Pence on Santayana's faulty understanding of America

George Santayana, the Harvard professor who died in 1952, failed to appreciate the founding spirit of his adopted country. (Born in Spain, he grew up in Boston.) This essay by Father Longenecker contains a prominent quote by the philosopher.
                         

America was not in any way a secular founding, if secular means atheist or materialist. Our history is unabashed Christian and Protestant; and those sturdy believers trusted, absolutely, in the Living Lord. He was a God concerned with the affairs of public men in cities and nations.

We flourished here because the Founders tilled a garden for free churches. When we planted the oak of the Catholic Church -- she grew incredibly well.  America did not corrupt us... we did that.  But, now, we shall reform ourselves and give God thanks for the USA where the Catholic Church flourishes; and the Spanish Catholic and Anglo Protestant cultures will meet to establish the next great phase of Christendom. 

"Tinúviel! Tinúviel! / He called her by her elvish name"

One of the tales told in the first book of Lord of the Rings (the "Knife in the Dark" chapter) is that of the fairest maiden who ever lived: Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of a King of the Elves. She falls in love with a mortal man, Beren; rescues him from the dungeons of Sauron; cradles him in his arms when he is slain by the Wolf; and spurns immortality so that she might follow her love.


Mr Tolkien recites the verses here. Also, check out this stirring musical version done more recently.

                                                     

Wagner’s final opera centered on knights, chivalry, and purity

                                 

Take a listen for a few minutes to this excerpt from Richard Wagner’s creation of 1882.

And this will get you up to speed about the story (or here).

                       

If you go to the 5:00 mark of this video, you can watch some of the Holy Grail scene.


A comment from a German tenor who recently sang the lead role:

“Every time I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of this music… It really pulls you into this world. Even people who are not religious become religious while hearing this music…
“I had people telling me that this opera makes you understand again why you are a Christian, and they were saying that in the audience the person next to them turned round saying ‘it makes me actually very jealous, I wish I were a Christian like you!’ ”

                                         

Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the Bible Belt

                   

The richness of America’s spiritual patrimony is borne out by the Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral – located in Greenville, South Carolina.

[The city was the childhood home of two famous preachers: Jesse Jackson and John Piper. Greenville is also where Bob Jones University is based.]


Charles Joiner, the deacon at Saint George’s, has crafted their superb websites.

Take a look at this two-minute video of the Cathedral; and an essay on the Jesus Prayer.

Catholics and Protestants can deepen their faith by anchoring themselves a bit in the life of Eastern Orthodoxy. Here is an overview in pamphlet form put together by the deacon.

                               

"Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon..."
                    (Revelation 12)

Interiority and Influence

“Women in the Church must be valued, not ‘clericalised.’ Whoever thinks of women as cardinals suffers a bit from clericalism.”                                       (Pope Francis)

         

In an essay by Alice von Hildebrand, she lays out the reasons why feminine influence is the real deal – not worldly power.


And on a related question posed by Doctor Pence: is Matter necessary in order to have masculinity & femininity? He says no:

"I think this is a very crucial truth we must ponder and try to clarify. I would try to defend this: Masculinity and Femininity are fundamental complementary SPIRITUAL categories that are made manifest in Christ and the Apostles and Our Lady. Masculinity and Femininity (like personhood) reside in the Divine, and precede the creation of matter some 14 billion years ago."


Men are called to be on the ramparts – defending women and the interior castle!