The Pope's Letter; a Death; and Beauty

This evening I am not going to discuss the Pope's pastoral letter, other than to say the following: that I was worried by a headline on the Internet: "Pope Benedict: 'I am truly sorry,'" or words to that effect, in great underlined capital letters across the screen of a certain website; but that when I read the letter, I thought it was most eloquent, and the best, indeed all, that the Pope could say. I am aware that nothing can delete the appalling events that have taken place: I feel sorrow for the abused, and hope that our Lord gives them healing, for no one else can heal them, but He can. I feel sorrow also for the abusers, for it does far greater damage to a soul to inflict abuse than to be a victim of it. I hope that our Lord will grant them the humility to face what they have done, repent of it, confess it, and make what reparation they can to those whom they have hurt. May God have mercy on us all, and grant us the humility at least not to presume that those who have committed these awful sins are greater sinners than we.

Secondly, I wish to note the death of a woman whom I worked with, indeed sometimes sat two seats away from, last summer. I do not name her here, since perhaps some who are grieving would prefer it not to be published; I do not know their wishes, so I shall not mention her name. She was a lovely, friendly, and quite obviously a good, woman; and since this is the first time anyone in any sort of relationship with me has died (except when I was too young to realize), I am somewhat upset. I pray that if she is in Purgatory, she spend but a short time there; and may she gaze lovingly upon the face of God, and possess Him, in all eternity. Amen.

Finally I wish to mention a programme I saw this evening about the Solar System on BBC2 at nine o'clock. I do not know the name, but it was presented by a man who clearly loved his subject; and the production of the programme was wonderful. Of course, this Solar System, space, the universe, all, are wonderful; for all are the works of God.

[Laus tibi, Domine, rex æternæ gloriæ.]

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo, in consilio justorum, et in congregatione.
Magna opera Domini: exquisita in omnes voluntates ejus.
Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus, et justitia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.
Memoriam fecit mirabiliam suorum, misericors et miserator Dominus.
Escam dedit timentibus se; memor erit in sæculum testamenti sui.
Virtutem operum suorum annuntiabit populo suo,
ut det illis hæreditatem gentium. Opera manuum ejus veritas et judicium.
Fidelia omnia mandata ejus, confirmata in sæculum sæculi, facta in veritate et æquitate.
Redemptionem misit populo suo; mandavit in æternum testamentum suum. Sanctum et terribile nomen ejus.
Initium sapientiæ timor Domini, intellectus bonus omnibus facientibus eum: laudatio ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

That was Psalm 111; it has a different number in some translations. I do not translate, since I assume the reader either can read to that level of Latin, or has an English Bible, or can look up a translation on the Internet.

I found that I was so much in awe, through the gracious medium of this television programme - for yes, God can work through television programmes; some very good television programmes are made -: so much in awe, I say, of the beauty of this solar system, of the planets in it, of the variety of them, and yet of which the physical laws are ultimately the same, since that is the way God has made it; that to contemplate the Glorious Mysteries, as I then attempted to do in my Rosary, was rather overwhelming. It was rather difficult to understand, though I know it is so, how the mysteries of our Faith are more awefull than this universe - what the word "Earth" means in the first verse of Scripture, I think. Of course, heaven was created as well as earth - the angels, and so forth, are obviously creatures of God. How beautiful those celestial creatures must be!
And if this is created beauty, and how beautiful it is, then what must it be to stand face to face with Uncreated Beauty?!

Initium sapientiæ timor Domini.