Hey there,
I don’t usually get political, but bear with me for a minute. Vice President JD Vance appeared in a Fox News interview recently and had this to say in reference to immigration:
“As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens. That doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there’s this old-school—and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way—that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.”
Many recognized this Catholic teaching from St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas called ordo amoris. And just like that, everyone was talking about rightly ordered love.
Granted, some believe the Vice President’s statement to be accurate while others believe it not to be an appropriate application for the topic. But I want to strip away the political discourse and focus on this Catholic teaching.
So, this week Genuflect looks into what everyone is talking about. What ordo amoris is according to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, how we should order our love, the role of self love, if it’s possible to love too much, and some other Catholics in the Trump administration.
Regardless of your political leanings, it’s great to see Catholic teachings being shared in the mainstream media. And the timing for this one is perfect since Friday is Saint Valentine’s Day. Enjoy celebrating with all your loves!
Keep Believing-
Katy Barrilleaux
Founding Editor, Genuflect
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Augustine’s Rightly Ordered Love
Saint Augustine was a theologian, philosopher, and bishop from the 4th and early 5th centuries. He’s one of the Catholic Church’s most important thinkers and one of the greatest topics this Doctor of the Church covers is love … rightly ordered love to be exact. Paul Krause explains what Saint Augustine’s ordo amoris means.
Augustine And Rightly Ordered Love | Discourses on Minerva
Ordo Amoris 101
This article on The Manly Catholic offers very clear information as to what ordo amoris is and it gives direction on what to do to make sure your love is rightly ordered. It’s targeted toward men in particular, but that doesn’t mean us ladies can’t learn something from it too.
Ordo Amoris – A Christian Principle or an Excuse to Forgo Our Fellow Man? | The Manly Catholic
Ordering Love
Saint Thomas Aquinas expounded on Saint Augustine’s ordo amoris, going into more detail about what the order of love should be. Matt Fradd breaks this down so it’s easy to understand.
Do You Have to Love Everyone the Same? | Pints With Aquinas
Love Yourself Before Others
“St. Thomas argues that without proper self-love, it is impossible for us to love God, and carry out the first great commandment.” Peter Malinoski helps us understand the three types of self-love according to Aquinas.
St. Thomas Aquinas: You Must Love You. First. | Souls & Hearts
Can You Love Too Much?
God is love. Love is God. Is it possible to love too much? Vanessa Gonzalez Kraft makes a compelling argument that you can. And here’s what to look out for.
Too Much Love? | Busted Halo
Catholic Social Teaching Goes Mainstream
Vice President JD Vance’s mention of ordered love in his recent Fox interview brought this Catholic teaching to the forefront. Regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, Charles Collins says it’s a good thing to have the national spotlight on Catholic Social Teaching.
For Him or Against Him, VP Vance Brings National Attention to Catholic Social Teaching | Crux
Trump’s Catholics
Have you noticed how many Catholics President Donald Trump has appointed to his administration? Vice President JD Vance is one of the most high profile ones. But there are others. Catholic News Agency shines the light on 5 of them.
UPDATE: Trump Picks Several Catholics For Cabinet: Kennedy, Rubio, Stefanik, Ratcliffe, Duffy | Catholic News Agency
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