Never again.
No need to apologize for Vatican II.
No need to apologize for loving the Ordinary Form of Mass, the restoration of the Extraordinary Form of Mass, the vernacular in the Liturgy, the renewal of religious life, Nostra aetate, the Synod on the Family ... Vatican II.
No need to apologize for loving every single Pope of the 20th century and venerating the sainted and beatified Popes of Vatican II.
Thank you Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI.
Thank you Lord for your generous mercy and the grace of Baptism and all the sacraments in the Catholic Church. Thank you Lord for not abandoning The Church. Thank you Lord for appointing shepherds over our heads. As the Rule of St. Benedict says: "Thou hast placed men over our heads."
Thank you Lord.
Forgive me Lord, for my inconstancy, my sins, my disobedience, my pride...
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
"Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth. Mine are the nations, the just are mine, and mine the sinners. The angels are mine, and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, because Christ is mine and all for me." - St. John of the Cross
The amazing, most reassuring effect of Pope Francis' Apostolic Journey to the United States to confirm the faith of believers, is the obvious hermeneutic of continuity in the implementation of Vatican II. The liturgies, the crowds, the immense crowds of priests and religious, the prayer ... all of these Catholics gathered together in unity. It strengthens and confirms my faith.
Amen, Terry! Amen!
ReplyDelete"all of these Catholics gathered together in unity. It strengthens and confirms my faith."
As it does mine!
Is that not what our Lord Jesus asks of his brothers? To confirm one another? To reaffirm those of us who are struggling and fall over and over? It has been a wonderful blessing to see so many lifted up, so many touched, so many wondering "who is this Jesus?"
As an RCIA catechist I am always curious to see if these sorts of huge events (papal visit, pope's death, etc.) bring us more converts.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I always hope that some will either convert or return. I'm hoping quality over quantity. ^^
DeleteI got my haircut yesterday - the guy that normally cuts it was off but his neice was there and she cut it. She said she and her husband are going to confession today and going back to Mass tomorrow - she said the Pope inspired them - that thy kind of 'fell away' and weren't making it to Mass. I was so happy. She told me all week customers were talking about the Pope and they all said they were going back to church. Seriously. These are really normal people - ordinary neighborhood types. Praise God!
DeleteCNN is asking people to describe the Pope in 3 words. I would say: Bringing Them Back. Husband says: Whiskey With Dolan. How about you Yaya, Terry, Mary Ann, and Jackie?
DeleteAnd correct me if I am wrong but everything I have heard coming out of Anderson Cooper's mouth has been totally respectful. Thank goodness that Amanpour hasn't been on (not that I have seen anyway).
DeleteHum ... in three words?
DeleteSon of Mary.
In three words: Servant of God.
DeleteVicar of Christ.
DeleteWhy didn't I think of that one Nan?!
DeleteWalks the Talk.
DeleteIf it was quality Yaya a lot of us would have to leave!
ReplyDeleteIn my humble opinion, quality outranks quantity every time. A sincere and contrite heart is quality. I have numerous family members and friends who are Catholic in name only or abandoned the faith and the quantity is big sadly.
DeleteI'm praying though.
Let me tell a little story. A friend of mine went to the March for Life one year with a sign that read, "If you support contraception, go home." She was accosted by a large number of Catholics. So how does one define "unity?" How many of those out cheering for the pope believe in same-sex marriage, contraception, Communion for the invalidly married, etc. Unity is more than standing side by side at a liturgy. The question is how many Catholics believe what the Church teaches? Judging by the polls taken of Catholic attitudes, the answer is few. Which explains why Jesus said, "When I return will I find any faith on the earth?" Please Lord, give all Catholics the grace to develop a truly Catholic heart.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking in the sense of those who were there - all the nuns, traditional and otherwise - the priests and bishops celebrating the Novus Ordo together with the Pope - the thousands of faithful whose faith is only known to God as the Eucharistic prayer points out. I am thinking and watching with this faith - which the Catechism explains:
ReplyDelete813 The Church is one because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit."
815 What are these bonds of unity? Above all, charity "binds everything together in perfect harmony."
816 "The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."
As the holy Father said on this trip - "I can recite the creed." And as I did when I was in 7th grade, preparing for my confirmation, in memory of my patron St. Peter Martyr - I can even write the creed - in my blood.
820 "Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time."277 Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me."278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.
Well said Terry. Thank you for reminding me to continue to strive for unity. Unity begins with me as does personal conversion.
DeleteI cannot worry about the sins of others since I don't know what they are nor do I want to. I leave that to the Lord.
I hope your friends will be welcomed back in charity and in the hope of a renewed life in Christ. If the number returning or inspired is not grand, so be it. Quality of a sincere heart seeking Christ in the Church through the sacraments and community are what counts.
May all those who are lifted up as a result of our Holy Father's words and/or actions be truly blessed.
Charity always!