In “Homiletic and Pastoral Review” (found only online these days with printed editions no longer published ) is this summer’s recommended book reading list where convergence of themes is not a surprise
www.hprweb.com/2015/05/summer-reading-for-june-2015/
Alice Von Hildebrand takes us on a journey showing the natural law progression on the Body from Aristotle to Aquinas (Thomistics) and how era #3 Wojtyła theology is very different in his- Theology of the Body giving us a re-ordering of love and nature that leads to deformation — This is not to in any way criticize JPII since no one is bound in this era (or the former era) to his philosophy writings. Von Hildebrand’s book, rated as an outstanding read, is her Dark Night of the Body-
We understand that the Council and it’s aftermath writers and theologians raised the level of the components of marriage of “love” to that of procreation and in some quarter exceeded that of procreation It then opened it all up to the exegesis and redefinition of “love” – The preconciliar Catholic answer to this is that I love my dog (or cat) but it is not the same love to which I have for my God and my wife which should be a united love-(of three – man /woman and God) for
“Marriage” (in Latin defined as “Motherhood”)- ordered to procreation and raising of children
An error of the new Rite era was not so much letting a man and a woman who knew they could never have children marry, since they can always ‘adopt’, is letting the elderly marry – As cruel as that Catholic prohibition prior to the Council sounds The new teaching violated the marriage of the order of motherhood as heard in the crooning of the great tenors when the traditional Mama is sung in the romance version of the latin language (Italian)
The theology of the Mass is intrinsically related to this subject (How could it not be) since it’s both – the center of the Body
In an outstanding series on the Reform of the Reform of the new Rite by the famous liturgist Alcuin Reid and also several in the series by an excellent Sacred writer we’re already familiar with in contributor Peter Kwasniewski, they articulate the discussion of the Reform of the new Rite underway in Catholic academic circles of Liturgy – Sacred Tradition and Catholic Philosophy
The problems of the current structure of the Offertory and it’s erred theology as an Offering coming to the Church from the people rather than A Sacrifice Coming From the Ecclesial Body of Christ to the people
Several definitive studies
http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2014/03/the-theology-of-offertory-part-3.html?m=1
The post conciliar method seen most theologically abused by African liturgies in the bringing up of the gifts of harvest – fruits…wine etc….in a liturgical dance music and chants in vernacular african
That is the sacred meal brought up to the altar (in the protestant reformation mass) liturgical /african dance that is part and parcel of the theology of the body understanding of “The Body” as seen in more than several JP-II Papal Masses and in episcopal church masses long before the Council
While traditional Catholicism on the other hand is a Sacrifice with it’s elements brought to the people by the Priest
This naturally gives way to the Vatican II heresy of Concelebration of Mass
While this article brings out the finer points of the academic side of the study (link below) where there could be exceptions for certain feasts or liturgies celebrated by the Ordinary (Bishop) with his Priests – It can never be the regular ‘norm’ if the Mass is to be an authentic Mass and an authentic Sacrifice There are proposals underway in several Vatican congregations to abolish the Offetory in the current form of the new Rite and introduce to it the old Rite Offetory
http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2015/06/book-notice-definitive-study-of.html?m=1
Father John Perricone of Saint Anthony of Padua Jersey City in response to the altered theology of the body and the altered theology of the mass giving way to the current social unrest and cultural milieu insists that proposing the Truth of Scripture to our friends and family or even strangers in this altered climate is not going to work – For this you must have Faith and we must come to terms in the current era of denial We must face the truth that most have lost the authentic Faith including large percentages of religious and high ranking religious as well
We must start over !- What gives us our Catholic Scriptural interpretation is theology What gives us our doctrinal theology is our formation of dogmatic understandings of philosophy And as Aristotle and Plato and the like were our basis of desert Fathers and the patrology of early Church Fathers this was the roots and foundation of Thomistic philosophy of absolute truths or otherwise known as natural law
We must retreat to what lies beneath Sacred Tradition – the borders of natural law
If I were to go further personally (only to have friends colleagues disagree with my premises) that Bible classes should be under your belt at this point and more widespread bible classes at this juncture in American history will only lead to more denominations – Of course there will always be noted exceptions but for the majority this will be the norm. While we maintain Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition must be wedded together and inseparable without damage – The emphasis must now be on returning to the roots beneath Catholic Theology –
Catholic philosophy and natural law
For those interested
Tuesday night classes on same will continue through the end of the year in the building adjacent to Saint Anthony of Padua Jersey City as taught by Father John Perricone PhD
See flyer for more details
