Sunday, January 24, 2010

Non nobis Domine

Patrick Archbold over at Creative Minority Report has made an admirable suggestion: that bloggers who are as grateful as pro-life bloggers should be about the unexpected turn-around in the fight for life in Washington publish some version of the "Non Nobis Domine."

Non nobis, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

Not to us, not to us, o Lord,
But to your name give glory.

Patrick has chosen (again wisely) the version that was so moving in the Kenneth Branagh version of Shakespeare's Henry V. I simply follow his excellent advice and equally excellent example:


6 comments:

Robert Mooney said...

Quite an awe inspiring and spiritually moving scene. If this is Agincourt, it is too bad that what they are giving the glory to God for is having won a bloody battle, against a far superior, in number, force in the successful defeat of a country the winners aggressively invaded, without real provocation, and killing thousands of human beings. Hardly something we should put on God. Not to mention the mythologizing glorification of war

Robert Mooney said...

And to use this carnage, in thankfulness for a pro-life victory is supremely ironic.

Gil Bailie said...

Agincourt may well not be one of them, but there are times in human affairs when defending the otherwise defenseless can require that one risk catastrophe. Just because we have been spared such tests doesn't mean they no longer exist. And when those who feel morally obliged to act in less that perfectly Christian ways, or in ways that are only Christian in the old fashioned valorous sense, if they are fortunate enough to prevail, should thank God -- not the God of war but the God who wants His innocent ones spared if possible.
We needn't be so touchy. The point is: Non Nobis Domine. At least that's how I see it. I'm no romantic, but to fail to be moved by this scene is to lose contact with life as it has been experienced by 99.99% of our ancestors.

Robert Mooney said...

Gil, I was basing my comments on the apparent fact that the scene is the end of the Battle of Agincourt. And, I hasten to add, I did clearly say the scene was spiritually moving. I still contend that mythologizing the horror of war by glorifying it as the movie apparently does is contra-Gospel, and use of this scene in the connection of the sacredness of life is out of line.

Robert Mooney said...

After an even more careful reading of your first (only so far) reply, yes, those who do go to war thinking they are doing the right thing should thank God if they prevail. But they should thank him more if their eyes open to the immorality of taking a human life. But here is a case you are putting up after the fact of the participants (the actual ones not the actors) have long gone from this earth and offering it as an example of a situation of a wonderful thing that we must thank God for and give him the Glory. There are two many messages in your post and one of them is the glorification of war. I know you would not purposely glorify war and add to the mythologizing of it.

Robert Mooney said...

I also invite you to take the time out of you busy schedule and read the abortion related language in the Senate bill. The actual language, not just the scare messages, not just what Nancy Pelosi (God save us from her, please) spins about the fact of all insurance premiums being pooled to pay all claims. She wants her "pro choice" people to vote for the bill even though it specifically prohibits abortion coverage unless the individual insured pays out of his/her pocket for it. No federal dollars are allowed to pay for abortions, abortion coverage, or abortion clinics. And thank God for that!

I again, am chagrined that you have accepted lies and half truths because they support a pro-life position. While I am thanking God, thank God for Bishop Bernadin for his seamless garment approach to pro-life and for Mother Theresa for saying that it is great poverty that a child must die so that a woman can live as she likes. That may not be a direct quote, but it is close.