Given recent events in our Catholic Church it is not difficult to understand that many people within and outside of the Catholic faith have many questions to ask. I am quite sure that beyond these questions there are immense criticisms and various emotions that naturally arise when concerning events within the Church present themselves. I have recently posted a quotation from Archbishop Fulton Sheen who presents a very important statement. Sheen writes, "There are millions who hate what they perceive to be the Catholic faith". Sadly, a false perception of the Catholic faith is one too common among many people and most importantly among those who are indeed Baptized Catholics. I can not begin to speak of the many people I encounter that sadly lack the understanding of what it truly means to be Catholic and what the faith is all about. I do not claim to have an understanding beyond anyone else, or claim to have aided in writing the Catholic Catechism, but I do know that the basis of my Catholic faith is to love. I know enough to understand from the Scriptures that I am not to judge another without looking first at myself. And I know that the Blessed Eucharist unites each of us and fills me with immense strength, love, joy, and devotion. And I strongly feel that in the face of adversity, doubt, and unrest, it is important to reach more for the truth of our faith, and yearn to rid of any ignorance. Potentially the beginning of what I write here may appear in itself to be judgemental , and so if that is the case I ask that you please forgive me. Too often it seems that the moment something unsettling occurs within our Church the response is to run and flee, to denounce God, and religion all together. To me, the only thing unsettling in these circumstances is the reality that our faith is not firmly rooted. How easy to judge another. How sad to not take into account the frailty of our human condition and our thirst, hunger, and constant need for a loving and merciful Father in our lives. How quick we are to deny the importance of the Eternal Life and lose sight of reaching purification of our souls on the account of one who has fallen. We all fall, as Adam fell. We are forgiven through God's loving mercy, and we are called to rise in faith again. When our Priests fall we stand pointing fingers of judgement, opposed to closing our hands in prayer. These events are extremely disturbing, but these acts are not isolated events found only in the Catholic Church. Yes, Yes, Yes, I know that the most common response to this will be "But, as priest..he has a role to uphold as a leader of the Church and has made a vow to be holy", or something along those lines... I have heard them all and wish that I could truly redeem for those who come to me with questions everything that they need settled to return to the pew and to The Blessed Eucharist on Sunday. However, this is one that the Holy Spirit must assist with greatly! And, in taking into account the common response by those who find themselves with this issue, I think it is fair to say that if we each understand the importance of our roles within the Church, even as laity, we would come to understand that we too have made this vow to be "Holy". For those of you who are married and have been called to that vocation, it is truthfully a sacrament that is to be treated with the same reverence that we expect from our priests. Yet how often do we blindly enter this and act with little emotion to the numerous amounts of infidelities, lust plagued men and women, and a complete distortion of what marriage means. One needs to recognize that the brokenness and sin that we are often faced with in our Church is one that is and can only be healed in drawing nearer to Our Lord and our faith. We all sin, we all fall, we all need our Lord and Blessed Mother, all the Angels and Saints to help us. This may be difficult for many to understand, and potentially the wounds are far to deep at this time. However pray then first for your own healing from these wounds, for understanding, for a humility of heart, and for the truth of the Catholic Church, the truth of the faith that is love, joy, peace, and beauty to be redeemed. I have been blessed to know many wonderful priests and I pray that each of you are also given the chance to know this. Today I was very grateful to read the homily of Fr. Ray Suriani through which he shares a message about looking at the "Best" in our Catholic Church.(I will post a link to his homily at the end of this posting). I pray that what I have written is not received with animosity. May God have mercy on me and all of us as Sinners. I end this post with yet another poem that I have written about God making a way through all of the mess that we find ourselves in as a Catholic Church. (C.C.)
http://fatherrays.blogspot.ca/2012/05/saints-best-of-church-whose-lives-were.html - Fr. Ray's Homily
God Will Make A Way. By C.C.:
He will make a way
despite the evil that plagues
despite the pain within
He will make a way through all this sin.
He will bless His Shepards
to lead an honest flock,
He hears the cries of His Sheep
not one has He forgot.
And though times may be trying
It seems that all is lost
We must do our best to protect Her
despite the worldly cost.
One voice raised to the Heavens
simple words upon this page
the situation of our Catholic Church
has caused my righteous rage.
Yet still I believe He'll make a way
a way through all of this sin;
restoring Her to the Church He created,
but, with you and I it does begin.
