Msgr. Knox and the Parables of the Kingdom

I wrote previously on the parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew.  They fascinated me then, and I read a great reflection on them that continued the wonder.  Alongside reading the Gospel of Matthew, I've been making my way through In Soft Garments by Msgr. Ronald Knox.  He uses the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to put a frame on the issue of the Church and human progress.

Here are some extended quotes, and any attempt at a summary wouldn't do him justice.

"... the growth of the mustard seed shows you the Christian Church as a body which swells in size, whereas the spread of the leaven shows you the Christian gospel as an influence which radiates fore and communicated it to its neighbourhood.  The tree takes something from its surroundings; takes nourishment from the earth and the moisture and the sunlight, and so grows bigger: and the Church takes something from her surroundings, takes the souls of men from the world and incorporates them into herself.  The leaven gives something to its surroundings, infects them with its own life; so the Christian gospel gives something to its surroundings; communicates to mankind its own spirit of discipline and its own philosophy of life." (pg. 166-167)

"One word needs to be added, not less important.  Our Lord says that the mustard tree is to grow out of all recognition; he doesn't say that it is to grow indefinitely; does not mean us to understand that there will ever be a time at which the whole of mankind will be even nominally Christian.  His prophecy that his Gospel will be preached in the whole world is sufficiently fulfilled if all mankind has a real chance of hearing it.  Similarly, when he says that the leaven hidden in the meal spread till the whole was leavened, I don't think we are necessarily to understand this as meaning that there will be a time at which the principles of Christian charity towards one's neighbour will dominate the counsels of humanity.  We are to understand that the Christian message will make itself felt throughout the world which harbours it, not necessarily that it will triumph.  Don't be disappointed, therefore, if it appears--it may perfectly well come to appear so in your lifetime--as if things were going backwards instead of forwards, as if the world were relapsing into barbarism instead of following along the path marked out for it by what we call civilization.... the social influence of the Church is in reality a by-product of her activity; it is not her life.  Her business, ultimately, is with the individual soul, and the promises by which she lives are not limited within the these narrow horizons.  The leaven is there, and it does not lose its virtue with the centuries.  But whether in our particular age the time is ripe for its manifestation, that we cannot know."  (pg. 172-173)

The latter quote put the modern world into good perspective, I think.  Couldn't Knox be writing for today, and not the 1930s?  Doesn't the world seem to be going backward instead of forward?  It slips my mind frequently, but it's key to our spiritual life: Christ has won the war, yes, but the victory will not come in this world until the end of time.  Until then, we are in the midst of the battles.

7 Quick Takes: Etc. & Lighthouse Catholic Media favorites edition, 8/29/14

--- 1 ---
We're having a baby boy!  It's surreal and wonderful seeing the baby on the ultrasound.  He was much bigger (of course, which is a good thing) and his little head has grown a lot... he's going to be a good looking kid, that's for sure.  One of the highlights of my life: seeing the little guy play with his foot on the ultrasound. 

--- 2 ---
Happy birthday to my big sister Kristy, who turned __ a week ago today!  (age removed to protect the innocent)   

--- 3 ---
There were some college football games earlier this week, but Notre Dame opened their season with a nice win over Rice today.  In Oregon, football season reignites the major rivalry between the Ducks and Beavers.  Seriously, it's a big deal.  Sure, you hear about college football being big in Texas, and the Midwest, etc.  But it is here too, it's just big everywhere!  I remember teaching a parish CCD class that was made up of 3rd and 4th graders.  We did a coloring activity one night, having the kids trace an outline of their hand and color them.  Yeah, out of the 6-8 kids in the class, at least two or three colored their handprint in Beavers or Ducks colors.

My son will be a Notre Dame fan and can just be amused when people go crazy with Ducks or Beavers fervor.

--- 4 ---

I'm still part of the CD of the month club with Lighthouse Catholic Media.  I highly recommend it!  At the very least, their website is worth checking out.  There are talks from the most well-known Catholic evangelists as well as many other gems.  To fill up the rest of my quick takes, I'll list some of my favorites.  

First up: Scott Hahn's Abba or Allah?  Ecumenical efforts can be confusing sometimes.  In some cases, actual unity/reconciliation is possible with other Christian denominations.  In other cases, like the dialogue with Islam, unity is utterly unrealistic.  For the latter cases, dialogue seems to take a look at the things we do have in common, and working together on those fronts.  Do you want an authentically Catholic take on the similarities/differences between Catholicism and Islam?  Check out this talk.


--- 5 ---

Fr. Robert Barron has been getting more and more well-known over the last few years.  In my humble opinion, it's well deserved.  I really like his cultured & philosophical take on the Catholic faith.  His Sunday sermons are reliably good, too.  His talk, Who Do You Say That I Am?, asks of us the question that Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:15.  Jesus claimed to be God, and the Church has taught that very tenet since her first breath.  

--- 6 ---

I love a good conversion story, and John Pridmore's is a dramatic one: From Gangland to Promised Land.  (Lighthouse also sells his book with that same title)  I sometimes underestimate the power of God's grace, and stories like Pridmore's remind me.  Imagine a thug in the London criminal underground converting to the Catholic faith.  And then imagine that same guy becoming a missionary, speaking at schools, jails, and parish missions throughout the British Isles.  A great listen!

P.S.  I'd recommend reading his blog or liking his Facebook page.  He sends out updates of his mission work and testimonials of his listeners who returned to the Lord.  It's uplifting!  

--- 7 ---
How about an apologetics tome within a conversion story, a la Rome Sweet Home?  Both my wife and I have listed to Steve Ray's Born Again?  Faith Alone? talk from Lighthouse multiple times.  He's engaging and incredibly knowledgeable about the Catholic faith. 

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!