The Terri Schiavo Case: A Priest Responds to a Doctor's Critique

St. Gertrude the Great Bulletin ^ | May 5, 2005 | Rev. Anthony Cekada

[AnthonyCekada]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1393366/posts

[okokie]

I think you are confused-

[Aliska]

Oh. OK, if you say so.

I don't know the difference between allocution to a conference, acta . . ., Vatican diplomatic policy. No wonder it gets so confusing.

My only mistake was in asking the question. I honestly didn't know. How can that be a mistake. Maybe someone can simplify your explanation. Perhaps best to let it be for now. I've got quo primum running through my head now and don't want a flame war.

[Aliska]

I think you are confused-

Yes, I am confused. Who wouldn't be if they didn't grow up with this stuff. I'll bet many a catholic is almost as confused as I am, not because they have a low IQ but because it is truly confusing.

[okokie]

You won't be confused if you:
Develop a deeper prayer life and follow to the teachings of the Holy Father...

I find the Catholics that are confused DON'T do that...

[Aliska]

What constitutes a deeper prayer life? Frequency? Sincerity? Concentration? Going into nearly a trancelike state? Saying 15 decades of the rosary every day instead of 5? Five times a day facing east or sometimes whichever direction is most convenient? Lately my prayer life has dried up but that doesn't mean I'm not open to what the church says.

I follow the teachings of the Holy Father that I understand. Usually they resonate if they filter down to me. I certainly don't hear much about them in church though (did not mean that to be snide which I can be sometimes). I read them somewhere or hear them on the news. That's where I heard he was against cloning, surrogate parenting, not buying Satanic Verses, a few other things. I have learned quite a bit here if I can wade through the disputes and flame wars between the traditionalists and novus order catholics.

[TAdams8591]

GREAT refutation.

[okokie]

What constitutes a deeper prayer life? Frequency? Sincerity? Concentration? Going into nearly a trancelike state? Saying 15 decades of the rosary every day instead of 5? Five times a day facing east or sometimes whichever direction is most convenient? Lately my prayer life has dried up but that doesn't mean I'm not open to what the church says.

Your prayer life drying up can mean IT IS ALREADY DEEPENING.. read St Theresa of Avila or John of the Cross they are DOCTORS OF OUR CHURCH ON PRAYER...fortunately my diocese has a great Bishop and Holy priests so we have good homilies...I never rely on the secular press for my news.. is there a third order in your area that you can join? HANG IN THERE SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE "IN THE DESERT" in your spiritual life..

[Aliska]

I started to read her book with enthusiasm and hoping to learn her way of contemplation (isn't that funny can't remember the title, I think it has interior mansion in it?) and she said that God didn't generally commune with depressed people. I have serious bouts of depression, so I decided that was not the way to go in my case and never looked at the book again.

When I go through dry periods, I just talk to God. Very frankly. I tell Him things I wouldn't tell almost anyone. As if He doesn't already know. I just talk to Him silently. Somebody will find fault with that, but that is their problem.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I don't care to join any order. I'm a sacraments only catholic right now and contemplate scripture.

I've started to heal a little by exercising my conscience and not worrying so much what people think. I refused to kiss the cross on Good Friday, didn't make any scene or anything, and the priest brought over a crucifix and I shook my head no. Later I happened to get that priest for confession and explained my reasons. He didn't get on my case about it. Some priests probably would have.

[annalex]

Thank you.

[AAABEST]

Feeding tubes are no longer an extraordinary means of preserving life. This is not 1958.

Thank you, sinkspur

Yeah really. A feeding tube is not any type of complex technology that acts as life support. It's just a simple vehicle by which nutrition can be delivered.

Maybe this "father" believes spoons are extraordinary when certain people aren't able to lift one to their mouths.

[AAABEST]

Would you mind not insulting the intelligence and spirituality of others by referring to yourself as "Reverend", unless of course you've joined Jesse Jackson's church or one like it.

A "Reverend" in the Catholic Church has a Pope and a Church. You by your own choice choose to have neither. The contend of this post is the end result of what happens when we attempt to make it up as we go.

I'm not trying to dis you sir, but you are by no means a Catholic Reverend and thereby are perpetrating a fraud by calling yourself one.

[AAABEST]

Aliska,

Prayer is not always as simple as some people make it sound. There are different levels and different types of praying... ranging from the simple prayers we learn in our catechism to being in a state of ecstacy with God and engaging in no internal dialogue at all, or not asking for anything in particular.

Besides our common prayers - such as the Rosary and our Father - many people pray in very different ways. Some people cry at night in wonder of the beautiful earth that the Father created or in thanks of the spritual or temporal blessings he's bestowed upon them. Some don't pray often for themselves, but only that his will be done. I've heard some pray for help finding their care keys. I sometimes get this intense, almost painful sensation in the front of my head in certain very unique situations. That for me is "praying" although not in a conventional sense.

Something so profound as communing with the Triune God can be hard explain, or even inexplicable.

You can talk to God however you like, especially if you love Him dearly. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything different.

As an aside, I don't believe there is any canon, doctrine or dogma on kissing the cross on Good Friday. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[8mmMauser]

A sede vacantist is one who believes the seat of St. Peter, i.e. the Pope, is vacant. They believe the Popes of recent times are not valid Popes, hence the seat is vacant.

You will find a few, not many, in France, but most traditionals fall under the umbrella of SSPX. SSPX is NOT sede vacantist. They still believe the Pope exists.


8mm

[Aliska]

I hope I'll get back on track before my life is over. I've lost much of what you talk about, something went wrong years before I converted, and then things got worse, serious illness, daughter in terrible accident, terrible murder a guy my daughter was involved with killed his wife and little boy. Lost one of my grandchildren to adoption, daughter declared unfit, and they poisoned him against her who does have drug and drinking problems. I think that is the biggest thing that eats away at me now, someone is missing, and I couldn't take on any more children after I practically raised my granddaughter. My family growing up was not at all like that and it knocked me for a loop. Somebody in the family would have helped in a case like that. Sin, serious abuse, family things, I have a form of post traumatic stress disorder. I don't "feel" faith like I used to. It used to be very strong, almost no matter what for many years. That doesn't mean it is gone necessarily.

It's all I can do to just hang on, but when I'm in mass, I really try to concentrate and think about the prayers and scripture. Fortunately both priests give pretty decent homilies which helps, too. If I can drag myself to take a bath and get myself there. And spend too much time sometimes "talking" about religion rather than "doing" something about my faith. I think if there was a human I was more spiritually close to it might be a little different.

I don't want people to get to know me at church because I don't know any church-going catholics who would have a clue what my life has been like.

I wish I could get back that sense of wonder and simple trust I used to have, even when bad things happened from the time I was young. Good things have happened, too.

Sometimes it's just about enduring and grabbing whatever simple pleasures one can. I know what got me away from my last attempt at regular prayer. I got this nice old lithograph of the Holy Face on ebay and took a picture of it with my digital camera so I could put it in a smaller frame. I found this neat eastern oil vigil lamp and filled it with extra virgin olive oil. Three times now I have knocked it over and it makes a terrible mess. So I gave up on that for now. Maybe I'll go back to a candle. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to be saying those prayers. I don't know.

Then I decided I didn't like my pictures of the sacred heart and immaculate heart I had on the mantle and got some new ones and gave the old ones away. Once I got them in some really pretty frames, I didn't like them. The faces don't have any glow about them. I know Jesus probably had olive skin, but I put those pictures away for now. They are beautiful but maybe it is the lighting. Everything is put away except my picture of St. Germaine.

Then I got an unsolicited mail with a rosary in it. Usually I throw all that stuff away because they sell your address or trade them, but I couldn't throw that rosary away. So I'll put it with all my rosary stuff. My granddaughter opened it and the cross was missing. She is an unbeliever but was going to give it to somebody.

I made some rosaries several years ago with beautiful, unique glass beads. I gave the most beautiful one away. It looked like something you would see in a museum. I also made a couple hundred or more of those cord rosaries and gave them to priests for missions.

Now I don't even want to pray it. But I'm starting to feel a little more positive about things.

A local priest is on trial right now and that is a downer. I'll be glad when most of that is over.

I have trouble with my relationship with God. All the atheism on the net and changes in society have made me kind of lose my bearings as well as getting older. I thought I would be further along the spiritual road by now. God has blessed me abundantly with "things", but the things I wanted the most that can't be bought with money except a nice house. That is a real disappointment in my life that I don't have a nice home even though I'm thankful for what I have. I'm not talking about a $300,000 home.

For days I've been meaning to write a protest letter to the city because they assessed my house too high. I kept putting it off and now it is too late. I'm afraid if I protest, they will want to come through it and find something wrong and cite me in retaliation, and things are in terrible disorder because I am changing some furniture around, so I'll just pay the higher taxes. To make it updated and nice like most people have would cost me the amount they assessed me. It needs almost everything fixed.

That's enough of that for now. I just live from day to day and work on my photography to get my mind off things. It helps to clear my mind to write things down.

I think about heaven and want all my family back, including the grandchild I lost, and I don't know how God can do that under the circumstances. Then life on this earth would be easier to bear.

[Gerard.P]

"28 Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. 29 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. 30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light."

As my priest has told me in the confessional, "Jesus is the best friend you will ever have. He has suffered more than anyone ever did. And he knows exactly how you feel. Trust in Him and forget everything else and He will pull you through."

Pray for light. Nothing more. Your cross has your name on it and it is fitted for you. If you trust in Him he will help you carry it.

[murphE]

And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them. And they shall be his people; and God himself with them shall be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true.
Apocalypse 21:3-5

Prayers will be said for you.

[nickcarraway]

Hey, don't argue with him, he's on your side!

[jonrick46]

So Father Cekada did not believe in the papacy of John Paul II. I wonder if Father Cekada is a Communist?

[dsc]

"Pray for light. Nothing more."

What does that mean?

[AAABEST]

You've had to endure a great deal of suffering and have carried a heavy cross Aliska. You will be in mine and other's prayers. If you are rightfully submitted to our Lord, He will undoubtedly answer our prayers for you. Not because we're mystics or soothsayers, but simply because He promised us this to us:

Have the faith of God. Amen I say to you that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but be believe that whatsoever he saith shall be done; it shall be done unto him. Therefore I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive: and they shall come unto you.