The Good Shepherd
I'm glad I went to mass at 10am today instead of 6pm. Father Steve was the celebrant and I was amazed at how he simply put in perspective what my family has been discussing for a month now.
He opened his homily by mentioning the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI today. He said that we ought to reflect on how this affects us as Catholics and ultimately the world. Since the death of John Paul II and the speculations started on who the next pope will be, issues such as same sex marriages, women priests, and abortion have again taken center stage. The same time that these were being discussed, the name of Cardinal Ratzinger has come up as the frontrunner in the list of could-be pope. The cardinal has been known to be a hardliner when it came to doctrines, and rightly so since he was the "keeper" of the doctrines. He made sure that there was only one interpretation of these and that this was followed. But in the past month, the word "conservative" and the cardinal's name have come up in the same sentence more than a hundred times on TV and newspapers. According to Father Steve as a bishop it is his duty to conserve the faith. Father Steve quoted a line from a letter of Paul to the Corinthians: "I am passing on to you what has been passed on to me.." We can never select what doctrine or teaching we want to follow. We cannot take one part and then alter another to serve our own purpose, our own ego. There can never be a half truth when it comes to our faith. The truth is never based on what is popular or on statistics.
We live in a world where the ego or "I" is more important. How can one justify abortion? Is it right because "I" am not ready for a baby? Why should society legalize ways to "correct" these mistakes when in the first place "I" should have been able to understand the consequences of what "I" am doing with my life? There are alternatives such as adoption. Maybe this isn't acceptble because "I" again do not want to be burdened for 9 months. "I" don't want to face other people because "I" am embarrassed. Always the easy way out. The world has been accustomed to instant gratification and we are now seeing and feeling the evils of it.
Interesting and very clear views:
Why Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is the new pope
Dictatorship of relativism
He opened his homily by mentioning the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI today. He said that we ought to reflect on how this affects us as Catholics and ultimately the world. Since the death of John Paul II and the speculations started on who the next pope will be, issues such as same sex marriages, women priests, and abortion have again taken center stage. The same time that these were being discussed, the name of Cardinal Ratzinger has come up as the frontrunner in the list of could-be pope. The cardinal has been known to be a hardliner when it came to doctrines, and rightly so since he was the "keeper" of the doctrines. He made sure that there was only one interpretation of these and that this was followed. But in the past month, the word "conservative" and the cardinal's name have come up in the same sentence more than a hundred times on TV and newspapers. According to Father Steve as a bishop it is his duty to conserve the faith. Father Steve quoted a line from a letter of Paul to the Corinthians: "I am passing on to you what has been passed on to me.." We can never select what doctrine or teaching we want to follow. We cannot take one part and then alter another to serve our own purpose, our own ego. There can never be a half truth when it comes to our faith. The truth is never based on what is popular or on statistics.
We live in a world where the ego or "I" is more important. How can one justify abortion? Is it right because "I" am not ready for a baby? Why should society legalize ways to "correct" these mistakes when in the first place "I" should have been able to understand the consequences of what "I" am doing with my life? There are alternatives such as adoption. Maybe this isn't acceptble because "I" again do not want to be burdened for 9 months. "I" don't want to face other people because "I" am embarrassed. Always the easy way out. The world has been accustomed to instant gratification and we are now seeing and feeling the evils of it.
Interesting and very clear views:
Why Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is the new pope
Dictatorship of relativism
posted by mela at 11:52 PM
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