Marian Chivalry Online

Made it on Headline Bistro, thanks to Dawn Eden.

Fall Encampment Cancelled

Blame it on the weather.  Look forward to seeing everyone next year in Spring.

Fall Encampment 2009: October 16-18

Update: Encampment Cancelled due to weather.

The Encampment widget in the sidebar has been updated. The advertising flyer and the Registration form are now available in the link provided for download.

Click on the picture:

In Defense of Purity

Thanks to Therese, I am now reading Dietrich von Hildebrand’s Purity:  The Mystery of Christian Sexuality, originally published under the title In Defense of Purity by Sheed and Ward in 1938. I have decided to blog a bit on the book as I read it.  I thought I might publish a post on each chapter.

In fact, I believe that von Hildebrand’s contribution is extraordinarily important for the proper understanding of John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.  When I received von Hildebrand’s book, I was elated to find the following endorsement on the back by Dr. Josef Seifert, who helped to clarify some points about shame when I was engaged in a discussion on The Linde several weeks ago:

When first published, von Hildebrand’s books on marriage and purity rediscovered the essence of the true Catholic understanding of sexuality and thereby revolutionized the dominant view of sexuality, which was almost 2000 years old and which was often negativistic and puritan.

Today, von Hildebrand’s thoughts on the spiritual meaning of sex and love are also a key to understanding Pope John Paul II’s grandiose and audacious theology of the body.

This book opened the eyes of countless young people to the mystery and fulfillment of spousal love—and to the horror of impurity which desecrates the mystery.

Together with the theology of the body of Pope John Paul II, von Hildebrand’s writings on purity and sexuality may merit for the Twentieth Century the title of greatest century in Church history with respect to the philosophy and theology of marriage.

Von Hildebrand’s lively and fascinating analysis of love and sexuality will strike you by their beauty and depth, as much today as when the young von Hildebrand wrote this book, which already has made Church history.

If you are looking for an utterly positive understanding of love and sex, which throws into light the great virtue of purity and the greatness of marriage as love-community, this is the book for you.

Interestingly, Dr. Seifert acknowledges and revolutionary quality to both the work of von Hildebrand and John Paul II.  However, of course, the meaning of the word “revolution” as it is used here can only be understood in a Catholic sense, as I am sure Dr. Seifert meant it, that is, in the context of the development of doctrine or the hermeneutic of continuity.  This is an important point and it is essential for the understanding of the difference between virtue and vice relative to human sexuality and between true modesty and prudery.  I am looking forward to a prayerful reading of this masterpiece of a pure and reverent mind.

I will be reading from the 1989 edition, published by Franciscan University Press, Steubenville, under the title Purity:  The Mystery of Christian Sexuality.  The work is divided into two books, the first having three parts, the second, two:

Book I:  Purity

1. Sex (3 chapters)
2. Purity (3 chapters)
3. The Attitude of the Pure in Marriage (3 chapters)

Book II:  Virginity

1. The Nature of Consecration (2 chapters)
2. Why the Virgin is the Bride of Christ (6 chapters)

Of particular note, von Hildebrand gives his reason for considering purity and virginity in the same work:

The reason for uniting in one study purity and virginity is of a practical nature.  Although virginity represents in its significance and value something completely new and autonomous with respect to purity, its inmost nature is only intelligible when we have understood that of the person, which is also the decisive factor for purity.

I will provide parenthetical references to page numbers in my posts.

Encampment Update!

The dates for the Fall Encampment have been changed to October 16-18.

Too Much Fun at the Encampment

more about “Gloria.tv: Summer Encampment 2009: Seige“, posted with vodpod

more about “Gloria.tv: Summer Encampment 2009: Sl…“, posted with vodpod

Men will be boys.

Summer Encampment 2009 – Tug of War

I am off to Indiana early in the morning.  I will try to get back to blogging when I can catch my breath.  The encampment and then getting ready to go have kept me occupied.  I will also have the video of my encampment talk back online in the morning.  (Video Restored.) Meanwhile, enjoy the encampment Tug of War:

more about “Summer Encampment 2009 – Tug of War“, posted with vodpod

Our Strategy: Prayer, Mortification and Fraternal Charity

I based the following talk, given to the boys on Saturday at the encampment, on an article St. Maximilian Kolbe wrote in November of 1924. The title of his article, at least in the Italian translation is “Our Tactics.” I don’t have a Polish copy so I cannot be sure if it is accurately translated into Italian. I only mention this, because if one takes into account the military distinction between strategy and tactics, which I explain in the talk, what St. Maximilian is speaking of seems more like strategy than tactics. A minor point. In any case, here is my translation of his article.

Update: Missing Video Video Restored

I won’t try to explain the technical difficulties, but the video was inadvertently deleted from our account on gloria.tv and is currently inaccessible from our computers. I will get it back up just as soon as I can.

more about “Gloria.tv: Prayer, Mortification, and…“, posted with vodpod

Encampment Gallery, Summer 2009

Caught Pig

Talking under the Tree

Standard Bearers

Funnelator

Greased Pig

Honorable Warfare

St. Maximilian’s Magazine Cover

Mr. Dietz

Sir Gabriel

Home made Slip-n-Slide

Slip-n-Slider

St. Dominic

Tower of Memorial

Tug of War

Videographer

Wrestlers

Group Shot

Summer Encampment Opening Ceremony and Conference

more about “Gloria.tv: Shield Procession“, posted with vodpod

more about “Gloria.tv: Choosing To Follow The Truth“, posted with vodpod