Reflection of Br. Cesar O.P.
“On this feast day, we are encouraged to reflect on the power of prayer, particularly the praying of the rosary.”
The Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory, is celebrated on October 7th each year. This feast day holds great significance for the Dominican Order and is dedicated to the Our Lady of the Rosary as the patron of the Province of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The origins of this feast can be traced back to the 16th century when the Christian naval forces, known as the Holy League, achieved a remarkable victory against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The naval battle was fought in the Gulf of Patras, off the western coast of Greece.
Pope Pius V, who urged all Christians to pray the rosary for victory, attributed the triumph to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In gratitude for the decisive victory and in recognition of the Virgin Mary’s intercession, he established this feast day, initially called “Our Lady of Victory,” which would later become known as “Our Lady of the Rosary.”
Throughout the centuries, devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary has grown, captivating the hearts of countless faithful Catholics across the world. The rosary, a powerful prayer that meditates on the life of Jesus Christ through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has become closely associated with this devotion.
The Dominican province of Our Lady of the Rosary dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary proudly upholds this devotion and pays homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary as their patroness. They honor her on this day by participating in special Masses, processions, and other religious ceremonies. These celebrations offer an opportunity for the faithful to come together and deepen their faith through prayer and reflection.
Devotees of Our Lady of the Rosary believe that through her intercession, they can obtain peace and protection, especially during challenging times. They seek her guidance and support in their spiritual journey, recognizing her as a loving mother who always leads them closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.
On this feast day, we are encouraged to reflect on the power of prayer, particularly the praying of the rosary. We are reminded of the significance of seeking Mary’s intercession and the importance of living a life of faith, gratitude, and love towards God and one another.
What is Advent?
The word Advent is derived from the Latin word advenire, meaning ‘to come’, referring to the coming of Christ.
In the Catholic Church, Advent refers to the four weeks preceding Christmas, a time of liturgical celebration that highlights the birth of Jesus Christ and, according to biblical prophecy, the Day of Judgment on which he returns.
Advent is a time of spiritual purification, as well as preparing for Jesus’ arrival. Purple is the color used in the vestments during celebrations, a symbol of the beginning of a new liturgical year, which occurs on the first Sunday of Advent.
Advent is a time for penance and spiritual cleansing, but for Christians, it is also a time of joy and rejoicing. This is because it nurtures the hope of the Messiah’s return through the celebration of his birth.
Advent represents Mary’s waiting for the birth of Jesus. This is announced by the Angel Gabriel in a vision in which he told her she was about to conceive the Son of God.
Advent always begins on the Sunday closest to the 30th of November and ends on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve.
The wreaths of candles has symbolic meanings tied to the Christmas season, and each of them has the meaning that the circle of wreath signifies the eternity of God with no beginning or end. And even each of the individual evergreen that makes up the wreath has the meaning that can be represented to our faith. We don’t mention each of them but the most important is that the wreath as a whole is meant to remind us of both immortality of our soul and God’s promises of everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The four candles represent four weeks of Advent, and each candle represents each Sunday. Three candles are purple, the liturgical calendar color that represents the time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.
The first purple candle symbolizes hope, Sometimes it is called the “Prophecy Candle” in memory of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who prophesied the birth of Christ. It symbolizes the expectation for the coming Messiah.
The second purple candle symbolizes faith. The candle is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as it symbolizes Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is the “Shepherd’s Candle”, and it is pink because rose is the liturgical color for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.
The four and last purple candle, lighted on the four Sunday of Advent, symbolizes peace. It is the “Angel Candle,” as the angel’s message reminds us “Peace on earth, to the people of goodwill” (Luke 2:14 KJV). It is the final week of prayer, penance as we wait for the arrival of our Saviour.
In modern traditions, the Advent wreath we see does not include a white candle. But the white candle is in place in the middle of the wreath and on Christmas Eve. This candle is named “Christ candle” and it represents the life of Christ. The color white symbolizes purity because Christ is our sinless, pure Saviour.
We all want good things. When we encounter something good, whether it be the type of food, or car, or smartphone, our first question is often: where can I get that?
Virtue is a good thing. A virtuous person possesses an undeniable appeal. A virtuous person can inspire us to pursue virtue ourselves, but this is where things become somewhat complex. Unlike food, a car, or a smartphone, the virtues are not external, material things that I can obtain and then place in my refrigerator, my garage, or my pocket. Virtues are things that inhere inside a person. Human persons do not have virtues so much as they are virtuous. And this is good news, although multiple persons cannot all have an individual smartphone at the same time and to the same degree, everyone has the potential to be truly virtuous and enjoy the happy freedom that virtue provides. But where do we get virtue? Where does virtue come from? What makes a person virtuous? Let us look at the causes of the virtues.
We recall that the virtues perfect the human person, and in that person’s actions good. A virtue is a kind of habit that is a stable disposition that profoundly qualifies (deeply ) that human powers of knowing, willing, and feeling.
A virtuous person performs good actions because he or she is a good person. The type of actions one performs is linked to the type of person one is. We also recall that there are two broad categories of virtue: there are, first of all, moral virtues or human virtues. These virtues perfect the human power of knowing, being willing, and feeling in a human way and on a human level. The most famous example of the virtuous is the habits of prudence, justice fortitude, and temperance.
These pivotal ( or cardinal ) virtues perfect the natural powers of knowing, being willing, and feeling in a way proportioned to natural human freedom and flourishing.
The second broad category of virtue is the theological or God’s virtues. These virtues perfect and extend the human powers of knowing and willing beyond the human person to God himself. These operate on a supernatural level. There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. Let us now turn to the causes of these two types of virtues. A natural cause of moral ( or human ) virtues is the performance of good actions. For example, take a man who interacts with others. Such a man encounters residential neighbors and works with colleagues on a regular basis. As a human being, this man of course has a will; and thus, he has the potential to exercise his will justly in his dealings with others. If he acts justly if he gives to others that which they are owed, that which is their due, he eventually becomes a just man. The man who acts justly with regularity eventually acquires the habit of justice in his will. Why? Because through the deliberate and repeated acts of justice he becomes accustomed. He becomes habituated to the form of justice. His will itself takes on the just shape of his just actions. He becomes what he does. And because his actions are just, he becomes a just person. Similarly, the man who acts temperately, the man who allows reason to guide his enjoyment of physical pleasure like food and drink eventually becomes a temperate man.
He is a man who desires to take on the virtuous shape, the liberating habit of temperance. Through deliberate and repeated eating healthy proportions ( pursuing the good and virtuous means between excess ( too much ) and defect (too little) the man becomes a temperate man.
In summary, the natural cause of moral virtue is the performance of good actions. Moral virtues can be acquired through virtuous activity. The more good that we do, the more virtuous we become. And the more virtuous we become, the more promptly, joyfully, and easily do we perform good actions, We become what we do.
There is another type of virtue that no human action can still in the soul of the person. And these are the infused virtues, the virtues that direct and unite us to God. God is the principal cause of the infused virtues. In the case of acquired virtues, repeated, good actions eventually yield a virtuous habit in the powers of the human soul. In this case of infused virtues, however, this order is reversed. God first imparts, He first infuses, supernatural virtue into the soul, and then the person is able to act according to these theological virtues.
Why do we need infused supernatural virtues? As discussed earlier, the acquired moral virtues are habits that are good in relation to human goodness. The moral virtues are good insofar as they perfect nature on a natural level. In contrast, the infused virtues are supernatural good. They are with goodness beyond the proportion of human goodness. God is the measure of supernatural goodness. And because the intimate life of God is beyond the natural reach of the human powers of knowing and willing, only God can cause the theological virtues in the power of the human soul. Take the infused (theological) virtue as faith, for example; no repeated acts of rigorous thought or even sympathetic judgment can engender or cause the supernatural virtue of faith in the human intellect. We do not come to faith in God after or because we have to judge what he says to be true. Rather, God first imparts the theological virtue of faith in the soul, and it is by this supernatural habit that we are enabled to make acts of faith.
The theological virtue of faith unites the human intellect to God. Through faith, we believe that what God reveals is true because it is God who reveals it. Our mind must first be raised to God in order for us to believe something because of God. This is what the infused virtue does.
In sum, the virtues perfect a human person, making both the person and the person actions good. But there are two kinds of goodness: There is natural (moral) goodness and there is supernatural (theological) goodness. We acquire moral virtues through repeated actions. In this way, good actions are the cause of moral virtue in the human powers of knowing, willing, and feeling.
With regard to supernatural goodness, the goodness of God, however, no human action can produce theologically proportioned virtues. Only God can cause, only God infuses his virtues: faith, hope, and charity. Therefore, repeated and deliberate good actions can cause moral virtue. But only God can cause the infused virtues in the soul of the human person.
Summa Theologiae I-II, q. 51, a,1-3
https://aquinas101.thomisticinstitute.org
Easter is one of the most important festivities for Christianity, as it brings us to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a moment that invites us to reflect on the victory of life over death, the victory of love over hatred. And also about our role in building a more just and fraternal society.
May this period be filled with renewal, love of neighbor, and reflection on our thoughts and actions. May we strengthen our mission and learn more and more, from each other, and be inspired by the Word of God.
May it also be an opportunity for freedom from suffering and confidence in love. Both in the love that God has for us, and in the love that we can dedicate to those around us and, mainly, to those who need it most. Whether they are in our communities or in places that are experiencing serious conflicts and appear on the news.
May the joy of the risen Jesus Christ comfort all hearts, those who are close to us and also those who are distant, needing hope to face difficulties.
On October 4th is the date of honoring Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and nature, also known for being the saint of the poor.
Who is St. Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1182. He was the son of Pedro Bernardone, a wealthy merchant, and also, from a noble family in Provence. In his youth, Francis was very wealthy and wasted money on ostentations. However, his father’s business did not interest him, much less his studies. What he wanted was to have fun. However, St. Bonaventure, his contemporary, wrote about him: “But, with divine help, he never let himself be carried away by the ardor of the passions that dominated the young people of his company”.
In Francis’ youth, a war broke out between the Italian cities called Perugia and Assisi. He wanted to fight in Espoleto, between Assisi and Rome but fell ill. During his illness, Francis heard a supernatural voice. The latter asked him to “serve love and the Servant”. Little by little, with much prayer, Francis felt in his heart the need to sell his goods and buy the precious Once”, upon encountering a leper, despite his natural disgust, he overcame his will and kissed the sick.
It was a gesture moved by the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, he began to make visits and serve patients who were not in hospitals. He share his own clothes and money with the poor, Francis felt in his heart the need to sell his goods and buy the precious pearl that he had read about in the Gospel.
One day when Francis was praying alone in Saint Damian church, in Assisi, he felt that the crucifix was talking to him, repeating the famous phrase three times: “Francis, repair my house, for you look that it is in ruins“. He sold everything he had and took the money to the priest of the Church of Saint Damian, and asked for permission to live with him. Francis was twenty-five years old at that time.
Saint Francis and his followers traveled to many cities in Europe and Africa, such as Egypt, Cyprus, Rome, Syria, and other cities. To better meditate on the mystery of the birth of Christ, Saint Francis of Assisi would have made figures representing Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus, building the first nativity scene, which became so popular at Christmas. In1224, while meditating on Mount Alverne, Saint Francis received the stigmata of Christ.
Francis had heard God’s calling. Thus, he began to live with joy in the life of poverty, humility, and obedience. He believed that for the Christian to live the real meaning of the Gospel, he should give up all comforts and follow the life of Jesus Christ.
He wrote the first rule of the Franciscan Order and obtained the oral approval of Pope Innocent III, in 1209, giving rise to the branch today known as Franciscan Conventual Friars. Also, he would receive the young Clara, who would be responsible for the female branch of the Franciscans, under the name of Poor Clares.
He died on October 3, 1226, under the age of 45, after listening to the reading of the Passion of the Lord. He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX (1145-1241) two years later after his death.
By Bro. Cesar OP
The encyclical makes no concessions in asserting the moral responsibility of men who, with their behaviors, influence the environment, pollution, global warming, and, ultimately, how we can prevent all of this. The Holy Father, the Pope, calls on everyone for an ecological conversion. It instigates us to change our route: to strive to safeguard the environment, our common home. And he says that polluting, contributing to global warming, to deforestation, is, at heart, a sin.
When the Roman Pontiff, starting from the second chapter of the encyclical, introduces the aspects of faith, he does so with a very clear preamble: Why insert in this document, addressed to all people of goodwill, a chapter referring to the convictions of faith? I am aware that, in the field of politics and thought, some strongly refute the idea of a Creator, or consider it irrelevant, to the point of relegating to the scope of the irrational the wealth that religions can offer for an integral ecology and for the full development of mankind. Other times, they are supposed to constitute a subculture that should simply be tolerated. However, science and religion, which provide different approaches to reality, can enter into an intense and productive dialogue for both
There are some theological reflections and numerous acts of accusation directed at the powerful and developed nations. I have selected below those that I consider the main points: Preserving the natural world is the best legacy that we can leave for future generations:
Abandoning fossil fuels: Waiting for better solutions (renewable energy) it is better to prefer lesser evil. In the case of energy, the worst of all is fossil coal. We know that technology based on fossil fuels, all very polluting – especially coal, followed by oil and, to a lesser extent, by combustible gases – must be replaced progressively, however, without hesitation. In the expectation of a broad development of renewable energies, which should have already started, it is legitimate to choose the lesser evil or to resort to transitory solutions.
The failure of UN climate meetings: More than 20 years of summits have served little to control global warming. Noteworthy is the weakness of the international political reaction. The submission of politics to technology and finance is demonstrated by the failure of the world vertices on the environment. There are too many private interests and, very easily, the economic interest prevails over the common good and manipulates information.
Emission credits are useless negotiation: The strategy of buying and selling emission credits can result in a new form of speculation and does not serve to reduce the global emission of polluting gases. This system seems to be a quick and easy solution, with the appearance of a certain commitment to the environment, but it does not really imply a radical change in the circumstances.
Far from it, it can become an expedient that allows sustaining the overconsumption of some countries and sectors.
Importance of local initiatives: In some places cooperatives are developed for the exploitation of renewable energies that enable local self-sufficiency and even the sale of surplus production. This simple example indicates that, while the existing world order is powerless to take responsibility, the local authority can make a difference. It is here that greater responsibility can be born, a strong sense of community, a special capacity for good care and more generous creativity, a deep love for the land itself, as well as thinking about what will be left for children and grandchildren. These values have very deep roots in Aboriginal populations.
Transgenics? Neither in favor nor against: It is difficult to pass a general judgment regarding the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), plants or animals, for medical or agricultural purposes, as they can be very different from one another and require different considerations. On the other hand, the risks should not always be attributed to the technique itself, but to its inadequate or excessive application. In reality, genetic mutations have been and continue to be produced many times by nature itself. Not even those caused by humans are a modern phenomenon. The domestication of animals, the crossing of species, and other ancient and universally accepted practices can be the object of these considerations. It is worth remembering that the beginning of scientific work on transgenic cereals was the observation of bacteria that naturally and spontaneously produce changes in the genome of a vegetable. However, in nature, these processes have a slow pace, which cannot be compared to the speed imposed by current technological progress, even when such progress is based on multi-century scientific developments.
Consumption is the most serious problem for the world population: blooming demographic growth and not extreme and selective consumerism by some is a way of not facing problems. In this way, the intention is to legitimize the current distributive model, in which a minority believes in the right to consume in a proportion that would be impossible to generalize because the planet could not absorb the waste produced by such consumption.
Cell phones and other devices are ruining our relationship with nature: At the same time, real relationships with others, with all the challenges they imply, tend to be replaced by a type of communication mediated by the internet. This allows selecting or eliminating relationships according to our discretion and, in this way, a new type of artificial emotion is often generated, which has more to do with electronic devices and visual displays than with people and nature. The current means allow us to communicate and to share knowledge and affections. However, sometimes they prevent us from making direct contact with anguish, with fear, with the joy of others, and with the complexity of their personal experience. That is why it should not be surprising that, besides the oppressive supply of these products, a deep and melancholy dissatisfaction in interpersonal relationships, or harmful isolation, is growing.
The legacy for the new generation? Desolation: Catastrophic predictions can no longer be considered with contempt and irony. We will be able to leave for the next generations too many ruins, deserts, and garbage. The rhythms of consumption, waste, and changes in the environment have surpassed the planet’s possibilities, in such a way that the current lifestyle, being unsustainable, can only lead to catastrophes, as in fact, it is already happening periodically in several regions.
Polluting and extinguishing resources is a sin: The environment is a collective asset, the patrimony of all humanity and everyone’s responsibility. Whoever owns a part of it is only to manage it for the benefit of all. If we don’t, we will carry the burden of denying the existence of others in our conscience. That is why the bishops of New Zealand wondered what the command “you shall not kill means when about 20% of the world population consumes resources in order to rob the poor nations and future generations of what they need to survive.
Noise pollution is also reprehensible: to speak of authentic development, it will be necessary to have an integral improvement in the quality of human life, and that implies analyzing the space in which people’s existence is taking place. The environments in which we live influence our way of seeing life, feeling, and acting. In our bedroom, in our home, in our workplace, and in our neighborhood, we must make use of the environment to express our identity. We strive to adapt to the environment, but when it is disordered, chaotic, or saturated with visual and noise pollution, the excess of stimuli tests our attempts to develop an integrated and happy identity.
These are some interesting and controversial points of the encyclical that help us to reflect and take positions and that deserve studies from us to deepen. It is also a challenge for governments and technicians. A great advance in reflection and in taking positions regarding so many important situations for the world of today and tomorrow.
by Bro. Cesar. OP.
