And shunning.
I watched the PBS American Experience episodes on the Amish and shunning.
Many of my readers know about shunning ...
Don't we.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
The Amish
And shunning.
I watched the PBS American Experience episodes on the Amish and shunning.
Many of my readers know about shunning ...
Don't we.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
To Never Despair of God's Mercy ...
The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.”
Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.”
Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” - John 4
That is what I meant the other day when I said that same sex couples, partners, friends - whatever they call themselves, cannot be married, nor represent themselves as in an 'equivalent marriage':
As I said in another post, it is important to avoid scandal - to give the impression homosexual relationships are equal to marriage. Chaste friendship is not equal to marriage. Even if civil law allows for same sex marriage, same sex friends living together is not a marriage on any level, in truth, in the eyes of God. The dishonesty lies there. That is where the lie is. If the lesbian couple thinks they are somehow married or their particular friendship is equal to marriage, they are mistaken.
Chaste and celibate friends can and do live together under the same roof and receive the sacraments. - TNPeople can and do repent and amend their lives. It is the call of the Gospel. In some circumstances, two friends may agree to share a house and act as supports to one another in order to live in fidelity to Catholic teaching. With good spiritual direction, they can and do return to the sacraments. (After repentance of sin and/or a sinful lifestyle, Catholics are reconciled to God and the Church in and through the sacrament of penance and are thus free to approach Holy Communion.)
Church teaching on Marriage is clear.
To claim homosexual friendship is analogous to marriage is false.
There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family. Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law. Homosexual acts “close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved”.
[...]
Not even in a remote analogous sense do homosexual unions fulfil the purpose for which marriage and family deserve specific categorical recognition.
[...]
The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself.
[...]
Christians give witness to the whole moral truth, which is contradicted both by approval of homosexual acts and unjust discrimination against homosexual persons. Therefore, discreet and prudent actions can be effective; these might involve: unmasking the way in which such tolerance might be exploited or used in the service of ideology; stating clearly the immoral nature of these unions; reminding the government of the need to contain the phenomenon within certain limits so as to safeguard public morality and, above all, to avoid exposing young people to erroneous ideas about sexuality and marriage that would deprive them of their necessary defences and contribute to the spread of the phenomenon. Those who would move from tolerance to the legitimization of specific rights for cohabiting homosexual persons need to be reminded that the approval or legalization of evil is something far different from the toleration of evil. - CDF
This explains why I say that same sex persons cannot be married - and that they are not married - despite what public opinion may be, or civil legislation permits.
Never despair of God's mercy.
It is important for people to understand the Church welcomes sinners, that the mercy of God is always available to them in and through the sacraments. Nothing is impossible with God. If you do not know how to change your lifestyle, or how to return - if you feel there are impossible obstacles - do not despair of God's mercy. Ask him, pray, pray, pray - ask God. He will open a door, he will open a way. Prayer is the trapdoor out of sin. He appeared to the Samaritan woman and she was saved.
Whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have forfeited everything and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and [the] sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. - Philippians 3
Nothing is impossible with God.
Monday, February 03, 2014
More speculation on what will be decided on Medjugorje.
From Vatican Insider, Andrea Tornielli.
The question thus remains open. The fact that the phenomenon is ongoing means it is unlikely a statement will be issued confirming it as supernatural. But those who are hoping for a negative assessment may also be disappointed. It may be useful to recall what has happened in Argentina over the past thirty years, in terms of the two apparitions witnessed in San Nicolas which is located 250 km outside Buenos Aires (but not in the diocese of Buenos Aires) and in Salta.
The apparitions of San Nicolas started in 1983 and have not stopped since (250 thousand faithful gather to pray on each anniversary); the seer, Gladys Quiroga de Motta, mother, grandmother and a very simple woman, gave herself up completely to the Church authorities and spends most of her day in silent prayer. The current bishop, Héctor Sabatino Cardelli, has celebrated mass and led processions in the place where the apparition was seen, on the banks of the Paraná river. A large shrine marks the spot, where a spring was also discovered. The Church has also approved the white scapular created especially for those who experience physical and spiritual suffering. The seer’s spiritual guide, Fr. Carlos Pérez, says he is convinced the apparition really did take place. More than 1800 messages relating to the apparition have been published in a volume approved by the former Bishop of San Nicolas, Domingo Salvador Castagna, who once stated: “I firmly believe this is an event of the Virgin Mary.”
Another case Jorge Mario Bergoglio dealt with, albeit from a distance, as an Argentine bishop, is that involving the apparitions in Salta, a province located 1,500 km away from Buenos Aires. In this case, the local archbishop, Mario Carniello, was far more sceptical.
Cardinal Bergoglio had invited his priests to handle the case of Salta with caution, to consult with the local clergy and to follow the instructions of the local archbishop. But here too, although ecclesiastical leaders were reluctant to acknowledge the supernatural nature of these apparitions, they did not prohibit pilgrimages to the site and efforts have always been made to ensure pastoral care is given to the pilgrims that visit.
Despite what other commentators say about Medjugorje and the Pope, it appears the Holy Father may be more favorable, more open to these events than we think. From the same article:
In the Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium”, Francis states: “Popular piety enables us to see how the faith, once received, becomes embodied in a culture and is constantly passed on. Once looked down upon, popular piety came to be appreciated once more in the decades following the Council. In the Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI gave a decisive impulse in this area. There he stated that popular piety “manifests a thirst for God which only the poor and the simple can know.”
It is “a legitimate way of living the faith,” Francis continues, referring back to the concluding document of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Aparecida, “a way of feeling part of the Church and a manner of being missionaries”; it brings with itself the grace of being a missionary, of coming out of oneself and setting out on pilgrimage: “Journeying together to shrines and taking part in other manifestations of popular piety, also by taking one’s children or inviting others, is in itself an evangelizing gesture”. Let us not stifle or presume to control this missionary power! To understand this reality we need to approach it with the gaze of the Good Shepherd, who seeks not to judge but to love.” - Vatican InsiderParaphrasing Tornielli, this is what I think will happen: Church officials will be reluctant to acknowledge the supernatural nature of the events at Medjugorje, but they will not prohibit pilgrimages to the site and they will make every effort to ensure excellent pastoral care is given to the pilgrims that visit.
Here's an idea...
I think the pope should have the Wednesday Audience on Mondays.
That way hairdressers and museum workers who have Monday off could attend. Oh! Oh! And people who call in sick on Mondays could watch it on TV.
I know. And I bet it wouldn't be so crowded either.
A single man.
Today's Gospel tells how Jesus healed a man who lived in the tombs. The man had an unclean spirit - many of them. Christ in turn commanded them to leave the man. They went out, into the swine nearby who threw themselves into the sea and were drowned. The witnesses and others who arrived on the scene didn't know what to make of the man once possessed, once so feared, now sitting there clothed and in his right mind. The man wanted to remain with Jesus and to follow him, yet Jesus wouldn't permit it, telling him instead to return home to his people and tell them all that the Lord had done for him.
That's sort of like my story.
A Bishop speaks on 'Pop Culture'
The Bishop has a very good essay on First Things related to the Rolling Stone cover and article on Pope Francis. It is excellent. The problem the Bishop points out is pervasive... and at times, rather subtle.
Rolling Stone and its collaborators are working to hijack the papacy of a loyal, though often unconventional, son of the Church.
The reason is simple. Sexual and social libertines have little interest in discrediting Christianity. They’re far more interested in refashioning it—in claiming Christ, and his vicar, as their supporters. The secularist social agenda is more palatable to impressionable young people if it complements, rather than competes with, the residual Christianity of their families. The enemy has no interest in eradicating Christianity if he can sublimate it to his own purposes. - Read the entire story here.
"Well-formed Catholics know that Pope Francis isn’t breaking new theological ground." - Conley
Practical art instruction...
Icon image of Christ
2014
Pastel on paper.
Image reworked.
A practice image.
As I always tell my students*, practice with pencils and pastels before you begin to paint - or 'write' an icon if you are very, very spiritual. That way you can see right off what is wrong with your eyesight which may prevent you from accurately documenting what you see. You can recognize your mistakes in that little scriptorium of your imagination before wasting your time on a well prepared panel. In the case of the image shown here I see what is wrong.
*I teach cats.
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, RIP
I'm so stunned. And so, so sad.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace...
Story here.
Saturday, February 01, 2014
An unfortunate chain of events ...
They're a 'couple'.
"Partners" denied Holy Communion at Mother's funeral: A little bit of history repeating.
Remember the Father Marcel Guarnizo affair a couple of years ago? Fr. Guarnizo denied Communion to a lesbian and her partner because they were a couple - possibly living in sin. I think one of them was a Buddhist as well as something of an activist - I'm not sure. Anyway - they were told not to present for Communion, they did and were refused. Story here.
Just the other day a gay-Catholic left a comment criticizing me for an admonition I wrote as regards SSA Catholics who live together, I had said how it is important for them not to identify or present themselves as a couple. My critic told me that my statement was nothing more than 'word policing' - that the word has no real meaning, noting: "besides Marriage itself, the deposit of faith has no category of "couplehood" period." Ah! So let's see how that works.
The gay couple were refused Communion over one word used in an obituary.
A couple who lives outside of Chillicothe say their priest denied them communion when he discovered they were in a same-sex relationship. Carol Parker and her partner of nearly 20 years, Josephine Martin, say they were good standing members of Saint Columban Catholic Church in Chillicothe for 12 years.
They say that all changed when Parker had her mother’s funeral at the church following her death on December 26th. The obituary noted Parker’s mother was survived by a son, a daughter and her daughter’s partner.
“If that one word had not been in there, he would be fine,” said Martin.
Parker said she had been a member since 2001 and served as a lector, a cantor and also sang in the choir. - Story
After the funeral the priest sent a letter to Ms. Parker explaining the teaching of the Church. It said nothing about 'couplehood' or partnership - yet the use of that one word 'partner' was enough for the priest who explained: “having a same-sex attraction is not sinful in and of itself … it is only when a person moves from attraction to willfully acting upon it that the situation becomes a sinful matter.”
From the looks of these women I would imagine they are probably not sexually active. Ordinarily two women or two men, close friends, sharing a house is perfectly fine. No sin or scandal in that. Yet when the obituary describes the survivors in what can be interpreted as a same sex relationship or marriage, then that public declaration becomes a problem. As the minister of the Eucharist, the priest calls the shots.
Likewise, as in the Guarnizo situation, it appears one of the women may dissent on Catholic moral teaching. Commenting on the priest's actions, she said:
... she hopes that the priest might “open his eyes and fully receive the LGBT community into the church.”
What an unfortunate series of events, huh? Yet words have meaning - and consequences.
The awful truth.
When Pope Francis said 'who am I to judge' he first noted that he hadn't seen any gay-identity-card-carrying people in the Vatican - in other words, no one was coming up to him and saying "I'm gay. I'm out. I want to change/undermine the rules." He wasn't identifying people by their sexual inclinations. He went on to explain, "If a gay person seeks God ... who am I to judge." However, truth be told, if a gay couple comes out and declares they are gay, living as a married couple, then it appears there really is something to judge.
“I didn't realize this was a sad occasion.”
Friday, January 31, 2014
Portents of Woe
Flying Dragons. (A prophecy of the Wizard of Oz)
Renaissance Art of the End Times.
Stunning illustrations which appear almost modern, documenting cataclysmic events as indications of the End Times. I've updated the captions to show how the images were in all probability prophecies for our times of tribulation and woe.
Smelly Beast of Gender-Queerness
All are made drunk from the cup of the whore of Babylon.
The Two Popes.
Winter in Minneapolis.
The Great Earthquakes to strike the U.S. any day now.
The Antichrist revealed: Big Flamer
H/T to my friend Byron for the link.
Getting an education...
In deep sh-t.
LGBTQ. Genderquerness. Queer theory. And that's not all. It is dizzying, mind-boggling stuff. I'm doing a lot of reading.
For today's post, we will look at a few random quotes from various authors. If they don't make sense, don't worry - that's because it's queer.
Once the term 'queer' was, at best, slang for homosexual, at worst, a term of homophobic abuse. In recent years 'queer' has come to be used differently, sometimes as an umbrella term for a coalition of culturally marginal sexual self-identifications and at other times to describe a nascent theoretical model which has developed out of more traditional lesbian and gay studies. The rapid development and consolidation of lesbian and gay studies in universities in the 1990s is paralleled by an increasing deployment of the term 'queer'. As queer is unaligned with any specific identity category, it has the potential to be annexed profitably to any number of discussions. In the history of disciplinary formations, lesbian and gay studies is itself a relatively recent construction, and queer theory can be seen as its latest institutional transformation. - Annamarie Jagose
The appeal of 'queer theory' has outstripped anyone's sense of what exactly it means. -Michael Warner
[It] will have to remain that which is, in the present, never fully owned, but always and only redeployed, twisted, queered from a prior usage and in the direction of urgent and expanding political purposes, and perhaps also yielded in favor of terms that do that political work more effectively. - Jagose
The LGBT model and its feminist dominated agenda is both personally unappealing and IMHO unsustainable over the long term and therefore culturally suicidal. To put it in Jack Donovan’s typically brusque way: A society dominated by women and effeminates cannot survive. - Dr.AndroSF
Women couldn't be oppressed if there was no such thing as 'women' ... doing away with gender is key to the doing away with patriarchy ... Gender fluidity is the ability to freely and knowingly become one or many of a limitless number of genders, for any length of time. - Kate Bornestein
Can you see how the deconstruction of gender identity is essentially intellectually dishonest and unreliable? Therefore, what Pope Benedict said makes so much sense:
According to this philosophy, sex is no longer a given element of nature that man has to accept and personally make sense of: it is a social role that we choose for ourselves, while in the past it was chosen for us by society. The profound falsehood of this theory and of the anthropological revolution contained within it is obvious.” - Source
It's a much bigger issue than simply identifying as gay.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Conscience and Truth
Do not quench the Spirit!
Something from John Paul II.
In their desire to emphasize the "creative" character of conscience, certain authors no longer call its actions "judgments" but "decisions" : only by making these decisions "autonomously" would man be able to attain moral maturity. Some even hold that this process of maturing is inhibited by the excessively categorical position adopted by the Church's Magisterium in many moral questions; for them, the Church's interventions are the cause of unnecessary conflicts of conscience.
56. In order to justify these positions, some authors have proposed a kind of double status of moral truth. Beyond the doctrinal and abstract level, one would have to acknowledge the priority of a certain more concrete existential consideration. The latter, by taking account of circumstances and the situation, could legitimately be the basis of certain exceptions to the general rule and thus permit one to do in practice and in good conscience what is qualified as intrinsically evil by the moral law. A separation, or even an opposition, is thus established in some cases between the teaching of the precept, which is valid in general, and the norm of the individual conscience, which would in fact make the final decision about what is good and what is evil. On this basis, an attempt is made to legitimize so-called "pastoral" solutions contrary to the teaching of the Magisterium, and to justify a "creative" hermeneutic according to which the moral conscience is in no way obliged, in every case, by a particular negative precept.
No one can fail to realize that these approaches pose a challenge to the very identity of the moral conscience in relation to human freedom and God's law.
[...]
Christians have a great help for the formation of conscience in the Church and her Magisterium.As the Council affirms: "In forming their consciences the Christian faithful must give careful attention to the sacred and certain teaching of the Church. For the Catholic Church is by the will of Christ the teacher of truth. Her charge is to announce and teach authentically that truth which is Christ, and at the same time with her authority to declare and confirm the principles of the moral order which derive from human nature itself ".111 It follows that the authority of the Church, when she pronounces on moral questions, in no way undermines the freedom of conscience of Christians. This is so not only because freedom of conscience is never freedom "from" the truth but always and only freedom "in" the truth, but also because the Magisterium does not bring to the Christian conscience truths which are extraneous to it; rather it brings to light the truths which it ought already to possess, developing them from the starting point of the primordial act of faith. The Church puts herself always and only at the service of conscience, helping it to avoid being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine proposed by human deceit (cf. Eph 4:14), and helping it not to swerve from the truth about the good of man, but rather, especially in more difficult questions, to attain the truth with certainty and to abide in it. - Veritatis splendor
+ + +
Veritatis splendor is always in my sidebar. In the absence of Pope Francis speaking less ex cathedra and talking more ex cuff on Catholic moral teaching, perhaps it is a good idea to re-examine the Magisterial teaching contained in the encyclicals of Bl. John Paul II, as a moral compass in these days of confusion. It could also be a wonderful way to prepare for the canonization.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
More Definitions: Queer Theory*, what is it?
There has been some work by feminist and lesbian scholars...
"... Increasing numbers of people today, even within the Church, are bringing enormous pressure to bear on the Church to accept the homosexual condition as though it were not disordered ..." - CDF
Many people do not understand the origins or roots of the 'new' theories on gender and sexuality - so I will occasionally print a sort of glossary of terms, to help the interested - albeit confused - ordinary person understand some of the sources.
Queer theory is closely related to gender theory, which together form the foundation of a new philosophy of sexuality, something Pope Benedict XVI warned about:
Words have meaning - yet modern philosophers love to play with the meaning of meaning - which I compare to sleight of hand, or shell games when it comes to discussions on gender and sexuality as 'social constructs'.
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Tuesday, January 28, 2014
This happened in front of children!
The children were horrified and traumatized.
What?
Terrified children fleeing St. Peter's Square.
Chastity, celibacy, and continence.
Jimmy Akin covers it.
I was going to write something about it as it applies to some of the discussions related to the controversy surrounding the 'New Homophobes' and their interpretation of chaste friendship.* Their arguments are so complex and confusing, I have trouble understanding what they are saying at times. 'Truth is simple and pure and should be able to be transmitted to and understood by a barmaid' - I read somewhere that Einstein actually made such a claim about unified field theory.
Jimmy Akin is able to communicate with such simplicity and clarity, that no one should walk away confused. I'll list his points here, but to read his complete definition of terms, click his name at the end of the quote:
What is continence?Continence refers to what people think celibacy and chastity refer to—that is, not having sex.
What is celibacy?
Celibacy is the state of not being married.
What is chastity?
Chastity is the virtue of being sexually pure.
It comes from the Latin word castitas, which originally meant “purity,” and which came to refer specifically to sexual purity.
Chastity will take different forms depending on whether one is celibate or married...
Chaste, continent, celibate same sex friendship.What about unmarried people who aren’t consecrated or clergy?All unmarried people are called to exercise chastity by observing continence.The difference between ordinary unmarried people, on the one hand, and the consecrated and clergy on the other, is that ordinary unmarried people can get married.They are not in a stable condition of life in which they are obligated to remain.They are in a state of potentiality which they could leave by embracing one of the three vocations: marriage, holy orders, or the consecrated life.Thus, everyone is called to exercise the virtue of chastity, but the form that takes will depend on their state of life. - Jimmy Akin
As Akin points out, single people who remain unmarried are called to exercise chastity by observing continence - no sex. As in the case of same sex attracted persons, they live a chaste, celibate life. That does not mean they must live alone, they can have same sex friendships, share an apartment and a house, and so on. In fact, healthy same sex friendships are important for ssa people to live a balanced celibate life.** The Church says living out of this (homosexual) orientation in homosexual activity is not a morally acceptable option. But the Church does not forbid chaste friendship and mutual support.
Indeed, the Catechism points to disinterested same-sex friendship as a help and support. This can come about in those situations wherein two persons have lived together for a long time, and after a deeper conversion perhaps, returned to Church teaching on sexuality and marriage. (Spiritual direction is critical in such cases.) Friendship centered upon Christ with the purpose of living in fidelity to Church teaching and mutual sanctification is certainly not forbidden by the Church. However, living out of this orientation in homosexual activity is not a morally acceptable option. - CDF
What does disinterested friendship mean?
As one friend put it:
A 'chaste lifestyle' for two ssa men does not and cannot include identifying as a 'couple'. Living together as a gay “couple” is effectively what I will refer to as “pseudo-spousing” just as much as a cohabiting man and woman are “pseudo-spousing” with or without sexual activity. This is a hugely important point to make and is one that dovetails with the CCC’s noting that the call to chastity for homosexuals involves disinterested friendships (the very opposite of “eros”), not 'couplehood'.
I agreed with my friend's important qualification. At best, the arrangement might be seen as irregular, not unlike - yet not the same as - the case of a divorced and remarried man and women who agree to live chastely, as brother and sister, in order to be reconciled to the Church. In the case of the married and divorced it is an imperfect accommodation, a pastoral exception permitted after spiritual direction and counsel, and sacramental reconciliation (confession). This is often done provisionally, in cases involving children or estate, and complicated financial/economic problems. In my experience it more frequently occurs when one of the spouses becomes ill or is incapacitated.
Two single men or women as friends.
Same sex friends are not in the same position, precisely because they cannot be spouses. Even if civil law permits civil unions or ss marriage - in the eyes of the Church, their state in life is not changed.
In the past I may have inadvertently blurred these lines. I believe I have used the analogy with divorced and remarried individuals presumptuously. Personally, privately and publicly I have always maintained ss relationships have no affinity to marriage, precisely because the spousal dimension is impossible. Likewise, romantic and sexual interest in one another isn't sustainable without outside stimulus. (This also helps explain why two longtime friends would not necessarily present an occasion of sin for one another.) When sexual interest wanes, homosexual 'couples' look outside the relationship for sex and 'romance' - sometimes they may do it together, or singly, sometimes it is just heavy reliance on pornography or voyeurism at the gym. In my experience, many delude themselves that consent is the determining justification for such behavior, maintaining their relationship has simply evolved into some sort of 'open marriage'. Despite what they say, the entire idea that it is the same as traditional marriage in the first place is a falsehood.
Having said that, when and if chaste, celibate and continent same sex friends live under the same roof, they must be especially careful to avoid representing themselves or identifying themselves as a couple, as well avoiding giving the impression their lifestyle is a sort of substitute or compromise of gay marriage. In my opinion that would be advocating the gay lifestyle, leading to a misunderstanding of Church teaching.
I hope this is understandable to my regular readers and friends.
*This post is actually in response to a question raised by Mark in the com-box of a post on Spiritual Friendship Blog here.
**SSA persons do well to form same sex friendships with heterosexual persons.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Should Catholics patronize gay wedding planners/florists/decorators/bakers? How about the price of those wedding kecks, huh?
LarryD is back:
HOW CHRISTIAN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CAN DEFEAT GAY ACTIVIST ECONOMIC TERRORISM.
I sugjoost that we select a keck furst!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Splinters and beams.
Minding my own business ...
I came across a comment on another blog by a writer I've encountered in the past. The person declared some things about how he is privately consecrated to Christ and needs no other mediators to go to Him. The post dealt with the idea of total consecration to Our Lady according to St. Louis De Montfort. Naturally not every devotion is suited to everyone and there is no rule one has to embrace the devotion of total consecration, however, the way in which this fellow made his point struck me as bordering on presumption and maybe just slightly lacking in humility. I may have been wrong in my perception of course, but I had also seen comments by the same person in the past complaining he wasn't accepted in this or that traditional religious community for whatever reason.
As I mentioned, I am familiar with this fellow's writing and he is a very solid, faithful Catholic, completely orthodox, if you will - although at times a little censorious towards those who may not share his convictions.
I wondered if his problem might be a lack of docility? Since he seems to be convinced of his own self-righteousness - in a good way of course: he's doing everything right, he seeks God alone, he wants union with God, and so on. However, some people like that are hard to admit into religious life precisely because they can be quite convinced they are much advanced and deeply spiritual already, thus they are quite secure and believe they are even able to teach others. They forget that the man who keeps his own counsel can fall into error, or at least presumption... the worst kind of self-righteousness. St. John of the Cross counselled, "Allow yourself to be taught, allow yourself to receive orders..." (#112) ... considering that we are called always to grow in wisdom, grace and knowledge.
I can convince myself I'm just fine in the spiritual, moral life. More often than not, I have trouble allowing myself to be taught, to receive orders, to even be despised. I think many are like that. Many of us do not receive correction very well. Many of us do not receive criticism very well. We ignore the Psalmist who says, "If a good man rebukes me it is kindness." Oftentimes we do it because the one correcting us doesn't seem to have the authority to do so. He might be a layman or a religious, but he might not be a priest, or someone in authority over us - so we discount him. His education may not be what we expect it should be. He may not even be religious. In other words, he's just not qualified. In addition, he has no idea how orthodox and faithful we are, much less the sacrifices we have made to get where we are. We become convinced of our own self-righteousness - which enables us to look down upon everyone else.
Sometimes we can be right of course - but that doesn't make us paragons of virtue or right living.
I have to go now. I have snow to remove.
I'll try to pick this up later.
Nunsense
Did I ever tell you about a guy I knew who told me he made a nun's veil and wimple for himself out of dish towels and a bath towel and then did his ironing while listening to chant? When I asked why, he said it helped him get things done. He also smoked marijuana.
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