The Prophet of Hyde Park and the hack

J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R.*

In this Year of Faith, we are being called
to step out of the boat and trust Jesus.

If  memory serves me correctly, I first read Frank Sheed's A MAP OF LIFE (1933) in 1999. This was my introduction to this outstanding and now largely overlooked lay apologist for the faith. I was immediately taken by his style which was both deep and simple—two qualitites that I greatly admire. I think that it has to do with his Irish wit and wisdom.

The Prophet of Hyde Park takes us on a pilgrimage and addresses the central mystery of our faith in Chapter 8, TRUTH: MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY. Starting on page 83 he devotes thirty-three lines to the perfections of God as they relate to both mystery and truth. (Read it online at: http://www.ewtn.com/library/spirit/maplif.txt)

Notice the natural and quite logical progression from Light to Life to Love (bold italics and color are my highlights):

Thus the doctrine of the Trinity, at first seen only as a sheer challenge to Faith grows steadily more luminous to the mind which accepts it and comes humbly to the study of what the Church has seen in it. This truth that the Godhead is absolutely one essence, one single concrete Something: yet that there are three Persons owning the one Nature—the one self-same identical Nature: this truth not only grows more luminous as the ideas of Person and Nature are studied, as the relation of Father and Son and the Spirit proceeding from both is meditated on; but throws a flood of light on the whole of our understanding of life.

The doctrine that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons truly distinct is the Supreme mystery revealed by Christ. Beyond it is no further mystery, for it deals with the innermost life of God. In a sense, man need never have been taught it apart from the Incarnation: for it is God in His unity who acts in relation to created beings, the threefold Personality being a fact of His own inner life, of His own internal activity, of that activity which remains within His own nature and does not directly affect the beings He has created. But it is a property of love that it wants not only to know but also to be known by the person loved. God loving us, wants us to know Him in His deepest and most secret life, and so gives us here upon earth a glimpse of that truth which it is man's proper destiny to spend eternity in contemplating. And, apart from that desire of God's to be known by man, the distinction of Persons has in fact a direct bearing on man's life since it was the Second Person, and not God in His threefold Personality, who became man for our salvation.

It is the supreme mystery in a double sense...

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, another son of Ireland,

also demonstrates a keen sense of Divine Humor:

"The perfection of the eye is color, and it loves the beauty
of the sun setting in the flaming monstrance of the west."

Yours truly is but a hack of a blogger who can only marvel at the wit and wisdom and point to what has been previously gifted by others. Yes we are on a road trip. Yes we have a destination and a map.

We must pay attention to the light to see the Truth

of what we are going to have to account for—
our life at the final judgment.

He has given us His all.

We are not yet

deeply in

love.

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,

Mike Rizzio

Imitate Mary

Become like Jesus

Live for the Triune God

Seek the Light of Our Lord Jesus Christ

See you on the High Ground!

* - J.M.J. + O.B.T. + M.G.R. stands for:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph;

O Beata Trinitas;

St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael