I'll tell you one thing I notice and that is how cold people have become. I called down to a large Opticians down town during the week. People were very, very polite and outwardly friendly but I sensed a deep, deep, drop coldness behind the facade. People here were never like this when I was young, I notice it now all over the place. Not everywhere, but very often.
I note that some members report that they have heard priests say that the Eucharist is 'just a symbol'. This has very serious implications (as I have mentioned on here before). As I understand it, a priest must have the intention to 'confect' (i.e. to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ) or no such change takes place. So, as far as I understand it, transubstantiation takes place only if the priest: 1. believes that he has the power to bring it about and 2. intends to use that power when consecrating the elements. I have tried to get an answer to this from various on-line sources without success but (I guess) that the priest expressing the view that the Eucharist is a symbol does not 'confect' the sacrament and that their 'masses' are invalid.
Also note how people drive like maniacs on the country roads and the amounts of expensive BMWs and other such cars. Also, the rise in random fights and shouting arguments. And where i work how inhuman, career driven and competitive some people have become. A real lack of warmth and love for ones neighbour.
Just wondering re your cousin - how long has he or she been in Reiki, he or she been initiated up to what level? I learned one thing years afterwards, that i broke 1st commandment - you have no other gods before me. Reiki is a hindu god. When i realised this mistake which i confessed it. Link which might help your cousin as i havent seen this link before.-https://www.simonarich.com/reiki/.
They guy I worked with on the night shift told me this morning that his daughter is making her First Holy Communion this morning. I asked him in which Church and he couldn't tell me. I expressed surprise at this and he told me he had rejected the Church because of the bad priests. I was sad at this but siad nothing; I will pray for him . Maybe give him a nudge or two in the future. But what I could have said that the rates of Paedophilia are actually lower than for other professions and if this occurring in Doctors would stop him from using his local surgery?
I was out back early last Sunday morning. One of my neighbour's windows was open and I heard her cursing down the phone, an endless stream of foul abuse that went on and on. A real rage. I suddenly realised she totally drunk. This was about 10am. It reminded me of what one French write wrote, 'Many people lead lives of quiet desperation'.
I hope he is attending his daughters First Communion? You might remind him that Peter denied Jesus three times and He built His church on him. Clearly, Jesus knew what would become of some of his priests. It didn't end there either, Peter was corrected by Paul after all. The church has always had it's share of sinners. If it didn't would we have a continual sacrifice of Christ? None of us, not one would be worthy and those that claimed to be would be the worst of us all. God bless that man, I hope he comes to his senses and reason prevails.
I think the sad thing about it is he is a very good hard working husband and father. Almost an ideal. Someone once said that we should listen less to what people say than to what they are not saying. I got the impression that he was very embarrassed in admitting he had fallen away from the Faith and was rushing to make excuses for himself. That he deeply knew he was in the wrong. This made me saddest of all. So close and yet so far.
Yesterday on my way to evening Mass I stopped at a store to pick up an item and I was treated really horribly by an employee there when I asked for her help. Her attitude toward me was just downright mean and dismissive and then intentionally belittling. I don't know why, I was polite and genuine in my greeting and plea. What came out of her mouth was more than someone simply having a bad day. I did the only thing I could and prayed for her at Mass. Maybe, your interaction could be the spark that pricks his conscious and brings him to his senses padraig. I hope so. It sounds like the Holy Spirit is prompting him.
She could have been dealing with some horrible stuff or she could be allied with dark stuff and her reaction was purely spiritual. It happens. Praying for her is the best possible solution. Good on you!!
The Abbott in the Monastery said to me one time said to me one time said right out of the blue and in connection with nothing, 'Be kind to people Padraig. Be very kind to people!' I wondered at the time why he said this to me but then had a think about it. He in his vocation had access to others thoughts, feelings and problems I did not have. He probably heard hem all the time. Knowing that he saw the other side of things, a side I never did. If I had known this I might be kinder...loads and loads kinder. More understanding. I take this in. But on other hand.... The Gospel has a hard Gospel edge we never, ever hear about. A sharp cutting kick ass edge which is ignored. Protestant Evangelist for the Netherlands told a great story. (Her father , sister, brother were murdered for sheltering Jews and she herself was locked up and got a bad time. Anyway Corrie used to travel the wolrd giving talks, but in her late 80's got tired and needed help so got a younger girl to hep her about. One day this lady flew into a rage at Corrie for not being more appreciative for using her as a kind of slave. Corrie briefly took this in, but then asked the angry women how long she had took this all in. When she replied, 'For years!!' Corrie replied that i was very,very wrong for her to have taken this so long. To have bottled this age so much. She should have taken issue with Corrie right away. That in many ways it was her own fault because she had not faced down the issue. The Church; the Gospel is not about being kind, really, or gentle It is not pacifist. It is kick ass. Sometimes to kind to be easy on people, sometimes a good kick on the ass , even to killing them is what works. You'll never hear that from any pulpit, but it's quite true. A good swift kick on the ass, really ,really , really as hard you ever can. The Bishops with the Paedo priests for instance I would have kicked their asses so hard they would have flown all the way to jail. The Gospel message teaches us to love. Not to be kind. Not to be gentle. Not in any way to be nice. we may use these as an expression of love, sometimes we may not. Sometimes love forces us to use another much, much, harder ways in dealing with people. Sometimes people need...well dealt with, if you see what I mean. With the weapons of Truth for instance.
I think a good example of a harder edge was in a scene from the film , 'The Quiet Man', with John Wayne who brought a few home truths to Squire Dannagher.
I think perhaps the great weapon and charity we can bring to people is the simple unfettered Truth. This may oftne knock them out or kill them stone dead on the spot, but there is no harm in a little ass kicking with the Truth sometimes., sometimes a really, really, really hard kick.
No, Padraig, that's the wrong music for the battle we're in now. Here's our marching song and our weapon:
Ok Padraig....I’ve been debating about someone I know needing a bit of “enlightenment”...wondering in what measure it should be.... Maybe you’re right...it’s 17 years late in coming so it might just warrant a tougher tongue!
Our Lady is our General in the War. Fair as the Moon, it is true, but... Terrible as an Army in Battle Array... ..sometimes we have to be a touch terrible.... ..sometimes severe ass kicking does no harm.. Padre Pio was a good example, sometimes he sent people running out of the confessional more nor less screamng. Sometimes a good scream is good for the soul. Song of Solomon 6:10 Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? We buy into the Fair as the Moon stuff these days. We run like crazy from the warlike stuff. Our loss. Our great, great loss. The Gospel doesn't mention the word , 'Nice', once. Love can be tough, very,very, very hard. Sometimes hard is just what it takes.
