Today, let us remember all of our fathers, both living and deceased, as well as all thoe men who are father figures in our lives. Catholic priests are also called father, for their spiritual fatherhood in bringing manhy children into the church through baptism, and feeding them through the Eucharist, and healing them through confession and anointing of the sick.
Father's Day is also a good reminder for us to pray for the children who have absentee fathers, or are children of divorced parents. Our children, both boys and girls, need their fathers, but they especially need their fathers to show love to their mothers. The greatest threat to society and family today is the increase broken families and children being shuffled back and forth between homes to visit their parents.
It is never too late to start being a father. It is never too late to reconcile with the mother of your children if you are having marital problems. All things are possible with God.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
some musings
It's been quite a spring, and now that the Year for Priests is finally concluded with the solemnity of the Sacred Heart last Friday, it is imperative that we continue to pray for the new springtime in our church, and for more priests devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is difficult being a priest today, but it is rewarding.
My former spiritual director, Monsignor Charles Pope of Washington DC, has an interesting article on the Archdiocese of Washington DC website's blog concerning appropriate dress for Mass. We have done a show on reverence in dress for feed my lambs, and, as the comments on Monsignor Pope's article attests, whenever a priest broaches the subject of dress, it creates quite a stir. So what is the proper dress for a person attending Mass? That's something that you know deep in your own heart. There are different varieties of dress and different circumstances such as the weather, the culture/country, and the financial situation of the family. But in each case, proper attire is something to strive for. Should we be happy that they are at least attending Mass? And what they are wearing has no bearing on worship? Yes and no. Yes, it's great that people are attending Mass instead of finding something else to do. But think about what you wear every day during the week for each and every thing that you do and place that you go, and then ask yourself, what are we doing at Mass?
If Mass is an act of worship of the God who loves us and died for us so that we could feast on his Sacred Body and Blood; if Mass is the wedding feast of the Lamb, and we are there to thank God for his death and resurrection, I would think that Mass is something special, something wonderful, something so totally amazing that it would require us to treat it as something different from a barbecue, or a sporting event, or a walk on the beach.
My former spiritual director, Monsignor Charles Pope of Washington DC, has an interesting article on the Archdiocese of Washington DC website's blog concerning appropriate dress for Mass. We have done a show on reverence in dress for feed my lambs, and, as the comments on Monsignor Pope's article attests, whenever a priest broaches the subject of dress, it creates quite a stir. So what is the proper dress for a person attending Mass? That's something that you know deep in your own heart. There are different varieties of dress and different circumstances such as the weather, the culture/country, and the financial situation of the family. But in each case, proper attire is something to strive for. Should we be happy that they are at least attending Mass? And what they are wearing has no bearing on worship? Yes and no. Yes, it's great that people are attending Mass instead of finding something else to do. But think about what you wear every day during the week for each and every thing that you do and place that you go, and then ask yourself, what are we doing at Mass?
If Mass is an act of worship of the God who loves us and died for us so that we could feast on his Sacred Body and Blood; if Mass is the wedding feast of the Lamb, and we are there to thank God for his death and resurrection, I would think that Mass is something special, something wonderful, something so totally amazing that it would require us to treat it as something different from a barbecue, or a sporting event, or a walk on the beach.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The abuse scandals
I have been doing research for an upcoming show on the abuse in the Catholic Church. It saddens me to have to do the research and read about the moral failings and criminal activities of my brother priests and the alleged cover up by some of the bishops. There is anger over this issue, and rightfully so. The pain of the victims can only lead to a broken heart for those of us who love the priesthood. How can a man, ordained as a priest, as a man of God, who is to preach the Good News and to bring others to Christ, who is called to protect the innocence and the chastity of all God's people, especially the children, how can he violate that trust and destroy the chastity and the faith of these little ones who Jesus called unto himself?
Our Church needs pruning. Our Church needs holy priests who will live the message of the Gospel and not abuse others, especially our children. Our Church needs to make sure that this never happens again, and if it does, if an allegation is proven to be true, this priest must sit in judgment for his crime.
There are no excuses, but there is need for sanity. We need solutions that will protect our children. The argument that celibacy leads to sexual abuse is fallacious. Most of the cases of abuse of children have happened at the hands of married men. And women deserve better than the argument that if a priest were to be able to marry he would not abuse children.
Our Church needs pruning. Our Church needs holy priests who will live the message of the Gospel and not abuse others, especially our children. Our Church needs to make sure that this never happens again, and if it does, if an allegation is proven to be true, this priest must sit in judgment for his crime.
There are no excuses, but there is need for sanity. We need solutions that will protect our children. The argument that celibacy leads to sexual abuse is fallacious. Most of the cases of abuse of children have happened at the hands of married men. And women deserve better than the argument that if a priest were to be able to marry he would not abuse children.
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