Ever Ancient, Ever New
musings on chapter one of magnifica humanitas
Welcome to my summer series! Over the next couple months, I will share my thoughts, takeaways, and movements of my heart in prayer as I’ve read and prayed with Pope Leo’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas.
Disclaimer: I am not a theologian or biblical scholar, but a girl who loves the Lord and His Church, and seeks to learn, ponder, and pray about how the Holy Spirit is speaking to my heart through this beautiful writing by our Holy Father. This second reflection delves into how my heart was moved after reading Chapter 1 (paragraphs 17-45). I pray it blesses you, too, and I would love to hear your thoughts!
Core Strength
In this first chapter Pope Leo gives significant attention to the historical patterns, development, and application of social justice by the Church as a way to show us the Church’s constant dedication to interpretation of such events in light of the Gospel. As a history buff, these reflections fascinated me. As a Catholic, I was inspired by the wisdom we have gained as a Church as the Holy Spirit weaves throughout our lives on personal, local, societal, and global levels. Regarding the development of social doctrine, Pope Leo says that:
“the unchanging core of revealed truths regarding the human person and society is constantly intertwined with a renewed capacity for listening to historical situations and for responding to contemporary issues.” (Paragraph 28)
Yes. This. This is why I love the Catholic Church so much… she recognizes that truth is absolute: in Sacred Scripture and in the Magisterial teachings, we find steadfast and solid ground on which to stand. Period.
In other words, there is no situation we ever face that cannot or should not be viewed through the lens of Christ and His teachings. And also, we are moving through times that are ever changing and evolving, bringing to light new challenges and problems that require vigilant examination, prayer, reflection, and application to these steadfast truths.
Can we pause here for a sec? My head literally spins when I contemplate the goodness of the Lord in all this. In a world that tells us that everything is relative and anything goes, we have the Church saying firmly but gently: No.
True North
My friends, this boundary is critical. And I would suggest it is the reason we are floundering so much as humans. We cannot possibly thrive in a world where there is no up or down, no right or wrong. When we adopt the false notion that we can ‘choose our own truth,’ we get hopelessly lost in the never ending sea of false realities, cheap imitations, and chasing after all manner of things that will never really satisfy the God-shaped hole in our hearts.
Instead of staying close to God and following true North, we toss the compass overboard, and we convince ourselves that any direction will do. And soon, we are lost and adrift, trying to convince ourselves that all is okay. After all, we chose this. We are in charge. Master of our own destinies. Captains of our own ships. But the truth is, my friends, that we are utterly useless without that compass. We need the stability and order and direction that God provides for us in Scripture and Church teaching. We are fools to think that we can do anything on our own. When we do, the very independence we crave enslaves us in chaos and confusion.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. Proverbs 14:8
There is absolute truth rooted in the teachings of Jesus and His Church, and there are cultural, political, social, and ethical issues that arise in each decade of our lives that are unique and demand our attention. Both things are true, and both things must be examined. In this way, we weave the present moment and all its challenges through this ‘core’ of truths and find precious wisdom, insight, and direction for our journey.
Let’s Hear It For the Popes
This has been done time and again with our popes, who have pondered, prayed, listened, and written encyclicals that speak to the current social, political and economic moments. Pope Leo spends a good amount of time detailing these encyclicals throughout the last century or so. To give you a flavor, these are just a handful he touches on: (I’ve linked what is available on the Vatican website if you want to nerd out on papal writing on social justice!)
Pope Leo XIII: Rerum Novarum (dignity of workers/response to Industrial Age)
Pope Pius XI: Quadregesima Anno (principle of subsidiarity/response to global economic crisis)
Pope St. Paul VI: Populorum Progressio (peace viewed from lens of integral human development, not just absence of war)
St. John Paul II: Laborem Excercens (onset of economic globalization, need for fair wages and dignity of human creativity to be upheld)
Pope Benedict XVI: Caritas in Veritate (charity as essential to addressing new kinds of poverty emerging in wealthy countries via exclusion of minority groups)
Pope Francis: Laudato Si (treatment of environmental crisis and care of our common home)
Pope Leo sums up this journey through papal history saying:
It is clear that the Church’s Social Doctrine is not the result of a project devised at a desk, but rather the product of a patient process in which each pontiff — together with the Second Vatican Council — made a unique contribution in light of the “new things” of each particular era… if today we can speak of a corpus of shared principles and criteria, it is because this faith-based interpretation of history has never been interrupted, remaining ever open to the challenges posed by each generation. (Paragraph 45)
Weaving In His Wisdom
We are not living in times that are unique to God. He knows the story. He wrote His laws on our hearts and sent His precious Son to save us. He is truly with us through all the chaos and confusion… through wrestling with war, social injustice, economic crises and technological advances that threaten our ability to live fully and authentically as beloved sons and daughters.
Through our own very personal hardships… grief and sadness, anxiety and fear, disrupted and broken relationships… He is right here. He is woven into our hearts and into the very fabric of our being. He offers truth that is a solace from any storm. And this is a great and mighty gift that I pray I never take for granted.
He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. And they were glad, because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Psalm 107:29-30
So as we ponder our Holy Father’s approach to laying a groundwork that gives gravitas and credibility to his reflections on AI later on in this document, I encourage you to ponder and pray:
What current tricky, difficult, or puzzling circumstance in my own life can I expose to the light of the Gospel?
How is God at work bringing His light to this circumstance? Do I trust that He is bigger than even the biggest cross I carry?
Name a current emotion that is bubbling up and causing your peace to be disrupted (fear, anxiety, worry…) Look up bible verses related to that word and write down one that speaks to your heart and life right now. Remind yourself that God is everywhere, in everything, and that He desires to draw close to you always.