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+Feast of St. Pius X
Pope Pius the 10th was a person of great holiness but caught in a moment of
history of enormous
transition. The Modernists, at first known as the "New Catholicism" stressed the
experiential nature of revelation, the meaning of history as lying in its issue
rather than its origins, the symbolism of subsequent dogma and the need to live
it in order to understand it, the ways in which the Biblical authors were
subject to the usual limitations of historians, and the Gospels not as
historical documents but as expressing the developing beliefs of the first
Christian generations." Pius X found himself reacting strongly against these
developments, many of which we take for granted today.
We may fault him and there is not doubt that he made some serious errors in his
response to these developments, but in the midst of it all he sought the best
interests of the Church within the limits of his own vision of what was going
on. The responsibility of discernment lies no less heavily upon Christians and
Catholics today as we face a world deeply influenced by materialism, major
decisions being made on economic principles alone.
We also see a world highly influenced by what Pope Benedict XVI calls
relativism. The saving factor
for us as for Pius X will be holiness of life, a willingness to live daily into
the mystery we celebrate at this Altar.
The Banquet is ready, are we free enough to enter into it and
celebrate God’s great gift?
Michael Casagram, OCSO
Abbey of Gethsemani
21 August 2008
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