Hooray for new pastor!

[turtle18]

If you are offended by it, I have to ask WHY? Isn’t it better to receive a stern five minute lecture from a homilist on Sunday than the eternal wrath and condemnation from God? What do you find so offensive about someone telling you something is wrong in a stern matter? They are suppose to be your spiritual father, not your spiritual friend.

 

[water]

I didn’t do or say anything because I’ve learned from experience that it all it does is make my job miserable for the rest of the week and accomplishes nothing.

Praying is also very important for this priest. I would definitely talk to someone in the diocese then. IF the priest actually had no problem with abortion, he would cause a lot more harm then having your job miserable for one week.

 

[Paten]

If you are offended by it, I have to ask WHY? Isn’t it better to receive a stern five minute lecture from a homilist on Sunday than the eternal wrath and condemnation from God? What do you find so offensive about someone telling you something is wrong in a stern matter? They are suppose to be your spiritual father, not your spiritual friend.

Let’s break-down your comments…

First of all they are not logical. You are inferring that a “stern five minute lecture” will keep (or even help to keep) my soul out of hell as if it’s the only way or even the most effective way of communicating with people. It’s not.

Why am I personally offended by some homilists on this subject? Because they lack the grace and tact to communicate and teach people without turning them off, and in some cases away from the faith. Last night on EWTN Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s guest was Msgr. Philip Reilly a priest whose apostolate is the pro-life movement. His words and manner of speaking are precisely what the pro-life movement needs…

 

[Pax]

We had two bus loads from our parish attend the West Coast Walk for Life on Saturday. At Sunday mass the pastor commented on what a great witness this was on the part of our parish.

I thought that to be a great start in the right direction.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

If you are offended by it, I have to ask WHY? Isn’t it better to receive a stern five minute lecture from a homilist on Sunday than the eternal wrath and condemnation from God? What do you find so offensive about someone telling you something is wrong in a stern matter? They are suppose to be your spiritual father, not your spiritual friend.

Actually "stern five minute lecture"s will only drive people away. Beating down people does not bring spiritual growth, it brings spiritual disillusionment. The stern father/strict patrichical model is of a time in the past in the Church.

 

[BlestOne]

If you are offended by it, I have to ask WHY? Isn’t it better to receive a stern five minute lecture from a homilist on Sunday than the eternal wrath and condemnation from God? What do you find so offensive about someone telling you something is wrong in a stern matter? They are suppose to be your spiritual father, not your spiritual friend.

Amen!!!

 

[Sir_Knight]

The stern father/strict patrichical model is of a time in the past in the Church.

Why?

 

[BlestOne]

Actually "stern five minute lecture"s will only drive people away. Beating down people does not bring spiritual growth, it brings spiritual disillusionment. The stern father/strict patrichical model is of a time in the past in the Church.

I disagree… I think the truth no matter how hard to hear, draws people. I also don’t agree that telling people that ABC and abortion are sin is “beating them down”. I discipline my children, sometimes they think I am being tough on them too… but tell you what… everyone of them has thanked me for it because they see their friends parents not instilling values and the poor choices some of them have made because of it. The first time my oldest thanked me was when he was a junior in HS… since then all of my kids have said the same. I think people are thirsting for a patriarchal role model…

 

[Brendan]

Actually "stern five minute lecture"s will only drive people away. Beating down people does not bring spiritual growth, it brings spiritual disillusionment. The stern father/strict patrichical model is of a time in the past in the Church.

Did Christ somehow err when He called the Pharisees “vipers”, “hypocrites” , “white washed tombs” and “full of dead men’s bones”?

Did He not care for their spirtual growth? Or perhaps, that sometimes stern lectures are REQUIRED if a person may attempt to grow spirtually.

Is following the example of Christ somehow part of the past, and not something a priest should strive for now?

 

[BlestOne]

Did Christ somehow err when He called the Pharisees “vipers”, “hypocrites” , “white washed tombs” and “full of dead men’s bones”?

Did He not care for their spirtual growth? Or perhaps, that sometimes stern lectures are REQUIRED if a person may attempt to grow spirtually.

Is following the example of Christ somehow part of the past, and not something a priest should strive for now?

good point…

 

[Margarite]

Is it not said that a priest should be a lion in the pulpit and a lamb in the confessional.

People don’t know the faith because all these wishy-washy priests don’t want to say it in black and white. They are afraid of the busy-body old ladies that write nasty letters when the priest speakes the truth, so the priests diguise the truth under nice politically correct phrases and people lose the meaning.

Abortion is MURDER!
Murder is EVIL!
Catholics should not do EVIL!

Simple.
I wish a few more – no-- ALL priests would stand up in the pulpit and speak the truth clearly and strongly and loudly.

Look at all the Protestant ministers that draw crouds of hundreds, they don’t say anything quietly. They speak or yell the truth as they see it and they don’t care what some old bitty is going to say. They yell the truth in no uncertain terms and they are respected for it. Many people convert to being Protestant because these ministers show such strength and courage.

Why do priest hide? We need more Christ-like priests who will shout the truth from the highest rooftops. We need priests who are zealots!

 

[catholic79]

We had more of a remember you are CATHOLIC are you acting like it homily. It was great!

 

[Paten]

Actually "stern five minute lecture"s will only drive people away. Beating down people does not bring spiritual growth, it brings spiritual disillusionment. The stern father/strict patrichical model is of a time in the past in the Church.

I don’t think it was ever effective – or at least as effective as other methods.

 

[Paten]

Did Christ somehow err when He called the Pharisees “vipers”, “hypocrites” , “white washed tombs” and “full of dead men’s bones”?

Did He not care for their spirtual growth? Or perhaps, that sometimes stern lectures are REQUIRED if a person may attempt to grow spirtually.

Is following the example of Christ somehow part of the past, and not something a priest should strive for now?

The Bible is filled with FAR more accounts of Jesus Christ acting in a kind and compassionate manner. How come you haven’t mentioned that?

And while they may be icons of Christ, your analogy fails because priests are not God.

 

[jmcrae]

Did Christ somehow err when He called the Pharisees “vipers”, “hypocrites” , “white washed tombs” and “full of dead men’s bones”?

Did He not care for their spirtual growth? Or perhaps, that sometimes stern lectures are REQUIRED if a person may attempt to grow spirtually.

I think by the time He was calling them those names, He had already written them off. He was not expecting them to convert; the name-calling was for the benefit of those who still valued his opinion of them - the message was, “If you want me to love you, then don’t behave like those guys.”

If a priest is speaking like that to you, then know that he doesn’t care any more about you at all - he’s speaking at you, for a different audience.

 

[turtle18]

Jesus doesn’t write anyone off. He cared very much about the Pharisees which is why he yelled at them–sometimes the only way to get through to people is to just put it out there, in black and white. You cannot blanket everyone together in a group and say the warm and fuzzies reaches everyone in the same spiritual way–my observation is that it sugarcoats the truth and doesn’t reach anyone. Most sick people need a shot with a lollipop there after.

 

[estesbob]

The Bible is filled with FAR more accounts of Jesus Christ acting in a kind and compassionate manner. How come you haven’t mentioned that?

And while they may be icons of Christ, your analogy fails because priests are not God.

If a blunt sermon on abortion makes one uncomfortable or offends them they really need to ask themselves why?

Here’s something else Jesus said:

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Now do you really think that Jesus would speak compassionately to someone who supported dismembering these children and pitching them out with the garbage?

 

[Brendan]

The Bible is filled with FAR more accounts of Jesus Christ acting in a kind and compassionate manner. How come you haven’t mentioned that?

Perhaps because Christ uses both methods, so should the priest

And while they may be icons of Christ, your analogy fails because priests are not God.

So I’m not God either, does that mean I don’t have to follow Christ’s example when He used kindness and compassion?

Does it require Divinty to follow Christ’s examples of how to treat others.

If anythign, the very fact that Christ is God shows us that kindness and compassion are very good tools, but that even God must resort to stern lectures and blunt talk to bring about the salvation of others. Are our priests supposed to be better than God Himself at talking to others?

 

[jmcrae]

If a blunt sermon on abortion makes one uncomfortable or offends them they really have asked themselves why.

What I have found in my own lay ministry is that the best way to create a pro-lifer is not to rail on like a lunatic about the evils of abortion, but rather to gently speak about God’s plan for that person, beginning in Jeremiah 1 (My plans for you were made when you were in the womb), moving to Psalm 139 (in the secret places of the earth, You knew me - meaning, when Adam was being created, God knew about you and was planning for you) and then looking at Genesis 1 and John 1 to show that God creates nothing by accident, and that we are created in His image - that all human beings are icons of God, and need to be treated with the respect that we would treat an icon of God. I accompany this with pictures of healthy unborn babies in the womb.

From there, the person himself or herself naturally arrives at the conclusion that abortion is wrong, and they already understand why it is wrong, and so it is no surprise to them when you say, “This is why abortion is wrong,” and they gladly affirm the pro-life position.

My personal experience is that yelling at people very seldom causes them to change their minds and agree with me.

 

[estesbob]

What I have found in my own lay ministry is that the best way to create a pro-lifer is not to rail on like a lunatic about the evils of abortion, but rather to gently speak about God’s plan for that person, beginning in Jeremiah 1 (My plans for you were made when you were in the womb), moving to Psalm 139 (in the secret places of the earth, You knew me - meaning, when Adam was being created, God knew about you and was planning for you) and then looking at Genesis 1 and John 1 to show that God creates nothing by accident, and that we are created in His image - that all human beings are icons of God, and need to be treated with the respect that we would treat an icon of God. I accompany this with pictures of healthy unborn babies in the womb.

.

Great minds think alike.(or we both went to the same seminar).
When I counsel a woman considering an abortion I also refer to Jeremiah. I find talking about Gods plan is also very effective when asking a woman to consider placeing her child for adoption-that is that she can help complete Gods plan for an infertile couple to have a family.

However i believe we are talking about a sermon here. I wasnt suggestng the pastor yell at anyone-just be blunt as to what an abject evil abortion is and how it is unconscionable for a Catholic to support it directly or indirectly