More on your man Levada. Do you use this prayer?
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http://www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org/e_let_1_14_05.htm
January 13, 2005
New Age Prayer Altered on Archdiocese's Website
When orthodox Catholics begin work together they can make things
happen. On January 13 I received three alerts from different Catholic
groups about a scandalous prayer on Archbishop William Levada's San
Francisco website. Called Blessing Our Oneness, the prayer evoked the
"spirits" of the north, south, east, and west as well as the spirit of
mother earth. (Read the original prayer below.)
It was about 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time and I immediately wrote and faxed
a letter to the Archbishop from the Catholic Media Coalition (CMC)
asking that it be removed from the site as a scandal and sin against
the first commandment. I then sent an alert to the members of CMC to
join in the opposition.
One of our members who accessed the archdiocese's site about five
hours after my original post found that the "prayer" had been altered.
(Read the revised prayer below.) In view of the original context, it
is now unclear to whom the prayer is addressed, but the explicit
reference to pagan spirits have been removed.
I am faxing another letter to the bishop requesting that, in view of
the obviously pagan orientation of the original prayer, it is
necessary to make it completely clear that the prayer is addressed to
the one true God. This can be done easily by adding two words at the
beginning - Heavenly Father or Lord Jesus. On the other hand, in view
of the original context of this "prayer," it may be more prudent to
delete it altogether. How pleased can the Lord be with a prayer that
was originally written to false gods?
Please pray for the bishops of the United States and for the lay
faithful that we will become allies in defending the faith from the
assault of new age "Catholic" feminists and dissenters, many of whom
have influential jobs in diocesan chanceries.
Mary Ann Kreitzer
Les Femmes
www.lesfemmes-thetruth.org
"The first law of history is not to dare to utter falsehood; the
second, not to fear to speak the truth."
Pope Leo XIII
ORIGINAL PRAYER:
We greet you Spirit of the North.
Teach us to plant our feet securely on the earth and to see things as
they really are, that the coming of your Spirit may find us standing
firm in integrity. Teach us, Spirit of the North, in the solitude of
winter, to wait in darkness with the sleeping earth, believing that
we, like the earth, already hold within ourselves the seeds of new
life.
ALL: May the deep peace of mercy be on us forgiving us, beckoning us,
encouraging us; and may our readiness to forgive calm the fears.
We greet you, O Spirit of the East.
Awaken in us with each day, new hopes, new dreams of colors, loves and
joys never before imagined. Fill our bodies with your breath,
invigorate us. Carry us to the farthest mountains and beyond.
In-spirit us that we might reach out to you boldly to grasp the
miracles that are given birth with each new dawn.
ALL: May the deep peace of compassion be on us holding us close when
we are weary, hurt and alone; and may we be the warm hands and warm
eyes of compassion when people reach out to us in need.
We greet you Spirit of the South.
You bring the winds of summer and breathe on us the warmth of the sun
to sooth and heal our bodies and our spirits. Quicken us, draw us by
the urgings of your warm breath to break through the soil of our own
barrenness and fear. Teach us to hold sacred the memory of the spring
rains that we might have the strength to withstand the heat of the
day, and not become parched and narrow in our love. Lead us to accept
fatigue with resignation, knowing that life is not to be rushed, that
there is no flower of the field that grows from seed to blossom in a
single day.
All: May the deep peace of gentleness be on us caressing us with
sunlight, rain and wind; may tenderness shine through us to warm all
who are hurt and lonely.
We greet you Spirit of the West; cool our hot and tired bodies,
refresh and bring laughter to our hearts. It is you who usher in the
setting sun. Guide our steps at the end of day; keep us safe from
evil. Fill us with your peace as you enfold us with your great mystery
of night that we might rest securely In your arms until morning call
us forth again.
ALL: May the deep blessing of peace be on us stilling our hearts that
have fear and doubt and confusion within them; and may peace cover us
and all those who are troubled and anxious. May we be peacemakers.
We greet you, Great Spirit of the Earth.
It was from you we came as from a Mother; you nourish us still and
give us shelter.
Teach us to walk softly on your lands, to use with care your gifts, to
love with tenderness all our brothers and sisters who have been born
of your goodness. And when the day comes when you call us back to
yourself, help us to return to you as a friend, to find ourselves
embraced, encircled and enfolded in your arms.
ALL: May the deep peace of community arise from within us, drawing us
ever nearer, speaking to us of unity, true community where
distinctions of persons is also oneness in being.
REVISED PRAYER
Teach us to plant our feet securely on the earth and to see things as
they really are, that the coming of your Spirit may find us standing
firm in integrity. Teach us, in the solitude of winter, to wait in
darkness with the sleeping earth, believing that we, like the earth,
already hold within ourselves the seeds of new life.
ALL: May the deep peace of mercy be on us forgiving us, beckoning us,
encouraging us; and may our readiness to forgive calm the fears.
Awaken in us with each day, new hopes, new dreams of colors, loves and
joys never before imagined. Fill our bodies with your breath,
invigorate us. Carry us to the farthest mountains and beyond.
In-spirit us that we might reach out to you boldly to grasp the
miracles that are given birth with each new dawn.
ALL: May the deep peace of compassion be on us holding us close when
we are weary, hurt and alone; and may we be the warm hands and warm
eyes of compassion when people reach out to us in need.
You bring the winds of summer and breathe on us the warmth of the sun
to sooth and heal our bodies and our spirits. Quicken us, draw us by
the urgings of your warm breath to break through the soil of our own
barrenness and fear. Teach us to hold the memory of the spring rains
that we might have the strength to withstand the heat of the day, and
not become parched and narrow in our love. Lead us to accept fatigue
with resignation, knowing that life is not to be rushed, that there is
no flower of the field that grows from seed to blossom in a single
day.
All: May the deep peace of gentleness be on us caressing us with
sunlight, rain and wind; may tenderness shine through us to warm all
who are hurt and lonely.
Cool our hot and tired bodies, refresh and bring laughter to our
hearts. It is you who usher in the setting sun. Guide our steps at the
end of day; keep us safe from evil. Fill us with your peace as you
enfold us with your great mystery of night that we might rest securely
In your arms until morning call us forth again.
ALL: May the deep blessing of peace be on us stilling our hearts that
have fear and doubt and confusion within them; and may peace cover us
and all those who are troubled and anxious. May we be peacemakers.
It was from you we came; you nourish us still and give us shelter.
Teach us to walk softly on your lands, to use with care your gifts, to
love with tenderness all our brothers and sisters who have been born
of your goodness. And when the day comes when you call us back to
yourself, help us to return to you as a friend, to find ourselves
embraced, encircled and enfolded in your arms.
ALL: May the deep peace of community arise from within us, drawing us
ever nearer, speaking to us of unity, true community where
distinctions of persons is also oneness in being.
------
Simply put, you seem ready to believe the worst about Archbishop Levada and Benedict XVI without waiting to hear what their side of any controversy might be: you give absolute weight to anything a critic says and zero weight to what they say.
I also find it interesting that, after I point out how flimsy the anti-Levada material you have already posted really was, you no longer mention that material but bring up a new line of attack. Your goal seems to be to discredit the new Prefect and the Pope who appointed him without waiting to see what they do in their jobs, and any stick you find is good enough to beat them with.