David Ancell / Monday, June 30, 2003 / Comments(0)
This isn’t the first time that I’ve read about stuff like this at St. Joan of Arc parish. I cannot help but wonder why the bishop doesn’t just go ahead and close the parish or appoint an orthodox priest (and an army with him) to clean it up. The pastor who permits this stuff ought to be sent to a monastery to do penance before he damns himself.
Many would argue that this would cause a schism if the parish were closed. However, I have to wonder if it is more harmful to their souls to let these people pretend to be in communion with the Church. Just a thought.
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David Ancell / Monday, June 30, 2003 / Comments(0)
It appears that the rumor mill around the Church is running wild in Boston. The media is saying that Bishop Sean O’Malley may be named to take over the Archdiocese of Boston. This seems odd to me because he was appointed to Palm Beach not too long ago. I doubt that this story is true. I know he has done good work in cleaning up scandals, but does anyone know if he is orthodox? I’m asking because I have no idea.
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David Ancell / Sunday, June 29, 2003 / Comments(0)
I knoweth not whether to laugh or to cry. Take a look at this Call to Action “wisdom exchange”. The Baby Boomer generation of CTA members that was around for the Vatican II council calls itself the “Wisdom Generation.” Well, being in my late 20’s, I know I don’t want any part of their “wisdom.”
I think the young guy in the article has been brainwashed, if indeed he is a real, living person. It is difficult to imagine a sane person thinking like that. Oh, by the way, I found this from a site that I have frequented lately: Busted Halo
According to the Busted Halo page, the CTA retreat has their “official stamp of approval.”
We have a great associate pastor at my parish who describes CTA as “The dying gasps of liberalism in the Church.” I don’t see how anyone can take seriously an organization that de-emphasizes personal holinessin favor of “gender definitions” and getting the Church to “account for all its members.”
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David Ancell / Sunday, June 29, 2003 / Comments(0)
I just finished watching the video on Moses in Steve Ray’s Footprints of God series. I highly recommend this series. This video was the best one yet even though it does have a lot of dessert shots. As an added bonus, Steve Ray explains how the Old Testament signs prefigure the new covenant with Jesus Christ.
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David Ancell / Sunday, June 29, 2003 / Comments(0)
One area for catechesis in our modern world is that of modesty. My workplace has a “business casual” dress code, but I often see people dressed in clothing that is simply not modest. This is especially bad in the summer, when women dress in clothing that shows the neckline and often part of what is below it. Unfortunately, I see this a lot in church, too. Let’s not even talk about the shopping mall near my apartment. Robert Gotcher has a great post on modesty.
Although you can’t easily provide for sick minds everywhere, let’s not forget that if it is forseeable that one would commit a sin of lust based on your dress, then you will likely be held morally responsible for every sin of lust committed. If we dress in such a way that shows off our bodily features, then we shouldn’t be surprised that we attract people who value only our bodies. Although it’s pretty hot outside in Memphis, just remember that there is a much hotter place that you could be sending people to by your dress.
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David Ancell / Saturday, June 28, 2003 / Comments(0)
If you haven’t already, check out this post by Dennis Schenkel on why he wants to be a priest.
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David Ancell / Saturday, June 28, 2003 / Comments(0)
This weekend must be rather Eucharistic for me. It must be so because I love the Eucharist. I spent some time this morning in a local Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and I will be returning to that chapel tomorrow. Always and everywhere, the Eucharist should be adored.
When I was three years old, I was in church with some family members. It was the first time that I can remember being in church. I saw someone put something into my aunt’s mouth, and I thought “I want one of those.” As I grew older, I learned that it was no small thing that she had received. I spent years trying to get what she got that day. I was a little less than four months short of my sixteenth birthday when I finally did receive, about an hour after my baptism.
I have always loved to pray in Christ’s presence there. I have loved to receive the Eucharist at Mass. In fact, I have a hard time praying at home because I so much prefer to be in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
This is why I hate it when I read trash like this Catholic Update. We used to get the Catholic Update every month in my parish in Sikeston, Missouri. Thankfully, I see very few of these around Memphis. I really wish that something better had been given to the people.
The article in question, despite the publisher’s proud proclamation that it has an imprimatur that is the work of an extensive review, is full of heresy. It says, for starters, that in the early days of the Church the Eucharist was “the people gathering in community to express their praise and thanks to God.” He goes on to say that the ancient understanding of the Eucharist is an action of the people. In other words, it is not that which was formerly bread and wine that are now the Body and Blood of Christ, but the people. In the author’s views, the bread and wine are only used as a meal to celebrate our community.
By the way, this guy is a priest in the Diocese of Rochester. Perhaps Jeanetta can give him a good swift kick in the behind. It bothers me that someone with these views is allowed to remain in ministry.
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David Ancell / Saturday, June 28, 2003 / Comments(0)
I am continuing listening to the aforementioned tape set. While I was at the Pauline Book Store, our local Catholic bookstore, I ran across
The Holy Eucharist by Cardinal Arinze. I figured that it must be good if he wrote it, so I bought it. It looks like it is a good, simple introductory work.
Anyway, back to the CD set. Fr. Collins suggested that the memorial acclamation after the consecration “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again” is inappropriate. The reason for this is that Christ is present in our midst, so we shouldn’t speak of him in the third person. He also mentions that there was nothing in the original Latin that would translate in this manner.
Whether you agree with him or not, this CD-set is well worth buying. It has been a great help in understanding the papal encyclical.
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David Ancell / Saturday, June 28, 2003 / Comments(0)
My cousin who lives in my home town sent me this. It’s pretty cool.
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David Ancell / Friday, June 27, 2003 / Comments(0)
Tonight, I have begun listening to Sacrament Most Holy: The Urgent Message of Ecclesia de Eucharistia by Fr. Shannon Michael Collins, C.P.M. Fr. Collins says that this encyclical represents a tightening of discipline that has been occurring in recent years with recent papal statements. He hopes this encyclical will help restore reverence to our worship.
He is apparently more optimistic than I. While I am aware of the Holy Father’s teachings, I am not aware that any of these teachings are enforced. I’m afraid that this will end up getting ignored like most of what he has said. I wish it were not so.
I remember discussing with some other Catholics how the liturgical books have the force of law. Someone just responded “But they are not enforced.” Supposedly, they must not be that important since they are not enforced. While the Holy Father has put a lot of time and energy into teaching the faith, the fact that these teachings are not well proclaimed and the disciplines not enforced very well leads many to believe that they are not important. Sadly, many of us will not understand how important the teachings and disciplines really are until we stand before God in judgment.
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