tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19344511.post571012200302211831..comments2023-05-31T08:13:23.386-07:00Comments on Catholic Living Today: "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19344511.post-66262171176556948532010-04-12T11:13:29.452-07:002010-04-12T11:13:29.452-07:00Mr. Anonymous, here's part 2 of my response:
...Mr. Anonymous, here's part 2 of my response:<br /><br />I almost forgot, you want me to mention the priests who were so holy back when you were growing up. I grew up very close to the Church and to its people. Here are some of the things that I saw.<br /><br />Priests fathering children by women in the parish, some married, some not. My godfather was an active homosexual and never once missed communion. I am sure that there were any number of priests who were homosexual. Priest alcoholics, many of them. Priest addicted gamblers, many of them. Priest haters of blacks who would not accept black children into the parochial school. Priest embezzlers of parish funds.<br /><br />Mr. Anonymous, after having said all of that, here is what true believers see. Just as Jesus answered the Temple Officials who asked Him in Chapter 9 of St. John, ""What? Are we blind too?" Jesus responded, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." (John 9; 41) Jesus knew their sins, just as they knew their sins. His faith never wavered. The man who had been cured, did not waver. He could see. What could he see?<br /><br />Let's make a comment about Thomas. This man too, could see, even before the Resurrection.. Go to John 11, verse 16 and listen to Thomas say, "Let us go too, and die with Him." Now, that is tough faith. With the eyes of faith, these two men could see God. We are called to see the same. We are called to see God in His Church. We are called to see the Divine Glory of our Religion. We are called to see the 2000 year history of our Church. We are called to see the fulfillment of the promise "that the doors of hell will not prevail against her." We are called to see the power that our religion has to drive its adherents to live heroically virtuous lives. We are called to see Christ everywhere and to be a loyal disciple of Him, and Him alone.<br />We are not called to be disciples of any individual member of the Church. We are not called to be liberal or conservative. We are not called to be judges of our fellow Catholics, lay, priest or religious. We are called to be fruit bearing wheat in a field of weeds.<br /><br />We have to remember that the most beautiful flowers and the richest foods that we grow thrive on gross animal waste material. Through it, they reach for the sun. We are called to reach for the Son.<br /><br />Mr. Anonymous, get your eyes off the fertilizer and focus on the Son through the light that His gift of Catholicism gives us, including the opportunity to go to confession to Him through His priest.Paul Dion, STLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19344511.post-90705081208854287792010-04-12T11:09:36.544-07:002010-04-12T11:09:36.544-07:00Mr. Anonymous, here's part 1 of my reply
We h...Mr. Anonymous, here's part 1 of my reply<br /><br />We have faith in Jesus, a gift from God and have faith in the religion that He gave us. Our religion, in fact our Church, is not perfect. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says as much.<br /><br />"769 "The Church . . . will receive its perfection only in the glory of heaven," at the time of Christ's glorious return. Until that day, "the Church progresses on her pilgrimage amidst this world's persecutions and God's consolations." Here below she knows that she is in exile far from the Lord, and longs for the full coming of the Kingdom, when she will "be united in glory with her king." The Church, and through her the world, will not be perfected in glory without great trials. Only then will "all the just from the time of Adam, 'from Abel, the just one, to the last of the elect,' . . . be gathered together in the universal Church in the Father's presence." <br />(#769, Catechism of the Catholic Church)<br /><br />"I grew up in a time when the community was very strong and respected."<br /><br />I cannot count the number of times I am told this. Please be patient, I am going to list some examples when the community of God committed some huge, historical sins. Should I start with the rebellion of the angels? Should I mention what Cain did to Abel? Maybe you've forgotten about Babel? Have you forgotten the idolatry of the Israelites that Moses discovered when he came down from Sinai? Maybe I should mention that Moses himself was denied entry to the Promised Land. What about the Israelites who demanded to have a king so that they could be like the other nations?<br /><br />By now you are fed up with this Old Testament stuff. Let's cut to the chase and ask ourselves just how peaceful and respectful the community that dragged Jesus before the Roman Tribunal was? Those Temple people, Sadducees and High Priests sure were sweethearts! Maybe you've forgotten that. Have you forgotten about the cheating ways of Ananias and Sapphira, members of the Community of Followers, whose story is told in chapter 5 of the Acts of the Apostles. <br /><br />Maybe you have not carefully assimilated the writings of St. Paul who was never afraid to berate the Corinthians and others of their ilk for the disrespect that reigned in their liturgies. Have you forgotten the mutual excommunication of the Church of the East and the Church of the West at the altar of St. Sophia in Constantinople? We shouldn't forget Luther, should we? Good Catholic monk that he was!<br /><br />Be patient, I'm almost at our time. Let me start with Pius XII. He took away the midnight fast before communion. He changed the Friday sacrifice from meatless meals to a sacrifice of your choice. That caused a lot of stir.Paul Dion, STLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19344511.post-80302057319993774432010-04-10T08:23:01.515-07:002010-04-10T08:23:01.515-07:00I believe that we have faith, in Jesus, a gift fro...I believe that we have faith, in Jesus, a gift from God, and then, religion,,a very flawed and as we learn every day,completely corrupt institution.. I grew up in a time when the community was very strong and respected..how is the old boys hierarchy going to recover that? and as to confession, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com