My Way of Life by Fathers Walter Farrell and Martin Healey

[eschator83]

For more than 20 years I've prayed over two small books, My Way of Life (MWL), and the Imitation of Christ.  Both challenge my understanding and my obedience, and I've wished I had a Small Church Group for discussion of them.  About 10 years ago I decided to focus on MWL because it is a very interesting (but difficult for me) condensation of St Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica, which I have also struggled with and prayed over. 
I pray some members here might be willing to discuss MWL (It is short and available free on the web).  A sample issue: predestination.  It seems certain God has the power to predestine anyone and anything.  But why do some people think He controls and predestines everything?  Doesn't he give us free will?   

[Shin]

I have not read this book, but normally I take the book 'Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence' as my guide for understanding the intervention of Our Lord's Providence.

[Benedict]

I would love to talk with you about this, I however have not been able to find such a book for free online.

On the topic of predestination:

In the Summa Theologica Saint Thomas Aquinas references Romans chapter 8
29  For whom God did foreknow, God also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that Jesus might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30  Moreover whom God predestined, them God also called: and whom God called, them God also justified: and whom God justified, them God also glorified.
Saint Thomas Aquinas affirms what Saint Paul said by saying "It is fitting that God should predestine men. For all things are subject to His providence"

I however, find myself in agreement also with Saint John of Damascus when he says in
Book 2 Chapter 30 of the Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith
We ought to understand that while God knows all things beforehand, yet He does not predetermine all things . For He knows beforehand those things that are in our power, but He does not predetermine them. For it is not His will that there should be wickedness nor does He choose to compel virtue. So that predetermination is the work of the divine command based on fore-knowledge . But on the other hand God predetermines those things which are not within our power in accordance with His prescience. For already God in His prescience has prejudged all things in accordance with His goodness and justice. Bear in mind, too , that virtue is a gift from God implanted in our nature, and that He Himself is the source and cause of all good, and without His co-operation and help we cannot will or do any good thing. But we have it in our power either to abide in virtue and follow God, Who calls us into ways of virtue, or to stray from paths of virtue, which is to dwell in wickedness, and to follow the devil who summons but cannot compel us. For wickedness is nothing else than the withdrawal of goodness, just as darkness is nothing else than the withdrawal of light. While then we abide in the natural state we abide in virtue, but when we deviate from the natural state, that is from virtue, we come into an unnatural state and dwell in wickedness . Repentance is the returning from the unnatural into the natural state, from the devil to God, through discipline and effort.

[eschator83]

Many thanks to both of you for your comments.  One big advantage of MWL is that it has a very complete index of topics, although curiously it does not have predestination listed as a topic.  Yet it lists 21 references to free will.

[eschator83]

I'm very sorry about my error in saying the book MWL could be found free on the web.  I hope I didn't cause you to waste a bunch of time looking for it.  I thought I saw it in videos, but I haven't actually done any audio books, it seems much more relaxing to sit with an open book and re-read whenever I want.
It puzzles me that my 1995 Catechism has no index reference to predestination, nor does the NAB Dictionary-Concordance.  Instead the Catechism has 23 references to freedom, and perhaps I prefer to believe that although God is omnipotent, with all power to predestine anything He choses, He does not seem to do it very often. I am aware that the Summa Theologica has four articles on the predestination of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[eschator83]

After writing my last post, I was re-reading the first page opening of MWL, which I like very much, and it seems an amazing coincidence (or more) that the word destiny jumped out at me which I had obviously forgotten:
"The road that stretches before the feet of a (person) is a challenge to his heart long before it tests the strength of his legs.  Our destiny is to run to the edge of the world and beyond, off into the darkness; sure (despite) our blindness, secure despite our helplessness, strong despite our weakness, gaily in love despite the pressure on our hearts."
It seems God intends me to think more about this.  I thank Him, and also you for encouraging and motivating me.

[Shin]

Deo gratias et Mariae semper Virgini. 

[Benedict]

Chapter 1
Paragraphs 1-4
The One God
The road that stretches before the feet of a man is a challenge to his heart long before it tests the strength of his legs. Our destiny is to run to the edge of the world and beyond, off into the darkness: sure for all our blindness, secure for all our helplessness, strong for all our weakness, strong for all our weakness, gaily in love for all the pressure on our hearts.
In. that darkness beyond the world, we begin to know the world, we can begin to know the world and ourselves, though we see through the eyes of Another. We begin to understand that a man was not made to pace out his life behind the prison walls of nature, but to walk into the arms of God on a road that nature could never build.
Life must be lived, even by those who cannot find the courage to face it. In the living of it, every mind must meet the rebuff of mystery. To some men, this will be an exultant challenge: that so much can be known and truth not be exhausted, that so much can be known and truth can not be exhausted, that so much is still sought , that truth is an ocean not to be contained in the pool of the human mind. To others, this is a humiliation not to be borne; for it marks out sharply the limits of our proud minds. in the living of life, every mind must face the unyielding rock of reality, of a truth that does not bend to our whim or fantasy, of the rule that measures the life and mind of a man.
In the living of life, every human heart must see problems awful with finality. There are the obvious problems of death, marriage, the priesthood, religious vows; all unutterably final. But there are, too, the day to day, or rather the moment to moment choices of heaven or hell. before every human heart that has ever beat out its allotted measures, the dare of goals as high as God Himself was tossed down: to be accepted, or to be fled from in terror.

[eschator83]

I'm delighted that you found the book, and I pray you will enjoy it as much as I have.  It has greatly encouraged me to go further into St Thomas' Summa and try to understand it.  I find myself torn between reading about virtues and values, to encourage myself, or reading about sin or temptation, partly as a penance and partly to strengthen myself.  I have 3 spiral notebooks filled with comments, either to remember or in hope to better understand.
As a member of Small Church communities for about 25 years, I loved our sharing about issues of faith, and sometimes of concerns.  It doesn't seem obvious that there is a nearby group available to me, and Covid is't helping.  I've been hoping a discussion forum like this could be a substitute/supplement, but I worry that expressing concerns or difficulties here doesn't do much to support others.  Although it may give them an opportunity to support or encourage.  Would you mind if I sneak in a question or concern? 

[Benedict]

I'm delighted that you found the book, and I pray you will enjoy it as much as I have.  It has greatly encouraged me to go further into St Thomas' Summa and try to understand it.  I find myself torn between reading about virtues and values, to encourage myself, or reading about sin or temptation, partly as a penance and partly to strengthen myself.  I have 3 spiral notebooks filled with comments, either to remember or in hope to better understand.
As a member of Small Church communities for about 25 years, I loved our sharing about issues of faith, and sometimes of concerns.  It doesn't seem obvious that there is a nearby group available to me, and Covid is't helping.  I've been hoping a discussion forum like this could be a substitute/supplement, but I worry that expressing concerns or difficulties here doesn't do much to support others.  Although it may give them an opportunity to support or encourage.  Would you mind if I sneak in a question or concern? 

Express all your concerns and difficulties and I will do my very best to help with what little knowledge I have. Bring on the questions and concerns.

[eschator83]

As you surely notice, MWL tries quite diligently to follow the organization of Summa, which is helpful in comparing the two, except that MWL lumps a great deal of its content under the title of Happiness, which seems to suggest happiness is far more important to Christians than it seems to me is warranted by Scripture.  Yet there is much reference to hope of sharing the Glory of Divinity through communion with the Holy Trinity, and surely the greatest happiness will be found in the Kingdom of God.  Can this hope be warranted for all Christians, based on their attitude and deeds in life, or only for those predetermined, presumably the priestly class?

[Benedict]

If you are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, then you are part of the priesthood, even if you do not have the official title as Priest
Catechism of the Catholic Church
871 "The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one."

940 "The characteristic of the lay state being a life led in the midst of the world and of secular affairs, lay people are called by God to make of their apostolate, through the vigor of their Christian spirit, a leaven in the world"

941 Lay people share in Christ's priesthood: ever more united with him, they exhibit the grace of Baptism and Confirmation in all dimensions of their personal family, social and ecclesial lives, and so fulfill the call to holiness addressed to all the baptized.

942 By virtue of their prophetic mission, lay people "are called . . . to be witnesses to Christ in all circumstances and at the very heart of the community of mankind"

943 By virtue of their kingly mission, lay people have the power to uproot the rule of sin within themselves and in the world, by their self-denial and holiness of life

944 The life consecrated to God is characterized by the public profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, in a stable state of life recognized by the Church.

945 Already destined for him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to God's service and to the good of the whole Church.


Canon Law Concerning The Christian Faithful

Can. 204 §1. The Christian faithful are those who, inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through baptism, have been constituted as the people of God. For this reason, made sharers in their own way in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal function, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each.

§2. This Church, constituted and organized in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him.

Can. 205 Those baptized are fully in the communion of the Catholic Church on this earth who are joined with Christ in its visible structure by the bonds of the profession of faith, the sacraments, and ecclesiastical governance.

Can. 206 §1. Catechumens, that is, those who ask by explicit choice under the influence of the Holy Spirit to be incorporated into the Church, are joined to it in a special way. By this same desire, just as by the life of faith, hope, and charity which they lead, they are united with the Church which already cherishes them as its own.

§2. The Church has a special care for catechumens; while it invites them to lead a life of the gospel and introduces them to the celebration of sacred rites, it already grants them various prerogatives which are proper to Christians.

Can. 207 §1. By divine institution, there are among the Christian faithful in the Church sacred ministers who in law are also called clerics; the other members of the Christian faithful are called lay persons.

§2. There are members of the Christian faithful from both these groups who, through the profession of the evangelical counsels by means of vows or other sacred bonds recognized and sanctioned by the Church, are consecrated to God in their own special way and contribute to the salvific mission of the Church; although their state does not belong to the hierarchical structure of the Church, it nevertheless belongs to its life and holiness.

[eschator83]

If you are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, then you are part of the priesthood, even if you do not have the official title as Priest
Catechism of the Catholic Church


This was a great reply, which I copied and much appreciate.