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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fr Tom Dubay

It is with great sadness that I write about the death of Fr Tom Dubay, a fellow Marist, and one whom I got to know very well during my seminary days in DC. He lived in the community next door to the seminarians and I would have conversations with him whenever he was around, for he was still very active into his eighties preaching retreats. He was always very kind and encouraging to me in my vocation discernment. His books are inspirational, and spiritually fulfilling. His love for our Blessed Mother and for our Catholic Church was also an inspiration to me. May he rest in peace.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

some musings

I have just finished reading a blog where it seems that some women are organizing a boycott of Mass this weekend to show the Vatican that they (the Vatican) stand on the wrong side of the issue concerning women's ordination. They have also found some priests who are sympathetic to their claims and support their cause. But, as the Vatican has pointed out many times over these last forty years, the Church has no authority to change the teaching concerning women's ordination to the priesthood. It has been declared infallible by Pope John Paul II in his document ordinatio sacerdotalis. The deeper issue is one of the difference between what is authority adn what is power. The argument about the so called ban on women's ordination is one of power, and that women are being excluded from this power. But authority, esepcially the authority of the priest, is not about power but about service. A priest is a servant of Christ, and he has no power whatsoever outside of Jesus Christ. Yes, there are have been examples of priests who have abused their position and have lorded over the parishioners a power that is founded in submission of the other, but a true priest is one who will place himself under the submission of Jesus Christ and will seek to bring others to a deeper relationship with Christ through the celebration and reception of the sacraments.

A priest must also be male because the Mass is the wedding banquet between Christ and his Church. It is a Catholic priest who celebrates the Mass that stands in persona Christi so that the image of the man Jesus Christ marrying his bride, the Church, is one where for obvious reasons cannot be imaged by a woman, otherwise the Church's teaching on homosexual marriage must change. By the way, it is no surprise that if you ask those who support homosexual marriage, they would tell you that they also support a woman's right to be ordained a Catholic priest. And those who support women's ordination also overwhelmingly support homosexual marriage. Change one and you will in effect change the other.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

division

Not only are we a country divided as the latest poll results have shown, but we are also a church divided. We are so busy trying to label others that we forget that labels are only one of many ways for us to avoid having to actually be kind to one another. This kindness, or lack thereof, by the way, is not only lacking in opposites politically and theologically, but it also exists in the lives of those who are purported to be on the same wave length. For example, if a person disagrees with you, in many instances you might use that as a justificaiton to treat that person with unkindness. There is a lack of civility in the way people treat each oither in the business world, in the church world and in the political world. Good people can disagree with each other on a specific policy matter, but to then use that disagreement to accuse the other person of being a liar, or being racist, or being difficult to work with, is disingenious. This is exactly what Satan wants from us, by the way. Division and accusations and labelling will never bring people together and do the hard work of reconciliation. St Paul reminds us that if we do not have love, then we have nothing. Bring love into your disagreements, and even if the other person does not bring love into it, take the higher road.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Cross

The cross is the tree of life, for upon the cross is our salvation, the fruit of the tree of life, Jesus Christ. When you eat of the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, you have eternal life. Of course, this presupposes that you are in a state of grace and not receiving the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin. I know what you're thinking. How quaint. He still uses the term mortal sin. Well, St John, in his first letter, talks about two kinds of sin; one that is deadly and one that is not deadly. This is the basis of our Catholic teaching on sin being separated as venial and mortal. But, because by the Holy Cross, Jesus has redeemed the world, when you are in a state of mortal sin, you have access to the Lord's mercy and forgiveness in our Sacrament of Confession. On this feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross and tomorrow's feast of the Sorrows of Mary, it is an appropriate time for you to consider approaching the sacrament of mercy. The cross and the sorrows of Mary are closely united to the fact that we as sinners have crucified and are still crucifying our Lord on the cross, who died for us so that we could be freed from sin. Yet the sorrow of our Lord and his Blessed Mother is more intense for they have witnessed that despite this great act of love on God' part, there would still be men and women who refuse his friendship and continue in a state of sin. His suffering is that he foresaw that mankind would still reject his invitation of abundant life. Turn to Mary at this moment, for she will pray for you to repent and turn once again to her Son.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Patience

Probably the most difficult virtue for anyone to practice is patience. The patient man or woman is a person of peace and joy, even in the face of difficulties or evil. Yet, we live in a society where everything must be right now. I want it now!!. There is no waiting, there is no preparation, there is no willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Where does this "I want it now" attitude come from? The world is moving fast, and we think if we don't move with it we will be lost. But is this true? God's timing is not one of right now, or a demand for fast action. God is a patient God. He allowed the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years. He waited centuries before he sent his Son, born of a woman. He then waited another thirty years before he began his preaching ministry. And lest we forget, there was no sense of urgency in Jesus' ministry. He sent his apostles to preach the good news, but he also gave them guidance in prayer and in relationships. All relationships must be based on respect and love, even if we disagree with the other viewpoint. The anger that surfaces between people is an anger based on impatience. The patient man or woman will know that God is in control, and whenever we try to be in control of a situation, we deny the working of the Holy Spirit. But then again, maybe I am wrong. If you disagree, you be angry with me or you can ask for clarification. Let me know.