at least agree to a compromise with the Arian faction. Basil's adamant negative response prompted Modestus to say that no one had ever spoken to him in that way before. Basil replied, "Perhaps you have never yet had to deal with a bishop." Modestus reported back to Valens that he believed nothing short of violence would avail against Basil. Valens was apparently unwilling to engage in violence. He did however issue orders banishing Basil repeatedly, none of which succeeded. Valens came himself to attend when Basil celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of the Theophany (Epiphany), and at that time was so impressed by Basil that he donated to him some land for the building of the Basiliad. This interaction helped to define the limits of governmental power over the church.
Basil then had to face the growing spread of Arianism. This belief system, which denied that Christ was consubstantial with the Father, was quickly gaining adherents and was seen by many, particularly those in Alexandria most familiar with it, as posing a threat to the unity of the church.[30] Basil entered into connections with the West, and with the help of Athanasius, he tried to overcome its distrustful attitude toward the Homoiousians. The difficulties had been enhanced by bringing in the question as to the essence of the Holy Spirit. Although Basil advocated objectively the consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, he belonged to those, who, faithful to Eastern tradition, would not allow the predicate homoousios to the former; for this he was reproached as early as 371 by the Orthodox zealots among the monks, and Athanasius defended him. He maintained a relationship with Eustathius despite dogmatic differences. On the other hand, Basil was grievously offended by the extreme adherents of Homoousianism, who seemed to him to be reviving the Sabellian heresy.
Basil corresponded with Pope Damasus in the hope of having the Roman bishop condemn heresy wherever found, both East and West. The pope's apparent indifference upset Basil's zeal and he turned around in distress and sadness. It is still a point of controversy over how much he believed the Roman See could do for the Churches in the East, as many Roman Catholic theologians[31] claim the primacy of the Roman bishopric over the rest of the Churches, both in doctrine and in authoritative strength.
He did not live to see the end of the factional disturbances and the complete success of his continued exertions in behalf of the Church. He suffered from liver illness and his excessive asceticism seems to have hastened him to an early death. A lasting monument of his episcopal care for the poor was the great institute before the gates of Caesarea, which was used as poorhouse, hospital, and hospice.
Writings
Fresco of Basil the Great in the cathedral of Ohrid. The saint is shown consecrating the Gifts during the Divine Liturgy which bears his name.
He was a famous preacher, and many of his homilies, including a series of Lenten lectures on the Hexaëmeron (the Six Days of Creation), and an exposition of the psalter, have been preserved. Some, like that against usury and that on the famine in 368, are valuable for the history of morals; others illustrate the honor paid to martyrs and relics; the address to young men on the study of classical literature shows that Basil was lastingly influenced by his own education, which taught him to appreciate the propaedeutic importance of the classics.[32]
In his exegesis Basil was a great admirer of Origen and the need for the spiritual interpretation of Scripture, as his co-editorship of the Philokalia with Gregory of Nazianzen testifies. In his work on the Holy Spirit, he asserts that "to take the literal sense and stop there, is to have the heart covered by the veil of Jewish literalism. Lamps are useless when the sun is shining." He frequently stresses the need for Reserve in doctrinal and sacramental matters. At the same time he was against the wild allegories of some contemporaries. Concerning this, he wrote:
"I know the laws of allegory, though less by myself than from the works of others. There are those, truly, who do not admit the common sense of the Scriptures, for whom water is not water, but some other nature, who see in a plant, in a fish, what their fancy wishes, who change the nature of reptiles and of wild beasts to suit their allegories, like the interpreters of dreams who explain visions in sleep to make them serve their own end."[33]His ascetic tendencies are exhibited in the Moralia and Asketika (sometimes mistranslated as Rules of St. Basil), ethical manuals for use in the world and the cloister, respectively. Of the two works known as the Greater Asketikon and the Lesser Asketikon, the shorter is the one most probably his work.
It is in the ethical manuals and moral sermons that the practical aspects of his theoretical theology are illustrated. So, for example, it is in his Sermon to the Lazicans that we find St. Basil explaining how it is our common nature that obliges us to treat our neighbor's natural needs (e.g., hunger, thirst) as our own, even though he is a separate individual. Later theologians explicitly explain this as an example of how the saints become an image of the one common nature of the persons of the Trinity.
His three hundred letters reveal a rich and observant nature, which, despite the troubles of ill-health and ecclesiastical unrest, remained optimistic, tender and even playful. His principal efforts as a reformer were directed towards the improvement of the liturgy, and the reformation of the monastic institutions of the East.
Most of his extant works, and a few spuriously attributed to him, are available in the Patrologia Graeca, which includes Latin translations of varying quality. Several of St. Basil's works have appeared in the late twentieth century in the Sources Chrétiennes collection.
Legacy
Statue of Saint Basil, depicting him in Western vestments, in the Church of St. Nicholas, Mala Strana, Prague, Czech Republic.
Liturgical contributions
St Basil of Caesarea holds a very important place in the history of Christian liturgy, coming as he did at the end of the age of persecution. Basil's liturgical influence is well attested in early sources. Though it is difficult at this time to know exactly which parts of the Divine Liturgies which bear his name are actually his work, a vast corpus of prayers attributed to him has survived in the various Eastern Christian churches. Tradition also credits Basil with the elevation of the iconostasis to its present height.Most of the liturgies bearing the name of Basil are not entirely his work in their present form, but they nevertheless preserve a recollection of Basil's activity in this field in formularizing liturgical prayers and promoting church-song. Patristics scholars conclude that the Liturgy of Saint Basil "bears, unmistakably, the personal hand, pen, mind and heart of St. Basil the Great."[34]
One liturgy that can be attributed to him is The Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, a liturgy that is somewhat longer than the more commonly used Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. The difference between the two is primarily in the silent prayers said by the priest, and in the use of the hymn to the Theotokos, All of Creation, instead of the Axion Estin of Saint John Chrysostom's Liturgy. Chrysostom's Liturgy has come to replace Saint Basil's on most days in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic liturgical traditions. However, they still use Saint Basil's Liturgy on certain feast days: the first five Sundays of Great Lent, the Eves of Nativity and Theophany, on Great and Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday and on the Feast of Saint Basil, January 1 (for those churches which follow the Julian Calendar, their January 1 falls on January 14 of the Gregorian Calendar).
The Eastern Churches preserve numerous other prayers attributed to Saint Basil, including three Prayers of Exorcism, several Morning and Evening Prayers, the "Prayer of the Hours" which is read at each service of the Daily Office, and the "Kneeling Prayers" which are recited by the priest at Vespers on Pentecost in the Byzantine Rite.
Influence on monasticism
Through his examples and teachings Basil effected a noteworthy moderation in the austere practices which were previously characteristic of monastic life.[35] He is also credited with coordinating the duties of work and prayer to ensure a proper balance between the two.[36]Basil is remembered as one of the most influential figures in the development of Christian monasticism. Not only is Basil recognised as the father of Eastern monasticism; historians recognize that his legacy extends also to the Western church, largely due to his influence on Saint Benedict.[37] Patristic scholars such as Meredith assert that Benedict himself recognized this when he wrote in the epilogue to his Rule that his monks, in addition to the Bible, should read "the confessions of the Fathers and their institutes and their lives and the Rule of our Holy Father, Basil.[38] Basil's teachings on monasticism, as encoded in works such as his Small Asketikon, was transmitted to the west via Rufinus during the last 4th century.[39]
As a result of his influence, numerous religious orders in Eastern Christianity bear his name. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of St. Basil, an international order of priests and students studying for the priesthood, is named after him.
Commemorations of Basil
St Basil was given the title Doctor of the Church for his contributions to the debate initiated by the Arian controversy regarding the nature of the Trinity, and especially the question of the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Basil was responsible for defining the terms "ousia" (essence/substance) and "hypostasis" (person/reality), and for defining the classic formulation of three Persons in one Nature. His single greatest contribution was his insistence on the divinity and consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son.In Greek tradition, he brings gifts to children every January 1 (St Basil's Day) — unlike other traditions where Father Christmas arrives either on December 6 (Saint Nicholas Day) or on Christmas Eve (December 24). It is traditional on St Basil's Day to serve vasilopita, a rich bread baked with a coin inside. It is customary on his feast day to visit the homes of friends and relatives, to sing New Year's carols, and to set an extra place at the table for Saint Basil. Basil, being born into a wealthy family, gave away all his possessions to the poor, the underprivileged, those in need, and children.[40] A similar story exists for another Greek bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. Over the centuries the two legends have blended together, though the Western Santa Claus remains associated with Nicholas, while the Eastern "Santa" is identified with Basil.
Saint Basil died on January 1, and the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day together with that of the Feast of the Circumcision on that day. This was also the day on which the Roman Catholic calendar of saints celebrated it at first; but in the 13th century it was moved to June 14, a date believed to be that of his ordination as bishop, and it remained on that date until the 1969 revision of the calendar, which moved it to January 2, rather than January 1, because the latter date is occupied by the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. On January 2 Saint Basil is celebrated together with Saint Gregory Nazianzen.[41] Some traditionalist Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 calendars.
The Church of England celebrates Saint Basil's feast on January 2, but the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada celebrate it on June 14.[42]
In the Byzantine Rite, January 30 is the Synaxis of the Three Holy Hierarchs, in honor of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory the Theologian and Saint John Chrysostom.
The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria celebrates the feast day of Saint Basil on the 6th of Tobi (6th of Terr on the Ethiopian calendar of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church). At present, this corresponds to January 14, January 15 during leap year.
The Macedonian Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Basil's feast on January 14. He is considered as one of the greatest saints in thi Christianity and is called St. Basil the Great (Macedonian: Свети Василиј Велики).[43]
There are numerous relics of Saint Basil throughout the world. One of the most important is his head, which is preserved to this day at the monastery of the Great Lavra on Mount Athos in Greece. The mythical sword Durandal is said to contain some of Basil's blood.[44]
References
- ^ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας ὁ Καππαδόκης. 1 Ιανουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
- ^ St Basil the Great the Archbishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
- ^ Great Synaxaristes: (Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Τρεῖς Ἱεράρχες. 30 Ιανουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
- ^ Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
- ^ Fedwick (1981), p. 5
- ^ St Basil the Great the Archbishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia. Orthodox Church in America Website. http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=100003. Retrieved 2007-12-15
- ^ Quasten (1986), p. 204.
- ^ a b Rousseau (1994), p. 1.
- ^ Oratio 43.4, PG 36. 500B, tr. p.30, as presented in Rousseau (1994), p.4.
- ^ Davies (1991), p. 12.
- ^ Rousseau (1994), p. 4.
- ^ Bauer, Jerald (1971). "Basil of Caesarea". The Westminster Dictionary of Christian History. Philadelphia: Westminster Press
- ^ Hildebrand (2007), p. 19.
- ^ Norris, Frederick (1997). "Basil of Caesarea". In Ferguson, Everett. The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (second edition). New York: Garland Press
- ^ Ruether (1969), pp. 19, 25.
- ^ Rousseau (1994), pp. 32–40.
- ^ Hildebrand (2007), pp. 19–20.
- ^ Basil, Ep. 223, 2, as quoted in Quasten (1986), p. 205.
- ^ a b c Quasten (1986), p. 205.
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th ed.) vol. 1, p. 938.
- ^ Merredith (1995), p. 21.
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th ed.) vol. 1, p. 938.
- ^ St. Basil the Great in Catholic Encyclopedia: "In 373 ... Eustathius of Sebaste (became) a traitor to the Faith and a personal foe"
- ^ a b Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
- ^ Rousseau (1994), p. 66.
- ^ Merredith (1995), pp. 21–22.
- ^ a b Meredith (1995), p. 22.
- ^ a b McGuckin (2001), p. 143.
- ^ Meredith (1995), p. 23
- ^ Foley, O.F.M., Leonard (2003). "St. Basil the Great (329-379)". In McCloskey, O.F.M., Pat (rev.). Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons and Feasts (5th Revised Edition). Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press. ISBN 0-86716-535-9. Archived from the original on 23 December 2007. http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1248. Retrieved 2007-12-15
- ^ Catholic encyclopedia article on Saint Basil makes such a claim: [1].
- ^ Deferrari, Roy J. "The Classics and the Greek Writers of the Early Church: Saint Basil." The Classical Journal Vol. 13, No. 8 (May, 1918). 579–91.
- ^ Basil. "Hexameron, 9.1". In Schaff, Philip. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (2nd Series). 8 Basil: Letters and Select Works. Edinburgh: T&T Clark (1895). p. 102. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf208.viii.x.html. Retrieved 2007-12-15. Cf. Hexameron, 3.9 (Ibid., pp. 70-71).
- ^ Bebis (1997), p. 283
- ^ Murphy (1930), p. 94.
- ^ Murphy (1930), p. 95.
- ^ See K.E. Kirk, The Vision of God: The Christian Document of the summum bonun, (London, 1931), 9.118, (as quoted in Meredith)
- ^ Meredith (1995), p.24
- ^ Silvas (2002), pp. 247-259, in Vigliae Christanae
- ^ "Santa Claus". Eastern-Orthodoxy.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. http://www.eastern-orthodoxy.com/claus.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
- ^ Calendarium Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969, p. 84
- ^ http://prayerbook.ca/the-prayer-book-online/57-the-calendar-ix
- ^ [2]
- ^ Keary (1882), p. 512
Bibliography
- Bebis, George (Fall-Winter 1997). "Introduction to the Liturgical Theology of St Basil the Great". Greek Orthodox Theological Review 42 (3-4): 273–285. ISSN 0017-3894.
- Paul Jonathan Fedwick, ed. (1981). Basil of Caesarea, christian, humanist, ascetic: a sixteen-hundredth anniversary symposium, Part 1. Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. ISBN 978-0-88844-412-7.
- The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, v. 1. London: Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Hildebrand, Stephen M. (2007). The Trinitarian Theology of Basil of Caesarea. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-1473-3.
- Keary, Charles Francis (1882). Outline of Primitive Belief Among the Indo-European Races. New York: C. Scribner's Sons.
- Meredith, Anthony (1995). The Cappadocians. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminar Press. ISBN 0-88141-112-4.
- Migne, Jacques Paul (ed.) (1857–1866). Cursus Completus Patrologiae Graecae. Paris: Imprimerie Catholique.
- Murphy, Margaret Gertrude (1930). St. Basil and Monasticism: Catholic University of America Series on Patristic Studies, Vol. XXV. New York: AMS Press. ISBN 0-404-04543-X.
- Rousseau, Phillip (1994). Basil of Caesarea. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-08238-9.
- Quasten, Johannes (1986). Patrology, v.3. Christian Classics. ISBN 0-87061-086-4.
- Ruether, Rosemary Radford (1969). Gregory of Nazianzus. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Silvas, Anna M. (September 2002). "Edessa to Cassino: The Passage of Basil's Asketikon to the West". Vigliae Christianae (Brill Academic) 56 (3): 247–259. doi:10.1163/157007202760235382. ISSN 042-6032.
- Corona, Gabriella, ed. (2006). Aelfric's Life of Saint Basil the Great: Background and Content. [3] Anglo-Saxon Texts 5. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84384-095-4.
- The Life of St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea & Doctor of the Catholic Church
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Early Church Fathers, Series II, Vol. VIII contains the treatise On the Holy Spirit, the Hexaemeron, some of the homilies and the letters
- St. Basil the Great in English and Greek, Select Resources
- Basil the Great article from Orthodox Wikipedia has a slightly longer article on St. Basil
- The Heritage of the Holy Fathers has a more complete collection of his homilies (and some other works, but only a few of his letters)—in Russian
- Excerpts from Basil the Great
- Catholic Online: St. Basil the Great
- "St. Basil the Great". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
- American Catholic: St. Basil the Great
- Basil of Caesarea and His Influence on Monastic Mission benedictines.org.uk
- Preface to the Asketikon English translation by Oxford University Press
- St. Basil the Great the Archbishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia Orthodox icon and synaxarion
- St. Basil's Sermons About Fasting, translated by Kent Berghuis
- Gregory of Nyssa, A Eulogy for Basil the Great
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Today's Snippet I: Cappadocia
 |
| Fairy Chimneys rock formation nearby Göreme, in Cappadocia |
Cappadocia ( also Capadocia; Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía, Persian: کاپادوکیه Kāpādōkiyeh) is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province, in Turkey.
In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of the Taurus Mountains that separate it from Cilicia, to the east by the upper Euphrates and the Armenian Highland, to the north by Pontus, and to the west by Lycaonia and eastern Galatia.[1]
The name was traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history and is still widely used as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.
Etymology
The earliest record of the name of Cappadocia dates from the late 6th
century BC, when it appears in the trilingual inscriptions of two early
Achaemenid kings, Darius I and Xerxes, as one of the countries (Old Persian dahyu-) of the Persian Empire. In these lists of countries, the Old Persian name is Katpatuka, which is of uncertain origin: the name could be genuine Old Persian, meaning either "land of the Ducha/Tucha"
or "land of the beautiful horses" (consistent with the fact that
ancient Cappadocia was famous for its horse breeding); according to
another theory, it is a Persianized form of the Hittite name for Cilicia, Kizzuwatna.[2] The Elamite and Akkadian language versions of the inscriptions contain a similar name from Akkadian katpa "side" (cf. Heb katef) and a chief or ancestor's name, Tuka.[3]
Herodotus tells us that the name of the Cappadocians was applied to them by the Persians, while they were termed by the Greeks as "Syrians" or "White Syrians" Leucosyri. One of the Cappadocian tribes he mentions is the Moschoi, associated by Flavius Josephus with the biblical figure Meshech, son of Japheth: "and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch; now they are Cappadocians". AotJ I:6. Also see Ketubot 13:11 in the Mishna.
Cappadocia is also mentioned in the biblical account given in the book of Acts 2:9. The Cappadocians were named as one group hearing the Gospel account from Galileans in their own language on the day of Pentecost shortly after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts 2:5 seems to suggest that the Cappadocians in this account were "God-fearing Jews". See Acts of the Apostle.
Under the later kings of the Persian Empire, the Cappadocians were divided into two satrapies,
or governments, with one comprising the central and inland portion, to
which the name of Cappadocia continued to be applied by Greek geographers, while the other was called Pontus. This division had already come about before the time of Xenophon.
As after the fall of the Persian government the two provinces continued
to be separate, the distinction was perpetuated, and the name
Cappadocia came to be restricted to the inland province (sometimes
called Great Cappadocia), which alone will be the focus of this article.
The kingdom of Cappadocia was still in existence in the time of Strabo as a nominally independent state. Cilicia was the name given to the district in which Caesarea,
the capital of the whole country, was situated. The only two cities of
Cappadocia considered by Strabo to deserve that appellation were Caesarea (originally known as Mazaca) and Tyana, not far from the foot of the Taurus.
Geography and climate
Cappadocia lies in eastern Anatolia, in the center of what is now Turkey. The relief consists of a high plateau over 1000 m in altitude that is pierced by volcanic peaks, with Mount Erciyes (ancient Argaeus) near Kayseri (ancient Caesarea) being the tallest at 3916 m.
The boundaries of historical Cappadocia are vague, particularly towards
the west. To the south, the Taurus Mountains form the boundary with Cilicia and separate Cappadocia from the Mediterranean Sea. To the west, Cappadocia is bounded by the historical regions of Lycaonia to the southwest, and Galatia to the northwest. The Black Sea coastal ranges separate Cappadocia from Pontus and the Black Sea, while to the east Cappadocia is bounded by the upper Euphrates, before that river bends to the southeast to flow into Mesopotamia, and the Armenian Highland.[1]
This results in an area approximately 400 km (250 mi) east–west and
250 km (160 mi) north–south. Due to its inland location and high
altitude, Cappadocia has a markedly continental climate, with hot dry
summers and cold snowy winters.[4] Rainfall is sparse and the region is largely semi-arid.
History
Cappadocia was known as Hatti in the late Bronze Age, and was the homeland of the Hittite power centred at Hattusa. After the fall of the Hittite Empire, with the decline of the Syro-Cappadocians (Mushki) after their defeat by the Lydian king Croesus in the 6th century, Cappadocia was ruled by a sort of feudal
aristocracy, dwelling in strong castles and keeping the peasants in a
servile condition, which later made them apt for foreign slavery. It was
included in the third Persian satrapy in the division established by Darius,
but continued to be governed by rulers of its own, none apparently
supreme over the whole country and all more or less tributaries of the Great King.
Kingdom of Cappadocia
After bringing the Persian Empire to an end, Alexander the Great
tried to rule the area through one of his military commanders. But
Ariarathes, a Persian aristocrat, somehow became king of the
Cappadocians. Ariarathes I (332—322 BC) was a successful ruler, and he extended the borders of the Cappadocian Kingdom as far as to the Black Sea.
The kingdom of Cappadocia lived in peace until the death of Alexander.
The previous empire was then divided into many parts, and Cappadocia
fell to Eumenes. His claims were made good in 322 BC by the regent Perdiccas,
who crucified Ariarathes; but in the dissensions which brought about
Eumenes's death, the son of Ariarathes recovered his inheritance and
left it to a line of successors, who mostly bore the name of the founder
of the dynasty.
Under Ariarathes IV, Cappadocia came into relations with Rome, first as a foe espousing the cause of Antiochus the Great, then as an ally against Perseus of Macedon. The kings henceforward threw in their lot with the Republic as against the Seleucids, to whom they had been from time to time tributary. Ariarathes V marched with the Roman proconsul Publius Licinius Crassus Dives Mucianus against Aristonicus, a claimant to the throne of Pergamon,
and their forces were annihilated (130 BC). The imbroglio which
followed his death ultimately led to interference by the rising power of
Pontus and the intrigues and wars which ended in the failure of the dynasty.[5]
Roman and Byzantine province
The Cappadocians, supported by Rome against Mithridates VI of Pontus, elected a native lord, Ariobarzanes, to succeed (93 BC); but in the same year Armenian troops under Tigranes the Great entered Cappadocia, dethroned king Ariobarzanes and crowned Gordios as the new client-king
of Cappadocia, thus creating a buffer zone against the encroaching
Romans. It was not until Rome had deposed the Pontic and Armenian kings
that the rule of Ariobarzanes was established (63 BC). In the civil wars
Cappadocia was first for Pompey, then for Caesar, then for Antony, and finally, Octavian. The Ariobarzanes dynasty came to an end, a Cappadocian nobleman Archelaus
was given the throne, by favour first of Antony and then of Octavian,
and maintained tributary independence until AD 17, when the emperor Tiberius, who he had angered, summoned him to Rome and reduced Cappadocia to a Roman province.
Cappadocia contains several underground cities (see Kaymaklı Underground City), largely used by early Christians
as hiding places before Christianity became an accepted religion. The
underground cities have vast defence networks of traps throughout their
many levels. These traps are very creative, including such devices as
large round stones to block doors and holes in the ceiling through which
the defenders may drop spears. These defense systems were mainly used
against the Romans. The tunnel system also was made to have thin
corridors for the Roman fighting strategy was to move in groups which
was not possible to do in the thin corridors making it easy to pick them
off. The Cappadocian Fathers of the 4th century were integral to much of early Christian philosophy. It also produced, among other people, another Patriarch of Constantinople, John of Cappadocia, who held office 517—520. For most of the Byzantine era it remained relatively undisturbed by the conflicts in the area with the Sassanid Empire, but was a vital frontier zone later against the Muslim conquests. From the 7th century, Cappadocia was divided between the Anatolic and Armeniac themes. In the 9th–11th centuries, the region comprised the themes of Charsianon and Cappadocia.
Cappadocia shared an always-changing relationship with neighbouring Armenia, by that time a region of the Empire. The Arab historian Abu Al Faraj asserts the following about Armenian settlers in Sivas,
during the 10th century: "Sivas, in Cappadocia, was dominated by the
Armenians and their numbers became so many that they became vital
members of the imperial armies. These Armenians were used as watch-posts
in strong fortresses, taken from the Arabs. They distinguished
themselves as experienced infantry soldiers in the imperial army and
were constantly fighting with outstanding courage and success by the
side of the Romans in other words Byzantine".[6]
As a result of the Byzantine military campaigns and the Seljuk invasion of Armenia, the Armenians spread into Cappadocia and eastward from Cilicia into the mountainous areas of northern Syria and Mesopotamia,
and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was eventually formed. This
immigration was increased further after the decline of the local
imperial power and the establishment of the Crusader States following the Fourth Crusade.
To the crusaders, Cappadocia was "terra Hermeniorum," the land of the
Armenians, due to the large number of Armenians settled there.[7]
Turkish Cappadocia
Following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, various Turkish clans under the leadership of the Seljuks began settling in Anatolia.
With the rise of Turkish power in Anatolia, Cappadocia slowly became a
tributary to the Turkish states that were established to the east and to
the west; some of the population converted to Islam but the main
Greek-Byzantine population moved to the Ionian coast. By the end of the
early 12th century, Anatolian Seljuks had established their sole dominance over the region. With the decline and the fall of the Konya-based Seljuks in the second half of the 13th century, they were gradually replaced by the Karaman-based Beylik of Karaman, who themselves were gradually succeeded by the Ottoman Empire
over the course of the 15th century. Cappadocia remained part of the
Ottoman Empire for the centuries to come, and remains now part of the
modern state of Turkey. A fundamental change occurred in between when a new urban center, Nevşehir, was founded in the early 18th century by a grand vizier who was a native of the locality (Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Pasha), to serve as regional capital, a role the city continues to assume to this day.
In the meantime many former Cappadocians had shifted to a Turkish dialect (written in Greek alphabet, Karamanlıca), and where the Greek language
was maintained (Sille, villages near Kayseri, Pharasa town and other
nearby villages), it became heavily influenced by the surrounding
Turkish. This dialect of Greek is known as Cappadocian Greek. Following the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the language is now only spoken by a handful of the former population's descendants in modern Greece.
Modern tourism
The area is a popular tourist destination, as it has many areas with unique geological, historic, and cultural features. The region is located southwest of the major city Kayseri, which has airline and railway service to Ankara and Istanbul.
The most important towns and destinations in Cappadocia are Urgup,
Goreme, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Guzelyurt, Uchisar, Avanos and Zelve.
Among the underground cities worth seeing are Derinkuyu, Kaymakli,
Gaziemir and Ozkanak. The best historic mansions and cave houses for
tourist stays are in Urgup, Goreme, Guzelyurt and Uchisar.
Hot-air ballooning is very popular in Cappadocia and is available in
Goreme. Trekking is enjoyed in Ihlara Valley, Monastery Valley
(Guzelyurt), Urgup and Goreme.
Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, during the late Miocene to Pliocene epochs, underlie the Cappadocia region. The rocks of Cappadocia near Göreme eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like
forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region
carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of
volcanic deposits. Göreme became a monastic centre in 300—1200 AD.
The first period of settlement in Göreme goes back to the Roman
period. The Yusuf Koç, Ortahane, Durmus Kadir and Bezirhane churches in
Göreme, and houses and churches carved into rocks in the Uzundere,
Bağıldere and Zemi Valleys all illustrate history and can be seen today.
The Göreme Open Air Museum is the most visited site of the monastic
communities in Cappadocia (see Churches of Göreme, Turkey) and is one of the most famous sites in central Turkey. The complex contains more than 30 carved-from-rock churches and chapels, some having superb frescoes inside, dating from the 9th century to the 11th century.
Mesothelioma
In 1975 a study of three small villages in central Cappadocia—Tuzköy, Karain and Sarıhıdır—found that peritoneal mesothelioma was causing 50% of all deaths. Initially, this was attributed to erionite, a zeolite mineral with similar properties to asbestos,
but detailed epidemiological investigation demonstrated that the
substance causes the disease mostly in families with a genetic
predisposition to mineral fiber carcinogenesis. The studies are being
extended to other parts of the region.[8][9]
Media
The area now sees a lot of movie activity due to its topography. Turkish model and actress Azra Akin recently was in a commercial for a chewing gum called First Ice. The commercial shows some of the area's features. The 1983 Italian/French/Turkish film Yor, the Hunter from the Future was also filmed in Cappadocia. In the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, Cappadocian is an extinct clan of vampires based around Mount Erciyes. In Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Cappadocia is an underground city in Turkey which is dominated by Templars. The region was used for the 1989 science fiction film Slipstream to depict a cult of wind worshippers. In 2010 and early 2011, the film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance also filmed in the Cappadocia region.[10] The star of the film, Nicolas Cage, said he liked the area.[11]
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^ a b Van Dam, R. Kingdom of Snow: Roman rule and Greek culture in Cappadocia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002, p.13. [1]
- ^ L. Summerer, "Amisos - eine Griechische Polis im Land der Leukosyrer", in: M. Faudot et al. (eds.), Pont-Euxin et polis. Actes du Xe Symposium de Vani (2005), 129-166, esp. 135 (with references).
- ^ Room, Adrian. (1997). Placenames of the World. London: MacFarland and Company.
- ^ Van Dam, R. Kingdom of Snow: Roman rule and Greek culture in Cappadocia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002, p.14. [2]
- ^ The coinage of Cappadocian kings was quite extensive and produced by highest standards of the time. See Asia Minor Coins - regal Cappadocian coins
- ^ Schlumberger, Un Emperor byzantin au X siècle, Paris, Nicéphore Phocas, Paris, 1890, p. 251
- ^ MacEvitt, Christopher (2008). The Crusades and the Christian World of the East: Rough Tolerance. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 56.
- ^ Dogan, Umran (2003). "Mesothelioma in Cappadocian villages". Indoor and Built Environment (Ankara: Sage) 12 (6): 367–375. doi:10.1177/1420326X03039065. ISSN: 1420-326X.
- ^ Carbone, Michelle; et al. (2007). "A mesothelioma epidemic in Cappadocia: scientific developments and unexpected social outcomes". Nature Reviews Cancer 7 (2): 147–54. doi:10.1038/nrc2068. PMID 17251920. ISSN 1474-175X. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ http://spiritofvengeance.com/?tag=cappadocia
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=233331
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CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
PART
ONE:
THE
PROFESSION OF FAITH
SECTION ONE
"I BELIEVE" - "WE
BELIEVE"
26
We begin our profession of faith by saying: "I believe" or "We
believe". Before expounding the Church's faith, as confessed in the Creed,
celebrated in the liturgy and lived in observance of God's commandments and in
prayer, we must first ask what "to believe" means. Faith is man's
response to God, who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time
bringing man a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of
his life. Thus we shall consider first that search (Chapter One), then the
divine Revelation by which God comes to meet man (Chapter Two), and finally the
response of faith (Chapter Three).
CHAPTER ONE
MAN'S CAPACITY FOR GOD
I. The
Desire for God
27
The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God
and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he
find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:
The dignity of man rests above
all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to
converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if
man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love
continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth
unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his
creator.Vatican Council II, GS 19 # 1.
28
In many ways, throughout history down to the present day, men have given
expression to their quest for God in their religious beliefs and behaviour: in
their prayers, sacrifices, rituals, meditations, and so forth. These forms of
religious expression, despite the ambiguities they often bring with them, are
so universal that one may well call man a religious being:
From one ancestor (God) made
all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their
existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they
would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him - though indeed he
is not far from each one of us. For "in him we live and move and have our
being."Acts 17:26-28.
29
But this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" (GS 19 # 1) can be
forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man.GS 19 # 1 Such
attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world;
religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the
scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to
religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God
out of fear and flee his call.Cf. GS 19-21; ⇒ Mt 13:22;
⇒ Gen 3:8-10;⇒ Jon
1:3.
30
"Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."Ps
105:3
Although man can forget God or reject him, He never ceases to call every man to
seek him, so as to find life and happiness. But this search for God demands of
man every effort of intellect, a sound will, "an upright heart", as
well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God.
You are great, O Lord, and
greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without measure.
and man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this man, though
clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof that you
withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small a part of your
creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to delight in your
praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it
rests in you.St. Augustine, Conf. I, I, I: PL 32, 659-661.
Reference
- CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH - Latin text copyright (c) Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Citta del Vaticano 1993
...Coming Everyday This Month - Part One: The Profession of Faith
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