Sometimes I think my guardian angel or patron saint are so close to me, I can feel their warmth on my cheek.


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I think I just offended 15000 Jesuits

I don't trust a priest who doesn't wear clerics while acting in an official capacity, introduces himself by first name, doesn't make the sign of the cross in prayer, views his orders role as one to challenge and help the Church grow and change, and talks about centering meditation.

Maybe trust isn't the right word. Rather, I am cautious since the priest might have dissenting views.

Ever accidentally and unintentionally insulted an entire religious order? I did today, or so I was told I did. I met with a Jesuit priest to explore spiritual direction. I drove 50 miles one way for this discussion so please understand I took this seriously and had no ulterior motives.

My first paragraph highlighted my initial impressions in the meeting. We discussed my present state of spiritual growth and history. But then it was my turn to ask the priest questions. I asked him only one question based on my observations. I asked to give him the benefit of the doubt.

There are lots of whispers about Jesuits being the loyal opposition of the Church, at least that's the generalization. My goal wasn't to generalize the Jesuits when asking the priest my question, but rather see where his orthodoxy was. I felt this was fair.

My question to him was received as an insult to his priesthood, his tenure and his order. I apologized profusely. Again, not my goal. Nothing is going to challenge my respect of his identity. But one thing stood out. He said there are diocesan priests who dissent (this is true) and in the Jesuit order that is 15000 strong, there runs the gambit of conservative and liberal viewpoints regarding the church and society.

First problem I have with that is the acceptance of con vs lib thought. There is no conservative or liberal in the Church. There is only He who is Truth (john 14:6) Perhaps some ones spiritual development is lacking if they see through a specific lens or maybe it's human nature to label everything. Ultimately, if we are not perfectly conformed to Christ, we do not possess the fullness of truth within ourselves. But that's all of us anyway.

I do however categorically reject tolerance of dissent of sound, and settled doctrine. Either you obey our Lord or you're in a state of error and in need of fraternal correction.

The priest said that even though a diocesan priest might be a dissenter, it's his duty to stay silent on his disagreements. I don't think I agree with this either. Even though a priest may be silent of his dissent, he is still influenced by his error. If a person speaks with truth, it is reflected in all of their ministry. If a person ministries with error in mind, the error affects his ministry. After all, those who publicly dissent where once silent. I think it might be more prudent to discover why you dissent and practice greater obedience from a place of love than to simply stay silent.

It's as if this priest felt a priests job was solely administration of the sacraments. Not to dismiss anything, celebration of the sacraments is the most important thing ever. However, a priests life is more than mass a few times a day, confession, marriage and funerals. They lead flocks, they advise, nurture, they are mirrors for the Fathers providence through The Son (John 14:11) and other times they act as the son himself. They foster communities, inspire and lead good works, battle hunger and the sufferings of the poor. They also call others to take up special crosses of sacrifice and become priests themselves.

Of course errors in ones adherence to doctrine will affect your life and the lives of others - without speaking a word of it! Remember, wisdom comes after obedience.

I felt compelled to share this story and my thoughts as they're important for Christian unity. You'll also notice there are no names or locations. Why? Genesis 9:20-27.


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I felt like Peter, you'll never wash my feet.

You might have seen the quick blurb I posted regarding matching socks. Some folks caught the humor and I'm glad for that. Truth is, I was invited to have my feet washed on Holy Thursday.

My first reaction was trepidation... Who am I? I am unworthy... I conferred with my superiors and discovered there could be a good lesson of humility in the washing. As always, they where right but I wonder even if they knew how right they where.
My fear was of lowering myself enough to be served! This I knew from the start, thanks be to God for the insight.

See, I'm a habitual gift denier. Holidays and my birthday are always odd because I never know what I want if anything which makes those days particularly hard on mom (I'm sorry momma, my love is with you). But in my heart, it's my strange practice of humility but what I didn't realize until my feet where washed is that my humility is an imperfect thing.

The way to deeper humility, through grace, is to allow yourself to be lowered enough to be served. Another descriptor of this is to lower yourself to allow others to lift you up for Gods glory. Pride is wounded here and it hurts but when that branch of pride on the vine of the soul is removed, one of love grows in it's place that gives you more graces to more fully serve others.

But these things I discovered from the start of my foot washing. Through obedience I learned a greater insight.

On the way of humility in Christ, at some point a soul will realize their their humility is imperfect and not good enough. At this stage, the soul must give their own work in humility over to Jesus Christ and let Him perfect your humility too. Let Him accomplish this in you.

My love to you all in Christ,
Adam


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Every Prayer

I'll have life in me soon. In baptism I died and Saturday night the life of Jesus Christ will dwell in me. Just as we will one day follow Our Lord into the tomb and He shall raise us. I pray for all of our sake that He will say we faithfully clothed, fed and washed His feet through all of our brothers and sisters.

I have been praying lately for Jesus to replace my heart and mind with His own. I am weak and I fail. I feel the connection between my Lord and I strained and His grace pulled back when I fail and I hate it. I hate that I let Him and myself down. I understand a little better what it means to choose Jesus anew every moment.

But still I faultier, as we humans do. I do not want the inclination to sin but it persists. So, my prayer, to have my heart and mind be that of Christ's, is one I repeat often. In my own foolishness I try to expect how a prayer might be answered. Hardly ever is a prayer answered based on what we want, but what we need. I'm sorry to report, what we think we need is really what we want. But every so often, my spiritual eyeballs are washed out with divine bleach and I can see His will for me.

Jesus desires that my heart, mind and will be conformed to His own, in love. And in some way like Tobit, my blindness was peeled away. The beginning of the transformation of my heart mind and begins with Confirmation and faithful reception of His Body, Blood and Divinity. The core element of the Eucharist is some type of mystical transformation. We are what we eat, or in this case, celebrate.

It would seem that every prayer is answered in His Holy Sacrifice, in the Eucharist.


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CNN, You Can Do Better!

I posted a comment on an opinion article over @CNN. The article is titled, "Francis, open up the church." The perspective comes from a closet liberal Catholic trying to bridge the gap between orthodox teachings of the Church and hyper-liberal ideology from secular culture. Note: the gulf between us was not forged by Mother Church  rather by people thinking they know better or somehow others should bend to suit them. This is called PRIDE.

You can read the CNN article here.

My response to Mr. Thompson, executive directory of the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University can be read below.

Dear Mr. Thompson,


There is NOTHING authentically Catholic about anything Mr. Thompson said.

1."For example, 90% of Catholics are using contraception and 82%" WRONG, these are figures from people who identify as Catholic Christians but practice none of the tenants of the faith! They are fallen away! They call themselves Catholic as a part of their cultural identity or maybe they're too afraid to admit to themselves they aren't really acting as a Christian should. Recommit this poll to actual practicing Catholics and numbers will be more accurate.

2. Sex abuse? You're bringing this up again? Do you feel it adds credibility to your opinion? A child is more likely to be abuse by their parents, boy scout leaders or a neighbor than by a priest. Here's facts about that: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/07/mean-men.html

3. Women Deacons? So you're playing the sly interloper between conservative and liberal Catholics? We aren't fools, Mr. Thompson. You should whole heatedly be aware, as you're Catholic, that the deaconate is a part of the priesthood. Jesus Christ himself instituted the priesthood, this is divine providence and NOT subject to change. Ever. This does not mean women are not valued for their feminine genius, on the contrary Pope JPII wrote at length about the feminine in Theology of The Body.


4. Vatican Bank? So you're saying a SOVEREIGN NATION shouldn't be allow to manage their own finances?

Mr. Thompson, The Church demands better from some one honoring the Aquinas tradition.

@CNN: you can do better than this.

Public Service Announcement

This image was a vision of The Lord to St. Faustina. The image of Divine Mercy.

Jesus said this:

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory.

Lord, teach us what you desire.

My Baptismal Meditation

There is a neat Christian metal band called Illuminandi. They're from Poland. While I'm not sure if they're Catholic, they sure sound like it. Anyway, they released a new album called In Via. There's a particular track I've been listening to closely called The Promise.

It's not a secret that my conditional baptism is scheduled for Monday evening. So, The Lord has called me to prayer and I found myself pouring over the lyrics to The Promise. They neat thing? They're all from Isaiah. So I've been praying on Gods word and chewing the fat so to speak.

Soon, the angels will be my brothers, the saints my aunts and uncles, the Holy Spirit enthroned in my soul, Our Lady my mother, Christ my Lord, brother and friend. God my true father.


It was a little hard to transcribe metal singing in a polish accent but the lyrics are below.

This is truly my my Fathers promise to me in my baptism.


Forget the former things, stop living the past. Im doing a new thing, now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I'm making a way in the desert and a stream in the waste land. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known. I will turn the darkness Into light before them and along the roads I will guide them.

I formed you in the womb, I've carried you since birth. And even to your old age, I will sustain you, I will not forsake you.

I took you from the ends of the earth. From its farthest corners i have called you. I have chosen you and not rejected you. I will pour my spirit on my children. A blessing will be on you. Do not fear for I am with you.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?client=mv-google&v=xp4wowcFRj8&rdm=mhgf7w5wd

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