Educating Ourselves
One of the great Biblical metaphors of the human/divine relationship
comes from John's Gospel. Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the
branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit."
(John 15:5) Our relationship with our Lord is a living, growing
thing. Only with care and attention, just as with vine and branches,
will it flourish. Jesus calls us to ongoing mutual relationship.
We need the elements of prayer, learning and reflection to nourish
this life giving and constantly changing relationship.
VOTF hopes to provide opportunities to learn and increase our understanding
of our faith, ourselves, and one another through reading, reflection,
dialogue, and prayer. Questions are part of our faith journey. There
are many pilgrims on this journey, and their thoughts will be shared
here.
The articles, speeches, and essays that will be offered here represent
their authors' thoughts and reflections, rather than VOTF policy.
Please note that previously on this Web site, Dr. Massimini's and
Prof. Appleby's papers were described as "Highly Recommended Reading."
Although we have reorganized our site, VOTF still highly recommends
these papers. Based on people's response to the papers, we believe
them to be important works in and of themselves - as well as valuable
stimuli to the dialogue that our Church so greatly lacks and so
urgently needs. Not everyone in or outside of VOTF will agree with
the ideas of these and other papers; however, VOTF is committed
to free exchange, thoughtful consideration, and respectful dialogue.
We welcome all views.
The Rights of
Priests, James F. Keenan, S.J.
TOWARD VOTF'S GOAL # 3: THE NEED TO KEEP EDUCATING OURSELVES AND
TO KEEP GROWING SPIRITUALLY
By Anthony Massimini
TOWARD A HEALED AND RENEWED CATHOLIC
CHURCH
Expectations and Requirements
for The New Archbishop of Boston, and For All Bishops and Pastors
by Anthony T. Massimini
"The Church at Risk: Remarks to the U.S.C.C.B.,"
by Scott Appleby
"Discerning the Spirit: A Guide for Renewing
and Restructuring the Catholic Church,"
by Anthony T. Massimini
"Rebuilding in Boston" by James
Keenan, SJ
"Some people worry when they have questions about their faith,
or when they begin to realize that the old explanations, good enough
before, no longer seem to offer coherent meaning. This worry is
misplaced. To believe means to want to understand, and to want to
understand means to be asking questions … Faith is precisely the
opening of one's mind, one's understanding to God revealing himself.
But what God reveals to us is not apparent instantaneously, once
and forever in all its implications."
—Monica K. Hellwig, Understanding Catholicism
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