“According to the traditions of the Carmelite order, on July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite. During the vision, she revealed to him the Scapularof Our Lady of Mount Carmel, popularly known as the “Brown Scapular.” A century and a quarter later, the Carmelite order began to celebrate on this date the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Carmelites had long claimed that their order extended back to ancient times-indeed, that it was founded on Mount Carmel in Palestine by the prophets Elijah and Elisha. While others disputed this idea, Pope Honorius III, in approving the order in 1226, seemed to accept its antiquity. The celebration of the feast became wrapped up with this controversy, and, in 1609, after Robert Cardinal Bellarmine examined the origins of the feast, it was declared the patronal feast of the Carmelite order.
The feast celebrates the devotion that the Blessed Virgin Mary has to those who are devoted to her, and who signal that devotion by wearing the Brown Scapular. According to tradition, those who wear the scapular faithfully and remain devoted to the Blessed Virgin until death will be granted the grace of final perseverance and be delivered from Purgatory early.”
God’s Unconditional Love – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discusses the importance and depth of the fourth step of the Ignatian Examen, which involves seeking God’s forgiveness. Fr. Gallagher explains that this step builds on the previous steps of gratitude, petition, and review, leading one to face personal failures and missed opportunities to reject temptations. He emphasizes the sensitivity needed in this step, as it touches deep places in the heart.
Fr. Gallagher illustrates the process with personal anecdotes. One story involves his initial reaction to a colleague’s office renovation, where he realized his response was not fully gospel-centered. Another involves his interaction with a community member with disabilities, highlighting the importance of addressing even small failures in love and charity. Fr. Gallagher also reflects on a poem by George Herbert, “Love,” which portrays the dynamic between God’s persistent love and the human heart’s sense of unworthiness. This dynamic mirrors the experience of seeking and accepting God’s forgiveness in the examen.
In the fifth step, renewal, Fr. Gallagher describes how the insights gained from the examen can guide actions and decisions in the coming day. He shares personal experiences where praying the examen helped him approach relationships and tasks with greater clarity and gospel-centered love.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Understanding the Four Steps of Forgiveness: How do the first three steps of the Examen prepare us to seek God’s forgiveness in the fourth step?
The Importance of God’s Love: How does acknowledging God’s infinite love help us approach Him for forgiveness?
Personal Reflection on Gratitude: In what ways can gratitude to God enhance our openness to seek and receive His forgiveness?
Recognizing Daily Spiritual Experiences: How does reviewing the spiritual experiences of our day reveal our need for God’s forgiveness?
Real-Life Application of the Examen: Can you recall a moment where you could have acted differently and how would you seek God’s forgiveness for it now?
Learning from Small Failures: Why is it important to bring even small failures to the Lord for forgiveness?
Forgiveness in Interpersonal Relationships: How can seeking God’s forgiveness inspire us to seek reconciliation with others?
Embracing God’s Love Fully: What steps can we take to overcome feelings of unworthiness and fully embrace God’s love and forgiveness?
Looking Forward with the Lord: How can the fifth step of the Examen, renewal, help us grow spiritually and improve our future actions?
Poetic Insights on Divine Love: How does George Herbert’s poem “Love” illustrate the dynamic of God’s persistent love and our hesitant response?
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
OUR FATHER.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel,
when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel,
you gave assurance of your Motherly love
and help to those faithful to you and to your Son.
Behold us, your children.
We glory in wearing your holy habit,
which makes us members of your family of Carmel,
through which we shall have your powerful protection in life,
at death and even after death.
Look down with love,
O Gate of Heaven,
on all those now in their last agony!
Look down graciously,
O Virgin, Flower of Carmel,
on all those in need of help!
Look down mercifully,
O Mother of our Savior,
on all those who do not know
that they are numbered among your children.
Look down tenderly,
O Queen of All Saints,
on the poor souls! (State your request here…)
You give us hope,
O Mother of Mercy,
that through your Scapular promise
we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory
to the Kingdom of your Son.
Be our comfort and our hope.
Grant that our hope may not be in vain but that,
ever faithful to your Son and to you,
we may speedily enjoy after death
the blessed company of Jesus and the saints. (State your request here…)
Episode 5 – The Marian Mystery and the Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor delve into the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role within Liturgy. Kris shares her personal relationship with Mary, describing her as a tender and guiding mother figure, contrasting this with her relationship with God the Father, which she feels lacks the same emotional warmth but is deeper. They explore C.S. Lewis’s reassurance that love for imagined figures, like Aslan, does not compete with love for Jesus, highlighting how God works through our imaginations. This leads to a discussion on the different types of veneration in Catholicism: dulia for saints, hyperdulia for Mary, and latria for God alone, with Mary exemplifying the church’s path to glorifying God through liturgy.
They also discuss Marian apparitions, noting their role in leading the faithful to the Eucharist and liturgy, with McGregor emphasizing the Eucharist’s centrality. Pope Paul VI’s “Marialis Cultus” is referenced, highlighting Mary as a model for Christians in the liturgy, exemplifying the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings. Fagerberg stresses that Mary is not a replacement for Christ but a masterpiece of grace, leading the church to glorify God.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
What is the relationship between Mary and the liturgy of the Church?
What is Liturgical Dogma?
Why is dogma important?
What is the authentic nature of “full and active participation”?
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“There’s a relationship between Mary and the liturgy. She’s the model of the spiritual attitude with which the church celebrates and lives. The divine mysteries, any names for Mary is the attentive Virgin. She’s the Virgin in prayer. She’s the Virgin Mother and the Virgin presenting offerings. What do we do in liturgy? This is what Paul VI goes through. In this document, we seek to be attentive, to offer a prayer, to be the maternal church that gathers the world under the wings and heals its sufferings and presents offerings. Mary is a model of a spiritual attitude, which every Christian should have when he or she celebrates and lives the divine mysteries. So she’s not a replacement of the mystery. She’s the model for how we live and express those mysteries.
More taken from the discussion:
The words which are vehicles for Spirit are revelatory in Scripture, but they’re dogmatic in other forms. And dogmas are words, and you have to use the right words. The doctor is writing the prescription for you. He can’t prescribe arsenic instead of aspirin, it matters which words he writes down on the pad. It matters what terms we use in our dogma. And that’s why the Church argues over these things. You have to have the wording just right. As Chesterton has said, the Church is a lion tamer, and she’s running with tigers and lions and dragons. And everything has to be just right in order to keep the balance. One wrong slip of words, Chesterton finishes, and all the stained glass would be broken and all the Christmas trees destroyed. Yeah. As it happened, when we goofed up our understanding of the sacramentality of the church, broke windows, and whitewashed the art, you have to be very careful in how you prescribe it.
We prefer to have a kind of loosey-goosey why can’t we just say, be healthy? Why do we have to have doctors and med school and big medical manuals? Well, because it matters how strong a dose you prescribe. You have to argue about this. And sometimes the arguments have to go on for 300 years before we pinned down our correct definition of transubstantiation in order to make sense out of reality and symbol…John Carbone, again in his book, Wellspring of Worship writes The Virgin Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person. Let’s see who knew that? Oh yeah. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, the document on the Church. How should we end this with a chapter on Mary? Mary is the Church as it dawns in a single person.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Personal Relationship with Mary: How can you deepen your personal relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and see her as a tender and guiding mother figure?
Understanding Different Types of Veneration: How does understanding the distinctions between dulia, hyperdulia, and latria help you in your spiritual practice?
Role of Marian Apparitions: In what ways do Marian apparitions lead you closer to the Eucharist and the liturgy?
Eucharistic Centrality: How can you ensure the Eucharist remains the central focus of your faith and spiritual practice?
Imagination in Faith: How does God work through your imagination to deepen your faith and love for Him?
Marian Model in Liturgy: How can you emulate Mary as a model in your liturgical practice, particularly in her roles as the attentive Virgin, the Virgin in prayer, the Virgin Mother, and the Virgin presenting offerings?
Mary and Grace: How does viewing Mary as a masterpiece of grace help you in your own journey to glorify God?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
Journeying with the Examen Prayer – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss the third step of the Examen prayer, which is the review of one’s day. Fr. Gallagher explains that the term “examen” comes from the Spanish word for examination, and he refers to this step as “review.” This involves looking back over the day to see where God was present and where the enemy tried to lead one astray. The goal is to develop “eyes of faith” that are vigilant and can recognize the action of God and the enemy in daily life.
Fr. Gallagher uses a reflective example of “Susan,” a composite character from his experiences. Susan has been attending daily Mass for six months and incorporates the Examen into her routine. One day, after Mass, she feels deep spiritual consolation, realizing that attending daily Mass has brought her closer to God and improved her patience and availability to others. This reinforces her commitment to the practice. On another day, Susan experiences spiritual desolation, feeling distant from God and lacking energy for spiritual activities. Despite this, she gets herself to Mass, albeit late. In her review, she identifies this as an instance of the enemy’s tactic to discourage her and recognizes the importance of being faithful to her spiritual commitments.
The Examen helps one become more aware of spiritual consolations and desolations, allowing for growth and a deeper understanding of God’s grace and the enemy’s tactics. This practice, combined with knowledge of St. Ignatius’ rules for the discernment of spirits, enriches one’s spiritual life.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Understanding the Purpose of the Examen: How does the Examen prayer help us see the action of the Lord and the enemy in our daily lives?
Spiritual Consolation and Desolation: Can you identify moments of spiritual consolation and desolation in your recent experiences, and how did you respond to them?
Practicing Discernment: What steps can you take to incorporate the daily review of spiritual experiences into your prayer routine?
The Impact of Daily Mass: How has attending daily Mass influenced your spiritual life and relationship with God?
Responding to Desolation: When facing spiritual desolation, what strategies can you employ to remain faithful to your spiritual commitments?
The Role of Forgiveness: How does asking for God’s forgiveness daily affect your sense of spiritual growth and personal peace?
Recognizing the Enemy’s Tactics: Are there specific times or situations where you find it challenging to stick to your spiritual plans, and how can you better recognize and counteract these tactics?
The Joy of Forgiveness: Reflect on a time when you felt profound joy after experiencing God’s forgiveness; how did this affect your spiritual journey?
Living the Ordinary with Awareness: How can you bring greater spiritual awareness to the seemingly ordinary events of your day?
Applying Ignatian Principles: How familiar are you with St. Ignatius’ rules for discernment of spirits, and how can you apply them to deepen your practice of the Examen?
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
OUR FATHER.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
The twelfth degree of humility is, when a monk is not only humble of heart, but always let it appear also in his whole exterior to all that see him; … and always saying to himself in his heart what the publican in the Gospel said, with his eyes fixed on the ground: “Lord, I am a sinner and not worthy to lift up mine eyes to heaven” (Lk 18:13)…
Having, therefore, ascended all these degrees of humility, the monk will presently arrive at that love of God, which being perfect, cast out fear (1 Jn 4:18). In virtue of this love all things which at first he observed not without fear, he will now begin to keep without any effort, and as it were, naturally by force of habit, no longer from the fear of hell, but from the love of Christ, from the very habit of good and the pleasure in virtue. May the Lord be pleased to manifest all this by His Holy Spirit in His laborer now cleansed from vice and sin. (Holy Rule 7)
Glorious Saint Benedict,
sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God’s grace!
Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet.
I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To you, I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries, and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way.
You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I, therefore, invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.
{mention your petition}
Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
Episode 4 – The Form of Liturgy – Pathway to Sacred Mysteries with Dr. David Fagerberg Ph.D.
Dr. David Fagerberg and Kris McGregor explore the theme of holiness through the lives of prominent Catholic figures such as Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, Fulton Sheen, and John Paul II. These individuals, despite their different paths and actions, shared a common foundation in their daily practice of adoration and sacramental life: the importance of receiving spiritual nourishment to give to others.
Dr. Fagerberg discusses the necessity of balancing active service with liturgical life, comparing it to the need to inhale before exhaling. This balance ensures that service is rooted in a communion with Christ rather than being mere social work. The conversation delves into the concept of genuine worship, emphasizing that true worship should be directed towards God, not the actions or movements themselves.
The dangers of ego in spirituality, noting that true prayer involves listening to Christ rather than merely talking about oneself. The significance of the Psalms in Christian prayer is highlighted, as they represent a dialogue between God and Christ. The importance of liturgy in shaping spiritual life, not as an expression of personal feelings, but as a way to conform to God’s will. Liturgy is described as a formative process that aligns believers with the divine order, likened to a mask that eventually shapes the wearer’s face to fit it.
Dr. Fagerberg touches on the distinction between dulia (reverence to saints and holy places) and latria (worship due to God alone), cautioning against idolatry. The podcast concludes with reflections on the transformative power of liturgy in leading to deification, allowing believers to see and interact with the world through the light of divine grace.
Here are some of the topics explored in this episode:
The experience of lukewarm prayer.
The nature of humility and worship.
What is the form of liturgy?
What is Dulia and Latria?
Liturgy comes from whom we are worshipping.
From the discussion with Dr. Fagerberg:
“The odd thing is that we can sometimes be proud of our humility and our self knowledge which makes us more vainglorious I have a couple of lines that I’m proud of having written, and this is one of them. So long as there is this old Adam ego humility will feel like humiliation. And if you wake up in the morning with a Christian smile and say, dear God, I’d like to become more humble today. He’ll accommodate you. There will be humiliations. Oh, I didn’t mean to say that. Oh, I meant to hold my tongue. Oh, I’m not even, I’m going to fact like it’s humiliating. Yes. That’s what it is to carry these crosses to be nailed with Jesus to the cross is for you to die to yourself, to your seam. This isn’t ego like healthy your strength. This is like me for as myself second, or there’s anything left. I’ll take it. This is a, God is my servant. Rather than me being his servant.”
More taken from the discussion:
“It’s not as if God is changing so rapidly, that new material has to be inserted into the liturgy. Just to keep up with him. If the liturgy were totally or even significantly culturally dependent, then we could say that it would need continual revision for, with a changing material. The form would have to be different too, but liturgy is not an expression of how people see things. Rather it proposes instead how God sees all people.”
And still more:
“They are Dulia and Latria. Dulia means a homage or reverence or respect you pay dulia to distinguished persons, or even places. The Archangel Gabriel gets dulia. Saint Augustin gets dulia. Mother Theresa gets dulia. The grotto at Notre Dame gets dulia. Lartia is different from dulia. And I don’t know if I can give it a single English word. So instead I’ll give it a description. Latria is what we give God. And only God, because he is God, you can give dulia to the emperor, but you must give latria to God. And you ought not to give latria to the emperor because that would be giving latria to something other than God, to an image of God, to something lesser than God, which in Greek was the word eídolo. And that’s where the word idolatry comes from idos lateria is giving latria to something other than God.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
The Role of Adoration in Daily Life: How can we integrate daily adoration into our routine to ensure that our actions are inspired and sustained by our relationship with Christ?
Balancing Service and Worship: In what ways can we ensure that our charitable actions are rooted in our communion with Christ rather than mere social work?
Self-Knowledge and Humility: How can we cultivate true humility and self-knowledge in our spiritual journey, avoiding the trap of becoming proud of our humility?
Understanding Worship and Worth-ship: What does it mean to truly worship God and give Him worth-ship in our daily lives?
The Importance of Liturgy: How does participating in liturgy shape our understanding of God and our relationship with Him?
Conforming to Christ’s Liturgy: In what ways can our worship and daily life reflect Christ’s liturgy before the Father?
Idolatry and True Worship: How can we avoid idolatry by ensuring that our ultimate concern and worship are directed solely to God?
Formative Power of Liturgy: How can we allow the liturgy to form us into the people God calls us to be?
Seeing the World with New Eyes: How does our participation in the liturgy help us to see the world through the eyes of faith and respond accordingly?
Prioritizing Greater Goods: How can we discern and prioritize greater goods in our life, continually moving closer to God’s ultimate good?
David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John’s University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.
Fagerberg’s work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). He has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And these two themes come together in Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).
Reflecting on the Day with God – The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Examen Prayer with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher and Kris McGregor discuss how consistent prayer fosters a deeper relationship with God, with each type of prayer—be it Mass, the Rosary, or scripture reading—adding its unique richness. The Examen prayer, in particular, cultivates an awareness of God’s presence throughout the day.
The third step of the Examen is the review of the day. This step involves reflecting on the events of the day to discern where God was present and where temptations or spiritual desolations occurred. Fr. Gallagher explains that this practice helps us become more aware of our spiritual experiences, leading to greater discernment in our lives.
Fr. Gallagher then introduces the concepts of spiritual consolation and desolation as described by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Spiritual consolation includes feelings of joy, hope, and closeness to God, while spiritual desolation involves feelings of abandonment, darkness, and spiritual dryness. He shares two examples: one of spiritual consolation, where a simple email exchange resolved an unresolved tension and led to a deeper connection, and one of spiritual desolation, where he felt heavy and discouraged during a retreat but recognized the need to avoid making decisions in such a state.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
The Role of the Examen Prayer: How does the Examen prayer deepen our awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives?
Practicing Gratitude: How can you incorporate a daily practice of gratitude into your prayer life?
Petition for Divine Insight: How does seeking divine insight transform your understanding of your spiritual experiences?
Reviewing the Day with God: How can reviewing your day with God help you identify moments of spiritual consolation and desolation?
Discernment of Spirits: How can familiarizing yourself with St. Ignatius’ 14 Rules for the Discernment of Spirits enhance your practice of the Examen?
Recognizing Spiritual Consolation: Reflect on a recent experience of spiritual consolation and how it affected your spiritual life.
Addressing Spiritual Desolation: How can understanding moments of spiritual desolation help you respond more effectively and seek God’s presence?
Applying the Examen in Daily Life: How can you integrate the steps of the Examen prayer into your daily routine?
The Gift of Reflection: How can the Examen prayer lead to spiritual growth and a deeper connection with God?
Practical Examples of the Examen: Reflect on a specific instance where you could apply the steps of the Examen and how it might change your perspective and response.
As outlined from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
(translated from the autograph by Fr. E. Mullan, S.J. 1909 in the public domain)
METHOD FOR MAKING THE GENERAL EXAMEN
It contains in it five Points.
First Point.The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received. Second Point.The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out. Third Point.The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen. Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults. Fifth Point.The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
OUR FATHER.
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
St. Cyril of Alexandria – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson
Born: 378 AD, Alexandria, Egypt
Died: June 27, 444 AD, Alexandria, Egypt
Dr. Matthew Bunson and Kris McGregor discuss St. Cyril of Alexandria, also known as the Doctor of the Incarnation. Cyril’s significant role in combating Christological heresies, particularly Nestorianism, which denied the unity of Christ’s divine and human natures. Cyril was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883, reflecting the church’s recognition of his importance in theological clarity, especially regarding the role of Mary as Theotokos, or God-bearer.
Cyril’s life and work are explored in detail, highlighting his early education, the influence of his uncle Theophilus, and his fiery personality, which led to various controversies in Alexandria. The city itself was a cosmopolitan hub, rich in culture and conflict, where Cyril had to navigate political and religious tensions.
A significant milestone in Cyril’s life was the Council of Ephesus in 431, where he defended the title of Theotokos for Mary, countering Nestorianism. This council affirmed that Mary was indeed the mother of God, emphasizing the unity of Christ’s divinity and humanity.
St. Cyril’s efforts to restore unity within the church and his contributions to theological writings, include commentaries on the Bible and defenses of the Trinity. The late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI praised Cyril as a staunch witness of Jesus Christ and highlighted his role in emphasizing Christ’s unity as both divine and human.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions
Understanding Cyril’s Role in Combating Heresy: How did St. Cyril of Alexandria’s defense against Nestorianism shape the Church’s understanding of Christ’s divine and human natures?
Significance of the Title Theotokos: Why is the title “Theotokos” (God-bearer) for Mary so crucial to the Church’s Christological teachings?
Impact of the Council of Ephesus: What were the key outcomes of the Council of Ephesus in 431, and how did they strengthen the Church’s doctrine on the Incarnation?
Navigating Controversies and Conflict: How did St. Cyril’s leadership and actions in the cosmopolitan city of Alexandria demonstrate the challenges and responsibilities of a Church leader?
Personalities and Sainthood: What can we learn from St. Cyril’s fiery personality and his eventual softening about the path to sainthood and effective leadership?
Restoration of Church Unity: In what ways did St. Cyril work towards restoring unity within the Church, and why is this an essential aspect of his legacy?
Influence of Early Education and Formation: How did St. Cyril’s early education and the influence of his uncle Theophilus prepare him for his role as a defender of the faith?
Enduring Faith and Modern Relevance: How does St. Cyril’s unwavering commitment to defending the truth serve as a model for contemporary Christians facing challenges to their faith?
Contributions to Theological Writings: Which of St. Cyril’s theological writings stand out, and what impact have they had on the development of Christian doctrine?
Lessons from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: What insights does Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s reflection on St. Cyril provide about the eternal and historical presence of Jesus Christ in our lives?
“Cyril’s writings – truly numerous and already widely disseminated in various Latin and Eastern translations in his own lifetime, attested to by their instant success – are of the utmost importance for the history of Christianity. His commentaries on many of the New and Old Testament Books are important, including those on the entire Pentateuch, Isaiah, the Psalms and the Gospels of John and Luke. Also important are his many doctrinal works, in which the defence of the Trinitarian faith against the Arian and Nestorian theses recurs. The basis of Cyril’s teaching is the ecclesiastical tradition and in particular, as I mentioned, the writings of Athanasius, his great Predecessor in the See of Alexandria. Among Cyril’s other writings, the books Against Julian deserve mention. They were the last great response to the anti-Christian controversies, probably dictated by the Bishop of Alexandria in the last years of his life to respond to the work Against the Galileans, composed many years earlier in 363 by the Emperor known as the “Apostate” for having abandoned the Christianity in which he was raised.
The Christian faith is first and foremost the encounter with Jesus, “a Person, which gives life a new horizon” (Deus Caritas Est, n. 1). St Cyril of Alexandria was an unflagging, staunch witness of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, emphasizing above all his unity, as he repeats in 433 in his first letter (PG 77, 228-237) to Bishop Succensus: “Only one is the Son, only one the Lord Jesus Christ, both before the Incarnation and after the Incarnation. Indeed, the Logos born of God the Father was not one Son and the one born of the Blessed Virgin another; but we believe that the very One who was born before the ages was also born according to the flesh and of a woman”. Over and above its doctrinal meaning, this assertion shows that faith in Jesus the Logos born of the Father is firmly rooted in history because, as St Cyril affirms, this same Jesus came in time with his birth from Mary, the Theotò-kos, and in accordance with his promise will always be with us. And this is important: God is eternal, he is born of a woman, and he stays with us every day. In this trust we live, in this trust we find the way for our life.”
Dr. Matthew E. Bunson is a Register senior editor and a senior contributor to EWTN News. For the past 20 years, he has been active in the area of Catholic social communications and education, including writing, editing, and teaching on a variety of topics related to Church history, the papacy, the saints and Catholic culture. He is faculty chair at Catholic Distance University, a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and the author or co-author of over 50 books including The Encyclopedia of Catholic History, The Pope Encyclopedia, We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI, The Saints Encyclopedia and best-selling biographies of St. Damien of Molokai and St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
St. Cyril of Alexandria – The Doctors of the Church: The Charism of Wisdom with Dr. Matthew Bunson