Latest / The Catholic Current / LTACL: Theological Proofreading | Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.

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LTACL: Theological Proofreading | Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. · The Catholic Current

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  What's part of your EDC, your everyday carry?
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  Something you would never leave the house without. You can't imagine a policeman going
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  to work without a badge. You can't imagine a
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  doctor going to work without his stethoscope.
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  And I, as a recovering academic, can't imagine going
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  anywhere without my red pen.
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  This is my proofreading pen. Now, when students would
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  bring me essays before they were due, this was the great
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  instrument of mercy. This was an opportunity for the
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  Good Shepherd to lead the straying sheep into the service of truth,
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  beauty, and goodness. But after an
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  essay was due for a grade and it had not first been shepherded
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  by the instrument of mercy, the red pen, the proofreading
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  pen, then the red pen became an instrument
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  of divine justice, the terrible swift
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  sword. Now, it's true, Karl Popper said
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  that it is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood.
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  But I think we can get really close if we
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  try. And you know who should try really hard to
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  not say anything that lends itself to misunderstanding?
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  Important people, people who are members of the
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  People Who Should Really Know Better Club, including senior Catholic
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  cadres of the People Who Should Really Know Better Club.
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  What am I talking about? Stay with me, I got a story to tell.
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  I'm Jesuit Father Robert McTeague, your host every day of the Catholic Current,
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  coming to you from the Station of the Cross Catholic Media Network. Let's take
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  a closer look. Glad you're here.
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  Recently, someone who might fairly be identified as
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  a member of the People Who Should Really Know Better Club, was talking
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  to a group of very devout people whose
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  primary work in life is to adore our Eucharistic Lord
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  in the Blessed Sacrament. And speaking of
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  that act of devotion, referred to our Eucharistic Lord
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  as, and here I quote, the continuous and silent
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  adoration of a God who has become bread.
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  As soon as I heard that, the red pen
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  was in my hand, because sometimes it's not enough
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  to proofread the language. You've got to proofread
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  the theology. Now, I understand people who are very important,
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  more important than me, people who are very busy, more busy
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  than me, and people who really have a
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  whole lot on their plate very often they have opportunities for regular
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  proofreaders and maybe even theological proofreaders too.
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  So here's my invitation to you. If you can guess who
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  said those words, speaking of the adoration of a God who has
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  become bread, if you can identify who that is, if you can identify
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  why that statement is formulated
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  such that it lends itself to misinterpretation,
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  of Catholic Eucharistic theology, he said protectively.
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  Uh, let us know in the show notes. Contact me at thestationofthecross.com/askfather.
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  And then on Friday, join me at thestationofthecross.com,
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  your iCatholic Radio mobile app, 5 PM Eastern, The Catholic
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  Current, where I am going to have a big reveal.
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  Who said it? What's wrong with it? And what can be done to
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  make sure that these kind of awkward moments never happen again?
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  Friends, words are important.
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  Words mean things.
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  And having a position of responsibility means having an equal
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  grave responsibility to use words that minimize
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  the possibility of being misunderstood.
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  And intercede for those poor souls who carry such
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  a burden. Remember, join me Friday, 5 PM Eastern, The Catholic
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  Current on thestationofthecross.com, because we are going to take a closer
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  look. Meanwhile, think of these things today, take them to prayer,
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  and talk about it with those you love. Go in peace, and please do pray
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  for me, for I am a sinner.