Most Holy Mary, Our Mother, in your great love for us
you gave us the Holy Scapular of Mount Carmel,
having heard the prayers
of your chosen son Saint Simon Stock.
Help us now to wear it faithfully and with devotion.
May it be a sign to us of our desire to grow in holiness.
O Beautiful Flower of Carmel,
most fruitful vine,
splendor of heaven,
holy and singular,
who brought forth the Son of God,
still ever remaining a pure virgin,
assist us in our necessity!
O Star of the Sea,
help and protect us!
Show us that you are our Mother!
The second degree of humility is, when a man loves not his own will, nor is pleased to fulfill his own desires but by his deeds carries out that word of the Lord which says: “I came not to do My own will but the will of Him that sent Me” (Jn 6:38). It is likewise said: “Self-will has its punishment, but necessity wins the crown.”
The third degree of humility is, that for the love of God a man subject himself to a Superior in all obedience, imitating the Lord, of whom the Apostle says: “He became obedient unto death” (Phil 2:8).
The fourth degree of humility is, that, if hard and distasteful things are commanded, even though injuries are inflicted, he accept them with patience and even temper, and not grow weary or give up, but hold out, as the Scripture says: “He that shall persevere to the end shall be saved” (Mt 10:22). (Holy Rule 7)
Glorious Saint Benedict,
sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace!
Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet.
I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.
You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.
{mention your petition}
Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
The life of God – precisely because God is triune – does not belong to God alone. God who dwells in inaccessible light and eternal glory comes to us in the face of Christ and the activity of the Holy Spirit. Because of God’s outreach to the creature, God is said to be essentially relational, ecstatic, fecund, alive as passionate love. Divine life is therefore also our life. The heart of the Christian life is to be united with the God of Jesus Christ by means of communion with one another. The doctrine of the Trinity is, ultimately, therefore a teaching not about the abstract nature of God, nor about God in isolation from everything other than God, but a teaching about God’s life with us and our life with each other.
Dear St. Bonaventure
Cardinal, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church,
you chose a life that embraced mortification and great humiliation.
Choosing to serve those individuals who were rejected and sick you risked illness for yourself.
You made your life a continuous prayer and spent hours meditating on the wounds of Christ.
Please pray for us that we may have a sincere and humble heart.
Pray that we may not lose sight of Jesus’ wounds and thus walk on the straight path to eternal salvation.
All-powerful Father,
through the intercession of St. Bonaventure
we ask that you hear the intentions we hold in our hearts for this novena
may we always benefit from his wisdom
and follow the example of his love.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
The first degree of humility, then, is that a man always have the fear of God before his eyes (cf Ps 35[36]:2), shunning all forgetfulness and that he be ever mindful of all that God has commanded, that he always consider in his mind how those who despise God will burn in hell for their sins, and that life everlasting is prepared for those who fear God. And while he guards himself evermore against sin and vices of thought, word, deed, and self-will, let him also hasten to cut off the desires of the flesh.
Let a man consider that God always sees him from Heaven, that the eye of God beholds his works everywhere, and that the angels report them to Him every hour. The Prophet tells us this when he shows God thus ever present in our thoughts, saying: “The searcher of hearts and reins is God” (Ps 7:10)…Therefore, in order that he may always be on his guard against evil thoughts, let the humble brother always say in his heart: “Then I shall be spotless before Him, if I shall keep myself from iniquity” (Ps 17[18]:24) . (Holy Rule 7)
Glorious Saint Benedict,
sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace!
Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet.
I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.
You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.
{mention your petition}
Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
Episode 4 – The Form of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor explore the theme of holiness through the lives of prominent Catholic figures such as Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Fulton Sheen, and John Paul II. These individuals, despite their different paths and actions, shared a common foundation in their daily practice of adoration and sacramental life: the importance of receiving spiritual nourishment to give to others.
Dr. Fagerberg discusses the necessity of balancing active service with liturgical life, comparing it to the need to inhale before exhaling. This balance ensures that service is rooted in a communion with Christ rather than being mere social work. The conversation delves into the concept of genuine worship, emphasizing that true worship should be directed towards God, not the actions or movements themselves.
The dangers of ego in spirituality, noting that true prayer involves listening to Christ rather than merely talking about oneself. The significance of the Psalms in Christian prayer is highlighted, as they represent a dialogue between God and Christ. The importance of liturgy in shaping spiritual life, not as an expression of personal feelings, but as a way to conform to God’s will. Liturgy is described as a formative process that aligns believers with the divine order, likened to a mask that eventually shapes the wearer’s face to fit it.
Dr. Fagerberg touches on the distinction between dulia (reverence to saints and holy places) and latria (worship due to God alone), cautioning against idolatry. The podcast concludes with reflections on the transformative power of liturgy in leading to deification, allowing believers to see and interact with the world through the light of divine grace.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
The experience of lukewarm prayer.
The nature of humility and worship.
What is the form of liturgy?
What is Dulia and Latria?
Liturgy comes from whom we are worshipping.
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“The odd thing is that we can sometimes be proud of our humility and our self knowledge which makes us more vainglorious I have a couple of lines that I’m proud of having written, and this is one of them. So long as there is this old Adam ego humility will feel like humiliation. And if you wake up in the morning with a Christian smile and say, dear God, I’d like to become more humble today. He’ll accommodate you. There will be humiliations. Oh, I didn’t mean to say that. Oh, I meant to hold my tongue. Oh, I’m not even, I’m going to fact like it’s humiliating. Yes. That’s what it is to carry these crosses to be nailed with Jesus to the cross is for you to die to yourself, to your seam. This isn’t ego like healthy your strength. This is like me for as myself second, or there’s anything left. I’ll take it. This is a, God is my servant. Rather than me being his servant.”
More taken from the discussion:
“It’s not as if God is changing so rapidly, that new material has to be inserted into the liturgy. Just to keep up with him. If the liturgy were totally or even significantly culturally dependent, then we could say that it would need continual revision for, with a changing material. The form would have to be different too, but liturgy is not an expression of how people see things. Rather it proposes instead how God sees all people.”
And still more:
“They are Dulia and Latria. Dulia means a homage or reverence or respect you pay dulia to distinguished persons, or even places. The Archangel Gabriel gets dulia. Saint Augustin gets dulia. Mother Theresa gets dulia. The grotto at Notre Dame gets dulia. Lartia is different from dulia. And I don’t know if I can give it a single English word. So instead I’ll give it a description. Latria is what we give God. And only God, because he is God, you can give dulia to the emperor, but you must give latria to God. And you ought not to give latria to the emperor because that would be giving latria to something other than God, to an image of God, to something lesser than God, which in Greek was the word eídolo. And that’s where the word idolatry comes from idos lateria is giving latria to something other than God.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
The Role of Adoration in Daily Life: How can we integrate daily adoration into our routine to ensure that our actions are inspired and sustained by our relationship with Christ?
Balancing Service and Worship: In what ways can we ensure that our charitable actions are rooted in our communion with Christ rather than mere social work?
Self-Knowledge and Humility: How can we cultivate true humility and self-knowledge in our spiritual journey, avoiding the trap of becoming proud of our humility?
Understanding Worship and Worth-ship: What does it mean to truly worship God and give Him worth-ship in our daily lives?
The Importance of Liturgy: How does participating in liturgy shape our understanding of God and our relationship with Him?
Conforming to Christ’s Liturgy: In what ways can our worship and daily life reflect Christ’s liturgy before the Father?
Idolatry and True Worship: How can we avoid idolatry by ensuring that our ultimate concern and worship are directed solely to God?
Formative Power of Liturgy: How can we allow the liturgy to form us into the people God calls us to be?
Seeing the World with New Eyes: How does our participation in the liturgy help us to see the world through the eyes of faith and respond accordingly?
Prioritizing Greater Goods: How can we discern and prioritize greater goods in our life, continually moving closer to God’s ultimate good?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
Episode 3 – Living Mystery in the Mundane – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the universal call to holiness as articulated by Vatican II, emphasizing that every Christian is a mystic, evangelist, and apostle in their own right. They explore the lay apostolate’s role in manifesting the mystery of Christ through daily life, even in seemingly mundane tasks. Dr. Fagerberg highlights the concept of “Consecrating the World,” which involves integrating liturgy, theology, asceticism, and mysticism into everyday experiences, suggesting that mundane activities are opportunities for liturgical acts and Eucharistic sacrifices.
The importance of seeing the divine in the ordinary, using examples like standing near the altar during Mass as Mary stood near the cross, and how daily interactions and struggles, can be acts of spiritual warfare and service. The Eucharist and the sacramental life nourish and capacitate Christians for this mission, drawing on the mystical participation in the Paschal mystery and the continuous cycle of receiving and giving in spiritual life.
Dr. Fagerberg also reflects on the deeper meaning of liturgy and its connection to salvation history, suggesting that liturgy is not just ceremonial but is deeply rooted in God’s cosmic plan for redemption and sanctification. He emphasizes that true spirituality has a disciplined, ascetic dimension, contrasting it with the often shapeless notion of spirituality in contemporary culture.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is a “mundane” liturgical theology?
The call to holiness is here and now.
How the Church serves a Mother.
Why liturgy? Why worship? Why are we called?
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“So where are you going to practice your asceticism, not sitting in your office, reading a book and thinking lofty thoughts about the human race, but when that colleague bugs me in this office meeting, when one more time I have to admit that Elizabeth is right, but I’m too stubborn to do so overcoming those passions of pride and vainglory and ego and avarice and gluttony and, and envy and backbiting… tiny little actions, day by day, movement by movement. St. John Chrysostom has a terrific homily on Ephesians which he says that the poor that you meet in the city, in the public square, the poor are another altar on which you can make your Eucharistic sacrifice. You’re so happy to have been in the church where there’s this stone altar that was, honored and revered because it bore upon it, the body and blood of Christ. Well, here is Christ in the person of the poor. Look, how generous God is to you. He’s given you a thousand chances a day to make another liturgical act, another Eucharistic sacrifice. And just when I think I’ve satisfied my quarter, he sends another one to me, what a good and generous God we have.”
More taken from the discussion:
“Chesterton was asked why he became a Catholic. And his answer was because we’re sinners. And because we have a God who loves us passionately. And so this is what God has done in order to rectify the problem. I think God always had intended to bring us home to him, to let us join the life of God, to enter the perichoresis of the Trinity. It’s not like that was plan A and then after the fall in the garden of Eden, he moved on to plan B redemption is a completion of creation. Creation was the beginning of redemption. So his goal is for our sanctification, our adoption, our deification, and God gets the ball rolling with the salvation history.”
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Universal Call to Holiness: How do you understand your role as a mystic, evangelist, and apostle in your daily life?
Consecrating the Mundane: In what ways can you integrate liturgy, theology, asceticism, and mysticism into your everyday tasks?
Manifesting Christ in Daily Life: How can you see Christ in the ordinary aspects of your life and in the people you encounter daily?
Standing by the Cross: How do you assist at Mass and relate it to standing near the cross with Mary?
Eucharistic Participation: How does your participation in the Eucharist nourish and capacitate you for spiritual warfare and service?
Liturgical and Cosmic Connection: How do you perceive the connection between liturgical practices and God’s cosmic plan for redemption?
Spiritual Discipline: How can you cultivate a disciplined, ascetic spirituality in your life?
Sanctifying the Secular: In what specific ways can you sanctify the secular world through your actions and relationships?
Living the Paschal Mystery: How do you live out the Paschal mystery in both your internal spiritual life and external actions?
Recognizing Divine Nourishment: How do you recognize and respond to the ways Christ and the Church nourish you spiritually in your daily journey?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
Episode 2 – Liturgy as the Mystical Encounter – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor discuss the deeper meaning of liturgy, emphasizing that it’s more than just a set of rules and structures. Liturgy is portrayed as a mystical encounter with Christ, where the structural elements serve to facilitate this deeper experience.
Dr. Fagerberg introduces the concept of a “grammar” to life and liturgy, where the rules and order create a foundation for meaningful expression and understanding. He draws parallels between liturgical discipline and other forms of structured training, such as athletics, where discipline and practice lead to greater freedom and mastery.
The discussion shifts to asceticism, described as a necessary discipline to clear the heart and soul, allowing for a deeper connection with the divine. Ascetic practices are likened to the preparatory steps of a bird taking flight, with the effort of asceticism enabling the mystical experience. Asceticism is about properly orienting one’s life towards God, not rejecting the world but engaging with it in a way that glorifies God and aligns with His will.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What melody is this liturgy supposed to be creating?
What is Liturgical Asceticism?
The influence of the Desert Fathers and St. Benedict of Nursia.
Who’s liturgy should we be doing on Sunday morning?
Whose liturgy should we be doing in our lives?
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“There’s an ascetical effort and the mystical takes flight. I’ve seen pictures of birds that take lots and lots of steps. Oh, I’ve seen them take off from water. We might as well go back to baptismal imagery. Here’s the bird running along the surface of the waterfall. He’s flapping his wings and then takes off. the feet are the asceticism and the wings are mysticism.”
More taken from the discussion:
“The mystery of Christ, it sounds like the faithful are enabled to be mystics. So the definition finally arrives in 10 69. The word liturgy originally meant a public work, a service in the name of, or on behalf of the people. This was a Schmiemann phrase. The liturgy is the work of a few on behalf of the many. In ancient Rome, paying your taxes was called the liturgy. This was what you did for the sake of the public polis space. When the rich, sponsored a civic improvement project and made new roads, or when they sponsored a series of games in the Coliseum, not killing Christians, I presume, but chariot races, this was called their liturgy. It’s their contribution for the good of the city. Someone is doing a work to benefit others.
That’s the definition of the word liturgy. According to Catechism 10.69, which continues in Christian tradition, it means participation of the people of God in the work of God, the work of a few on behalf of the many, in this case, the work of three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on behalf of the human race, which stands cut off from God, alienated in death. The Father’s will is to destroy death and raise us to return a life through the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the work of salvation has unfolded from the bossom of the Father. So through liturgy Christ, our Redeemer and high priest continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his liturgy. Through the liturgy, Christ continues his work of redemption. So who’s liturgy should we be doing on Sunday morning? Not mine, not yours. Christ’s work of redemption should be continued. Christ. When I meet my neighbor, I must be via Christ to him. She must be a Christ to me. This expands beyond the 50 minutes and the mystery, which Christ enacted by his passion, this pasta is a mystery that takes us up into it. And that’s why we’re mystics.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Understanding Liturgy Beyond Structure: How can we see liturgy as a mystical encounter with Christ rather than just a set of rules and rituals?
The Role of Grammar in Liturgy: How does understanding the “grammar” of liturgy enhance our participation in it?
The Connection Between Asceticism and Liturgy: In what ways can ascetic practices help us to participate more fully and consciously in the liturgy?
Embracing Asceticism in Daily Life: What are practical ways we can incorporate ascetic discipline into our daily routines to deepen our spiritual lives?
Learning from Monastic Traditions: How can the practices and insights of the Benedictines and other monastic traditions inform and enrich our own liturgical and spiritual practices?
Living as a Liturgical Person: What does it mean to be a “liturgical person” in everyday life, and how can we strive to embody this in our actions and attitudes?
Integrating Mysticism into Liturgy: How can we cultivate a mystical approach to liturgy that allows us to experience the mystery of Christ more profoundly?
The Role of the Heart in Liturgy: What steps can we take to ensure that our participation in the liturgy comes from a place of full, active, and conscious engagement of the heart?
The Impact of Liturgy on Daily Witness: How can our participation in the liturgy empower us to live out and witness the mystery of Christ in the world?
Understanding the Economy of Salvation: How does reflecting on the concept of liturgy as the “work of a few on behalf of the many” deepen our appreciation for the communal and salvific aspects of liturgical worship?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
Episode 1 – The River of the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and host Kris McGregor discuss the interconnectedness of liturgy and mysticism in Christian life, exploring how these elements, often perceived as separate, are integral to fulfilling one’s baptismal calling.
Dr. Fagerberg explains that baptism is not a one-time event but the beginning of a lifelong spiritual journey involving liturgical responsibilities and mystical enjoyment of God. He emphasizes that liturgy should not be seen merely as ritualistic or formal actions but as a profound expression of one’s faith that should influence daily life.
The concept of “liturgical mysticism,” where personal mystical experiences and the public sacramental life, are intertwined. Dr. Fagerberg uses metaphors such as a river flowing from the throne of God to describe how liturgy impacts both the church and the individual believer. He tells listeners of the importance of recognizing and embracing mysticism in everyday life, suggesting that everyone, not just extraordinary mystics, is called to this deeper spiritual engagement.
Liturgy is the work of God (opus Dei) enacted through human activity, and it aims to glorify God and sanctify humanity. He also touches on the holistic nature of liturgy, which should permeate all aspects of life, and the ultimate goal of uniting with God.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is “liturgy”?
What is “mysticism”?
The significance of baptism.
Understanding “teleology”. What’s the telos of a human being?
Understanding the connection between the interior heart personal liturgy and the exterior sacramental public liturgy
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“… everything was directed towards a certain end, there was a telos, teleology. The telos of our watches is to tell time, the telos of a knife is to cut. What’s the telos of a human being? Deification, adoption, being taken up into the circulation of the life of the Trinity. How do you make that journey? That’s liturgical. That’s the ascetical struggle. That’s the discipline of spiritual warfare. That’s mysticism. That’s the allure theological in the way the Eastern fathers defined telógia, a union with God. The objective here is union with God. Well, if that’s the telos, the teleological end is our union with God, then everything, not just Sunday morning for 55 minutes, everything in our life and all aspects of our life, liturgical, theological, ascetical, and mystical.”
More taken from the discussion:
“There’s a book on liturgy by an Eastern Rite. Catholic named John Carbone, who takes the imagery from the book of revelation of liturgy as a river flowing from the throne of God. Oh, it’s not like, something that I’m trying to produce. Liturgy isn’t my production. Liturgy is the river of life flowing from the throne of God. And I imagined it landing first in the church in order to make this Mystical Body of Christ. It lands first in the baptismal font, but the font fills up and the river of liturgy overflows the lip of the baptismal font and it hits us.
And now it becomes our personal liturgy. Besides the public Church liturgy, there’s an interior heart personal liturgy. And I thought that’s liturgical mysticism. That’s liturgy happening at an interior mystical spiritual level. That’s an attempt to connect liturgical mysticism with the work of the Church. I surely am not suggesting that there are two tracks and some people like Church and priests and a lot of incense, and other people like to go in their room and pray by themselves. No, no, no. The interior heart personal liturgy must be connected to the exterior sacramental public liturgy.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Understanding Liturgy and Mysticism How can we deepen our understanding of liturgy and mysticism to fulfill our baptismal calling?
The Importance of Baptism What aspects of our baptismal identity are we called to live out daily?
Integrating Liturgy into Daily Life How can we make our daily lives reflect the liturgical practices and spiritual disciplines we observe in church?
Personal and Public Liturgy In what ways can we connect our personal spiritual practices with the public liturgy of the church?
Role of Asceticism How can we incorporate ascetical practices into our lives to support our spiritual growth and mystical experiences?
Embracing Mystical Experiences What steps can we take to become more aware of and open to mystical encounters with God in our daily lives?
Liturgical Foundation and Mysticism How can understanding the liturgical foundation of the church help us embrace our role as mystics?
Liturgical Actions as Identity Formation In what ways do our liturgical actions shape our identity as Christians and how can we be more intentional about this process?
Understanding God’s Work in Liturgy How can we better recognize and participate in the work of God through our liturgical practices?
Holistic Christian Life How can we integrate the various aspects of our Christian life—liturgical, theological, ascetical, and mystical—toward the ultimate goal of union with God?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
St. Catherine of Siena, Part 2 – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: March 17, 1347, Siena, Italy
Died: April 29, 1380, Rome
Nationality: Italian
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss the life and teachings of St. Catherine of Siena. They highlight her maternal-like love and her profound spirituality, often likened to Mother Teresa’s. Pope Benedict XVI referred to her as a “spiritual mama” due to her embodiment of Christ’s love and willingness to suffer for others. They delve into St. Catherine’s spirituality, emphasizing her gift of tears, which Pope Benedict praised as a sign of profound sensitivity and tenderness.
They explore St. Catherine’s influence on various levels of society, from humble individuals to the Pope and entire republics. Despite her influence, St. Catherine remained grounded in prayer and humility, understanding the importance of detachment from sin and the virtues. Her writings, particularly “The Dialogue,” serve as practical guides to the spiritual life, emphasizing love, humility, and obedience.
St. Catherine’s pivotal role in urging Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome, as well as her efforts to heal the Great Western Schism, are mentioned. Despite her failing health, St. Catherine continued to work tirelessly for the Church until her death, symbolizing her lifelong dedication and sacrifice.
Finally, they touch on the significance of Catherine’s relics and her enduring influence in both Rome and Siena. Dr. Bunson encourages listeners to explore St. Catherine’s writings and emulate her commitment to holiness and service to the Church.
St. Catherine’s Spiritual Maternity: How does St. Catherine’s life exemplify a maternal-like love and Christ-like compassion for others?
The Gift of Tears: Reflect on Pope Benedict XVI’s description of St. Catherine’s “gift of tears” as a sign of profound sensitivity and tenderness. How can we cultivate a similar depth of emotion in our spiritual lives?
Practical Spirituality: In what ways did St. Catherine balance her intense spiritual life with practical engagement in societal and political issues? How can we emulate this balance in our own lives?
The Dialogue as a Practical Guide: Explore the practical insights offered in St. Catherine’s “The Dialogue.” How can her teachings on detachment from sin, virtues, and love be applied in our daily lives?
Influence on Church History: Reflect on St. Catherine’s pivotal role in urging Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome. How can we, like Catherine, work to heal divisions within the Church and promote unity?
Endurance and Sacrifice: St. Catherine continued to serve the Church tirelessly despite her failing health. How does her example inspire us to persevere in our own challenges and commitments?
Legacy and Influence: Consider the enduring influence of St. Catherine’s relics and her impact on both Rome and Siena. How can we honor her legacy by deepening our devotion to Christ and serving others selflessly?
From Vatican.va, an excerpt from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI
From the General Audience on St. Catherine of Siena
“A true and authentic spiritual family was built up around such a strong and genuine personality; people fascinated by the moral authority of this young woman with a most exalted lifestyle were at times also impressed by the mystical phenomena they witnessed, such as her frequent ecstasies. Many put themselves at Catherine’s service and above all considered it a privilege to receive spiritual guidance from her. They called her “mother” because, as her spiritual children, they drew spiritual nourishment from her. Today too the Church receives great benefit from the exercise of spiritual motherhood by so many women, lay and consecrated, who nourish souls with thoughts of God, who strengthen the people’s faith and direct Christian life towards ever loftier peaks. “Son, I say to you and call you”, Catherine wrote to one of her spiritual sons, Giovanni Sabbatini, a Carthusian, “inasmuch as I give birth to you in continuous prayers and desire in the presence of God, just as a mother gives birth to a son” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 141: To Fr Giovanni de’ Sabbatini). She would usually address the Dominican Fr Bartolomeo de Dominici with these words: “Most beloved and very dear brother and son in Christ sweet Jesus”.
Another trait of Catherine’s spirituality is linked to the gift of tears. They express an exquisite, profound sensitivity, a capacity for being moved and for tenderness. Many Saints have had the gift of tears, renewing the emotion of Jesus himself who did not hold back or hide his tears at the tomb of his friend Lazarus and at the grief of Mary and Martha or at the sight of Jerusalem during his last days on this earth. According to Catherine, the tears of Saints are mingled with the blood of Christ, of which she spoke in vibrant tones and with symbolic images that were very effective: “Remember Christ crucified, God and man….. Make your aim the Crucified Christ, hide in the wounds of the Crucified Christ and drown in the blood of the Crucified Christ” (Epistolario, Lettera n. 21: Ad uno il cui nome si tace [to one who remains anonymous]). Here we can understand why, despite her awareness of the human shortcomings of priests, Catherine always felt very great reverence for them: through the sacraments and the word they dispense the saving power of Christ’s Blood. The Sienese Saint always invited the sacred ministers, including the Pope whom she called “sweet Christ on earth”, to be faithful to their responsibilities, motivated always and only by her profound and constant love of the Church. She said before she died: “in leaving my body, truly I have consumed and given my life in the Church and for the Holy Church, which is for me a most unique grace” (Raimondo da Capua, S. Caterina da Siena, Legenda maior, n. 363). Hence we learn from St Catherine the most sublime science: to know and love Jesus Christ and his Church. In the Dialogue of Divine Providence, she describes Christ, with an unusual image, as a bridge flung between Heaven and earth. This bridge consists of three great stairways constituted by the feet, the side and the mouth of Jesus. Rising by these stairways the soul passes through the three stages of every path to sanctification: detachment from sin, the practice of the virtues and of love, sweet and loving union with God.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn from St Catherine to love Christ and the Church with courage, intensely and sincerely. Therefore let us make our own St Catherine’s words that we read in the Dialogue of Divine Providence at the end of the chapter that speaks of Christ as a bridge: “out of mercy you have washed us in his Blood, out of mercy you have wished to converse with creatures. O crazed with love! It did not suffice for you to take flesh, but you also wished to die!… O mercy! My heart drowns in thinking of you: for no matter where I turn to think, I find only mercy” (chapter 30, pp. 79-80).”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
