Saint Augustin et sa Mere MoniqueAry Scheffer (1795-1858)
You ought to know what you have received, what you are going to receive, and what you ought to receive daily. That Bread which you see on the altar, consecrated by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. That chalice, or rather, what the chalice holds, consecrated by the word of God, is the Blood of Christ. Through those accidents the Lord wished to entrust to us His Body and the Blood which He poured out for the remission of sins. If you have received worthily, you are what you have received, for the Apostle says: 'The bread is one; we though many, are one body' (1 Cor. 10:17). Thus he explained the Sacrament of the Lord's table: 'The bread is one; we though many, are one body.' So, by bread you are instructed as to how you ought to cherish unity. Was that bread made of one grain of wheat? Were there not, rather, many grains? However, before they became bread, these grains were separate; they were joined together in water after a certain amount of crushing. (St. Augustine, Sermons, No. 227)
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2 comments:
I enjoyed your post on the Saint Louis Catholic blog about the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope -- Sister Rosalind Moss' soon-to-be order.
She moves through our times generating great interest and a wonderful spirit in the Catholic church.
Because of your knowledge and study of Church unity, I and other readers might enjoy your insights about how Moss and people like her fit within/define/promote greater church unity.
From my out-of-the-way vantage point it seems to me that Moss is a truly remarkable woman.
Hello John,
Welcome to my blog. What an interesting question you have asked. Rosalind is an amazing woman. I was fortunate enough to be seated next to her at a four hour meal earlier this summer, and I came away feeling that I had just had spent the day with a saint. She is so full of life, and living dynamic faith. Her every day is full of prayer and answered prayers. She sees everything as an opportunity from God, an invitation for her to say or do something in His name. And because of her faith, amazing things happen. God works through her, and touches people's lives in very powerful ways. She's full of spunk, but at the same time, she is entirely respectful and obedient to the Church authority. That's a beautiful thing to see.
I think that when you put a collection of gifts together, you get a remarkable blessing. That blessing brings gifts from her Jewish background, and from all the years she spent as an Evangelical, and from her coming home into the Catholic Church, and now from her entering into the religious life. Each of these different aspects of her background and experience contribute to the way in which she is able to challenge and inspire those around her. She challenges Catholics with her exuberance and charisma; she's a walking evangelist. Many Catholics have never seen that before. She also challenges Evangelicals, with her Catholicism. She has a way about her. I can't really imagine her criticizing Protestantism or some Protestant doctrine. That's not her thing. She just shows the Catholic Church for what it is, and in doing so she shows us the beauty and attractiveness of the Church. And I think that she speaks to Jews as well in a way that is challenging but not at all threatening or off-putting. She continually talks about Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, and I imagine that its hard not to love her as she is doing it, even if you disagreed with her. I'm very grateful that she's here in St. Louis. I know that her work here will bring fruit in the years to come. Please keep her in your prayers.
In the peace of Christ,
- Bryan
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