Saturday, May 07, 2011

All things considered.

The priest.

"If the priest does not preach, does not consecrate, does not work, souls die of starvation.  Where he is absent, faith disappears.  Let a parish remain twenty years without a priest, said the Cure of Ars, and its people will be adoring beasts.  On the other hand, where the priest is active, zealous and holy, the Christian life develops and sanctity appears." - Pere Eugene-Marie, OCD, I Want To See God, Chapter V - Silence
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Photo: Pere Eugene-Marie, OCD

19 comments:

  1. This is an outstanding post.

    Viva Cristo Rey!

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  2. I want to steal this post and mail it to our woman "Pastoral Life Coordinator" -

    Would that be uncharitable?

    Im a despicable person.

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  3. +JMJ+

    DO IT, JOE!

    I know that you don't actually know me and that I've never addressed you before, much less properly introduced myself, but I still dare you!

    Signed,
    Another Despicable Person

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  4. "The great proof of holiness is not to not have temptations or weariness, but to always go on, to react, to climb towards God." Padre Eugene-Marie OCD.

    Holiness is not the putting on of a dog and pony show that makes people believe you are holy.

    Ciaphas and Annas and the high mucky-mucks of the Jewish Temple did just that, which caused our Lord to come to great anger.

    Padre Pere Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD was a zealous and holy Priest; his cause has been opened for canonization.

    We must encourage our Bishops and Priests to emulate Priests like Padre Pere Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD.

    We must cleanse our souls through confession and penance. Afterwards, we will be given the strength to hold up our weak kneed Bishops that they display Holy Anger against sin, and those children of darkness that frighten them.

    One Sins by Not Becoming Duly Irate

    The liberal myth spreads that a man should never become irate; he should always be mild-mannered and unruffled. This is not, however, the teaching of the Church. St. John Chrysostom and St. Thomas Aquinas explain that it is not only good, but also necessary to become irate for a due cause. Doing this, a man acts according to reason, not passion. If he fails to be irate before evil and punish it as it should be punished, then he sins.

    St. John Chrysostom

    Only the person who becomes irate without reason, sins. Whoever becomes irate for a just reason is not guilty. Because, if ire were lacking, the science of God would not progress, judgments would not be sound, and crimes would not be repressed.

    Further, the person who does not become irate when he has cause to be, sins. For an unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices: it fosters negligence, and stimulates not only the wicked, but above all the good, to do wrong.

    (Homily XI super Matheum, 1c, nt.7)

    Padre Marie-Eugene knew Holy Anger.

    There were many that hated him for his austerity, and he prayed for them as well as those that came to salvation through his hard work in establishing order in carmels.

    Let us all pray he achieves Sainthood, that we all may emulate him, and ask his intercession.

    Another excellent post.

    Too bad Rome overlooked this blog.

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  5. Terry--I remember happening across the words of the Cure OF Ars viz--let parish remain twenty years w/out a priests and its people will worship beasts. It never left me. Hardon quoting Gerarld Fitgerald quoting the Cure of Ars: "Father Gerald was fond of quoting the words of the devil from the lips of a possessed person to the Cure of Ars who had taken 80,000 souls from him. Then the devil is supposed to have added, "If there were three more priests like you in the world, my kingdom would be destroyed."

    Pablo: Great thoughts. Rome very stupidly overlooked, Terry!

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  6. Mr. Terry: In a previous post I did not articulate my thoughts very well.
    I just couldn't get my brain around what Rep. Simon was saying; not what YOU were saying.

    I apologize if my comments seemed to indicate I didn't agree with Catholic teaching.

    Same-sex attracted men and women need our love and assistance; they should NOT be treated in any discriminatory fashion. But that does NOT mean they should be given the rights of what is considered "marriage" in the Christian-Judeo tradition nor should they have the rights to adopt children as a "married couple". That is the teaching of the Catholic Church.

    I have great compassion for those who attempt to live a Catholic life with the assistance of God's grace who have same-sex attraction.
    But I cannot, in any way, give any kind of approval for "gay marriage" nor "gay adoption rights".
    Just for the record.

    I'll absolve anyone who comes to me in Confession who repents of same-sex sexual acts. I do NOT attempt to "change" anyone...that's a whole 'nother question.

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  7. A Random Friar6:28 PM

    With television and the internet, leave a parish without a priest for 20 days, and they will be worshipping beasts, or worse, Hollywood idols.

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  8. floscarmelivitisflorigera.blogspot.com/.../pere-marie-eugene-of-child-jesus-ocd.html

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  9. Miss Maria,

    your link is not working for me...

    *

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. In times of persecution, priests were absent - notably in China and Korea - at various times of history but faith did not disappear. The laity became even much stronger in faith and mature, being responsible in things like handling down the faith and administering baptism. Of course, what the Cure said is true in places where priests are neglectful or good men do not respond to vocations.

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  12. Brother William, yes. I lived in New Mexico for several years. In the history of that area there were remote parishes which didn't have a resident priest for a hundred years or more. Yet the people clung to their faith.

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  13. SO sorry, Pablo! Can't locate it again. Mea culpa.

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  14. Maria, SMCTOD,the original artivle is here:
    http://www.clairval.com/lettres/en/2005/04/21/2200405.htm

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  15. Thanks so much, Mark. What an interesting article. Sounds like he founded the Secular Carmelites. Is this right, Terry? This seems appropriate for Mother's Day--from the article:

    "Everywhere that the Holy Spirit spreads love, She collaborates in His work, through Her role as Mother"> Sweet.

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  16. Maria - I'm not aware that he began the secular Carmelites - I think that is unlikely.

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  17. Fr. NP - Oh I know you are in agreement with Catholic teaching - I just thought my post was badly written. Thanks for your comments.

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  18. Terry: Thanks. I am such a moron. Here you go:

    The Secular Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was founded by Bl. John Soreth, General of the Carmelites, and approved by Pope Nicholas V in 1452. Soreth drew up the first rule of the Secular Order, following the broad outlines of the rule of St. Albert, the Rule given to the original hermits on Mt. Carmel in the 12th Century. The emphasis of the Rule is continual prayer. When the Discalced Carmelites became a separate order in the 16th century, following the Teresian reform, they were also given the right to have their own secular order.

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Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.