Posted on 08/31/2012 6:39:09 AM PDT by NYer
St. Petersburg, Fla. — Regular 12:10 Mass-goers at Our Lady of Grace parish church were greeted by a bigger crowd and a different kind of security than they’re used to. The morning after accepting the nomination of the Republican party, Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan joined fellow Catholics at Mass.
Sitting with his wife, mom, and other members of his family, Ryan appeared at home in the front row in front of the tabernacle, seeming to hold his wife, Janna, a little closer, and dig into the pew a little deeper with every word of the responsorial psalm. “Jesus urges us to realize that the life God gives us is finite and fragile,” the church’s pastor, Father Damian Amantia, said in his homily, preaching on the gospel of the day, as he would in front of any 12:10 congregation. “May God help us to understand the preciousness of the time he has given us,” so that we may live lives of “love, generosity, and reconciliation,” “compassion and peace,” he prayed.
The Mass, along with the prayers of people across the country, are “renewing and sustaining,” Ryan said in the church basement after Mass. “Really sustaining,” he repeated, as if preparing himself to go forth with this sacramental sustenance.
Representative Ryan said that he and Mitt Romney talk daily and the Republican nominee for president sometimes encourages him to ask Catholics to pray for them. Ryan relayed that he assures Romney that “oh we’ve got whole rosaries” being prayed across the country by Catholics.
He expressed his gratitude for “the social Magisterium of the Catholic Church,” Catholic social teaching, which “gives us the ability to exercise prudential judgment in a meaningful way,” by laying out principles, mentioning that that is part of a monthly dinner with other Catholics in Congress to discuss Catholic Social Teaching and how it is relevant to the public-policy challenges we face.
Ryan expressed gratitude, too, for living at “a great moment” when we can “openly talk about our faith and what we believe.”
“We’ve got challenges from our government today,” he added, using the religious-freedom fight to underscore the responsibility of the laity in civic life to Catholic social teaching. “Of all the times we need to be cognizant of the social Magisterium the time is now,” Ryan told a group of 100 or so Catholics in town for the convention in a gathering organized by former congressman New Jersey Mike Ferguson and his wife, Maureen.
“While we all don’t always agree on the means, we agree on the ends,”he said, again expressing his gratitude for having guideposts for moral discernment in public policy, in a brotherly reflection on some of the criticisms Ryan’s budget has sustained from some Catholics, most notably women religious who took a bus ride as activists against the plan.
The congressman appeared to receive the message of the first reading, which coincidentally seemed to be addressed to him: “Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God . . . called to be holy . . .” sharing his prayer that he might be a “good spokesperson” for that which he believes.
Ping!
Ryan is such a great person. I am so glad to be able to vote for him. Romney is dang lucky he picked him so I can vote for this ticket. Had he not picked Ryan, I don’t know if I could have voted for the liberal twin of Obama.
My feeling of hope for the future of our nation has been building over the last few days and weeks. This item reinforces that growing optimism in a big way.
"social Magisterium"?
I agree...and I am more and more aware of how much people are really praying.
Something else: Although there are some Catholics who are finally learning what the social teaching of the Church REALLY is.... a great deal of education about this still needs to take place. ;-)
He is talking about two Catholic principles that few people recognize. The Pope wrote about them in an encyclical, but no one picked up on it.
They are subsidiarity and solidarity. Subsidiarity means going to the lowest form of government — even the church — or local government — to have a problem scrutinized.
Solidarity connotes common sense approach to everything. There is more on these two principles in some of the links below.
Paul Ryan urges Catholics to act before religious freedoms erode
Dolan: Ryan Is a ‘Great Public Servant’ (great insight into Ryan's views)
Paul Ryan’s Bishop Defends Him Amid Attacks on His Application of Church Teaching
Paul Ryan, Catholic Who Looks to Church's Social Teaching, Tapped as Romney Running Mate
The other Ryan: the candidate’s wife, Janna
Paul Ryan, Joe Biden, and Liberal False Equivalence
Ryan as VP Pick Continues Election Year Focus on Catholicism
Paul Ryan Faces Left-Wing Religious Attack
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Holiness (Paul Ryan)
Paul Ryan: Midwesterner, Catholic, intellectual
Thanks!
Look for a six week novena for the election to be posted, I believe by Mad Dawg.
The Vice President is only a heartbeat away from the presidency. How ironic that in this year’s presidential election, both VP candidates are catholics. I don’t think there is any doubt in our minds as to which of those candidates we would prefer as president, should the sitting president be unable to continue in that capacity. I am doubly struck by the choices each presidential candidate has made. Romney has chosen an intelligent and savvy man, one generation younger than himself. Obama has chosen an aging dolt in order to keep the spotlight on himself. The thought of Biden possibly sitting in the Oval Office sends shivers down my spine.
I will most DEFINITELY look for it! Thanks...
;-)
The thought of Biden possibly sitting in the Oval Office sends shivers down my spine.
________________________________
Understatement. :-(
I’ll start plugging it tomorrow. If we start 9/13 the 54th day is the day before election day. I’ve got some lay Dominicans on it and I know some Benedictine oblates and some lay Carmelites are in there too. A lot of people had the same idea.
Benedictines? Good! In central MN most of the Benedictans are stalwart Democrats, and are up in age. Of course, there are some common sense Benedictines here, but they are the minority.
It’s a shame because they are no longer getting vocations. Central MN vocations are going to more traditional religious orders or to diocesan seminaries.
I’m mostly talking about lay Benedictines and Carmelites. Rumor has it that the “central province”of Dominicans is pretty “spirit of VatII” infected as well. Even in the Eastern Province we have our older pinkos.
But the tide is turning.
Please make sure I get a Ping, My FRiend!
Keep me posted and count me in. :-)
ROE,
Lay Carmelite
Will you please ping me for this too? Thank you!
A ping here as well. Thank you.
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