In God’s Hands: The Spiritual Diaries of Pope St John Paul II. Литагент HarperCollins USD
1: An outline of the topic: episcopacy: rootedness – (episkopein [to view, to consider]) = an all-embracing view. Leadership; (Rosary).
Meditation 2: The outline of the topic cont.: ‘matters’.
Matins; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; Compline
Reading: Fr Stefan Schudy, ‘The Priesthood of Jesus Christ’ (Coll. Theol.)1
5 November
Lauds; (Prime); Mass – concelebration (conversation with Fr Augustyn); Thanksgiving; The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
Reading: Fr H. de Lubac, La foi chrétienne. Essai sur la structure du Symbole des Apôtres2
The Way of the Cross: association with the Gospel of Cana of Galilee
Meditation: On rootedness. The fundamental reality of revelation and faith is the Son of God’s ‘rootedness’ in human nature, in humankind, in the human family, in every human being. This rootedness takes place through the Church, which is the Bride and the ‘Lamb’s Spouse’. In this relationship the Church ‘enables’ her Bridegroom to take root in humankind ever anew, in the course of generations – and in this way she constantly ‘gives birth’ to new people for God by way of the supernatural likeness to Christ. This fundamental process of Christ’s taking root in people through the Church is fulfilled by the power of the Holy Spirit, who acts in the human soul in His own particular way. The holy sacraments serve to signify and realise simultaneously Christ’s rootedness in man. In the sacraments Christ receives us – it happens so even in the Eucharist, when we receive Him, and in baptism, when Christ receives us for the first time. Christ’s ‘taking root’ in man constitutes the ground for the justification and the union. Christ is ‘Consubstantialis’ [‘consubstantial’] and ‘Missus’ [‘sent’] at the same time: remaining consubstantial with the Father in accordance with His deity, He is simultaneously sent: the Father ‘gave’ Him. His mission is still ongoing: He continues it, taking root in humankind and in every human being. This rootedness constitutes the ‘ontological’ ground for man’s justification before God and the union with God for every human being. It is also the primary reality; whenever we think of our rootedness in Christ. Because the latter is only secondary and derivative. We take root in Christ according to the principle of His ‘taking of root’ in human nature, in humankind, in the human family and in every human being.
Our rootedness in Him takes place ex opere operato [by the work performed] (that is, by the power of His actions in the Church, outside the Church and through the Church).3 At the same time, however, a broad perspective for ‘opus operantis’ [‘the efficacy of the agent’] opens up. One needs to ‘carry out’ thoroughly one’s rootedness in Christ through one’s entire consciousness and attitude. Rootedness through baptism, through priesthood and episcopacy. It is simultaneously a participation in Christ’s vocation, in His mission. Because Christ is ‘Consubstantialis’ and ‘Missus’.
The Little Hours; ‘Matters’; Vespers
Meditation: Lumen gentium emphatically teaches how Christ, glorified in heaven, is simultaneously present in the bishops of His Church and acts through them to lead people to truth and salvation. Christ’s ‘rootedness’ needs to be conceived through all forms and levels of the Church community, including the bishops’ community: ‘communio Ecclesiarum – communio episcoporum’ [‘the communion of Churches – the communion of bishops’], as last year’s Council reminded us. While acting towards this end, forming the right attitude, becoming involved and accepting involvement – one needs to take care of:
1. The intention with which one undertakes tasks (Cons. de Laicis, Congr. pro clero, Congr. pro Eccles. Orient., Congr. Pro Cultu Div. – Synod [the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Congregation for the Clergy, Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Congregation for Divine Worship – the Synod])
2. The Bishops’ Conference, Province: complementarity which is being thoroughly and laboriously developed – the Synod: the preparation of the subject matter, the attitude to D. K. (H. B.). The Commission of the Bishops’ Conference
3. The Chapter: The Commission of the Bishops’ Conference
4. Diocese: the steps taken are probably right and necessary: thoroughness and gradation.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: ‘apart from me you can do nothing’;4 Eucharist = ‘With Me’; ‘Matters’; Fr Augustyn’s talk on the topic of ‘immersion in Christ’s death’ according to St Paul; Rosary; Matins; Holy Hour as a ‘priestly hour’; Compline
Reading: Fr H. de Lubac (cont.)
6 November
Lauds (Prime); Holy Mass – concelebration; Thanksgiving; ‘Matters’
Reading: Fr H. de Lubac (cont.)
Meditation: ‘Seeing – episkopein’.
The basis for this is faith in its supernatural essence: participation in the knowledge which God Himself has. One must ask to partake in this, since it is a gift given by the Person to a person.
One must ask for it and deepen it by oneself (the issue of the increase of faith) in two directions: (1) in the direction of eschatological fulfilment, so that this perspective never gets weaker (different current events point to it). Faith is the primary result of Christ’s rootedness in us – and the expression of our rootedness in Him. Hence the relationship: rootedness–seeing. (2) One must ask to see the universal Church and its issues and the ‘local’ Church through the lens of faith. This is a special meaning of ‘episkopein’, the seeing in faith of the universal–local Church as that part of the people of God whom Christ leads to the Father through the bishop. This in turn results in seeing individual people from this perspective.
The Way of the Cross: Reference to yesterday’s talk: participation in Christ’s death and resurrection: only Christ’s resurrection has an eschatological meaning – ‘Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again.’5 The death of Adam’s descendant; the birth in Christ.
The Little Hours; Rosary
(During the morning Mass I was nourished by the spirit of trust in God’s work during the retreat, despite all human shortcomings and obstacles.)
Vespers; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (following the Friday custom)
Meditation (pract.):
(a)‘Experience’ has a certain communal sense: there is a force in man that directs his feelings in a given domain. The matter at stake is man’s ability to control his feelings by himself and by virtue of this force. This is also a type of a ‘test of grace’, because it is only with the help of grace that man can achieve that. At the same time, it is about the correct interpretation of values: the objective side of ‘experience’. The margin of error or fault? imperfection? peccatum leve [venial sin]?
(b) Question: Can the misfortunes that recently befell people close to me be considered a punishment? (marginal thoughts) May they be considered a sign? What are they supposed to signify?
(c) Multidirectional work, in particular creative work: intensive, the issue of necessity.
Many thoughts on the topic of grace and its proper meaning and interpretation.
With reference to (a), (b), (c) it is important that grace is included in it:
1. grace in its objective meaning = the good willed by God
2. grace as help.
Reading: Fr de Lubac (cont.)
Litany of the Saints; Penitential psalms
Consideration: (a) occasione anniv. [illegible] [on the occasion of the anniversary […]]
= Episcopus debet esse ‘homo videns’? [The bishop should be the ‘man who sees’?]
(b)