THE CHURCH SAVES by CONTACT and by LONG DISTANCE.

If you plan to enter a religious order or a seminary, first find out if it has the four visible signs of the Church. Otherwise, you could turn out to be a bad priest or religious. The fact that they have the word "Catholic" at their front door or letterhead, or they are approved by the Diocese, or they have a nice religious garb, is no guarantee. The four visible signs we recite in the Apostle's Creed are the credible signs. One must be "in contact" with the Church with those four signs if he wishes to be within the Mystical Body of Christ. He must be within the Church before he enters the seminary or religious order; if not, then he should use his priesthood, or his being a Religious, to enter and truly be within the Mystical Body.

Christ heals, first, by contact (as with the blind man); He also heals by long distance (as with the servant of the Centurion). And so the Church, too, saves by contact and by long distance.

The four visible signs of the Church are described briefly in the Compendium of the Catechism of Pope Benedict XVI. It should be easy to apply these four visible signs and the intrinsic mechanism of the Church (known only by those inside the Church) on a religious house or seminary before one joins it.

Salvation by Contact.

The ordinary way by which the Catholic Church brings souls into the Mystical Body is "by contact," using her two powers, commonly referred to as the power of Jurisdiction and power of Orders. This is based on the Apostolic Commission given by Christ to the Apostles: to baptize (power of Orders) and to teach all nations ALL My commandments and HOW to observe them (power of Jurisdiction).

These powers come from God and given by Christ to the Apostles and handed down within the Mystical Body ordinarily through the Hierarchy.

Let us see how three different souls can be saved by the Church today in our century. Let's call the first Timothy. The second, John Newman and the third Akbar. All of them are not members of the Mystical Body. Timothy will be saved through "contact;" John Newman by long distance and "contact;" and Akbar by long distance.

Timothy is one living in a place where the Catholic Church is like, let's say, Cappadoccia. John Newman is in a place where the Catholic Church is geographically far, as Anglican Ellesworth in England is far from Rome. And Akbar is in a place where the Catholic Church is non-existent or very distant like Erehwon. Let's see how God will save these souls through the Catholic Church.

In the case of Timothy, the Bishop of the place where he lives, first, by his power of Jurisdiction, will teach him all the commandments of Christ and how to observe them. The bishop will not miss any command. Secondly, the Bishop, by his power of Orders, will make available the Sacraments to him. As mentioned, the power of Jurisdiction will dispose Timothy to receive worthily both the Sacramental character and Sacramental graces that come from the Sacraments. The power of Orders will channel the graces to his soul. The powers of Jurisdiction and Orders are the vehicles through which Timothy will receive all the countless graces God gives for the salvation of man. If Timothy learns the commands of Christ and obeys them, he will worthily receive the graces that come from the Sacraments. He will be assimilated into the Mystical Body of Christ. He is a true Catholic.


Let's see how the above works in detail. Initial graces will "attract" Timothy to the Catholic Church. Then, the power of jurisdiction will teach him, first, to repent. In turn, repentance will bring him to the doorsteps of the Church. The power of Orders will give him the grace of repentance that will lead him to Faith. With Faith, Timothy is within the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Now, he will just have to grow in Hope and Charity to fully mature in his spiritual life (i.e. to be more united with Christ and enable him to offer the Mass with Christ.


Now let's see how John Newman will be led to enter the Church. In John's case there is no possibility for him to benefit from the powers of jurisdiction and orders because he is shielded by his Anglican beliefs. But God's mercy is such that graces are poured out to many outside the Church without the instrumentality of the two powers of the Church. Keep in mind it is grace that saves. The two powers of the Church are the ordinary means by which graces are distributed, but God can make exemptions as He often does, as in the case of John Newman, with those who have no "contact" with the Catholic Church.


So John receives the grace of conversion (by long distance) without the instrumentality of the powers of the Church. This grace, not the hierarchy nor the sacraments, moves him to approach the Catholic Church. It further moves John to study the Fathers of the Church. Then it enlightens him, and he sees that it is not the Anglican church but the Catholic Church that is the Church of Christ. By studying the Fathers, he also sees the necessity of repentance, and receives the grace of Repentance. Consequently, he receives other graces that accompany the virtue of Penance. He then gets in "contact" with the Catholic Church, disposing. him to receive the Theological virtue of Faith. He is now inside the Catholic Church. Note that here, John was first attracted to the Church by "long distance" and eventually "by contact" as in the case of Timothy.


Now, let's take a look at Akbar. Unlike Timothy, Akbar has no contact and will have no contact with the Catholic Church. Unlike John Newman, he has no contact with the Fathers of the Church. But God in his mercy, as in the case of John Newman, grants him graces without following the ordinary route (namely through the powers of Jurisdiction and Orders). Without realizing it, Akbar is drawn to the inner workings of the Catholic Church (i.e. the practice of the virtues); he does not know this, but humbly responds to this grace. His humble response disposes him to receive more graces. Akbar may never find the Catholic Church. He might die in that state. But because he has received the grace (which prompts him to practise the virtues) he is a member of the Church. No one may ever know this, but only God knows. Akbar may not be fully (or legally) Catholic, but he is 'catholic' enough to be saved ("Other sheeps I have that do not belong to My flock...") This is how non-Catholics are saved. They are, in fact, the unknown members of the Church, but they are saved. It is upon this same doctrine that Pope Benedict corrected our concept, and finally declared the 'closure,' of Limbo.


Now let's say we believe we are Catholics living in a Catholic Parish within a Catholic Diocese. First question we must ask and answer is: Did the hierarchy, by the power of Jurisdiction, teach us all the commands of Christ and how to obey them? If yes, well and good. We are Catholics if we know and have obeyed all the commands of Christ and have received the Sacraments worthily.


If, however, we do not know all the commands and how to obey them, even if we have received most of the Sacraments there is something wrong. Either we were not listening when the hierarchy was teaching us or the hierarchy did not teach us. In the former, the Church was trying to convert us but we were not listening; in the latter, the hierarchy proved itself to be not the Church because it was remiss in its first and foremost obligation to teach.


The Church will always exist. She will always bring in the Timothies and attract the John Newmans. She will also try, by long distance, to bring in the Akbars all the way home. Pope Benedict XVI with "Deus Caritas Est" and the "Compedium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church", is using his power of Jurisdiction to bring in the Timothies. He is using his power of Orders in his liturgical reforms and "Motu Propio." He prays that the John Newmans, the Christian sects, would eventually get in "contact" with the Church. And he prays that the Akbars, (described in Ecclesiology as "other faithful who belong unconciously, secretly, and invisibly") hopefully reach home also, though he knows most would not.

PREPARATION AND THE BUILDING OF THE CHURCH

When we go to Mass and recite the Apostles Creed and come to that part, "I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church," have we ever wondered if we were indeed inside her? The priest saying Mass at the Altar and we, the congregation surrounding the priest, are we the Catholic Church? Those four signs mentioned are visible signs, the Catechism says, so we should know the answer.

The visible signs are outward manifestations of the internal mechanism of the Church. Let us go into her interior mechanism and see what is it in her that produces the so-called four visible signs. This interior mechanism is a more reliable way of knowing if we are the Catholic Church, as "Lumen Gentium" confirms.

God the Father created the angels and man to share with Him His happiness in Heaven, but some angels fell and man also fell.

God foreknew that man would fall. So He devised a plan for his salvation. The scenario in Paradise was one which showed that that plan was in place: God created a man and a woman. The woman was the type of the Church, and the man would be the type of Jesus Christ. There we see how the Church will be: like a woman united to her husband.

The Preparation. God set a race aside, completely apart from all other races - - the Chosen people. First, He would teach them His commands so that they can worthily offer a sacrifice pleasing to God. But this was not yet the Church. She was still undergoing preparation for birth.

Building the Church. At the fullness of time, Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. Christ, Himself, was a type of the Church in that He had a human nature (a type of the Church) united hypostatically to His Divine Nature (the Son of God). The union between the two natures is so intense it cannot be duplicated but merely imitated. The Blessed Virgin Mary would come close to it. So she becomes a type of the Church : a human being, in a manner hypostatically united to her Son. Her union with Christ would be an exemplar for other humans. But since this was only possible because she was full of grace, other humans, too, must have grace. Mary becomes the perfect type of the Church.

Herein we begin to see the two elements intertwined describing the internal mechanism of the Church. First, it is evident that GRACE is the most important element in the interior mechanism and secondly, the INSTRUCTIONS which the Chosen people had in the desert from Moses (which in Mary's case was infused).

Now that we have the models, namely Adam and Eve, the Chosen People, Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are ready to see the Church (the Mystical Body of Christ) established.

We begin with the setting aside of a people similar to what Joshua did when he asked for volunteers to fight in a battle, and from them chose a few based on a test he had given them by the river. (Then we understand the words of Christ "Many are called but few are chosen." ) We see also in the Israelites that many were called by John the Baptist, and Christ sets aside a few from among many who were to be his first disciples. These had to undergo training for three years, by instruction (like Moses teaching the Israelites); and by infused knowledge. Sacramental graces and character were then given to them as they progressed. These then are the two elements of the interior mechanism of the Church: the power of jurisdiction, which is referred to during the time of instruction; and the power of orders, from which will come the graces. These are called "powers" because by them the Church is empowered to call souls into the Mystical Body.

After the Resurrection and before the Ascension the instructions would be complete and by Pentecost the graces would be complete. The Church then exists, made up of that small community in Jerusalem with Mary in their midst. Endowed with the two powers, they are ready to bring other souls into the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Church now exists. But its members eventually die. So how does the Church continue to exist? Christ, before the Ascension, instructed His apostles to do to others exactly what He did to them. This is found in the Apostolic Commission (Matt. 28:19) The same instruction must be carried out by all the successors of the apostles. Here we see again the two elements of the internal mechanism of the Church: the instruction; and the succession of orders to be vested in the Hierarchy.

Picture the Vatican. There is the Basilica in front with two arms (Pillars of Bernini) extending like an embrace towards the world. Imagine St. Peter's Basilica as the Mystical Body of Christ (the Church), and the two embracing arms of Bernini's pillars: one, as the power of jurisdiction; and the other as the power of orders. That is how the Church invites and embraces souls and brings them into the Mystical Body of Christ.

The apostolic commission reads "Go therefore and teach all nations ..." how to enter the Catholic Church. First (by the power of jurisdiction) teach them "all My commands" and teach them "how to observe these commands". And secondly, "baptize them" so they can receive the Sacramental grace that will unite them to Me; and the Sacramental character that will unite them to My priesthood enabling them to offer the Mass with Me.

The apostles, with these two powers, went to all nations and invited those who would continue the Church through the centuries. They used their power of jurisdiction by going about teaching all the commands of Christ and how to observe them (this is the same as saying to teach Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church). They used their power of orders by administering the Sacraments with emphasis on Baptism, Confirmation and Holy orders because of the Sacramental character.

So more souls entered the Church. After the Apostles, their successors were to do exactly what Christ did to His apostles and what the apostles did to their successors. They would go on, this time not around the world, but to their more limited jurisdiction. Clothed with this dual powers they can teach all of Christ's commands and how to observe them (the power of jurisdiction) and administer the sacraments (the power of order).

Ecclesiology has been the concern of both Vatican I and II. Vatican I and Vatican II Council Fathers were asking two questions. First, how does the Church look interiorly and exteriorly? Secondly, where is she? The Church being two thousand years old and replete with Saints, the answer should have been easy. But almost all the documents of both Vat. I and II were trying to find answers. Documents are still coming out for clarification. Today each Catholic layman, each Parish and Diocese should ask these same two questions. Are both the interior and exterior workings of the Church present in our parish or diocese. If not, where is the Church?

The Saints, especially some Fathers and Doctors of the Church, (like St. Cyprian, St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Thomas of Aquinas and St. Robert Bellarmine) have written a lot on both the interior and exterior workings of the Church. Being members of the Mystical Body of Christ, they should know. But the Council Fathers, too. were supposedly members of the Mystical Body. So how come the workings of that Body were not familiar to some? Was this perhaps the problem Pope John XXIII saw already existing then that made him hastily, but wisely, call for Vatican Council II?

BUILDING THE CHURCH

Outside the Church there is no salvation.
But who is inside the Church? Who is outside? Are all baptized Catholics inside the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ?

When the Saints, like Francis, Ignatius, Vincent de Paul established their orders they were aiming at holiness with their first few companions. Knowing that the Church was supposed to be holy --aside from being one, catholic, and apostolic, they knew the Catholic Church existed, but somehow, they could not pinpoint where she was. One thing they knew -- they could not find it in their surroundings. So they were moved by God to establish it where they were. They did not mean to establish orders or congregations within the Church. They were, in fact, building the Church in their locality.

Most founders did not know the exact theological description of their efforts. They were concerned with establishing a group whose members were of one heart and one mind in becoming holy....which is the description of the Church. They did not say: "There is no Catholic Church here; therefore we shall build the Church here," yet that was exactly what they were doing.

If we analyze the environs of Francis, Ignatius and Louis de Montfort, they were surrounded by "catholics" who were not part of the Mystical Body of Christ, dead branches attached to the Vine. The Church was hardly visible. And so they had to do something under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to build the Church in Assisi, Manresa and France. This is also what St. Boniface did in Germany and Augustine in England. Their efforts can be described,using the text of "Lumen Gentium," or any treatise on Ecclesiology (like the one of Pope Benedict XVI.), as building up the Catholic Church in places where she does not exist. And they knew that the Church, existing somewhere would, with Her prayer, aid them.

If these founders of orders and congregations knew where the Church was by Her visible signs of being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, they would have simply entered the Church, finding no need to separate themselves from the rest of society in order to seek holiness on their own. And since they could not find those visible signs, so God taught them the dynamics on how Christ builds His Mystical Body on earth, thus building their respective congregations. Their Holy Rules would show how a soul can " connect" with the Mystical Body of Christ, the Catholic Church. St. Boniface built up the Church in Germany at that time. Germany was then pagan. But why did St. Francis and St. Ignatius do the same when Italy and Spain were already Catholic? Is it because the Catholic Church in their respective countries have ceased to show the signs of being Catholic? There seems to be no other reason.

To found a religious community is to found the Church. When God raises Saints to establish communities, it is His way of directly intervening in the ordinary way of the church (hierarchy) in order to add faithful members to His Mystical Body. The church hierarchy is empowered to do this, but their seeming failure to do so makes God intervene directly by raising up saints who would found communities after His heart, according to the one and the same spirituality -- the Evangelical Spirituality. (Isn't it quite strange when spiritual writers talk of Carmelite spirituality or Rosminian spirituality when they really have the same Evangelical spirituality?)

This is why promises made during religious professions are made to the Church, so that by profession, a person of any congregation is added to the Mystical Body of Christ, not so much to the Order that he or she has chosen to enter.

Today, there are many emerging communities. But many of them do not correspond to the dynamics on how the Church is built according to St. Augustine, Thomas of Aquinas, Bellarmine and "Lumen Gentium." But worthy of note is the community of Antonio Rosmini who was recently declared venerable by Pope Benedict XVI and scheduled for Beatification this year. His writings show the right way of building the Church. Buffeted by the period of "enlightenment" members of other congregations watered down the Holy Rules of their founders which is equivalent to watering down the teachings on the Catholic Church, thus preventing them from entering the Mystical Body of Christ through faith, hope and charity.

All Orders founded by their Holy Founders were built following the dynamics of building the Church. But somewhere along the way many of their followers fell short. They could have continued building the Church if they were faithful to their Holy Rules. But many were not, so they ceased becoming members of the Church or the Mystical Body of Christ.

It is indeed necessary to find out how God through Christ built the Church; how it was meant to function in the salvation of souls, and how we are moved to enter the Church.

The Mass at CARYANA

At the Caryana Lay Monastic Comunity, a community that follows the Rule of St. Benedict, the "Work of God," the Liturgy, is of the utmost importance. St. Benedict stressed, quoting St. Augustine, that in any spiritual renewal there must be order. And that order must begin with the Liturgy or with prayer in general. It is in this spirit that years before the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI, the Mass in this community has been celebrated in the manner which His Holiness desires the whole Catholic world to go back to observing.

The Mass Proper, i.e. the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory and Post Communion are all sung in Gregorian chant; also the Common of the Mass, i.e. the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei.

While the Proper of the Mass is sung by the monastic choir, the Common of the Mass is sung alternately with the congregation who by this time had already memorized the melodies.

While all the Gregorian Chant, versicles and responses by the congregation are in Latin, the Collect and the three readings are in English. The Gospel is followed by a homily based on the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

Whereas before, the Canon was recited in English, now with the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict, the congregation participate in singing all those parts that His Holiness wants recited or sung, in Latin.

During the Communion of the faithful, the Sacred Host is received kneeling down on the Communion rail, and on the tongue, while the monastic choir sings sacred Renaissance songs of Palestrina, Vittoria, Gabrielli, DiLassus, Tallis, Dufay, etc.

The Post Communion prayer is in English, but the rest, up to the Dismissal, is sung in Latin with the congregation responding. After Mass, the prayer to St. Michael is recited, followed by a seasonal hymn to the Blessed Virgin sung by all as the exit hymn. Then the Thanksgiving Prayer after Mass is entoned and joined in by the congregation, followed by the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, all recited in Latin so to enable the congregation to memorize them as the Holy Father has encouraged the faithful to do so from the first year of His Pontificate.

Just as the congregation has been instructed to wear proper clothes during Mass, including the wearing of veils, at the end of the Mass the congregation is encouraged to proceed home quietly avoiding all forms of socializing.

With the Motu Propio, the entire Canon of the 1962 Mass shall be recited and sung in Latin starting Sept 14. (Photo is a bishop celebrating Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.)

GREED

There are several degrees of greed, from the harmless to the most serious. The first degree is when we want to be united with God, but find the need to seek food, shelter and clothing in order to pursue our quest. The desire for food, shelter and clothing may be described as a harmless form of greed, and may be no greed at all.

The second degree, however, may then be aptly called the beginning of greed : this is when we remove our focus from God and turn our gaze down towards food, shelter and clothing. This can go on to the next (third) degree of greed which is now becoming more grievous because we begin to desire nice food, nice shelter and nice clothings; in which case the desire for more money is cultivated. From here it can go to the desire for even nicer food, nicer shelter and nicer clothing; in which case a greater fortune is needed. Such was the vice of the man who tore down his barn to build a bigger one; and that of the young rich man who rejected Christ's invitation to follow Him. The former wanted more, the latter wanted to keep what he already had.

At first sight it is difficult to see what is wrong with these two men. But the root of their problem is pride, and its fruit? Apostasy.

The beginning of greed , or avarice, as we mentioned above, is when a soul forgets his supernatural goal and focuses his faculties on food, shelter and clothing. And since avarice is the root of all evil (which is the more accurate translation according to St. Jerome), then we have the root of the dictatorship of relativism, of liberalism and all other modern evils.

When a person wants more food, more shelter and more clothing, and he is incapable of raising the money for them, he is open to all forms of graft and corruption (all evil) which essentially are acts of stealing; thus the saying, avarice is the root of all evil.

Why are the greedy insatiable? Because they cannot see what they already have, both from God and from those around them, in their greed to acquire what they still do not have. So, naturally, they are ungrateful, the sign of pride.

Our civilization is one that enthrones Avarice; s0 that like original sin, the vice is interred into the bones of every child. Greed is the immoderate desire for temporal things. It is the handmaid of apostasy. Is it any wonder, then, that we are experiencing a great apostasy in the Church today, of which St. Paul warns us is a prelude to the end times? ("The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Murillo, 1670.)

The CONVERSION and PEACE promised at Fatima.

In the Old Testament, the Jewish people were waiting for an earthly kingdom. They were wrong. The kingdom Christ promised was a spiritual kingdom. The same at Fatima. Our Lady promised the conversion of Russia and peace in the world if the necessary consecration of Russia was made to her Immaculate Heart. These conversion and peace are both spiritual. Conversion is an act of grace which God alone can accomplish; and the peace which Christ mentioned was one which the world cannot give but He alone. Both conversion and peace are spiritual realities humanly unattainable.

The Benedictines made "Peace" their motto. It is written all over their monasteries. And I believe this peace, promised at Fatima, has been given to many faithful who have obtained it through a long process as described below. But many are waiting for a political, worldly peace as propagated by the United Nations. That is not the peace Mary promised.

Of the promise of the conversion of Russia, we should not expect to see a grand ceremony of mass baptism into the Catholic Faith. It is a conversion of the heart which is not visible, not even to the persons who will attain it.

Conversion is a long process. When Mary called the Church to repentance at Fatima, most Catholics could not do it. So the threatened chastisement befell men. If Catholics find it difficult to repent, the step prior to conversion, how can we expect Russia to be converted without passing through the long and difficult process of repentance?

Peace, according to St. Augustine, is the fifth stage through which the soul normally passes as it advances to the perfection of Charity. To reach that stage the soul must have virtues, the fourth stage. 'Avoid evil, do good and pursue peace' ... is an evangelical axiom that shows peace is practically the last step in the development of the spiritual life, the peace that "surpasses all understanding."

Perhaps the promise of Mary at Fatima is that when Russia is consecrated, she will help her to go through the slow process of repentance that will lead her to what spiritual writers call "the first conversion" and consequently peace. Then perhaps Russia will suddenly realize the beauty of its Christian roots and return to her communion with Rome. Thus the process towards repentance leading to conversion would then begin. A slow process that could take years, and we cannot rush it because of man's free will, but Mary will help.

As for peace, it is also a long process to attain. Peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit that is given in aid of the Theological virtues for the perfection of Charity. With Repentance too difficult for most Catholics, thus preventing them from entering into the Theological virtue of Faith that leads to the "peace that no one can give but God alone," how can the world expect to easily attain the gift of peace?

If Rome seems not to have acted upon the wishes of the Virgin at Fatima, it is probably because many would expect a worldly peace to ensue wherein wars and crimes will stop, thus making Rome liable of giving a wrong notion of the peace of Christ which really is the exact opposite of worldly peace, as He has said, " I came not to bring peace . . ."

Our hope is that mankind obeys Mary's plea to Repent. If we do this, we will all be well on the way to Conversion and Peace.

THAT Small COMMUNITY

Pope Pius XII was once upon a time overwhelmed by the problems besetting the Church that he became withdrawn, which led him to live an heremitical life. He then promulgated "Provida Mater Ecclesia," encouraging lay secular institutes or third orders. This was how the Catholic Church begun: small groups, living the fulness of the Gospel in their homes, and eventually in the desert. They were all laymen. His enthusiasm blazed a trail that carried up to the time of the late Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict.

Pope Benedict showed special interest in these small communities in his "Ratzinger Report," and even in his earliest writing "The Theology of History according to St. Bonaventure," his thesis when he was just a young priest. As newly-elected Pope, he mentioned about "a small Church" and after doing so, caricatures portraying him carrying a small "St. Peter"s Basilica, stressed his point. He expects a very small Catholic Church! How did he get that notion when news abound that the Church, especially in Africa, is growing?

Why should a Pope be interested in these small, new communities when Rome has already discouraged the establishing of new orders, presuming that the present, existing, approved Religious Orders were doing their jobs of fulfilling the needs of the Church? Perhaps because of one special characteristic common to them: these small lay communities usually acquire a deep and complete knowledge of the teachings of Christ through infused knowledge, without books or teachers, but simply by their way of life.

In the apocalypse, it is implied that the Church was once in the world and then, personified by the Woman, was transferred to the desert. Suddenly the Church had a new ambience: the members of the Church would learn the totality of the teachings of Christ in all its depths without human teachers. They would see the face of God without the need for books, lecturers, theological and catechetical centers. They would attain knowledge of God comparable to St. Thomas of Aquinas or St. Therese of Lisieux ...simply by their way of life.

St. Therese, in fact, is a typical example. Considering the few books she has read, she could not have described Charity as well as Pope Benedict did in "Deus Caritas Est" unless her knowledge was infused, attained through her way of life at home and perfected at Carmel. In her younger years, in a Benedictine school, she amazed the Abbe who called her "my little doctor of the Church." The recent publication of the writings of St. Bernadette Soubirous shows the same infused knowledge. So did Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish convert, and Claude Newman, an illiterate Black slave who was converted and executed in prison. This is exactly like what happened at Pentecost, with the small community of apostles and disciples with Mary; and like the Apocalyptic woman with her children in the desert. Mary and the apostles were imbued with infused knowledge.

The first Christians knew this secret, and this is what drove them to the desert, like St. Antony the Hermit: to learn and worship God with full knowledge and love, foreshadowed by Israel's sojourn in the desert. It seems that Monasticism was that "small community."

Today, true monasticism, as envisioned by the Theology of Grace according to St. Paul, seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth, and attempts to renew it have been frustrating, just as De Rance's recent efforts to renew the Benedictines.

The first Christians knew this image from the Apocalypse. They lived according to that image of the Catholic Church in the desert. But through the centuries, the Christian world has forgotten how to live that life, and left the "Desert" for the busy cities -- the world, just as the Israelites desired to return to Egypt.

Today, a big portion of the Church have returned to Egypt. But Pope Benedict is looking for those still left in the Desert, aware perhaps that the invitation of the Woman of the Apocalypse for her children to join her there, has not ceased since Pentecost. And if this is so, then seminaries, theological and Catholic schools would be irrelevant. Only Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers of the Church would be needed for the members of that community to confirm what they already know. Because their knowledge would be infused, and there would be no danger of heresy, schism or apostasy. This would solve the present problem of learning our religion as if it were just another subject like Science.

Pope Benedict, because of his research on St. Bonaventure, knows that this "small community" is made up of unschooled children (to emphasize the supernaturalness of their infused knowledge and wisdom) who are imbued with profound knowledge of God and exceptional holiness. The existence of such communities is a thin golden chain in the history of the Church. They have always existed; and especially today, to prepare the world for the Parousia, according to the Benedictine Tradition, as noted by St. Louis de Montfort. They bear the stamp of the true Church: they are One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic; and beside this, they are Contemplative and Mystical. The Apocalypse mentions that there will be members of the Church out in the world, children of the Woman, especially chosen by God to stay on and work there in order to point to all where the Church is, in the Desert.

Perhaps aware that St. Benedict had succeeded in establishing such a community, (which explains our present Holy Father's predilection for the Benedictines), could it be that Pope Benedict has an inkling where to find that small community? There, wherein is found the fullness of Benedictine Life. This should narrow down his search. ("Pentecost" by Henri and Antoine Cibille, XVII centuy.)