In the Curia. There are some who follow the letter of the Law and some who let themselves be carried by the winds of the Spirit. It is in the nature of things that there is a mutual antipathy between these souls.
'The only thing we get to take to heaven is what we have done for others.' This is one of the most profound and for me unsettling things I have ever read. I have been thinking about it for several days now....the big question for me being ..as intended, 'Well what have I done?' It reminds me of my total reliance on the mercy of God.
Padraig some advise please, In my diocese there are 6 or 7 young priests who are being pushed aside by the diocese over being "too" conservative. They pray the rosary and believe in Jesus in the Eucharist (surprisingly a lot of priests don't). We have a new bishop who will not protect them. I want to speak to our pastor, a holy man who taught them all but has no influence, about this situation. I am ready to explode and go public (expose this group of priests persecuting them coast to coast) with this info. Am I following the holy spirit and am reacting with righteous indignation or should I suck it up and pray for all concerned? Thanks as I value any input.
Picadillo I know how you feel I had been telling my son how great the novena was and managed to get him there last night,, don't get me wrong my son has his catholic faith but suffers greatly with some of its teaching especially heresy..Well last night the novena was buzzing what a fantastic night it was..His mother was busy outside handing out precious life leaflets, as my son was waiting for the final blessing a priest came into the chapel were he was standing and lifted a precious life leaflet that was left at the foot of St Anthony, my son stood shocked in horror as the priest quite openly ripped up the leaflet and prayer card in front of him and others around him..My sons instant reaction was rage he had to contain himself from hitting the priest, but he watched how everyone around the priest also looked at him and frowned, the priest looked at his hands and what he had done and walked out of the chapel red faced..Now when he told me what had happened I too was furious and wanted to challenge the priest,but my son in his wisdom said no leave him alone for his action provoked a response that he didn't expect,, because 20 to 30 people looked at what he had ripped up, if he had not of done that the people may never have taken the leaflet and its contents under their notice..I was more furious because I struggle to teach my kids to respect the catholic church and my intention of getting my son to the novena was to strengthen his faith and yet again we have a priest and his actions trying to destroy that..I am only glad my son was filled by wisdom and truly touched by the novena to look beyond all of it.. He even said maybe the priest did not realise what the leaflet was and was just tidying up
It's funny you had an incident with your son. I had fought pedophilia clerics for 15 years and my pastor told me to keep it from my sons, I id the best I could. But now, he is seeing a young orthodox priest he had grown up with being persecuted and I just want to expose those priests responsible for it. They are affecting people's faith. What to do? Is it prideful to want to take them down?
picadillo, "To want to take them down" strikes me as harsh. There is a place for righteous indignation, but the question remains how to best channel it. I believe it would be inappropriate to go public. If you have concrete evidence, I think it would be best to approach your bishop. In Medjugorje, Our Lady has given more tempered counsel of late: Love your shepherds as my Son loved them when He called them to serve you. Thank you." My children, my Son gave you a gift of the shepherds. Take good care of them. Pray for them. Thank you." Again I am warning you, pray for those whom my Son called, whose hands He blessed and whom He gave as a gift to you. Pray, pray, pray for your shepherds. Thank you."
I asked a very busy military officer one time how he coped with so much stuff coming into him and he said that a lot of it he just ignored as things he could do nothing about them. I always thought this was such a wise attitude. It reminds me of the serenity prayer: Each of us I think tends to err in one direction or another, my temptation would be always to do nothing; other peoples temptation would be to do too much. I would say the trick is to judge if it will do good and if so to do so. Padre Pio had a great sense of balance in all this vis a vis his persecution from the Vatican. So I would say if it can effect for good act, if not leave it. Remembering too that doing nothing can be wrong too. I think as Terry said too keep the anger away, for as St James say, 'The justice of God is not served by the anger of men'.
I think John if I had seen the priest tearing up the prolife leaflet I might have spoken out; although there is not much point speaking to an angry man.
"And here I would like to underscore the beauty of a simple contemplative prayer, accessible to all, great and small, educated and not very educated; it is the prayer of the Holy Rosary. In the Rosary we address the Virgin Mary, so that she will lead us to an ever closer union with her Son Jesus to be conformed to Him, to have his sentiments, to act like Him. In the Rosary, in fact, by repeating the “Hail Mary,” we meditate on the Mysteries, the events of the life of Christ to know and love Him ever more. The Rosary is an effective instrument to open ourselves to God, because it helps us to overcome our egoism and to have peace in our hearts, in our families, in society and in the world." http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-message-to-youth-of-lithuania
"The encounter with the love of God in the friendship of Christ is possible first of all in the Sacraments, in particular the Eucharist and Reconciliation. In the Holy Mass we celebrate the memorial of the Lord’s sacrifice, His giving himself totally for our salvation: again today He really gives His Body and sheds His Blood to redeem the sins of humanity and make us enter into communion with Him. Jesus receives us with all of our limitations, He bring us the mercy of the Father who forgives us, and transforms our heart, rendering it a new heart, capable of loving Him, who loved His own to the end (cf. John 13:1). And this love is manifested in his mercy. Jesus always forgives us." http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-message-to-youth-of-lithuania
I love what he said about the rosary, Phillip, only someone who says it and loves it could have spoken so...
