Work from the Perspective of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Pedagogical Implications

In his abundant teaching, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński devoted a lot of attention to the question of work, its significance in human life and the role it plays in the process of education. The Primate claimed that education for work cannot be brought down to developing manual competences necessary to perform a given profession, but that it should be a process aimed at discovering the meaning of work itself. In order to understand that meaning properly, Cardinal Wyszyński analysed the text of the Book of Genesis, which tells about the Creator and His “work” in terms of creating the world. Man is a “child of God”, that is, a thinking being endowed with an inquiring mind and capable of grasping the transcendent dimension of his existence. The work performed by man cannot be senseless duplication of the Creator’s deeds, but rather independent human thinking and action. Education for work must be complemented by virtue, for it is virtue that enriches man and allows him to become the performer and creator of work, and not the other way around.

Christ’s Evolution of Moral Upbringing in the Light of Letters to Young People by Popes St. John Paul II and Francis

The significant social, economic and cultural transformations taking place since the second half of the twentieth century reveal with increasing force that young people are diverging more and more from adults as far as ethics and morality are concerned. Contemporary reflection on morality is increasingly being expressed in the manifestation of individuals’ rights. This is the view of both the Letter to the Young People Parati semper by St. John Paul II (1985) and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit by Pope Francis (2019). The above papal documents will become the starting point for answering the following question: What does Christ propose in terms of morality? Man is capable by nature (in his heart) of recognizing good and evil. Morality is then bound to keeping the Law, which, while being positive, is limited in time. Man’s coming to faith causes, as Pope Francis points out, the exhaustion of the Law’s propaedeutic value and, thus, gives way to another authority. The Law is still in force (the commandments continue to exist), but it has no justifying power. The one who justifies is Jesus Christ. In this context, it is crucial to answer the question regarding the stage of moral maturation: do I still need the Law, or perhaps I am already living in the love and freedom of a child of God. These levels of morality cannot, as postulated by St. John Paul II in Parati semper and Francis in Christus vivit, be treated as separate or contradictory, because both are necessary. Hence, one cannot reject and despise the commandments and, at the same time, keep them, even though they are not absolute, because salvation is in Jesus Christ.

»We have Found the Messiah« (John 1:41) - The Formation of Disciples in the Gospel of John

The disciple is a seminal topic for every Evangelist. The Johannine image of the followers of the Rabbi from Nazareth diverges from the Synoptic vision. In the Fourth Gospel, the disciples follow and serve the Master – like in Mark, Matthew, and Luke – yet the Johannine Jesus does not ask them to break their family ties or leave anything behind. A narrative analysis of the Fourth Gospel lets Culpepper consider the disciples of Christ from the perspective of their literary functions and determine the criteria of their discipleship. The critic divides their formation process into three stages related to seeing, believing, and continuing in the word. In the eyes of the reader, the followers of Jesus – perceived individually or as a community – perform functions as role models or representatives. To be a disciple is to accept the gift of becoming a child of God (John 1:12), which presumes a broad, universal perspective. For this reason, the author of John uses the term »disciple« as many as seventy-eight times, »Twelve« – only four times, while the word »apostle« is never spoken.

Slovenian Friars Minor’s Efforts for Dialogue with Muslims

The point of departure of the article are the Catholic theological foundations for interreligious dialogue written at the Second Vatican Council. The documents of the last church Council encourage Pope Francis to imitate the Poor from Assisi, whose name he chose when he was elected Pope. On the occasion of his visit to Abu Dhabi, for the first time after the conquests of Islam, he celebrated Holy Mass on the Arabian Peninsula and assured Muslim leaders that he was coming to visit them as a brother. He signed a document on world fraternity with the great Iman of the Egyptian Islamic University, in which they wrote that everyone, Christians and Muslims, is created as a child of God. They invite people to respect each other and work for peace despite their differences. The initiator of the dialogue between Friars Minor and the Muslims is Francis of Assisi, who 800 years ago held a peaceful meeting with Sultan Al-Kamil in Damietta, Egypt, in an atmosphere of respect and mutual acceptance. The purpose of our work is however to introduce the actual efforts of the Slovenian Franciscans for Dialogue with Muslims.

Guds børn og Fadervor (II)

In the baptismal ritual of the Danish Church, the Lord’s Prayer has since 1912 been placed after baptism while it formerly was placed before, as in Luther’s Taufbüchlein. Two consecutive articles argue that the replacement in 1912 was influenced by Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig’s theology. The present second article deals with the different translations of Biblical passages central to the baptizee as a child of God, and attempts to demonstrate that Grundtvig identified the Lord’s Prayer with the Abba-cry mentioned in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6. Thus, the Lord’s Prayer had its role to play after baptism and furthermore functioned for the believer as a daily confirmation and an inner assurance of salvation.

Aquinas on Nature, Grace, and the Moral Life

Aquinas’ teaching on nature, grace and the moral life in the Summa theologiae outlines the graced movement of the rational creature from God to God, by perfection in the likeness of God. Reflection on causality, trinitarian exemplarity, and the communication of divine goodness shapes his thought. The human person, made to the image of God for knowledge and love of God, is elevated by grace to the supernatural end by a participation in the divine nature that assimilates the intellect and will to the trinitarian persons. This deification by grace, taking the form in the creature of the created habitus of infused charity and wisdom, makes the adopted child of God a new principle of activities directed towards supernatural beatitude and constantly moved by divine auxilium. The predestined human person, led in freedom by the Holy Spirit, manifests the divine goodness in the graced journey to union with God in eternal life.

A Dimensão Eclesiológica do Batismo na Lumen Gentium

The present work aims to present the ecclesiological dimension of baptism in Lumen Gentium, in view of an ecclesiology of communion. God in his magnificence creates all things in view of the salvation of the cosmos. To make this, he relies on the contribution of human action. From human freedom God wants to save by making them the sign and sacrament of salvation for other humans. Hence, he has constituted a people to be the light and presence of God inside of humanity. This same people constituted, as God's property, had been prepared to receive Jesus Christ to fulfill salvation, generating from within themselves the new people of God who is the Church. Thus, baptism constitutes the human being as a new creature regenerated in Christ, forming the new people of God, making him a child of God and a member of the Church. As the mission of God continues in the Church and in every baptized person, all the people of God have the privilege of helping in salvation. In this way, every baptized person has his radical equality in virtue of the dignity of baptism, where all are missionary disciples. Thus, as a people of God, the laity is an ecclesial subject and a missionary disciple because he is a baptized, participant in the divinity of Jesus Christ and the director of the kingdom and salvation of God in the world.

I Am a Child of God, 1973–1985

This chapter explores the final years of Pauli Murray’s life. Following her partner’s death, Murray resigned from Brandeis to pursue ordination into the Episcopal priesthood. Murray obtained a master’s in theology from General Theological Seminary while campaigning for women’s ordination. Under pressure from Murray and others, in 1976 the Episcopal Church overturned its prohibition on women priests. The following year Murray became the first black woman Episcopal priest. Murray continued to keep her sexual orientation private, but publicly advocated for minority rights, including gay rights, under the aegis of universal human rights. Murray worked as a supply priest in various locations before retiring to Pittsburgh where she died.