An Easter Message from Monsignor Richard Liddy

"Walking to heaven backwards…"

I have been asked to post a "Message from the Director" of the Center for Catholic Studies at a very strange time. Not only is this a strange time for me, personally — as I will be retiring from the Center this summer — but it is a strange time for the world, the world afflicted today with the corona virus. Two thoughts come to me, one from Father Lonergan, the other from Cardinal Newman.

In his book Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, Father Lonergan distinguishes between physical and moral evils, and basic sin. Basic sin is the absurdity of turning away from God. Moral evil is the heightening of tension in the world that follows from basic sin: we make it hard for each other not to sin. Finally, physical evil is on a whole other level. As bad as the coronavirus is, what is many times worse are the sins and moral weaknesses of the human family — and ourselves.

But what we celebrate this Holy Week is God’s initiating another move: that is, redemption. God's wanting to transform our weaknesses into God's teaching us how to love. Teaching us to put up with evil that it may be transformed into good. God's gracing us to be graceful — even in times when it is very difficult. It seems to me I have seen so many instances of goodness during this time — instances of God’s redeeming providence — at a time when we most need it.

The following is a reflection from Cardinal Newman on God’s "backwards" way of working in our lives: 

We advance to the truth by experience of error; we succeed through failures. We know not how to do right except by having done wrong….We grope about by touch, not by sight, and so by a miserable experience exhaust the possible modes of acting till nought is left, but truth, remaining. Such is the process by which we succeed; we walk to heaven backward; we drive our arrows at a mark and think him most skillful whose shortcomings are the least. (Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, V/8: 107)

It is only Christ who walked to Easter life through death, to light through darkness, that can help us on our human journey.

Msgr. Richard M. Liddy
Director, Center for Catholic Studies 
April 2020