As Andy Dufresne says in Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.” The first bit is true, so perhaps we can forgive Andy if the second bit is a little off-target.

I just noticed that it is December. That is maybe the most beautiful-sounding month of all. And all the months sound beautiful.

Thanks for that. It gave me hope!

Sincerely,

K. Doran

Thanks. There is a profound difference between looking at something that is far off, even if one is using the most precise telescope, and being mystically present in the life of Christ, which is historical without being bounded by time, shut up in the past. The home of the Gospel is the Liturgy of the Church. Outside of that context, the writings can only be read, and to only read them is to read them out of context.

The only reason to care at all about the Church, or anything she does, is that we want to be united to Jesus, where he is, in all that he does. Such is the power of the sacraments, which have been entrusted to the Church. The life by which she lives is primarily communicated by, and corporately enjoyed in, her rituals. Canon law and the teaching Magisterium only exist to preserve the Mysteries from various kinds of profanation. As we have all too good reason to know, such authority, accompanied by a limited infallibility, does not guarantee that the Magisterium will always act wisely or effectively to that end. But we trust that Our Lord will not let his servants destroy anything essential. Glory be to Jesus Christ! Less than four weeks till Bethlehem!

Beautiful! Your: “Does anyone think that the Gospels are mere narratives, a verbal embalming of an historical moment, long past? God forbid. The Gospels are sacred ritual,” was great!