Elect from Every Nation, Yet One O'er all the Earth

"For St. Thomas, all his works were like straw, also needed, but like the straw, laid down for the reception of Jesus in the manger. ​"

Composed by: Br. Raymond Penyefort

Recently, I ran across a rather fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal which brought attention to what the author considers the unraveling of the European Union and the regression to divisions similar to those at the time of Charlemagne in the seventh century. 

For various reasons, economic, ethnic, political, etc., Europe will be incapable of standing up to such issues as immigration and the threat of world Powers. It will find itself in a vise between East and West facing an incredible challenge culturally and religiously...

Reading all this, my mind wondered back to my days spent in sunny Spain which I loved and which I assumed was a unified nation state. 

Living in the province of Catalunya, not far from Barcelona, which now, for many of its inhabitants is a separate country, I became concerned, especially regarding the language change from Spanish to Catalan. My first experience occurred at a lovely old church where I sat somewhat baffled, realizing that all of my courses in the Spanish language came to naught. By the time Mass ended, I realized that I understood, other than a little vocabulary, practically nothing. NADA! The Mass was in Catalan and no wonder I didn't understand. This was just the beginning of the daunting realization that the entire province was swinging out of the central Spanish orbit. The effort at that time of several million inhabitants was in the direction of independence. I, like many others, surprisingly didn't realize it. 

I left the church that day with a sense of consternation. I felt that in some strange way I had been cheated and that the church was "in on it." As things developed, and as an expat with a residencia, I wanted some answers. 

The opportunity came at one of the city festivals at the booth of a Catalan political party where I spoke with a leading politician. He was very pleasant and listened to me attentively. I mentioned that there must be some hope for a unified Spain, even considering that there were different languages, there were also the traditional symbols of unity -- The Catholic Church and the royal family, as headed by the very popular king Juan Carlos. There was a pause and the gentleman answered me that king Juan Carlos is not a Catalan King. Thus, in my thinking, there was only the Roman Catholic Church which could be the catalyst for possible reconciliation if not total unification. 

As nations again shudder at encroaching threats of radical beliefs, isn't this now even more so the time for a community of preachers who, regardless of political disagreements, will show us the need for the one foundation, "Jesus Christ the Lord"? Can we still unify as the Church once did in Spain, Europe and all over the world? After all, wasn't St. Raymond a Catalan and St. Dominic a Castellano (Spaniard)?

As for my jarring linguistic discovery, I knew I might have to learn another language while, at the same time, I hadn't completely mastered Spanish. In the meantime, what about Mass? I wandered past the same church one Sunday morning and ran across a very pleasant lady who owned a store near my apartment. As she was about to enter the church, I greeted her and asked if, by the way she knew of a Spanish Mass which I could attend. The lady looked at me with a lovely, but sort of sad, smile and said, "Senor, la Misa es la Misa. (Sir, the Mass is the Mass.) And why don't you just open the door and go in and you will know where you are." I stood for a moment and thought and I walked into the church and knelt down. 

And no, I did not understand the language but I did know what was going on and what I was doing. I knew I was in the presence of the Eucharist. If there wasn't comprehension there was still feeling. And I had been concentrating too much on cognition and translation. 

After a life of continuous education where so much emphasis was placed on intellectual development and where there had been so much conscientious study, there had been much emphasis on knowledge as power and faith through reason. I was only continuing what I had always done and learning a new language gave a sense of empowerment. But, is it necessary always to feel empowered in a church?

I settled some issues by obtaining translations from English to Catalan for readings and prayers. If it were today, I could even use my Android. but still, I ruminated. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, according to Dr. Lee Cole of Hillsdale College was an intellectual with unbelievable abilities for not only his own time, but even if measured, with any time in history. His prowess and output were evidenced by more than 8 million words which he wrote over the course of his life. However, close to his death and as a result of a mystical vision of God on St. Nicholas Day, he told his colleague and secretary, "All that I have written now seems to me as a straw." How curious! And, in my mind's eye and relating to my own situation, how strangely appropriate. Don't we receive our own mystical visions while participating as best we can through the Eucharist? In a sense compared to this experience there are all our words and expressions although needed and in whatever language, straw. For St. Thomas, all his works were like straw, also needed, but like the straw, laid down for the reception of Jesus in the manger. 
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Epilogue

Regarding Spain and Catalunya: The politician to whom I spoke, after much success, was replaced in the last election. King Juan Carlos has since abdicated his throne. The Catholic Church, in Spain, reached an agreement on choice of language as based upon percentage of Spanish and Catalan population in a given area. And the last time I attended the Palm Sunday procession in Barcelona, 43,000 people walked with their palms, olive branches and laurel. They spoke both Spanish and Catalan. And, some spoke neither. But, they all followed the little donkey, laborriquita, representing the one that carried our Lord in Jerusalem. 

In San Pere de Ribes (St. Peter of the River), the Catalan village in which I live, the Palm Sunday celebrants would gather in the large plaza in front of the church. At a certain moment, the priest would invite all to welcome the Christ. Bells would ring and the people would cheer and wave their palms and branches as the priest blessed them with holy water. After a few minutes, the jubilation quieted down and all entered the church for Mass singing "Shall We Gather At the River" in Catalan. Who could not possibly understand the fervency of this faith? As an American, I knew this hymn, but how in the world did the Catalans get hold of it? 

Wait a minute! Our Church is Universal, with One Foundation!