Fr. Fleming wrote about new text included in the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses for the Dead which he found difficult and thus changed slightly. Then he said:
“That I consciously made a change in the text leads me to wonder what changes other priests are making and where that will lead us.”
This prompted one reader to respond, “I would hope that priests do have the ‘freedom; to change wording particularly in the example you just showed us in your funeral liturgy,” and then other priests who had issues with the new translations further piled on the discussion.
Fr. Fleming's original post here.
Conversion is an intersection of life when one has the epiphany that our own intellect and understanding is limited. We experience enough of life to know that God's ways are not our ways and the Holy Spirit is leading Christ's Church in the Deposit of Faith.
We come to the realization that all the excuses we made to contracept our own children, to have use the Divine gift of human sexuality outside of the Sacrament of Marriage was sinful. Simultaneously, we're enlightened that to want giddy in our Liturgies, to want to perform the Sacred act of Communicating the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ to the faithful, etc., are disordered desires. We have been pursuing chicken nuggets when all along Christ has been beckoning us to Abe and Louis.
We realize prancing around the Sanctuary to give consolation to the imagination that the Church disrespects women is limiting Christ's ability to lavish us with the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit for the hour we give Him to do it. We look over our lives and think about conversations we may have had in our past that inspired agitation and conflict, emotions that created obstacles to reaching these epiphanies and we are aghast at the damage we may have contributed to souls and Christ.
It all comes together: God does not give what is holy to the dogs. So many years wasted being a dog. Lying with the dogs and getting up with the fleas. Using my dog whistle to call other people to the dogs. Thinking I was outsmarting the Holy See and having quality of life.
Stupid is as stupid does.
When I see a priest who inspires his flock to rebel against teachings, wisdom of the Church so that he can be a hero to those who need a priest to give them excuses, I am appalled.
I am appalled that he misuses his vocation to lead his flock into misunderstanding and rebellion so he can relish in the adoration it brings from those he is misleading. I am appalled his bishop is too busy creating puff pieces about himself to spiritually father and mentor his priests so that the flock is fed the sweet grapes of the Vine. I am appalled because they are starving to death.
Mostly, I am shocked by his lack of faith.
How is it a man can hand himself over to Christ, to literally be the conduit through which Christ's Divinity, Body and Blood passes, and yet be so deaf, dumb and blind?
My God, what a tragedy.
3 comments:
"When I see a priest who inspires his flock to rebel against teachings, wisdom of the Church so that he can be a hero to those who need a priest to give them excuses, I am appalled."
Carol, this is the paradox dissenting priests set themselves up for - yet they have no clue (the majority of the time, it seems) they are doing it.
In other words, they will reject the very authority that ordained them to their particular smaller authority they have been given by the Church - which is first and foremost supposed to be sanctifying souls and lead them to heaven!
Dear Lord, why in the world would such priests expect their parishioners (especially those who volunteer for them - or those few who are paid by the parish and/or school) to be obedient to *them* (and their *particular rules*) when they themselves are disobedient to Holy Mother Church?
Is this not why Our Blessed Lord gave so much grief to the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees? (see Mt. 23:1-10 and following)
He told his followers *not* to follow the *example* of those scribes and Pharisees (i.e. dissenters) - even though they had the proper God-given authority (Moses' seat, see verse 2). Yet, He *expected* His disciples to be obedient to them!
Was not our Lord obedient - even to the point of death on a cross? (see Phil 2:8)
Does He not ask us to do the same? (see 1 Sam 15:22)
We are supposed to follow Our Lord, are we not? (see Mt 4:19)
To follow Him is to follow the authority of the Church (see CCC 1814).
How hard is that?
Catechist Kev
Beautifully said Kevin.
"Dear Lord, why in the world would such priests expect their parishioners (especially those who volunteer for them - or those few who are paid by the parish and/or school) to be obedient to *them* (and their *particular rules*) when they themselves are disobedient to Holy Mother Church?"
My intellect is analytical. When I realized how many years I adored these priests myself while in reality they were duping me to receive my adoration, I tried to analyze what the heck was going on. What are these priests actually after? What's their gig?
They don't want obedience. They don't practice it themselves. They are not looking to form their parishioners in the practice of obedience on any level, except to their own intellect, inordinate desires, libidos and emotions. Whether that means their limited intelligence brings them to misunderstand and reject the Deposit of Faith and truth - so be it.
Listen God, your servant is speaking.
Oh wait...
Great piece, Carol. "Like priests, like people".
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