Seventh parish in New Westminster to bless same-sex couples

[Catherine_S]

QuicumqueVult:

Michael:

I very astute diagnosis. Becoming Catholic is a huge culture shock for an Anglican. I once heard an analogy from a very pro-Roman Anglican priest.

We think of typical Anglican parishes like quaint neo-Gothic chapels set in a lovely wood on a hill by a gurgling stream. They are small and beautiful with an emphasis on aesthetics without and civility within. The rather affluent and well-educated parishioners usually know each other, are always attentive, decent and polite, and the liturgy is lovely and the people participate fully, especially singing the well-composed hymns accompanied by pipe organ and surpliced choir. They agree in utmost courtesy to disagree over any number of issues, whether theological or moral or political. What they agree on is that their parish is lovely and everything must be done decently and in order. One imagines typical fellowship as talking about spiritual matters over tea and biscuits in the parish hall. Or wine and cheese. The parish priest is erudite, amiable and available, having just the right number of souls to care for given his family and personal commitments.

Most Roman parishes are like Grand Central Station. They are huge and bustling with people ignoring and tripping over each other. Few are paying attention to what’s going on and few participate with enthusiasm, especially in the singing. Most can’t be bothered even to look at the music. They are all there for the same reason but they aren’t exactly excited about it. One notices the odd drunk lying on a bench, the several children screaming throughout with mothers idly looking away in frustration and boredom. It is a mass of humanity, few of whom know each other or care to know each other. As long as the trains arrive and depart on time, everyone is happy. This is typically the case because the schedules are accomodating and everyone gets their ticket punched in due time, but with little in the way one might call “a personal touch.” People are also very concerned to get to their cars as quickly as possible to avoid the traffic jams that occur. This means little in the way of conversation and fellowship. The parish priest is polite but overworked and on the verge of mental and emotional collapse trying to run the Station and its thousand of demands.

This from a priest who actually favours the Roman ethos as more indicative of real humanity. But it’s hard to leave the former for the latter without what the psychologists call a lot of cognitive dissonance.

Cheers,

If you are not a comedian…you are **definately **wasting your talents !!! Thank you for the chuckle ! !
Shalom,
Catherine

 

[QuicumqueVult]

If you are not a comedian…you are **definately **wasting your talents !!! Thank you for the chuckle ! !
Shalom,
Catherine

Catherine:

You’re quite welcome. Smiles and laughter are a rare commodity these days. If ever I can’t remain a priest, I’ll consider writing satire.

So which Catherine do you claim as your saintly namesake?

Cheers,

 

[aimee]

QuicumqueVult:

Catherine:

You’re quite welcome. Smiles and laughter are a rare commodity these days. If ever I can’t remain a priest, I’ll consider writing satire.

So which Catherine do you claim as your saintly namesake?

Cheers,

Hi QV,
I must agree with our friend Catherine…

Although, I’m not sure I always understand satire
If you write a book…I’d buy it

 

[Catherine_S]

QuicumqueVult:

Catherine:

You’re quite welcome. Smiles and laughter are a rare commodity these days. If ever I can’t remain a priest, I’ll consider writing satire.

So which Catherine do you claim as your saintly namesake?

Cheers,

Why not do both? The thing with satire is it usually goes over the heads of those you intend the message for …others may hear it and get it but they will choose to ignore it. Perhaps, it is a wee bit like preaching and ministering to folks in the Church ! I want to say…in total honesty…I have met two Anglican ministers in my life…you and one other man… he is back a post or two and I find you both genuine and gentle-men. I think you have both found your calling.Your parishioners must feel at ease and very comfortable in your company.**I respect you both. **

Laughter is very good for us! :yup: Sometimes we just take ourselves too seriously. I believe the medical community, in our day, has a lot to say about humour as an aid in healing. Pray too !Norman Cousins, a doctor himself, learned he had cancer and received his death sentence with shock. He decided to use humour to deal with this new reality and to carry him through his hospitalization. He collected as many comedy movies as he could find and proceeded to watch them. Later he wrote books on the healing effects of laughter. The last time I heard news of him ( ten years past his first learning about his illness ) he was still alive and may very well still be alive. He certainly attributed his new found health in part to laughter! Humour is gift !

I was named after Saint Catherine of Sienna. I Resemble her in name only ! ! I have to say it ment very little to me to know that. As a young person…what little I knew of the saints fightened me. After being taught the life of one at school or honoring the memory of one on a feast day…I very often prayed to ask the good Lord to never make me a saint…"just teach me through the birds, trees and nice things lord "!! He certainly answered those prayers ! The saint part not the teaching throuh nice things only. I realize as I am older, that I have always been, even as a young child, a both feet firmly planted on the ground kind of person. Packing a fair size share of Doubting Thomas on my shoulders as well. This landed me in much hot water on many occasions as I appeared to be rebellious to some. Again, in looking back, I mainly wanted truth to come from within myself and not just from without. Long before I could articulate this it was there.Today, I think I just sensed the difference between belief and faith. I am deeply grateful for the checks put on me by my Catholic background… I was quite spirited and determined ! I remember in grade school telling the nun teaching our religious class that I felt that I was a bad Catholic but a very good Protestant. Not a smart move to say the least Now I know that I am a Catholic and not a Protestant and this comes from within myself… from my journey with Christ. More His with me really for He is never unfaithful to us! I can now get past the fact that some of the saints may have been a little off at certain points in their lives, too influenced by the cultures they were born into or suffering some phychological problems but for the most part their process brought them to integration, wholeness and Holiness. Their love for God was sincere, their sacrificial lives a model to us all and I believe that much of what they said was true. They were** very real** people with humour and wit… I read somewhere that Saint Thomas Moore was asked as he mounted the steps to his death if he needed help… his reply** “no”** but "I suspect I am going to need it when I leave"…Now that is the way to leave this world and it is deepest kind of faith.Will end on that note. Thank you for your reply…nice sharing with you.

May God continue to bless you,
Shalom,
Catherine