Blessed William Scott

By Fr. Scott Archer

“For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: for he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it.”[1]

In the annals of that dark era of persecution following the Protestant Revolution in England are written the names of the saints and blesseds who gave their lives for Christ and His Church. In the beginning, the martyrs were those who simply remained true to the Faith established by Christ; the Faith in which they had been baptized and raised. As the years passed, sons and daughters of the new religion began to see the light of the Church shine within their hearts and converted to the Faith of their Fathers. Many of the latter, steadfast to the end, are counted today among those who shed their blood for Christ. One such convert and martyr is Blessed William Scott.

William Scott was born in Chigwell, Essex, about 1578 and baptized in the Church of England. He was the son of William Scott, lord of the manor of Woolston, and Prudence, daughter and co-heiress of Edmund Alabaster of Brett’s Hall, Tendring, Essex.[2] His temperament inclined towards the study of law, he attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and received a degree in civil law in 1600. He set off for London to train as barrister.[3]

While at the home of a friend in London, he began to read a Catholic book. He found the arguments convincing and thus began a two-year journey that would lead him to embrace the Catholic Faith. He was received into the Church by the Benedictine, Saint John Roberts.[4] Roberts also received him as a postulant of the Benedictine Order; however, Scott and other postulants were arrested while attempting to leave England for the Benedictine abbey in Valladolid, Spain. Scott was released and subsequently entered the novitiate at the abbey of St. Facundo in Sahagún, Spain, receiving in religion the name Maurus.[5]

Following his ordination in 1610, Scott longed to be sent on the English mission to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on his native soil and bring the sacraments to the faithful as well as to convert souls to the true Faith. This was agreeable to his superiors, and he went first to the priory of St. Gregory the Great, Douai in Flanders, to prepare for this great undertaking, after which he arrived in England in December of 1610.[6]

Upon returning to England, Scott discovered the man who received him into the Catholic Church had been condemned to death for being a priest. He spent the night before the execution with Roberts and was a witness to his being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Carefully observing where the body parts of Roberts had been thrown in a trench, Scott, along with others, later recovered the remains of the saint. He was eventually arrested himself and spent a year in prison. Scott went back to Douai after his release was secured by the ambassador for Savoy. He returned to England in 1612.[7]

Scott arrived by boat from Gravesend, and in danger of being discovered as a priest, he threw into the Thames a bag containing his breviary, his priestly faculties, and some medals and crosses. He was arrested while the bag with its contents was retrieved by a fisherman in his net and given to George Abbot, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury.[8]

Abbot informed Scott that he would be released if he took the oath of loyalty to King James I. It was, however, an oath a Catholic could not accept as it was also an oath of infidelity to the pope and the Catholic Church. He declared instead, “I am a loyal servant to His Majesty… also for the past and for the future, that I have been and to the last moment of my life will be ever loyal to my king; which is more than you exact by your statute.”[9] Perhaps needless to say, these words were not sufficient.

On May 28, 1612, Scott was tried at the Old Bailey, London, during which his own knowledge of the law, aided by God’s grace, was quite evident. In the course of the trial, Scott refused to confess his priesthood, stating that it was not up to him to convict himself but for his prosecutors to convict him on evidence. The chief evidence against him, presented by Abbot, was the paper “giving leave” for him to offer Mass. Scott responded, “Giving leave, but to whom? Was my name there expressed? If not, your lordship might have kept that argument to yourself, with the rest of the things in the bag.”[10]

When Abbot inquired if Scott was a priest, he instead demanded of the archbishop, “My lord, are you a priest?” The prelate answered, “No.” Scott countered, “No priest, no bishop.” Abbot responded, “I am a priest, but not a massing priest.” Scott replied, “If you are a priest, you are a sacrificing priest, for sacrificing is essential to priesthood; and if you are a sacrificing priest, you are a massing priest. For what other sacrifice have the priests of the new law, as distinct from mere laics, to offer to God, but that of the Eucharist, which we call the Mass? If then, you are a no massing priest, you are no sacrificing priest; if no sacrificing priest, no priest at all, and consequently no bishop.”[11]

In short order, the jury returned with the expected guilty verdict and Scott was condemned to death by hanging, drawing, and quartering. Upon hearing his fate, he proclaimed in a loud voice, “Thanks be to God, never any news did I ever more wish for, nor were there ever any so welcome to me.” He then spoke to the people of the court saying, “I have not yet confessed myself a priest, that the laws might go on of course, and that it might appear whether the judges would offer to condemn me upon such mere presumption and conjectures which you see they have done. Wherefore to the glory of God and all the saints in heaven I confess I am a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict and priest of the Roman Catholic Church. But be you all witness I pray you, that I have committed no crime against His Majesty or the country: I am only accused of priesthood and for priesthood condemned.”[12]

On May 30, 1612, Scott was taken to the place of execution at Tyburn, arrayed in his Benedictine habit. He made a declaration of his life, confessing his conversion and adherence to the true Catholic Faith. He then gave some gold coins to the executioner saying, “Take these, friend, for love of me. I give them to you with good will and gladly do I forgive you my death.”[13] He was then hanged, drawn, and quartered. Scott’s remains were later recovered by Don Alonzo de Velasco, the Spanish ambassador to England, and some men from the Spanish embassy.[14]

Blessed William Scott was beatified by Pope Pius XI on December 15, 1929. Like Saint Thomas More before him, he desired to see the law take its course in order to show the world he was convicted purely for being a faithful Catholic and, in Scott’s case, for being a priest. Once condemned, he thanked God with an eloquence worthy of one about to die for Christ the King. To the very end, he was a faithful disciple of his Master, and showed the depth of his love in losing his life; thus, saving it.

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[1] Luke 9:24 (Douay-Rheims Version).

[2] Camm, Dom Bede, “A Martyr’s Home and Family,” in The Downside Review, vol. 47, Jan. 1, 1929, 33.

[3] “Maurus Scott,” Wikipedia, accessed Nov. 27, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurus_Scott.

[4] “Maurus Scott.”

[5] Thurston, Herbert J., S.J., and Attwater, Donald, ed., Butlers’s Lives of the Saints, Vol, II, 431.

[6] “Maurus Scott.”

[7] “Maurus Scott.”

[8] Weldon, Dom Bennet. O.S.B., Chronological Notes Containing the Rise, Growth, and Present State of the English Congregation of the Order of St. Benedict, Drawn from the Archives of the Houses of the Said Congregation at Douay in Flanders, Dieuluart in Lorraine, Paris in France, and Lambspring in Germany, Where Are Preserved the Authentic Acts and Original Deeds, Etc. An: 1709 (Standbrook Worchester: The Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation, 1881).

[9] “Maurus Scott.”

[10] Bowden, Henry Sebastian, Mementoes of the Martyrs and Confessors of England and Wales, ed. Donald Attwater (Burns & Oats, London, 1962), 129-130.

[11] “The Priest: Seeing Him Who is Invisible,” Silverstream Abbey Vultus Christi blog, accessed Dec. 11, 2019, https://vultuschristi.org/index.php/2015/04/the-priest-seeing-him-who-is-invisible/.

[12] Weldon, Chronological Notes.

[13] “Maurus Scott.”

[14] Mallet, Shepton, “A Spanish Pilgrimage,” The Downside Abbey Review, vol. 5 (July 1886), 206.

9th Sunday after Pentecost

By Fr. Scott Archer

In recent days we have seen a great deal of emotional reaction to violence in our nation, much of it spurred on by the media but tragedies, nonetheless. The tendency is to blame inanimate objects, as if things like guns had minds of their own, and this may be because we are afraid to dig into the deeper cause of violence. Many even use these tragedies to lay blame at the feet of political leaders.

I suggest the root of evil is rather in individual hearts. Our Savior said, “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man … But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt. 15:10-11; 18-19).

Our society has seen a continuous decay in morals because people neither love nor fear God; therefore, they open themselves up to temptations of the devil, their own evil passions, and the wickedness of the world. Very many have lost any sense of the dignity or sacredness of human life. This is not a value we can have as a society when abortion is enshrined in our laws; in some cases up to and following birth. Every child in the womb must be given the chance to come into the world and receive the grace of God.

This disregard for life extends to the elderly, infirm, and terminally ill. Phrases such as “assisted suicide” and “death with dignity” are used to ease our consciences. Sin and contempt for human life is at the heart of why we see murder carried out so easily in our society and world. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts” and “murder.” We must change hearts and turn souls to Christ.

You may not think individuals can do very much to help bring an end to societal evils; however, the present difficulties we face are not going to be solved by politicians. Christ and His Church are always the answer. The Church that brought Christ to the Roman Empire; converted pagan Ireland, Anglo-Saxon England and Germania; was the light in the darkness of the medieval world; and carried the gospel to Asia and Africa is the same Faith that will change hearts from vice and hate to virtue and charity.

Individuals can do much to influence our culture by repenting of sin and living authentic Catholics lives; receiving the sacraments frequently, especially Penance and Holy Communion; fostering devotion to the ever-Virgin Mother of God; and working for the social reign of Christ the King.

Our Lady brought Christ into the world, and Our Lady will bring the world to Christ. When we practice true devotion to the Mother of God, she transforms our hearts to be like her Son’s. We see around us hate, war, suffering, and murder, but at Fatima Our Lady said, “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

By placing Christ at the center of our lives and society, we acknowledge that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that through Him this fallen world can live in peace through grace. Pope Pius XI wrote, “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.” We must change lives by our love of God and individual holiness, and thereby give rise in our society to an acknowledgment of the sacredness of innocent human life.

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

By Fr. Scott Archer

“Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Lk 5:11).

In the gospel today Our Lord speaks to Peter and foreshadows the vocation of the apostles as priests winning souls for Christ and bringing countless multitudes to heaven. This same ministry of priests must be continued throughout time, which is why we must pray for vocations to the priesthood. When praying for vocations to the priesthood we pray that young men will respond to the voice of Christ, that parents will encourage vocations in their own families, and that those who respond will be holy men who persevere.

In every age there is a challenge in responding to a vocation to the priesthood because of various obstacles, both internal and external. In the past several decades a contributing factor to the vocations crisis is the secular and sexualized society in which we live; however, factors within the Church contribute to the crises as well.

When I went to the seminary there was much confusion in the Church, seminaries were theologically shaky, formation was weak, the liturgy was in a constant state of flux, and there were very few men presenting themselves as candidates. One exception was the Diocese of Peoria, which had a strong vocations program. There are different challenges today. I admire young men, considering what the Church has been through in recent years, who respond to God’s call. I respect the young men in the seminary who have said “Yes” to God at a time when that is one of the least popular decisions they could make. It reinforces how supernatural a priestly vocation really is.

A call to the priesthood is not dramatic; it is profoundly deep, personal, and sacred. Of his own vocation, the soon-to-be Blessed Fulton Sheen wrote, “A vocation is so very sacred that one does not like to speak of it…Always associated with that sense of the gift of a treasure was the frailty of the earthenware pot which was to house it. I would often drive it out of my mind, only to have it come back again. For the most part, the religious vocation is rather a silent but insistent whisper, yet one that demands a response; no violent shaking of bedposts or loud noises in the night. Just ‘you are called to be a priest.’”

Those with a vocation to the priesthood simply know what God wants of them, they respond because they love Jesus and Mary, and they know the safest and easiest way to heaven is to follow His will. There is little value in the modern understanding of discernment, in my opinion, as this can sometimes be used as an excuse to be in a continuous state of noncommitment. To reiterate Fulton Sheen, “Just, ‘you are called to be a priest.’” It truly is that simple.

To help the seeds of a vocation grow in a family, holiness needs to be fostered within the home. The spirituality of the family must be grounded in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and devotion to the Mother of God. The graces of a vocation come through the hands of Our Lady, Mediatrix of all graces. When a young man expresses a desire to enter the seminary, this should be met with encouragement and not derision because, despite those who have brought disgrace, scandal, and dishonor on the priesthood, it is a lofty and holy vocation.

Saint John Vianney said, “O how great is the priest! If he realized what he is he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord descends from Heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host. Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in the tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of life? The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for the journey? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest—always the priest. And if the soul should happen to die who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest. After God, the priest is everything. Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.”

Christ tells his priests “fear not” because He will be with them as they preach His Word, offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and administer the Sacraments. Let us pray earnestly for young men to respond positively to the voice of Christ as He calls them to “Launch out into the deep” to catch souls.

Trinity Sunday (Father’s Day)

By Father Scott Archer

There is a modern trend to downplay the importance of men, which may range from making them a buffoonish punchline to confining them to “masculine” pursuits such as contact sports or the military. These aspects of our society come very naturally to men, and they are an important part of a man’s identity. However, when focus is placed too much on these pursuits, men become single-dimensional. This has detrimental effects when it comes to our faith, as piety demands humility and submission to the will of God. Men traditionally learned to be pious from an early age, watching and modeling the behaviors of their own fathers. To be the strong leaders their families need today, men need to develop a stronger and more traditional piety if there is to be any hope of a revived Christendom. We need families who are resilient in their faith, yet the father’s role as not only the leader and protector of his family but also a humble servant of God is being neglected or misunderstood. How does one turn this around or follow a path that is more balanced? Devotion to the ever-Virgin Mother of God is key. A trend seems to have grown that views devotion to Our Lady is for women while men should be devoted to Saint Joseph, as if devotion to Mary is somehow not manly. This is harmful in developing a healthy spirituality among men. I do not wish to diminish devotion to Saint Joseph in any way. However, devotion to the foster father of Christ is purely optional, whereas, devotion to Our Lady is not.

To be a good father one must learn to be a good son. All of us, men and women, are children of Mary, the Mother of Christ our Brother. It is from her we learn true holiness and submission to the will of God, as she exemplified these qualities so perfectly in her own life. Saint Maximillian Kolbe said, “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother.” If men are to reach their full spiritual potential, which affects every other aspect of their lives, they must practice traditional devotion to Our Lady. She teaches men, young and old, what it means to be attentive to the Word of God, faithful to duty, heroic in suffering, and fervent sons of the Church. By “traditional devotion” I do not mean there are devotions specific to men, as this plays right into the imbalance of which I speak. I mean devotion as it has been practiced by both men and women throughout the history of the Church.

There are several natural distinctions between men and women, but when it comes to the faith and devotion to Our Lady, men have just as much of an obligation to be devoted to her. Regarding devotion to various saints, your devotion depends on your spiritual attractions to those saints; however, devotion to the Mother of God is necessary for salvation. Saint Alphonsus Liguori said, “Mary having co-operated in our redemption with so much glory to God and so much love for us, Our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain salvation except through her intercession.”

Our Lady exemplified her fidelity in the words, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word.” Men must be faithful to God and always ready to do His will in their lives, no matter the sacrifice demanded. She was the first and most perfect member of the Catholic Church. Men are very suited to making heroic sacrifices, and if we stand with the Queen of Martyrs at the foot of the cross, there is nothing we cannot do for Christ, His Church, and for the Catholic family. Simeon prophesied to Mary, “And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.” Unite yourselves with Mary and you will be filled with the graces needed to be the men God wishes you to be, and through her intercession will obtain salvation. “Open to us, O Mary, the gate of heaven,” wrote Saint Ambrose, “since you have its keys.”

Kneel and pray the Rosary while meditating on the events and mysteries in the lives of Jesus and Mary, wear the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray the novenas and litanies of Our Lady, and imitate her in every regard, whether you are a husband, father, son, priest, or religious. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote, “The greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them.”

The answer to becoming better Catholic men is to be more fervent sons of Mary. Men, you must not think devotion to the Mother of God is feminine or unmanly, that the Rosary must be made more manly with certain colors or materials, or that imitation of Our Lady detracts in any way from your masculinity. True devotion to Our Lady will bring you closer to Our Savior and make you better men by all the graces you receive through the hands of the Mediatrix of all graces!

Memorial Day

By Fr. Scott Archer

It is not just those who bore arms whom we honor, there are others who marched to the frontlines without weapons in order to serve the needs of others and sacrificed their lives for this country. Army Chaplain Father Lawrence Lynch was shot while ministering to a fatally wounded soldier in Okinawa in 1945 and posthumously received the Silver Star. In Vietnam, Army Major Father Charles Watters was killed while ministering to fallen soldiers in 1967, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Lest I leave out the Marines, Marine Lieutenant Father Vincent Capodanno, a member of the 3rd Battalion, when another platoon was under fire in Vietnam in 1967 left the company command post and ran into an open area under fire to reach them. We read, “Disregarding the intense enemy small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire, he moved about the battlefield administering last rites to the dying and giving medical aid to the wounded.” He also was given the Medal of Honor posthumously and his cause for canonization has been started. We may seldom think about those on the front lines who loved our county, were willing to die for it, yet were unarmed. However, they are worthy of our remembrance today as we honor all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice during a time of war. 

5th Sunday after Easter

By Father Scott Archer

“I leave the world and I go to the Father” (John 16:28).

As a man, in His human nature, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to the Father. As God, He was and always had been, with the Father and the Holy Spirit; one God with Three Divine Persons. He spoke here in His human nature because in His human nature He suffered, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

This is a part of the mystery of the Incarnation, by which Christ united humanity to God. However, through the sacraments, mankind receives the divine life of God in their souls; that is, sanctifying grace. The Catechism of the Council of Trent states, “He vouchsafed to become man in order that we men might be born again as children of God.” It was necessary for Him to ascend to the Father that we may receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are born again through the Sacrament of Baptism, and this grace is increased in us through the other sacraments, or restored, if lost through mortal sin, by the Sacrament of Penance. Through grace, Christ lives in us and gives us the strength to carry out any task in our lives, no matter the sacrifice that is demanded. Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity wrote, “We must be mindful of how God is in us in the most intimate way and go about everything with him. Then life is never banal. Even in ordinary tasks, because you do not live for these things, you will go beyond them.” However, this is especially true in the extraordinary things God asks of us because we can do all things out of love for Him and with His grace.

To borrow an example from literature, in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Frodo, a hobbit, a race of small creatures related to men, set out to destroy a magic ring before it was found by the evil Sauron, the Lord of the Rings. The world would say a hobbit would likely be unsuccessful in such an undertaking; however, love and humility were his strengths. Tolkien wrote, “Frodo had done what he could and spent himself completely (as an instrument of Providence) and had produced a situation in which the object of his quest could be achieved. His humility… and his sufferings were justly rewarded by the highest honour…Frodo undertook his quest out of love – to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could; and also in complete humility, acknowledging that he was wholly inadequate to the task.”

Frodo succeeded beyond expectation because of what he was humbly willing to undergo to save the world he loved with the help of grace as an instrument of Divine Providence. Tolkien wrote, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work…The religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.” It does not matter if we think we are up to the task of carrying out the will of God. We can accomplish anything Christ, by Whose Incarnation humanity was united with God, asks us to do. We, like Frodo, may not seem up to the task; however, as Saint Paul writes, “But the foolish things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the wise: and the weak things of the world hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Christ told his disciples that He must leave them so He could send the Holy Spirit upon them. With the Holy Spirit, the paraclete, they could accomplish the mission He would entrust to them, a mission for which they seemed unqualified in a worldly sense. They needed the grace of God, as do we, in order to endure the sacrifices and privations necessary to spread the Catholic faith to all the world.

Avengers: Endgame

 By Father Scott Archer

NOTE: True fans of the Avengers movies have, by now, seen Endgame. This review is full of spoilers for those who have not.

Avengers: Endgame is the finale of this phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), so there was a great deal that directors Anthony and Joseph Russo had to wrap up in a three-hour time frame. It was a wise choice to open the movie on an intimate scale as we see what happened to Hawkeye’s family following the snap. From there we watch several Avengers locate Thanos, discover he has destroyed the stones, and Thor dispatches his head with Stormbreaker. The movie then jumps five years ahead, and the Avengers, thanks to Tony Stark, find a way to go back in time, collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos does, and reverse the consequences of the snap.

For the most part, the story telling is tight and the action exciting. I appreciated the expanded screen time for Nebula, as well as the appearance of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One. Dr. Strange and Ironman are two of the most capably handled characters in the movie, providing some of the best dramatic scenes. Considering that the MCU began with his story, it is appropriate that Ironman is given the most emotionally charged and heroic death. Dr. Strange plays a key role in the final resolution. His arrival, and the opening of all portals for the characters who had vanished after the snap to join in the battle, is gripping. I was so awestruck by this, especially seeing the armies of Wakanda and Asgard, it almost made me forget about Thor’s portrayal—almost.

What the Russo brothers did to Thor is horrendous. Presenting him as an overweight and depressed drunk in the Norwegian fishing village of New Asgard five years after the snap is a funny moment; however, it is carried too far, and he ends up being a pathetic joke. Thor had previously struggled psychologically with the loss of everything he had known, yet he remained heroic. Thor had also proven himself a leader; it was part of his story arc over several movies. Handing over the throne of New Asgard to Valkyrie is inconsistent with his free acceptance of being king at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. The dreadful portrayal of Thor is a major disappointment.

Using time travel as a plot device is always problematic, and this is the source of several plot holes because they ignore the rules they painstakingly establish. For example, to prevent creating alternative timelines the stones must be returned to their respective timelines after undoing the snap. However, Captain America not only returns the stones to their timelines, as well as Mjolnir to Asgard in the Thor: The Dark World timeline, he goes back further and lives a life with Peggy Carter, creating two different timelines in which Steve Rogers is living. If you establish rules of time travel you must stick with them.

Avengers: Endgame includes some unforgiveable character portrayals and a lot of plot holes; however, these are outweighed by thrilling action, emotional endings, stunning visual effects, a score by Alan Silvestri that beautifully complements the emotional drama and action of the film, and an epic final battle against Thanos and his forces that alone is worth the price of admission.

Easter

By Father Scott Archer 

April 21, 2019

“He is risen” (Mk 16:6).

The sufferings of Mary at the foot of the cross were real and agonizing as she gazed upon what men had done to her Son. It was an agony we cannot imagine, and this transpiercing of her soul—what Simeon at the Presentation had described as a sword that would pierce her soul—was very deep. Faith does not take away suffering, though what she suffered was neither for trial, purification, nor did it stem from any doubt in God’s salvific plan. Since she was without sin and had no need to be tried, her suffering came from pure love.

She knew what her Son had to undergo in order to redeem mankind, and she believed He would rise from the dead as He had proclaimed, but this did not diminish her suffering in any way. Though not recorded in Scripture, Christian tradition holds that Our Lord first visited His mother after He rose from the dead. Referring to a revelation by Christ, St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “He told me that immediately after His resurrection He went to see Our Lady because she then had great need and that the pain she experienced so absorbed and transpierced her soul that she did not return immediately to herself to rejoice in that joy. By this I understood how different was this other transpiercing of my soul. But what must have been that transpiercing of the Blessed Virgin’s soul! He also said that He remained a long time with her because it was necessary to console her.”

As the Mother of God, it was only fitting that the first to learn of the resurrection was she who had brought forth the Redeemer and experienced the anguish of Calvary. The Carmelite priest Andrea Mastelloni, O. Carm., wrote, “The pain she did not experience when she gave birth to her divine Son, increased a thousand times (as we say in the Office of her Compassion in the Carmelite Breviary: ‘You did not feel pain when you gave birth to your Son; when your Son was dying you suffered this pain a thousand times increased’), she experienced at the death of her Son. This was the hour of the spiritual childbearing, the hour in which all souls were redeemed and regenerated. The Mother of Christ became the Mother of Christians.” As children of Our Lady, we announce the joy that overcame her grief because the resurrection of Our Lord is the miracle that confirms His triumph over sin and death.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, we have our own future resurrection in which we may hope if we persevere in sanctifying grace. It is the promised resurrection that is even now shared by Our Lady, who was assumed body and soul into heaven and is a sign of our own future resurrection. She mirrors the beauty and magnificence of her glorified Son, as the Carmelite mystic John of Saint Samson, O. Carm., wrote, “… as though You and Your Mother were one and the same. She is truly one with You, considering her in the depths of Your being, but considered apart from You she is a different being. But what am I saying? She does not separate herself from You, nor You from her, and her being in You and You in her eternally fills all blessed creatures with indescribable and limitless joy and glory.”

We are joyful in the resurrection because Christ conquered sin and death. As the Mother of all the faithful shared in His suffering and now shares in His resurrection through her glorified body united with her soul in heaven, so we may have hope in eternal life after our sufferings in this world have ended. Our Lady intercedes for us, her children, that we may use all the graces which come to us through her hands to persevere in the Catholic faith and be welcomed one day into the kingdom of heaven.

CAPTAIN MARVEL

by Father Scott Archer 

3-9-19

As a fan of Thor, the good news is that no one can claim Thor: The Dark World is the worst movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as that distinction may now be given to Captain Marvel, perhaps the worst script and deadpan acting I have seen in the ten years of the MCU.

Few, including me, were familiar with the symbol that appeared on Nick Fury’s pager in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War. With a little research I discovered Captain Marvel, as a series, had several starts, cancellations, and reboots, and as a character, had gone through name, race, and gender changes. No wonder few are familiar with this constantly changing superhero. In Captain Marvel’s current incarnation, Brie Larson plays the title character who is involved in a war between alien races, the Kree and the Skrulls. Known as Vers, she is a Kree warrior, and her commander is played by an underutilized Jude Law. Vers is captured but manages to escape to Earth, crashing through a Blockbuster Video store. After meeting Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. she discovers she is not Kree but a woman from Earth named Carol Danvers. She further learns that those for whom she was fighting are not on the side of righteousness, and she eventually becomes Captain Marvel.

The most effective Marvel characters have an interesting origin story, character development, and an overarching obstacle they must overcome. Thor had to become worthy of wielding Mjolner. Tony Stark transformed from a self-centered weapons manufacturer to Ironman. This Captain Marvel has no story arc at all. She is all-powerful with no explanation and with no conflict to overcome. The character is not helped by Brie Larson’s dull and tiresome monotone delivery of her lines, which I quickly grew tired of. The lack of emotion on the part of Captain Marvel coupled with an absence of a character arc are at the heart of why this abysmal movie fails.

There are two actors worth mentioning. Samuel L. Jackson did a good job as Nick Fury, even if the CGI used to make him younger took some getting used to. Having said that, Fury losing his eye because of a cat scratch was silly and not worthy of the character. The one and only standout performance was Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the Skrull commander who follows Vers to earth. He was very committed to his role, with the heavy makeup being no barrier to his portrayal as a sympathetic alien.

The inconsistencies between this movie and the rest of the MCU are many—and distracting. For instance, Fury, in The Avengers, said he was developing weapons because Thor’s arrival on Earth made him aware they were not alone in the universe. Yet Captain Marvel’s arrival in 1995 would already have made him aware of the extraterrestrial threats to Earth.

I cannot recommend this needless, uninteresting intrusion into the MCU. The stewards of the MCU are getting sloppy in their strenuous efforts to introduce a character in the name of bringing more diversity to the MCU and tedium masquerading as “subtlety.” It would have been better to highlight Scarlet Johanssen’s Black Widow and given her her long overdue feature films. For those who are concerned how this story may tie into Avengers: Endgame—and I would say it will have no direct relevance at all—just read a synopsis of Captain Marvel and save your money.

Measure for Measure

By Fr. Scott Archer

2-22-19

“For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured back to you.” The last words of Our Lord in this gospel passage were the basis for the title of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, a play which takes place in Vienna. The Duke, Vincentio, informs Angelo that he is leaving and putting him in charge of the city. At first Angelo protests, but once alone he revives old laws and ruthlessly enforces draconian punishments to clean up the city.

Meanwhile, the Duke has not in fact left the city but has disguised himself as a friar in order to see how Angelo rules. Angelo condemns a young man named Claudio to death for immorality with Juliet, his fiancé. Claudio’s sister, Isabella, a novice in a convent of Poor Clare nuns, obtains an audience with Angelo and pleads for mercy regarding her brother. He agrees to spare Claudio’s life if Isabella will sacrifice her virginity. She refuses. Suffice it to say that the hypocrite, Angelo, rules according to the law; however, it is a rule without mercy, cruel, and unforgiving. The Duke reveals himself in the end, and justice is restored.

Our Lord tells us “Stop judging and you will not be judged.” He does not mean that we cannot judge immorality or behaviors which are detrimental to a Christian society. We have to do this, otherwise evil will triumph and the good will suffer greatly at the hands of the wicked. Christ wishes us to judge right from wrong but also be merciful, unlike the wicked Angelo in Measure for Measure. If we are harsh and cruel in our judgment, this is the same measure that will be measured back to us by God.

St. John Chrysostom writes, “You will not easily find any one, whether a father of a family or an inhabitant of the cloister, free from this error. But these are the wiles of the tempter. For he who severely sifts the fault of others, will never obtain acquittal for his own. Hence it follows And you shall not be judged. For as the merciful and meek man dispels the rage of sinners, so the harsh and cruel adds to his own crimes.”

Our Lord teaches us true mercy, just as Shakespeare tried to do the same with Measure for Measure. Clare Asquith, in her scholarly book Shadowplay, suggests Shakespeare wrote the play because King James I had delegated his authority to deputies, led by Lord Cecil, who revived old laws to punish English Catholics and refused to listen to pleas of mercy. She posits that Angelo in the play represents hypocritical and worldly Puritans, and it is a plea to King James not to hand over Catholics to the enemies of the Church but to deal with them himself. Angelo’s revived laws coincide with the dates of the anti-Catholic statutes of Parliament.

Christ states, “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” This means we must love them as Christ commands us. We must pray for them, especially for their conversion. He does not mean our enemies are our friends, that those who persecute us should be sought out for companionship, nor does He mean crimes can go unpunished. He means we must be merciful and pray for them. The greatest virtue we can show to all, even our enemies, is love!

St. Ambrose writes, “Having proceeded in the enumeration of many heavenly actions, He not unwisely comes to this place last, that He might teach the people confirmed by the divine miracles to march onward in the footsteps of virtue beyond the path of the law. Lastly, among the three greatest, (hope, faith, and charity,) the greatest is charity, which is commanded in these words, Love your enemies.”

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith” (Matt. 8:23-27)?

By Father Scott Archer

2-3-19

A great tempest arose on the sea while our Lord slept, and His disciples grew in their fear of certain disaster. This was all in the divine plan, of course, as Christ taught them that they must put their faith in Him and be without fear, as fear arises from a lack of faith. He asked them, “Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?” He slept that they might know their need for Him. Had our Lord been awake, it is doubtful they would have been so afraid of the tempest.

In the 2000-year history of the Church there have often been times that the Church, represented by the boat in today’s gospel, has been tossed about by the winds and the waves. I hear many stories of why people leave the Catholic Faith; for example, a religious sister was mean, a priest was unfriendly, the people who go to Mass are hypocrites, or God allowed something to happen. There is very little supporting our faith in society, so we must be as strong as many in the past who experienced worse than we do yet did not blame God or lack in faith.

I recently read the story of a young woman, a life I had not known before, yet I have a bust of her in the rectory. She was born in 1909 in Bavaria, Germany, and from a young age she was a gifted and promising artist, so much so that she was able to study at the Academy of Applied Arts in Munich. However, unlike most other students, she chose to live at a Catholic residence run by religious sisters. Also studying at the school were two Franciscan Sisters from Württemberg, Germany with whom she made friends. The congregation was a teaching order which placed an emphasis on the role of art in education. In 1931, after graduating with honors, she entered the Order, taking the name Sister Maria Innocentia.

She was assigned as an art teacher and continued with her own works, mainly religious subjects and children. She made her final profession of vows in 1937 and painted The Volunteers that same year, provoking the anger of one man who had no time for the anti-Nazi Sister Maria Innocentia. That man was Adolf Hitler. Hitler condemned what he called the depiction of German children with “hydrocephalic heads,” and one Nazi magazine wrote, “There is no place in the ranks of German artists for the likes of her. No, the 'beloved Fatherland' cannot remain calm when Germany's youth are portrayed as brainless sissies.” Although allowed to continue with her art, it was forbidden to be distributed in Germany.

The outbreak of World War II brought great suffering to religious congregations. In 1940, religious schools were closed, and the Nazis took control of the convent of the Franciscan Sisters. Of the 250 sisters, only forty were allowed to remain and were confined to a small area of the convent without heat or a way to support themselves. Sister Maria Innocentia was forced to go home; however, within three months she was longing for her life with her fellow sisters. She was allowed to return to the convent, confined to a small room which served as her sleeping quarters and her art studio. We can only imagine the suffering endured by these sisters.

She contracted tuberculous in 1944, and while the man who loathed her, Adolf Hitler, ended up shooting himself in a bunker in Berlin, she died a most devout death at the age of thirty-seven in her convent on November 6, 1946, fortified by her love of God. Through all the hardships she endured, Sister Maria Innocentia persevered to the end, strong in faith. Faith demands sacrifice, yet Christ will strengthen us while we are being tossed by the winds and waves of life.

Perhaps the next time you look a quaint Hummel figurine, you will think of the courageous life and enduring faith of the artist responsible for them – Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel.