To the Band of Brothers: December 15, 2020
Good morning!
Last night I was listening to some Christmas carols when Josh Groban’s version of "Amazing Grace" came on. It’s not really a Christmas carol, but I let it play anyway because I love the song. Not only are the lyrics beautiful, but the history behind them is powerful.
It was authored by an Englishman named John Newton (1725-1807). He was a slave trader and ardent atheist. He owned a large vessel that he would sail to the coast of Africa, load up with slaves, then sail to the New World to the English colonies. He made millions.
One night, as he sailed to America with a boatload of slaves, a violent storm struck the ship and he was certain that he would die. He lay on the deck of his vessel and cried out to God for mercy. He had an epiphany, a moment that opened his eyes to the awesome presence of God. This moment of facing God led him to examine his life and what he was doing with it. He realized the wretchedness of his profession and it saddened him.
He ordered the ship to be turned around and headed back to Africa where he released the slaves. Returning to England, he entered the seminary to study theology and became a minister in the Anglican Church. It was at this time when he received the inspiration to write those words that have touched the lives of millions of believers:
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind but now I see.”
The song tells the story of conversion. A story like so many men and women throughout history who did not believe in God nor cared to believe and then were touched by a moment of grace that opened their eyes to the reality of God’s existence. That experience of grace changed them forever.
A couple of years ago, I read a book titled Belief or Nonbelief? It’s a collection of letters exchanged between Umberto Eco, the famous international bestselling author and professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna, and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini of Milan. Eco, a fervent atheist, argued with Cardinal Martini about everything from the existence of God to the position of the Church on issues such as abortion and science. As I read the dialogues I was impressed with how clearly and openly Eco expressed his desire to believe, but was unable to because of a lack of evidence. Martini, in turn, did not have to express desire because he already believed, nor did he desire not to believe.
We live in a world that is more often than not hostile to believers. Your generation in particular, kids your age, seem to battle constantly in order to stay firm in their faith. Just remember, we are all in need of conversion. The Second Vatican Council expressed in Lumen Gentium that every believer needs to continuously reaffirm his faith and never become complacent. There is always room for improvement, room for becoming better, and allowing our lives to be more consistent with what our faith in God tells us and requires of us. Especially during this season of Advent, let us pray for the amazing grace of conversion.
Auspice Maria
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.