Help me understand my pastors

  • Thread starter Thread starter caroljm36
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

caroljm36

Guest
I go to a Jesuit church with 4 priests. They keep saying God really really loves me but the more I hear it the less I believe it, kind of like a self-esteem program in grade school. Anyway, now one has a column in the local paper. Can’t link to it because it hasn’t been updated yet, but here is the main part.

“What if we could dip a measuring stick down into the collective reservoir of the human spirit and check the level of the authenticity of the spirit for our age? No the level of idological fervor, the invincibility of dogmatism, the intensity of partisan politics, the volume of violence, the ferocity of aimless dissipation or the creativity of trivial distraction. No, the world’s collective level of cooperation with that which is best within us…They say ther is a spirit to every age. Leeet’s get back to checking that dipstick that measures the level of cooperation with the Spirit within our spirits that is the source of that which is best within us. Ah yes, just as I feared! The spirit of our age is one in which it gets easier and easier to settle for less and less”

This is a lot like his homilies. He is very emphatic and goes on at length but I’m never quite sure what he is saying. He did tell us before the election not to vote on the basis of greed. I wondered, did he mean greed to not pay more taxes, or greed to want more benefits, say, so I could quit my job and still have health insurance and not lose my assets 😉 due to illness? I didn’t ask because I was afraid it would come off sort of rhetorical, and imply that he was incomprehensible. But they all seem that way to me, much as I respect & love them.

Is this a Jesuit thing?
 
Argh! I can appreciate your dilemma.

Be glad they consecrate the Eucharist, pray for them, and get to know them as best you can, so that at least you can know where they’re coming from, even if their preaching doesn’t assist in their conveying their message clearly.

Perhaps, in your questions you can gently help them to understand that they leave themselves open to either interpretation. Perhaps they like it that way, perhaps it’s just an affect of how they were brought through their “Thought Provoking” Seminary course.

I, like you it seems, would prefer a straight shooter, someone who simply tells it like it is. I have also learned that priests have a great obligation to not “bruise the rod”, to treat their flock with great gentleness so as to not drive away the lukewarm. I think it’s possible we’ve taken this way too far, and in failing to say what needs to be said with absolutely no ambiguity, we have allowed the flock to get lost. A shepherd’s primary responsibility is to lead his flock to safety. Is this being accomplished in todays world. I fear that we’re quickly losing America in the battle with the Liar.

So what to do? Pray for them, get to kow them in Charity, and with Charity, Respect for their Position and Obedience always leading the way, allow them to know that when you hear their homilies and read their column, you are more frequently than not left being able to support two opposing position, using what has been given. Have examples available if the want more concrete information. It may be that your charism is tied into being able to see the ambiguity from both perspectives, and to communicate it clearly and succinctly. This needs to be used to give Glory to God. Go for it, remember Charity, Respect and Obedience while you go forth in humility.

God Bless,

CARose
 
Dear friend,

I’m sure it hard to give a homily that meets the need of everyone in a large congregation. i would focus on the positive aspects of your parish life – you have a beautiful Baroque church, you have weekly Eucharistic Adoration, your parish is extremely generous to the financial needs of the Catholic Church. You have much to rejoice in.
 
40.png
katherine2:
Dear friend,

I’m sure it hard to give a homily that meets the need of everyone in a large congregation. i would focus on the positive aspects of your parish life – you have a beautiful Baroque church, you have weekly Eucharistic Adoration, your parish is extremely generous to the financial needs of the Catholic Church. You have much to rejoice in.
Click to expand...
Yes you’re right of course and I try to understand, but it’s beenn 12 years since my baptism and I still have not heard anything there. Yet I respond to Fr. Shaughnessy, Corapi, Groeschel…guess they can’t all be TV priests can they.

Peace.
 
Hi,

I was stuck in a parish in California for 45 years, and I felt the same way. They were quite literally loving me right into Hell. They tell you all about the love of God and how much we should love each other BUT, NEVER tell you how to Love. I left that parish and moved my family to be near the Fathers Of Mercy in Kentucky. It cost me a million bucks. It was the best thing I ever did.

OKAY! Hear this. Love comes through OBEDIENCE!!!

You got to get in the state of grace. SORRY! You may need to reject your teachers. You NEED to be fathered. You need to hear the truth, and that includes the truth about sin.

If you priest have not talked about contraception from the pulpit lately, you probably need to bail!

John
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top