War and Christian Ethics

War and Christian Ethics: Classic and Contemporary Readings on the Morality of War
Ed. Arthur F. Holmes
Baker Academic, 2005

"Since the Vietnam conflict, a growing  body of ethical writing has appealed both to pacifist viewpoints and the just war tradition. But classic source materials that keep the issues in the context of political and ethical theory, as well as of the history of Christian thought, are not generally available. The present volume attempts a limited remedy of this situation." (Introduction, pg. 1)

This book is an excellent primer for those wishing to study war in the Christian context. Many of the earlier works cited and excerpted for review come from our church fathers and theologians (Ambrose, Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas). Holmes does a good job of compiling a broad survey of thought on war, from Plato and Cicero to the 20th century. Topics covered include natural and divine law, Christians and government, soldier and his conscience, laws of war, and a potential "convergence" of pacifism and just war. What you will find lacking in this volume is coverage of modern Catholic discourse on war - for example, Holmes leans more in the Protestant direction for his discussion of Nuclear Deterrence and Terrorism. For more context on Catholic thinking on war, consider the Catechism or the documents released by the USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops) in 1983 (The Challenge of Peace) and 1993 (The Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace).

The book is recommended for anyone wanting some perspective on both pacifist and just war traditions on war, with Christian historical thought as a backdrop to the discussion. Although by no means complete, it does contain excerpts of many of the classic source materials, as Holmes promised.

C.H. Pak, Founder
AC USA

Holy Saturday in Triduum: Holy Patience

 

Waiting. The experience can be dull, especially when we're supposed to keep watch for something (or someone). It can be full of anticipation, like the moments before a wedding. It can be agonizing when we're in pain, longing for relief. It can be almost unbearable when we are awaiting death. When awaiting resurrection, it is beyond words.

Our path Home is punctuated by many periods of waiting. Within all such periods is planted a seed of fortitude, that virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good (CCC #1808). If we allow such seeds to take root in our hearts, the Spirit produces the fruit of holy patience. It is holy patience that remedies the pain of waiting. 

Holy Saturday (which begins at sundown on Good Friday) was probably the most excruciating period of waiting Jesus' disciples ever experienced. A sabbath day by Jewish practice, Holy Saturday brought the past and the present together into a new tradition: rest (by commandment) and holy patience (for the Lord's return). It is the same model by which the deceased abide until God resurrects them on the last day.

Around three in the afternoon on Good Friday, we are told that Jesus breathed his last (Lk 23:44; 46b). The spectators returned home (Lk 23:48), but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who followed him from Galilee (Lk 23:49). Before the Sabbath began that evening, Joseph of Arimathea, who was awaiting the kingdom of God, went to Pilate, asked for his body, and had it laid in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried (Lk 23:50-54).The women who followed him saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was in it, came and prepared spices and oils, then rested on the sabbath according to the commandment (Lk 23:55-56). 

The gospels do not speak of what happened in the universe between the time of Jesus' death and resurrection. We only know from them that Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus (Mk 15:42; Lk 23:51-52; Jn 19:38); he was buried in the same garden where he was crucified (Jn 19:41); a guard was placed at his tomb and a seal affixed to the stone (Mt 27:66); and the women who followed Jesus prepared spices and perfumed oils to treat his body (Lk 23:55). 

St. Bernard tells us: 

"the Word was not separated from the body or the soul even at the division of body and soul. Even in separation there remained inseparable unity. Whether body and soul were joined or divided, the unity of Person continued in all three. One and the same Christ, one and the same Person, was the Word, the soul and body, even after death. It was in the Virgin's womb, as I think, that this mingling and leavening took place." (On Consideration, X.22)

Our Church fathers and our creed tell us that after he died he "descended into hell," or that he passed into Sheol, the abode of the dead. 1 Peter 3:18-20a also sheds some light on Christ's activity: 

"For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark." 

Holy Saturday carries a tension of separation and anticipated reunion with Christ. As Catholics we experience this tension in Triduum. Holy Thursday is the last Mass we experience until Easter. From Good Friday through Holy Saturday there is no Eucharist (Mass) - the tabernacles are empty, the sanctuaries are stripped bare, and a deep silence settles in the Church's body. The waiting lingers. Then, our patience is rewarded with Easter vigil Mass on Saturday night. We are reminded of the stories of old: of Creation, of God's holy people, and of our inheritance as Christ's own. Our newly baptized are welcomed into the Church, and together we dwell in union with Christ at Eucharist. 

May this Triduum be a time of growth in your love for God and neighbor, and a period of camaraderie with our faithful departed as we wait together for the joyful Easter that is our risen Lord.

C.H. Pak, Founder

AC USA

When the Lion Roars

When the Lion Roars: a primer for the unsuspecting mystic
By Stephen J. Rossetti
Ave Maria Press, 2003

Rossetti begins this little volume by telling us what a mystic is: "By 'mystic' I do not mean someone who necessarily has extraordinary supernatural experience, although these sometimes do occur. Nor am I speaking of those who claim to possess a hidden knowledge of a secret spiritual realm. Rather, Christian mystics are those who live the Christian life 'with the gloves off.' These men and women experience directly and powerfully the dynamic and overwhelming Truth. And they can say without hesitation, as did the prophet Amos, that the Lion has roared." ~ pg. 11

The book is organized into twenty seven mini-chapters, no more than a few pages each, beginning with the intense experience of the gift of God's generosity and navigating the mystic's progress (and pain points) as he or she learns to recognize the "sound" of God. Once united to God the mystic becomes a bearer of God's joy and message. Stripping away the 20th century quasi-Gnostic association with mysticism, Msgr. Rossetti revives a portrait of the Christian mystic that refers us back to the more native (Catholic) Carmelite reflections of St. John of the Cross and the Trappist musings of Thomas Merton.

Msgr. Rossetti reminds us of the importance of such virtues as discernment and obedience, the benefits of having a wise and well-trained spiritual director, and the intimacy of "munching" on Jesus in Scripture and Eucharist. The longing for perfect solitude and silence that inevitably comes with a greater reliance on the holiness of God is often misinterpreted by both the world and the seeker, which speaks to the importance of the aforementioned in order to stay on target.

The book is very readable, with an accessible and conversational tone throughout. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to learn more about the mystic or just looking for a refreshingly honest perspective on the inner workings of holiness.

C.H. Pak, Founder
AC USA