"I saw the Holy Father in a very big house, kneeling by a table,
with his head buried in his hands, and he was weeping.
Outside the house, there were many people.
Some of them were throwing stones,
others were cursing him and using bad language.
Poor Holy Father, we must pray very much for him." - Blessed Jacinta
Some Catholics appear to be delighted that papal audience crowds have shrunk, that St. Peter's square is no longer filled to overflowing, and so on. (I'd like to go in that case, and not have to wait in line to visit the tomb of St. Peter.) Evidently Pope Francis is not a celebrity pope and doesn't attract the hordes as his predecessors did. Nothing wrong with that.
Why would faithful Catholics be delighted if the Holy Year is a flop, as they say?
The Holy Year is only a flop if Catholics do not take advantage of the grace and mercy extended to the Universal Church in this extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. It is only a flop if, as Christ told St. Faustina:
He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice. (Diary 1146).It seems to me the Holy Year could only be a flop in the eyes of those who judge according to human standards, according to outward appearances ... and more tragically, those who believe they have no need of mercy.
And they all left him and fled. - Mark 14:50
Papa is in good company. I wonder how many scoffed and smirked when they watched our Lord Jesus die upon that glorious cross. They probably dusted themselves off all while commenting,"what a failure he was and all for nothing too."
ReplyDeleteYep.
ReplyDelete39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
Matthew 27: 39-43
Amen, Maggie, amen.
DeleteTerry, I haven't really been keeping up with Catholic blogs lately. Have they really been saying that the Holy Year is a flop because of Pope Francis?
ReplyDeleteNews reports have as well. I think Rorate and few others point it out quite often. I'm not sure anyone is paying attention these days though.
DeleteI just noticed Fr. Z is chiming in - measuring the success or failure of the Holy Year. He likes to measure and quantify things - his donation meters and poll taking is good evidence of that.
DeleteLOL Terry!!!ME-OWW!
DeleteLet them speculate, scrutinize, dissect, opine, all while believing in their own self-importance and self assurance of just how good a Catholic they truly are.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of us? We will pray, hope, intercede, confess, forgive, love and strive to be merciful towards those who we look down upon while being looked down upon ourselves.
Who, with a grateful heart, can begin to even sneer at a "failed year of Mercy because of Pope Francis?"
The thought that some would appreciate that is beyond mind boggling. I'm not interested in the least as my only hope is to scramble across as many Holy doors of Mercy as often as I can since I am in need of God's mercy as is my family, friends, the Church, the world.
Know Terry that your name and others who visit your blog will be remembered when I make my pilgrimages here in Los Angeles, CA.
Thank you Yaya!
DeleteThank you very much Yaya!
DeleteThank you from me,too Yaya ! I will be unable to go to any Holy Doors.
Deleteconsolata, I think there are accommodations for those unable to make it to any Holy Doors. Talk to your confessor.
DeleteI thank you from the bottom of my heart, Yaya.
DeleteOf course, it IS winter, and it IS cold. Crowds will swell again when it warms up.
ReplyDeleteAnd a "failed year of mercy"? Nah, not possible. Failed human maybe, but mercy does not fail.
The blog post I read that said the year of mercy would be a flop had a big qualification: IF obedience to Our Lady's requests at Fatima are ignored, it will be a flop. The question at hand is whether those in need of mercy accept it. Mercy may "droppeth like the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath," but if one puts up an umbrella to fend it off, well, what then? I think there is a kind of cheap mercy analogous to Bonhoeffer's cheap grace. It requires nothing, but is sprinkled like cinnamon sugar on coffee cake. That gives us the image of Jesus as the Pillsbury doughboy welcoming everyone to the heavenly bakery on judgment day.
ReplyDeleteI think one is hard pressed to justify that image by reading Scripture.
Frankly, I'm grieved by some of the comments about "looking down" on others. Fr. Z is often treated with low level scorn here as are Catholics who love the traditions of the Church. If we are in a circular firing squad it isn't just the traditionalists who are guilty. Perhaps in the new year we should all examine our consciences on this matter. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Blessed Jacinta and Blessed Francisco, pray for us. Help us to imitate your zeal for the souls of sinners, love for the Holy Father, and a spirit of atonement for sins against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Good advice Mary Ann. Two things I have to ask.
DeleteWho wrote this? "The blog post I read that said the year of mercy would be a flop had a big qualification: IF obedience to Our Lady's requests at Fatima are ignored, it will be a flop." Did the pope say that? Whose measure is that? Did Our lady reveal it?
As for Fr. Z - if commentators express scorn - it wouldn't be for his his person or his priesthood, but rather his statements against everyone who disagrees with him. He's not quite as bad as Barnhardt or McKinley or the writers in DC - but he can be nearly as offensive and certainly makes his blog a gathering space for derision.
The first reading at Mass today is helpful to us all - if one is able to hear it, that is, if they attend the Ordinary Form.
I think I found the source for your conclusion which is based on John Salza's theory on Fatima. His POV does not agree with what The CDF has said on the Third Secret and all of that - so I'll leave that alone.
DeleteOur Lady revealed a lot of things -- mainly that if her wishes were not followed we would experience disasters on an apocalyptic scale. Fatima and Akita go together it seems to me and they certainly don't support Pollyanna mercy. We are in a state of continuous disaster these days and the attack on the family is in overdrive which seems affirm Lucia's message that the last battleground would be the family.
ReplyDeleteAs for derision... well, as I said, it isn't just the traditionalists who express derision for "everyone who disagrees with [them]." And really, isn't your last statement a jibe against those who attend the Tridentine Mass? Perhaps I'm misreading it since tone doesn't come across in writing, but it certainly seems to imply that traditionalists aren't "able to hear" the messages of Christ that are clear to those attending the ordinary form. I rarely attend the TLM, by the way, but I have nothing but respect for those who do.
You are misreading it. No it wasn't a jibe that way - that wasn't my intention - it seems to me however that there is a tendency towards a parallel magisterium in some cases, a few writers insist the Ordinary Form is less than the TLM and so on. Likewise, the differences in the calendar as well as the day to day readings, homilies and so on, does seem to me to create a sense of 'otherness'. I'm not saying they aren't able to hear the Gospel - not in the least - it just may account for the apparent lack of support for the Magisterium. For instance - the CDF document on the Message of Fatima. There is a definite disconnect there and in other instances.
DeleteThe majority of Roman Catholics in the world - bishops included - accept Vatican II and the Ordinary Form of Mass. I'm not denigrating people attached to the Extraordinary Form at all.
BTW - do you use Magnificat? There is a wonderful meditation today from Alfred Delp, S.J. one of those put to death by the Nazis. It helps to understand the conduct one might strive for in our own dark times. There is also a wonderful book Carmelites have on the conduct one should observe in the dark night of the soul - I might print some of it. I want to offer helps and models from it as well.
DeleteThere is no such thing as Pollyanna mercy - I'm afraid someone online gave you that impression. It isn't at all what the Jubilee Year is about.
I sincerely believe you know that - you have witnessed it in your pro-life work and encounters - you have engaged people in dialog - you have accompanied them - you know this stuff - don't fall for the doom and gloom pundits. You have been in the trenches for decades. You know the difficulties - but you also know how love and mercy changes hearts. You've had such encounters - I know you have because you've written about them. You've been kind to me, to others who comment here - you know the power of kindness - or as Francis de Sales taught a spoonful of honey attract more bees - etc..
God bless! Gotta go work on a project.
There is no such thing as Pollyanna mercy - It isn't at all what the Jubilee Year is about.
DeleteI have never heard of Pollyanna Mercy let alone experienced it. The kind of Mercy the Lord has been kind enough to give to me was to sense a deep void, a hole of pain that no one but He could heal and fill. You must know of what I speak Terry. It is the kind of pain that needs courage and faith to be felt. It is being able to see oneself as God sees, with truth but with so much love it brings one to tears ... tears of gratitude to have been looked upon with such grace.
I want to look upon my neighbor the same way as I have forgotten just how good and gracious the Lord has been to me.
BTW, I re-ordered the Magnificat again today along with the Lenten Companion 2016. Looking forward to walking that path again.
I do get Magnificat, Terry, and often rip out the meditations to save or send. And I appreciate your kind words.
ReplyDeleteBut there is a kind of Pollyanna Mercy. It's the mercy that the liberal bishops at the Synod want to give. Mercy that says "I'm okay, you're okay," even when you and I are immersed in a sinful lifestyle and have no intention of repenting and making a sincere purpose of amendment. You cannot be forgiven with that attitude. In fact, a priest in confession is obliged to withhold absolution to the person who is not repentant and has no intention of amending his life.
Those clerics who advocate that kind of mercy are devils dressed up like Pollyanna.
I understand you - not the others I'm afraid. God love you and keep you and keep pouring his love into your heart. You are a wonderful person.
Delete