you are not welcome here...

[Hamm]

Hi

Well, Ok. I can see your point - to a point. However, wasn’t it Christ who made a whip and cleaned out His Fathers house? Overturning tables and setting things straight?

Wasn’t it Christ who called people a ‘‘Brood of vipers" with "Satan as their father’’?

I would agree that going off on the uninformed would be taking a risk - so far as having a loving attitude goes. But, people sitting in mass, knowing the difference between right and wrong - or at least who should know the difference - and being stern even to the point of offensive…well, that, to me, is calling a spade a spade. Sacrilege is serious. So is hell.

A Priest doing his job, protecting both the Eucharist and the parishioner, is to be commended.

Yes, to some it may look like he’s being mean, or unnecessarily stern - but, if we don’t take the Eucharist seriously - and the state of our souls when we go up for the Host - how can we expect others to?

I don’t think, personally, our job (or the Priests) is to dress everything up nice to attract people to the Church. If it were - we would have rock bands and have ‘bobbing for the Eucharist’ contests after Mass. Our job (and the Priests) is to promote the Truth, and the seriousness of it (including the Mass) as something that is already dramatically different from what everyone else follows, and, to boot, a life and death matter-of-fact proposition for people to make a decision about.

Leave the sugary words, clowns and balloons for those who need them to disguise their lies - we have the Truth - and the Truth speaks for itself.

Peace

John

I was going to post a response but the above pretty much sums up what I would say. I would just add that I do not know why any person who knows what the church teaches and cannot live by it would want to be part of it. Of course all are welcome at a Catholic mass and ignorance of the truth should be treated with love, understanding and teaching. I would like to know what those people who have heard the truth and yet willingly oppose it think they are getting out of receiving the Eucharist. I do not believe that just because I was born a Catholic means that I am a Catholic. God bless you, Dan

 

[elts1956]

STAND FOR SOMETHING OR FALL FOR ANYTHING

Part of the spiritual sence of loss today is the unwillingness of believers to stand up for their beliefs. It is uncomfortable to challenge another when your beliefs are not PC. Jesus did not waffle. You are either with me or against me. The church has proclaimed abortion a sin. Medically, it is murder. That priest is a defender of the faith. Be glad you have such a leader. It is cold out here among the displaced pre Vatican II catholics. I wish there were a place in the church for us.

I refuse to stay in the cold regarding the matter of abortion, or any other teaching of the Church. We make our own place by our stance for what is moral. If one is a pre Vatican II Cradle Catholic like myself, one needs to find one’s own place within the Church. I have, with the NO and with the moral teachings and dogmas of the Church which have never changed. If one finds oneself displaced, that is only one’s own fault.

We need people to stand fast in their beliefs of doctrines and dogmas that have come to us through over two thousand years. If we lose the firm, steadfast core of members, both Pre-Vatican and Post Vatican II, to displacement, where will the Church be in fifty years?

The struggle is NOT about the reverent forms of the NO or TLM Mass. The struggle for the truths of the Church is at its fiercest. Make yourself heard.

 

[dang71]

I find it quite interesting that dang has been relatively quiet of late and all of a sudden someone from the same Parish coincidentally rides in to back her up. But however unlikely it is theoretically possible, I suppose…

are you serious?

He expresses traditional views? The vast majority of Parishes have Priests who adopt fairly Liberal views on at least some issues.

most traditionalists seem to believe this, but i have traveled quite heavily (all across the world), and have not found this to be the case. in my experience, most people who are members of “liberal” parishes know they are rebellious and usually have a certain pride in that rebelliousness. but in my experience, the average parish does a pretty good job of being faithful to the magisterium.

But yes, now that you’ve finished your little critique of the Priest lets focus on the Homily. Does the Priest offer Confession fairly regularly? I ask because that is what a compassionate Priest does when people are/are likely to be in mortal sin. The Priest can not bodily force people to come into the Confessional and confess, so a compassionate Priest would use his Homilies to encourage people to go to Confession regularly.

and i have asked the question in several posts in this thread, why not invite these people to confession or private meeting rather than being so confrontational in his homilies? but he didn’t, and hasn’t. since you have brought up confession, i will tell you about the experiences of confession with this priest: he gives absolutely NO advice whatsoever, as soon as you are finished with your confession, he immediately gives you your penance and absolution and shuts the door. i usually go to confession about once a month, and he has NEVER given any advice or counseling or said anything at all. i am not ungrateful for the absolution, and always say thank you, but his gruff attitude is really not appropriate.

 

[dang71]

I am also a member of that parish. I am very familiar with this priest who is a good priest. He is canonically correct in all his teachings and is an excellent bible scholar. He is an excellent speaker and when he conducts bible study his classes are full.

However and there is a big “however”, unfortunately his attitude has gone sour and that has been conveyed within the last year in his homilies and in his interaction with the parishioners. He is a "Pastor” because he holds a position through his appointment made by the Arch Bishop. And this is where the “however” comes to play. He is NOT a pastor in the true sense of the word. He is not pastoral to the needs of his parishioners, at least not to the current majority of his parishioners. But eventually he will be as the current majority is NO parishioners. This dynamic is changing by his attitude and lack of compassion for the NO parishioners. They are leaving our parish in large numbers and eventually the majority may become the TLM. If this is the wish of the archdiocese then so be it, but that then should be conveyed to the parishioners to avoid undercurrents of discontent to parishioners who favor the ordinary rite of the liturgy (NO) versus the extra-ordinary rite of the liturgy (TLM).
But this is another area of discourse. Let us stick strictly with the recent homily and the presentation of that homily.

The issue is not just Pro-Life or Pro Choice with this Pastor, the real issue with this Pastor is his attitude and in his lack of compassion. He is correct in his statements of whether communion is or should be given to those people who support abortion. He is wrong in his presentation and lack of compassion for anyone outside the fullness of the church. That is the attitude of a Pharisee who put law above the person.
Did Our Lord say, “Get out of my way sinner, begone from my sight”. No. He said, “Come follow me, pray with me, talk with me, and sin no more”.

Those who are troubled in any area of true Catholic teaching may shy away from desired and needed counseling with a priest who has shown a lack of compassion. That is very unfortunate.

I encourage all of you to pray for this Pastor, this priest, to remain faithful to the true teachings of the church as he has been, but to also become compassionate and pastoral in his ministry to his flock. Lack of compassion can drive a wedge between a shepherd and his flock.

thanks for your support mariah anne.

i would like to reiterate that this parish is known across the diocese as a conservative parish, and has been for decades. the implication that people here are upset over the correction of liberal practices is completely false.