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POPE HIT THE MARK: AT ROOT OF CATHOLIC PROBLEMS IS LACK OF BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY
SpiritDaily.com ^ | 10-05 | Spirit Daily

Posted on 10/05/2005 11:05:11 PM PDT by Salvation

POPE HIT THE MARK: AT ROOT OF CATHOLIC PROBLEMS IS LACK OF BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY

He could not have hit it more squarely on the head. Pope Benedict XVI, toiling quietly, with little of the visibility enjoyed by his predecessor, nonetheless was giving hints that he is doing what he always has, what he is used to doing, what he did for a quarter of a century as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger: working behind the scenes to hold the world's most important institution together, and he is starting where it must start, where it needs to start, where so many of the problems reside: with the Bible.

A few weeks ago, in a major pronouncement (albeit one underreported in by the Christian media), he said, "Assiduous reading of sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer makes that intimate dialogue possible in which, through reading, one hears God speaking, and through prayer, one responds with a confident opening of the heart. If this practice is promoted with efficacy, I am convinced that it will produce a new spiritual springtime in the Church" [our italics].

Above all, he was saying, we must remember Scripture.

Added the Pope, in speaking about Europe, "many Christian things occur, but there is also a great fatigue, and we are so concerned with structural questions that the zest and the joy of faith are missing."

As he prepared for Youth Day last August, Benedict XVI loudly rejected the idea of Christianity as a religion of rules and prohibitions and said he hoped to use his trip to spur "a wave of new faith" -- the type of faith that brings results, displays miracles, and springs forth from the Bible."

Let us add that the root of crisis in the Church is how little the Bible is heeded and how much worldliness has infiltrated. Too often, we compromise with society and its trends (its politics, its fashions) because we want to be "with it." We also confuse the word "religious" with "spiritual."

Religion is supposed to lead to spirituality. Frequently, it does not. It is the best way to obtain spirituality -- the narrowest gate -- but too often it leads only leads to religiosity (and a reverence for the codes of man instead of those of God). 

 Church and Word The remedy is the book it is all based on. The Church is in desperate need of biblical spirituality. Biblical spirituality is living a life modeled after those set forth as historical examples. It is feeling the grace that flows from the pages. We have plenty of theology. We have enough canon laws. What we need now is familiarity with that remarkable book and the knowing that it is of true supernatural origin.

Reading the Bible on a regular basis allows us to feel the actual move of the Holy Spirit -- to reach God through our hearts instead of through our self-important thoughts.

The Pope's words mimic those of saints like Therese the Little Flower -- who once said that "above all it's the Gospels that occupy my mind when I'm at prayer; my poor soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I'm always finding fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling meanings."

What happened at our seminaries? The Bible was pushed away as ancient literature (and even mythology) and Catholics have now seen the result. Show us a skeptic (one who does not believe in healing or exorcism or prophecy), and we'll show you someone who does not read Scripture.

We have become too secularized and too busy reading complex theology -- the ideas of others about the Bible, or about the ideas of previous theologians about the Bible -- instead of the Bible itself. We formulate complex ideas to impress others.

In other words, we get so wrapped up in the words of man that we forget the Word of God -- which encourages us to exercise spiritual gifts and to believe in the simple movement of Him everywhere (including in current events). When we read Scripture, we understand more about current events than if we read the newspaper.

A Church that is not prophetic, that is not Bible-based, is not a Christian one. It is the very foundation for our precious sacraments!

Call it "aridity" : there is a great spiritual vacancy in the intellectualized Western Church and from the vacancy has erupted scandal.

Unlike other written works, the Bible is alive and of endless fascination for those who come to know its actual power. It informs every day. It relates to different things at different times. It pertains to every circumstance. As Saint Therese said, it has a hidden nature that can be enthralling.

And it tells us what Christians are supposed to do: pray with a living faith, cast out demons, heal, spread the Word, love, give. During the disaster of Katrina the worldly institutions fell while the spiritual ones -- the churches, the charities -- picked up the pieces.

It is in the Bible that we find the richness of wisdom. It is in the Bible that we feel the Holy Spirit.

God will speak to you there.

Need an answer? Remarkably and often miraculously, it's in the testaments. 

[resources: the Catholic Bible]



TOPICS: Activism; Apologetics; Catholic; Charismatic Christian; Current Events; Eastern Religions; Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; History; Islam; Judaism; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Moral Issues; Orthodox Christian; Other Christian; Other non-Christian; Prayer; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics; Religion & Science; Skeptics/Seekers; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: bible; biblestudy; catholiccaucus; catholiclist; newtestament; oldtestament; popebenedict; spirituality
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To: Rocketman
Now in truth a bunch of Catholics on FR hate all the Popes since vatican II and concider them betrayers of the religion

Don't confuse the SSPX schismatics with orthodox Catholics.

81 posted on 10/06/2005 10:12:18 AM PDT by JohnnyZ ("I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country" -- Mitt Romney)
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To: Rhadaghast
Catholic Church no longer swears by truth of the Bible

So you use a Times hatchet job that reports on bishops warning against a literal reading of certain parts of the Bible in order to attack Catholics?

You and the Times both have your agenda, and it's apparently anti-Catholic.

82 posted on 10/06/2005 10:16:19 AM PDT by JohnnyZ ("I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country" -- Mitt Romney)
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To: Rytwyng

" NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITIO!!!"


83 posted on 10/06/2005 10:18:45 AM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: Diva

YOu are right about the current research on the SI. What ever else their faults may have been the Spanish were excellent record keepers.


84 posted on 10/06/2005 10:21:16 AM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: gscc
You have to be blind - this of course was not posted for you but for those who can read and understand plain English and Latin.

You read and understand Latin?

85 posted on 10/06/2005 10:21:27 AM PDT by conservonator (Pray for those suffering)
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To: Conservative til I die

True enough. It also seems that many people assume that if a Catholic says the Bible is true but not all those truths are literal we are saying the Bible is in error. Worse than error, a lie, which we now admit we do not respect or follow in any fashion. Of course such an understanding of Catholic doctrine is nonsense. I am always tempted to ask, "How can the Church who's Councils' guided by the Holy Spirit, gave us the canon of the Bible be against that very Bible?". and if " Sola Scriptura" is suffecient why are there so many Protestant sects?". It does not matter, whatever the true cause in the eyes of the Anti Catholic it is always the fault of the Church and her teachings.
The Church is the guardian and the true home of Scripture.


86 posted on 10/06/2005 10:29:46 AM PDT by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: conservonator
You read and understand Latin?

I do not - however, I posted it in English and Latin and I do have a command of the English language.  Are you implying that the English is not a word for word translation of the Latin and might be misleading?

87 posted on 10/06/2005 10:29:50 AM PDT by gscc
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To: jo kus
...otherwise, we'd have "mass" confusion...

Do I dare.... :O)

88 posted on 10/06/2005 10:32:05 AM PDT by HarleyD ("...and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48)
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To: Conservative til I die
Your point is well written, the analogy is sound. I reading over this post this morning, and I am not surprised to see a high number that are resistant to reading scripture. I anticipated that late last night when I first wrote.

There was a post on this thread where a writer spoke of two pillars one being te bible and how over the last 60 years that it has come under pitched assault -- (from leftist self-styled intelectuals -- my words) and that has eroded the pillar of the word of God in the eyes of the generations that have grown up during that era.

In the 1970's I remember well the assualt on the bible there were two different moses' the J writer and another writer and two Isaiah's the first wrote some and the latter added info centuries later that made the man appear to phrophesy. I heard it then and again three days ago that we could not be made in God's image of likeness, because He is some kind of gas. I have hear it said back then that when the bible says: Gods arm or God's hand that is only figurative -- because gas has no hand or arm. The word they used for all taht was anthropormorphism: that is that God was only pretending to be like us so that we might relate with him. (Seems to be calling Him a Liar, these people have no faith, and don't beleive in miracles.)

My point is a bit rambling but I see these other people as products of that sustained attack on the bible. They have been poisoned, and injured, and afraid to look at the Bible because they have lost faith in it and no longer know what to beleive whereas they know that they are on "solid ground" in the Catechism.

89 posted on 10/06/2005 10:34:02 AM PDT by Rocketman
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To: lastchance
The Church is the guardian and the true home of Scripture.

And if Scripture doesn't agree with RC doctrine you can always fall back on: "The Pope is of so great authority and power, that he is able to modify, declare, or interpret even divine laws."  Able to over-rule "Divine Law"!!!!  Anyone who is able to over-rule divine law must have more authority than the original author!!!!

90 posted on 10/06/2005 10:34:39 AM PDT by gscc
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To: HarleyD
Catholics are quick to accept Mary appearing on a cheese sandwich, in a tunnel on a New Jersey expressway,

Some Catholics yes but certainly not all, just as not all Protestant Pentecostals believe that God rewards with wealth.

If the Church offically becomes involved in a claim of the miraculous you can bet they climb all over that claim and take their time before issueing any sort of statement. Belief in the apparitions that have been deemed worthy, i.e. Lourdes and Fatima are never held up as a requirement for any Catholic.

91 posted on 10/06/2005 10:35:17 AM PDT by Diva
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To: lastchance
The Church is the guardian and the true home of Scripture.

Well said.

92 posted on 10/06/2005 10:38:39 AM PDT by Diva
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To: gscc
Are you implying that the English is not a word for word translation of the Latin and might be misleading?

Don't know, don't read Latin. But if history serves as a guide, I would be a bit suspect of the translation, particularly if only small segments of a larger work are being used as "evidence" against the papacy. I also suspect that there is some sort of "666" correlation with the various papal titles that the web site that serves as a source of your quotes is more than happy to make. I also suspect the web site you got those quotes form has a problem with Sunday/Sabbath days of worship, in fact my bet is that he or she is an Adventist of some stripe.

I also don't see a problem with the concept of the pope as "vicar".

93 posted on 10/06/2005 10:40:13 AM PDT by conservonator (Pray for those suffering)
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To: gscc
And if Scripture doesn't agree with RC doctrine you can always fall back on

Are there any occasions when you DON'T make it a point to spread your hate and bigotry toward Catholics?

94 posted on 10/06/2005 10:43:34 AM PDT by JohnnyZ ("I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country" -- Mitt Romney)
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To: Rocketman
They have been poisoned, and injured, and afraid to look at the Bible because they have lost faith in it and no longer know what to beleive whereas they know that they are on "solid ground" in the Catechism.

Sadly they have not been taught their catechism either. So many of the laity have been given the excuse, and goodness knows we humans need no excuse, to be lazy. So many opportunities to teach the Catholic faith have been squandered by the clergy but I find hope in the new crop of priests coming into the Church, even in this country. Many are on fire for the Lord and to re-evangelize the Catholic population and those of you who are anti-Catholic I am very excited at the prospect.

95 posted on 10/06/2005 10:44:43 AM PDT by Diva
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To: Campion

I admire the faith of the simple people in seeing the face of Jesus and the Blessed mother in images in our life.


96 posted on 10/06/2005 10:50:05 AM PDT by todd1
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To: Rytwyng
Its hard to conceive that such a group exists within the Catholic Church. They are elitists and know better than the Pope and all the bishops and all the dumb laity. They claim that it is politics that is keeping their view off in the small corner they are in.

This sound muchss like the Liberal elitist left.

97 posted on 10/06/2005 10:50:59 AM PDT by Rocketman
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To: gscc
Concerning the extent of Papal dignity, authority, or dominion and infallibility.

Care to give any sort of citation, link, or anything like that?

Or did you just do a cut-and-paste job from some anti-Catholic screed?

The Pope has no authority to modify or abrogate Divine Law. Ever. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

98 posted on 10/06/2005 10:54:54 AM PDT by Campion (Truth is not determined by a majority vote -- Pope Benedict XVI)
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To: Diva

I love that my church keeps the tradition but is also charasmatic.


99 posted on 10/06/2005 10:58:00 AM PDT by todd1
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To: HarleyD
Thank you and Amen!
,
Without scripture we have nothing.
<
There is not 2 pilars of christianity, because without the scripture there is no need of a church of any kind.

Thanks for this post.



If it ain't all true,

it ain't true at all.




100 posted on 10/06/2005 10:59:18 AM PDT by Rhadaghast (Yeshua haMashiach hu Adonai Tsidkenu)
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