Catholic and Magnanimous

Why this name for this blog?

The English word 'Catholic' comes from the Greek word katholikos (written in Latin letters), which itself comes from two Greek words (a preposition and an adjective): kata-holos.  It literally means "according to the whole."  In other words, one's disposition and orientation is opened to the whole, the entirety, the totality...everything...and everyone.  The typical definitional meaning in English is 'universal'.  But, parsing the word opens up the richness and depth of this most 'catholic' of words.

The English word 'Magnanimous' comes from the Latin word magnanimus, which itself comes from two Latin words (an adjective and a noun): magna-anima.  It literally means "large soul/mind."  One has an all-embracing, all-encompassing, wide embrace of everything and everyone.  The typical definitional meaning in English is 'greatly generous' and 'refusing to be petty and small-minded' which is what its antithesis pusillanimous means--literally, a "small soul."

These two words are sisters.  If one is truly catholic (oriented to the whole), one is truly magnanimous (a large soul).  And vice versa.  If one is truly magnanimous (a large soul), one is truly catholic (oriented to the whole).

And such is God.  There is no pusillanimity (small soul-ness, driven by fearfulness) in God.  You and I are made in the image and likeness of God, who is magnanimous and catholic (notice the small "c").  Yet, many times we want to make God in our image and likeness, which is anything but magnanimous and catholic.  Often we operate only out of our own pusillanimity, small-mindedness, hard-heartedness, pettiness, resentfulness, anger and fear...and say that God is the same.  What we have made is not God, but an idol that must be smashed and crushed.

I write this blog to begin a conversation with fellow Catholics, Christians and others of good will in order to offer a challenge and an invitation.  The challenge is to not live from the pusilla anima (the small, narrow, confined soul) anymore.  The invitation is to live from the magna anima (the large, big, wide, expansive, embracing soul), the One in whose image and likeness you and I have been made.