The Gospel to which you are called

[selylidne]

At the Rite of Election yesterday for the catechumens in this diocese, the bishop preached about how the new Elect were called to live the Gospel. He then defined the Gospel as opposition to abortion and gay marriage. There were barely any mention of Christ, certainly no mention of the Trinity, nor Mary, and no other direct mentions of the content of the creeds or how to live out the faith, hope, and love Christ taught us.

He’s a good man, but it saddens me to see the ever ancient and ever new faith reduced to contemporary political squabbles.

 

[redrosetea]

I guess he wanted no misunderstandings about the position of the church on these issues…These seem to be 2 areas that people feel they can do as they wish, and it doesn’t matter

 

[Shin]

I don’t think you can take a homily on a particular subject and consider that it ‘reduces the faith’ to that subject, nor are these subjects only ‘political squabbles’.

They are two of the fundamental moral and spiritual issues of our time. Without life, without marriage – everything else will be destroyed.

 

[Lujack]

I don’t think you can take a homily on a particular subject and consider that it ‘reduces the faith’ to that subject, nor are these subjects only ‘political squabbles’.

They are two of the fundamental moral and spiritual issues of our time. Without life, without marriage – everything else will be destroyed.

Yes, but it does seem a little narrow for a homily at the rite of election, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t that homily be more broad and Christ centered?

For everything there is a season, and that might not have been the season for it.

 

[Shin]

What are we little gossipy old ladies criticizing every little aspect of the homilies? What priest would want to have to live with that kind of nitpicking?

I would appreciate hearing a homily like that at Confirmation, it’s a good practical send off into the world to prepare a Catholic to exercise his duty in fighting for Christ in these matters.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

Man, I wish my (N.O.) pastor focused on tangible stuff like that. All we get is broad Jesus-y platitudes.

Lucky.

 

[selylidne]

OK, my post was a bit of a throwaway comment, but there are some things worth clearing up.

I don’t think you can take a homily on a particular subject and consider that it ‘reduces the faith’ to that subject, nor are these subjects only ‘political squabbles’.

The homily was about considerably more. I simply objected to comments within the homily which identified our faith as today’s region-specific political struggle.

They are two of the fundamental moral and spiritual issues of our time. Without life, without marriage – everything else will be destroyed.

Heh, now that’s hyperbole. The law didn’t take marriage into its hands until quite recently in history, and the Catholic Church at the time fought state attempts to control marriage. Secular marriage law can’t now suddenly be a fundamental and necessary part of society. We can get on without it easily, and indeed would probably be better off.

What are we little gossipy old ladies criticizing every little aspect of the homilies? What priest would want to have to live with that kind of nitpicking?

To be fair, I have now criticized three aspects of two homilies in my entire life. I don’t think it’s nitpicky to want a bishop to be able to clearly express the Gospel.

Man, I wish my (N.O.) pastor focused on tangible stuff like that. All we get is broad Jesus-y platitudes.

Lucky.

Heh. Yeah, none of that silly stuff about the source and summit, author and perfecter of our faith! Who wants challenging and hard-to-apply divinely revealed truths about our Creator and Redeemer and what He expects of us? So much nicer to boil it all down to “Don’t kill kids or let minorities live in peace!”.

 

[Yours_Truly]

Heh. Yeah, none of that silly stuff about the source and summit, author and perfecter of our faith! Who wants challenging and hard-to-apply divinely revealed truths about our Creator and Redeemer and what He expects of us? So much nicer to boil it all down to “Don’t kill kids or let minorities live in peace!”.

If you want to hear the full faith preached, not just assorted moral issues (if you even get that), find a Traditional Mass in your area. And if you can’t find one, you can listen to good sermons by an FSSP Priest at www.audiosancto.com

 

[Lujack]

If you want to hear the full faith preached, not just assorted moral issues (if you even get that), find a Traditional Mass in your area. And if you can’t find one, you can listen to good sermons by an FSSP Priest at www.audiosancto.com

That is entirely unfair. There is nothing about the Latin Mass that means it will have better homilies. I don’t see why this thread needs to be turned into an opportunity to cast apsersions on the Ordinary Form.

 

[Yours_Truly]

That is entirely unfair. There is nothing about the Latin Mass that means it will have better homilies. I don’t see why this thread needs to be turned into an opportunity to cast apsersions on the Ordinary Form.

While people may not like to hear it, the reality is, you usually get good solid sermons along with the Traditional Mass. That’s because those Priests who say the Traditional Mass have the faith, whereas many Novus Ordo Priest don’t. Again, probably not a popular thing to say, but that is the truth.

I recently spoke with a “conservative” Novus Ordo Priest in our large archdiocese who began saying the Traditional Mass several months ago, about the Priests in our diocese. I asked him point blank “how many Priests in this diocese have the faith”. Without a moment of hesitation he said “five”. All the rest are heretics.

Heretical Priests are not a problem with the Traditional Mass. They may not all be saints, and they may not all give great sermons, but they do have the faith in its entirety and preach it in their sermons.

 

[Appleby]

OK, my post was a bit of a throwaway comment, but there are some things worth clearing up.

The homily was about considerably more. I simply objected to comments within the homily which identified our faith as today’s region-specific political struggle.

Heh, now that’s hyperbole. The law didn’t take marriage into its hands until quite recently in history, and the Catholic Church at the time fought state attempts to control marriage. Secular marriage law can’t now suddenly be a fundamental and necessary part of society. We can get on without it easily, and indeed would probably be better off.

To be fair, I have now criticized three aspects of two homilies in my entire life. I don’t think it’s nitpicky to want a bishop to be able to clearly express the Gospel.

Heh. Yeah, none of that silly stuff about the source and summit, author and perfecter of our faith! Who wants challenging and hard-to-apply divinely revealed truths about our Creator and Redeemer and what He expects of us? So much nicer to boil it all down to “Don’t kill kids or let minorities live in peace!”.

Aha, so you have an AGENDA? Being against homosexual marriage is a little bit more than “refusing to let minorities live in peace” isn’t it?

 

[TMC]

While people may not like to hear it, the reality is, you usually get good solid sermons along with the Traditional Mass. That’s because those Priests who say the Traditional Mass have the faith, whereas many Novus Ordo Priest don’t. Again, probably not a popular thing to say, but that is the truth.

I recently spoke with a “conservative” Novus Ordo Priest in our large archdiocese who began saying the Traditional Mass several months ago, about the Priests in our diocese. I asked him point blank “how many Priests in this diocese have the faith”. Without a moment of hesitation he said “five”. All the rest are heretics.

Heretical Priests are not a problem with the Traditional Mass. They may not all be saints, and they may not all give great sermons, but they do have the faith in its entirety and preach it in their sermons.

So MOST priests are faithless heretics, but any priest that says the EF Mass is certainly not a heretic. Do you have any basis for this statement, at all, beyond a five minute chat with a priest? How does saying a Latin Mass innoculate these priests, better yet why do you assume that most priests are heretics?

 

[selylidne]

Aha, so you have an AGENDA?

Chill out. I already stated my agenda, and it doesn’t take any reading between the lines.

 

[WhollyRoamin]

Heh. Yeah, none of that silly stuff about the source and summit, author and perfecter of our faith! Who wants challenging and hard-to-apply divinely revealed truths about our Creator and Redeemer and what He expects of us? So much nicer to boil it all down to “Don’t kill kids or let minorities live in peace!”.

Blah blah blah.

 

[I_Believe]

So MOST priests are faithless heretics, but any priest that says the EF Mass is certainly not a heretic. Do you have any basis for this statement, at all, beyond a five minute chat with a priest? How does saying a Latin Mass innoculate these priests, better yet why do you assume that most priests are heretics?

How many TLM’s have you assisted in your lifetime ? Honest question, I don’t know from reading your posts if you attend the NO or TLM.

I’ve only been back in the Church for a little over two years now, and while I’ve never heard heresy from the pulpit from either the TLM or NO, I can honestly say that the most Faith building sermons have come from the pulpit at the TLM’s I’ve assisted. I’ve never heard a bad one at a TLM. At the NO’s, while I’ve heard some good sermons, I’ve heard more where the priests saw fit to entice laughter by attempting to be humorous. And I’ve heard far too many where the priest talks about himself, as much as the days Gospel. There is one priest at a cetain NO parish, and as soon as I see it is him that will be praying the Mass that day, I know he is going to talk sports from the pulpit. Never fails to get that taken care of before he turns to the days readings.

So, again I ask. Do you assist both forms ?

 

[TMC]

How many TLM’s have you assisted in your lifetime ? Honest question, I don’t know from reading your posts if you attend the NO or TLM.

I’ve only been back in the Church for a little over two years now, and while I’ve never heard heresy from the pulpit from either the TLM or NO, I can honestly say that the most Faith building sermons have come from the pulpit at the TLM’s I’ve assisted. I’ve never heard a bad one at a TLM. At the NO’s, while I’ve heard some good sermons, I’ve heard more where the priests saw fit to entice laughter by attempting to be humorous. And I’ve heard far too many where the priest talks about himself, as much as the days Gospel. There is one priest at a cetain NO parish, and as soon as I see it is him that will be praying the Mass that day, I know he is going to talk sports from the pulpit. Never fails to get that taken care of before he turns to the days readings.

So, again I ask. Do you assist both forms ?

I attend Mass in the Ordinary Form. I have only attended a TLM on a handful of occasions, and none recently. Nothing against it, but most places I have lived it has not been offered. I have heard homilies from many different priests and found many good, most acceptable, and some bad. I don’t recall the homilies at the Latin masses being superior, but, as I said, I haven’t been lately.

Maybe we have different ideas of what a faith building sermon is. I have heard many faith building sermons that used humor, personal stories, stories from the local news, sports, and many other techniques. I don’t understand why those things would be disqualifying as a faith building sermon.