On Saturday 9th of January this year, on the Feast of Saint Fine, Abbess of Kildare, the SSPX Youth Group Comhaltas Chríost Rí held its Christmas outing at Saint John’s Church in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin. The day began bright and early at 9am with Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Griego, the superior of the Society of Saint Pius X in Ireland. After Mass, we went for breakfast in the large adjacent church hall at Saint John’s.
After breakfast, as the group enjoyed cups of tea and coffee on this cold winter day, Fr. Griego introduced the group to the teachings of Holy Mother Church regarding “The Principles of Social Relations.” In a relaxed, back-and-forth discussion, Fr. Griego explained the principles for social relations as follows:
The first principle of social relations is the point of all of creation, that we give glory to God. The means by which we give glory to God is by the sanctification of others and ourselves. Outside of the dignity of our souls, the world has been created unequal. This inequality gives man an opportunity to exercise charity towards his neighbour, whether it be in civil society, in the family, or in the Church.
The second principle of social relations is that man must know the teachings of the Church to make an informed decision on social matters. “Pray, reflect, act” was the famous maxim given by Pope Saint Pius X to those Catholics who wished to conform society to the Social Reign of Christ the King. As Catholics, we are called to action, but we are never meant to act on our own. We must imbue ourselves with the Wisdom of the Church first, and pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost, before we embark upon a programme of Catholic Action.
The third principle of social relations was to correctly engage with the various categories of society. Fr. Griego explained that there are three types of social relations; those governed by God, those that are dangerous, and those that are indifferent. It is incumbent upon the Catholic to super-naturalise his relationships with others as far as is possible, by invoking the intercession of saints in the workplace for example, so that the frontiers of the Kingdom of God may be expanded upon the Earth.
The fourth principle of social relations is that we purify our intentions with those relations which may be indifferent to God. We must ask ourselves, why do I know this person? Why has the Lord placed this person into my path? Here we have an opportunity to conform ourselves my closely to the Will of God.
Following the talk by Fr. Griego, the group paid a visit to the Aquarium in Bray where we literally picked up live star fish and watched as turtles climbed on top of each other to get closer to a heating lamp. My favourite was the mini-sharks that ate their young if they were not fed! Mother Nature certainly lacks compassion if there is a shortage of food!
Following the Aquarium, we then moved on to the bowling alley in Bray where one nimble-fingered lady stole the show with more half-strikes than one could count! Certainly no need for the children’s barrier with this group!
Finally, before the day was out, we had dinner at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire, with its beautiful view of the pier. It was a great start to the year, and I myself am certainly looking forward to the next Youth Outing!
Dochum Glóire Dé is Onóra na hÉireann,
Brian