Oblate letter of the
Pluscarden Benedictines, Elgin,
Moray, Scotland. IV30 8UA.
Ph. (01343) 890257 fax
890258
Website www.pluscardenabbey.org DMB series No 23
Oblate Letter Autumn Exaltation of the Cross
2104
Monastic Voice: St Francis de Sales, bishop--ergo had fullness of charisms
necessary to his office, including monastic.
St Francis De Sales:"Letters To Persons In The World"-
LETTER XLIL To a religious of the visitation."Answers to questions on the
truths of Faith." Dated 28th
November, 1621.
"THE truths
of the faith, my dearest child, are sometimes agreeable to the human spirit,
not only because God has revealed them by his word, and proposed them by his
Church, but also because they suit our taste, and because we enter into them
thoroughly, we understand them easily, and they are according to our inclinations.
As, for example, that there is a Paradise after this mortal life, this is a
truth of faith which many hold much to their satisfaction, because it is sweet
and desirable. That God is merciful the greatest part of the world finds to be
a very good thing, and easily believes, because even philosophy teaches us this
; it is conformable to our taste and to our desire.
Now, all the
truths of faith are not of this kind; as, for example, that there is an eternal
hell for the punishment of the wicked, this is a truth of faith, but a bitter,
terrifying, fearful truth, and one which we do not believe willingly, except by
the force of God's word.
And now I say, firstly, that naked and simple faith is that by
which we believe the truths of faith, without considering any pleasure,
sweetness, or consolation we may have in them, but solely by the acquiescence
of our spirit in the authority of the word of God, and the proposition of the
Church : and thus we believe no less the terrifying truths than the sweet and
agreeable truths : and then our faith is naked, because it is not clothed with
any sweetness or any relish ; it is simple, because it is not mingled with any
satisfaction of our own feelings.
Secondly, there
are truths of faith which we can apprehend by the imagination ; as that our
Lord was born in the manger of Bethlehem, that he was carried into Egypt, that
he was crucified, that he went up to heaven. There are others, which we cannot
at all grasp with the imagination, as the truth of the Most Holy Trinity,
Eternity, the presence of our Lord's
body in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist : for all these
truths are true in a way which is inconceivable to our imagination, since we
cannot imagine how these things can be. Still, our understanding believes them
firmly and simply, on the sole assurance it has of the word of God : and this
faith is truly naked, for it is divested of all imagination ; and it is entirely
simple, because it has no sort of action except the action of our
understanding, which purely and simply embraces these truths on the sole
security of God's word. This faith, thus naked and simple, is that which the
saints have practised and do practise amid sterilities, drynesses, distrusts,
and darknesses.
To live in truth,
and not in untruth, is to lead a life entirely conformed to naked and simple
faith, according to the operations of grace and not of nature ;because our
imagination, our senses, our feeling, our taste, our consolations, our
arguments, maybe deceived and may err; and to live according to them is to live
in untruth, or at least in a perpetual risk of untruth; but to live in naked
and simple faith, this is to live in truth.
So it is said of the wicked spirit, that he abode not in the truth
because having had faith in the beginning of his creation, he quitted it,
wishing to argue, without the faith, about his own excellence, and wishing to make
himself his end, not according to naked and simple faith, but according to
natural conditions, which carried him on to an extravagant and irregular love
of himself. This is the lie in which live all those who do not adhere with
simplicity and nudity of faith to the word of God, but wish to live according
to human prudence, which is no other than an ants' nest of lies and vain
arguments.
This is what I think good to say to you on your two questions.
FROM THE OBLATEMASTER'S DESK
How very often when our brethren( or ourselves!) come up
with questions, with problems, of faith they turn out to be, in the cold light
of day, problems of suffering. "If God loved me/us/them....if God
loved,..... then how could He allow that to happen? The supernatural virtue of
faith is a gift of the holy Spirit with which we cooperate with our whole will
or not. If our "faith" rests simply on our liking for certain truths
or the power of our imagination to conceive of them and agree with them then
there is very little of the theological virtue of faith there at all. If all
our "faith" is like this then we may hardly be exercising the
supernatural virtue of faith at all. We have turned St Irenaeus' dictum on its
head. He said theology is "faith seeking understanding". We have become
all-wise measurers of all things seeking a god (small g), seeking a
"faith" that fits the facts ( OUR "facts"). Instead of
seeking God as we are adjured to do by St Benedict we are seeking ourselves.
St Francis de
Sales points us towards the "naked and simple" faith that is the genuine article, the virtue and gift of God
that faith is and that leads us to God like hope and charity.
The monk, the nun and the oblate all require to exercise this
virtue of faith in order to seek God where they are in all the circumstances of
life especially the most untoward and cross-grained. The cross where it rests
on us is the growing point of faith. Faith that does not start from here is not
faith at all. The things that might "shake" faith are the very
starting-points of faith truly so called.
Books and media We commend the author of
the "Introduction to the Devout life", St Francis De Sales.
The above quoted quasi-monastic(!?) voice is equally accessible to all and
while not in print as far as I can see at present is plentifully available second- hand and
from libraries and in every form written and audible as a free download for
your computer or Kindle. May I remind you of the Oblate website http://www.benedictine-oblates.net/monastery.htm
which
has notification of oblate events in Britain and a booklist and other
interesting material. May I also remind you, on the home front, that my email at the head of every oblate letter is oblatemaster@pluscardenabbey.org Many of you try to contact me through the
website or through monks@pluscardenabbey.org
which usually takes much longer
and is not direct. I am the Mass stipendiary too so
oblatemaster@pluscardenabbey.org can be used to arrange Masses to be said (as
long as the oblatemaster is also the
stipendiary!!)
Prayer Intentions Abbot President Bruno who is ill. Br Simon whose solemn profession was 14th of September.For our new
Oblates, Lillian Anne Bailey and Cyprian
Chuan Eng Francis Lee. Novice Oblates
Eileen Fitzpatrick and Deirdre McGovern. Susan Carson-Rowland’s golden Wedding.
Mgr.Robert impending hip replacements, For Abbot Anselm's and Bishop Hugh's
intentions. For vocations at Pluscarden, St Mary's, Petersham and Kristo
Buase. Br. Adrian and Br. Finbar, health and for his mother. Br
Gabriel’s mother and Fr. Dunstan’s parents, failing .The repose of
the souls of Oblates Mrs Rose Gilfedder, Mrs Myrtle Doughty and also Mrs.
Pauline Reid (Ampleforth Oblate.), Susan Carson-Rowland’s sister-in-law Joanne,
Gertrude Corker’s daughter-in-law. Please pray for our sick Oblates and their
relatives & especially Eileen Grant's son Robin seriously ill , Sarah
Drever’s husband Leslie, Leandro Herrero, Mrs. Allie Brien, Connie Reid's
husband poorly, Brigitte Mackay and Maggie Barrett, Paul Miller 90's and hernia,
Margaret Rawcliffe, Mrs. Gertrude Corker’s two daughters, Bob Barr, Brian
Milne, Gail Schmitz, Martin's wife Mary, Maurice Dufficy, Mary Bradley, Maureen’s
sister Dorothy, Leonora, Graham Dunbar, Alison Donald, Beth Fraser and her
husband Chris, Bob Clark, Nick MaCrae’s son, Martin MaCrae, Dr. David Paterson
and his wife Angela, Jacqui’s daughter Sally, Poppy Sinclair, Ian Brodie and
his twin brother, Carolyn Boardman and son Malcolm, Martin Farrelly , David
Braine, philosopher, Susan Stephen, Violet, Sheila and all friends of the Abbey
(especially the Rodway's grandchild Kiara) and for all oblates, and all the
sick, and those who care for them--and for Josaphat our sponsored seminarian.
Events
Oblate Retreat here at Pluscarden first weekend of Lent 2015 led
by our Abbot Anselm as before.( 20th-23rd February 2015) book with Fr. Bede or
attend daily.
St Mungo’s Chapter Glasgow. As
announced. Peter Aitken 11, Maxwell Grove, Glasgow. G41 5JP. Phone: 0141 4272084. Numbers have been
steadily increasing.
St. Monica’s Chapter,
Thurso. Contact Jane Coll. "Scaraben”, Westside, Dunnet, Thurso,
Caithness, KY14 8YD. Phone 01847 851467
ST.PETER'S CHAPTER OF OBLATES Aberdeen
NEXT MEETING --- Mr Brian Milne Tel
01224 485781 stpetersbulletin1803@talktalk.net
( HIS HEALTH IS POORLY AGAIN SO PLEASE CHECK)
Ugandan Seminarian update:-The Oblates are supporting
Josaphat in his year of Pastoral work. The Parish will give him the
accommodation and food but he needs money for:-
Clothing: he needs a white cassock. Books: Morning and Evening Prayers,
Hymn books, African or Jerusalem Bible and a Catechism. During the year he will
be called away for Seminars and so will need travel expenses and sustenance.
I believe that Josaphat is a mature
young man focused on the Priesthood.
Please remember him in your prayers.
If you feel drawn to assisting Josaphat in any
way then please contact me, Paul Costello, 4, Commercial Road, Ellon,
Aberdeenshire AB41 9BD. Telephone
01358-721512 e-mail:paulandjocostello@btinternet.com
From Fr. Ambrose-- former Oblatemaster,
now superior of KB--"Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, Greetings from Kristo Buase!
We have just launched a new website: www.kristobuasemonastery.org home on leave end September/beginning
November
With blessings and prayer for us all that the Cross triumph in each and all of us . Yours
in Christ and SPNB,
Fr. Martin pax