When I was away camping I stopped of at a library in a little sea side town and was delighted to find a book on Prayer by Sister Wendy, called, , 'Sister Wendy on Prayer'. Sister Wendy is quite famous for doing TV programmes on art appreciation, a very clever lady indeed, she is a hermit based in a Carmelite Community in England , very intelligent she did very well at Oxford University and is a woman of very deep prayer indeed doing about seven hours of contemplative prayer every day...in addition to which she is very penetential , living a very,very basic and simple life as a hermit, which she has done for many years now. Anyhow I am afraid I did not get any further than the preface when I read that Sister Wendy 'refuses to condemn same sex relationships' and says the only 'real sins', are, 'cruelty and pride'. I couldn't read her any more as a teacher on prayer because...well I'm a Catholic. This is not the teaching of the Church, nor of scripture.I can't say much more than this. But here is a nun..a hermit a woman of very deep prayer saying such things, what to think?? I'll leave the book back to the library and not read anymore ...it just makes me sad and very puzzled. But you know the foundation of all prayer is keeping the ten commandments and respecting them. But, you know she just seems so very holy...oh well!!
I think it falls back upon us to pray for those people who obviously have their own demons trailing after them affecting their thoughts and beliefs. We must care (in the form of prayer) for the famous that they do not get proud, believe that they know best. (I'm thinking of Mel Gibson's affect on the public also) They have potential influence on many, so the prayers are answered manyfold when they come back to God's path. What made me think about this originally was the Padre Pio discussion we had a few weeks back. I felt very sad while watching the Padre Pio movie when the Church told him to stop his public ministry for several years- but as I thought about it I realized that God uses all of us, including the church (especially the church) to make us more holy and guide us towards heaven. I have never heard of Sister Wendy before but my assumption right off the bat is that this woman is apparently missing the infuence of a father confessor and guidance from the church and as such God's potential influence on her is lessoned. She is off on her own. My favorite nun is Mother Angelica- though she did not always listen well to the Church either, she did not break with conservative Catholic teaching. My solution for everything is... Pray, pray, pray
Although Sister Wendy lives on in a trailer on Carmelite property, I want to point out she's not a Carmelite. I think she's a Sister of Notre Dame.
I'm just back from the computer mechanic!! My computer heated up and burnt out the Mother Board. :roll: Too much dust inside; it is very ,very old I bought it sencond hand from a friend yonks ago!! My heart dropped but my friendly mechanic had second hand parts lying about and rebuilt it over again really cheap. Thank God! He said it was a miracle he had the right parts lying about...but I'm thankful to you know who. It taught me how addicted I am to the internet, its the same when I go camping I am like a fish out of water. I can't really judge Sister Wendy to well. She didn't actually say these things herself it was a guy who wrote the preface said it about her. But she must have known he would right that she didn't condemn same sex relationships and that cruelty and pride were the only two real sins. Anyhow I have closed the book and put it away. I guess it doesn't matter why she says these things its enough to close the book on her. It just puzzles me that a lady who prays so much could go so off beam...but there you are. The same Holy Spirit we meet in prayer is the same Spirit we meet...so it is puzzling...
Padraig The bottom line for me is 'does this person adhere to & support completely church teaching especially on the burning issues of the day.' I dont care how much you pray if you are not in agreement with the Holy Father then you are being deceived. We are told to beware of false prophets. She says cruelty and ride are the only 2 sins!! where did the rest of the 7 deadly sins go? mary
This is a time of great deception and people are so easily influenced by secularism and not the Gospel. The Gospel of our Lord is so often at odds with the things of this earth, 'what good is it if a man were to gain the whole world yet lose his soul'.
Yes I suppose it reminds us to be careful. Saint John of the Cross was always warning about being decieved in prayerand St Teresa always described herself as a , 'Child of the Church'. I have long ago decided obedience to the Church was the way to go. It is the only way to go. Any other way we end up making it all up and getting lost. I think Saint Paul says somewhere that if an angel were to appear to us from heaven we and give us a Gospel different to the one that had been preached by him we should ignore it. Galatians 1:6-8 (New American Standard Bible) 6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
