You say this so well Padraig. Truth in every line. My parents were like yours. Rooted deep in the soil of faith. I had to go to the very edge of darkness to find my faith reborn. It is for me truly a pearl of great price. I nearly lost it. The mystical is very real to me. The Blessed Mother literally pulled me back from the abyss.
Yes he does. Last night I watched the movie Lourdes. St Bernadette in great distress told the mother superior she felt as if she were being milled. And the wise mother said "a seed must die in order to give birth to wheat" (I am paraphrasing. I can't remember exact words)
Thank you both…you’re own testimony gives me hope for my loved ones. I’m trusting in your remark that you, “had to go to the very edge of darkness to find my faith reborn.” will be the call in the days ahead to corral so many others back to God.
The Blessed Mother is the refuge of sinners and our advocate. She brought me back as well. I am a work in progress.
Well if you and AED were lost at one point, then you have both restored my faith today more than you could know. I hold you both in great esteem. Thank you!
Appreciate Padraig’s posting of Pope Benedict’s (as Cardinal Ratzinger) address in Regensburg. I want to go more deeply into his address. I also want to use part of my Lent to delve into one of his books. If anyone has a recommendation , please let me know. With that said, this sentence from his address jumped out at me….. what is he saying in this smaller Church (that really is here now) about the priesthood? I’ve often wondered…really worried…. What happens to the Mass and ability to receive the Holy Eucharist if there are fewer priests? It appears from this quote of the Holy Father, he has thought this through
I think inasmuch there are Faithful Catholics, there will be Faithful Catholic priests to serve, just as inasmuch as their are Faithful Catholic Priests there will be Faithful Catholics. The two go together. Just as you always get ham with eggs and eggs with ham. You can't have one without the other.
The Mystical Life reminds me of the descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant, where we are told that the Ark rested on Cherubim who held it aloft on their Wings. The Mystical Life is held aloft on the Wings of Great Paradox. Great Light alongside Great Darkness. Great Joy alongside intense suffering. The Deepest Peace alongside the most intense inner ferment. Deep Faith that finds its Foundation of constant death and rebirth of belief. St Paul sums much of this up in his address to the Greeks on the subject of the unknown God at Athens. Jesus Hnthians 1:23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
Jesus Himself was, of course, the Great Sign of Contradiction. We ourselves who walk in His steps will be something of the same. The word Mystical for the Christian means the exploration of the Mystery of Christ which involves us ,as St Paul informs us being raised from one degree of Glory unto the next into the image of Christ. Mystical involves Mystery. Too much certainty can be a bad thing. We can be nailing the Eagle down a little too much for it to take off and fly.
That could be the case but reflecting I have had a really tough two years emotionally with the decline and death of my Mum and also my Dad's decline - added to a farly stressful workload on top of covid lol. Think most of us are feeling a wee bit of burn out. Oh and I forgot to add I will soon be 59 so not getting any younger.
You have had a rough time for sure. Burn out sounds like the right diagnosis. Gotta say from where I am standing you are looking pretty young. LOL.
Right before I retired I too was just turning 60 and felt very old. But here I am many years later and 60 looks so YOUNG. Funny how that happens.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby is doing a series of interviews recently. His last was a lady who is a prominent Psychologist and a total Atheist. Anyway she told the story years ago that her father, who was a simple working man, lay dying and they got into a conversation about God. She explained to her dad that there was no God or life hereafter because everything was Determined like a Big Clock. That we had no Free Will and were all like cogs in a big machine that just kept ticking away. Her father fell silent for a while and then asked a question which stunned her, 'If this is so , then why do I keep wanting to do good?' She said she would have to get back to him...
I pray for it Beth. My own children and my husband walked away from the faith. It is a devastation to me but I live in hope. My mother I know spent many hours in prayer for me. God's timing was not her timing. I keep reminding myself. Dr Dan Schneider told Fr Heilman the best way to pray for your loved ones is "Jesus please let my son (daughter or husband or whoever) see himself as You see him. And please let me see him as You see him."
