Posted on 04/05/2008 10:47:56 PM PDT by Judith Anne
FRiends, tonight I went to mass with my family, and one of the scriptures was the story of "The Road to Emmaus." The monsignor's sermon was on that topic, and it was excellent. He started out by asking why Jesus would allow the disciples not to recognize Him until He broke bread for them, and his thought was that Christ wanted us to look for Him everywhere, to remember that He said "Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me" so that we would realize though we may not recognize Him at first, He is there.
This excellent sermon led me to thinking about another crucial teaching; when Christ was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" He gave the example of the Good Samaritan. This has to be a familiar parable to every Christian, so I won't repeat it here.
I am sure that anyone who has been reading active religion threads lately has wondered about the second commandment: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." There has been a remarkable lack of kindness therein. I have been a part of that unkindness.
I will not speak of doctrinal differences here. I only want to say that I am sorry, to all who have been on the religion threads, for unkind remarks, for arguing. I have certainly not turned the other cheek, nor have I acted in a charitable way.
Because I am a Catholic, and accustomed to self-examination in the light of the teachings of Christ, I am ashamed of myself. This is not how I want to be toward other Christians, and certainly is not how I act in real life, for I have many dear Protestant friends and family members.
I had a moment of feeble self-justification as I prayed this evening, that I was provoked into anger. But we aren't to give in to that temptation, and I blame no one for my anger except my own faults. After all, when I stand before God, He will not want to know why I didn't improve a certain other poster's behavior, He will want an accounting from me as to why I didn't improve my own.
So this represents a step in that direction: I am off the religious threads. Because I am human, fallible, and love my Church, I would be tempted to defend it and thus fall into my old ways. Truthfully, the Catholic Church does not need me to fight on an internet forum for its honor.
Again, I am sorry, and I ask your forgiveness. Christ told us that when we want to bring an offering, we should FIRST make peace with our brother, THEN bring our offerings. I should not have added to the already considerable acrimony. I remedy that now, and ask those who think the way I do to join me in praying for all of us conservatives for something much more important: the will of Christ Almighty be done in our lives and in our country.
And may He bless us all.
Some, no doubt. Some.
I wouldn’t know what the ratio of chaff to truth was at a specific congregation.
I, too, need to stop being so quick to anger in general. I often find myself so irritated at minor inconvienances.
Thank you.
Which reminds me of something a poster has as a tagline—I wish I had written down the quote and the poster’s screen name.
It is something like this: “What I have said to others is written in sand; what others have said to me is carved in marble”.
Judith, I think your monseignor was wrong in his interpretation of the Road to Emmaeus.
It was too soon after the resurrection — just hours — for such a lesson as “looking for Jesus in the lives of others” to have made any sense. Why would these two have ever even considered looking for Jesus in the lives of others?
They still weren’t even sure themselves what the report of the resurrection meant in terms of reality. It was just an amazing story they’d heard. I would imagine that their puzzled understanding was used by Jesus as a means of driving home the teaching He was doing.
So, if you’re leaving this website is related to a misapplied sermon preached by your priest, then you might want to rethink a better reason.
I’m not leaving. I am taking a break.
The monsignor did not have only that one interpretation. In fact, he went over a lengthy discussion of the whole event. The ending was, like the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus until he broke bread, we may not recognize Him either when we encounter him unexpectedly.
I myself added, in my thinking about the subject, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto Me.”
My thinking was not ONLY on the sermon, it was on several other things as well. So please do not fault my monsignor for his sermon—most of the time, the sermons lead my thinking in more than one direction.
Please remember, I compressed about a 20 minute sermon into a few lines. That’s not fair to monsignor, to critique his sermon on the basis of that, or the directions my mind went after hearing it.
If I thought for a second that a defense of the Blessed Virgin, the Holy Mother Church, or my fellow Catholics is “mud wrestling”, I would not post a word.
Okay.
Mud wrestling was an analogy. What did you think it was?
heh,heh,heh....I love it when a plan comes together.
I knew you couldn’t stay away -— from a challenge!
:>)
I am quite outspoken in defense of Catholicism, and when the context of the conversation warrants, I will point out the error of the Reformation, and, on occasion, the enormity of the damage it did to the Western Civilization. I thought that perhaps you are uncomfortable with that, and wanted to explain myself.
Thanks so much for that explanation; I will certainly pray for your success—you’ve chosen a challenge, for sure.
Thank you for your prayers.
It's the TRUTH!
May our churches be reunited soon as God wills it. Both Catholics and Protestants have a treasure of love and faith to contribute. Far too much animosity has gone on, and we need to stop it.
I love you all!
What generous comments you have posted here Quix. A true outpouring of love for God’s people. God bless you.
GWARSH. BLUSH.
Blessed that someone understands that and particularly you.
Thanks tons.
You might get your hazmat suit on, however, in prep for the disinters . . . just their poorly aimed overflow splatter can be . . . interesting enough! LOL.
Lord, Jesus, Please bless TenthAmendmentChampion with Your wholeness to the sub-atomic particle level of her bones. May all the T-cells and blood making cells and calcium cells and all the other cells get in right Resurrection Life order top to bottom, inside and out. Please take the pain that you bore so much of, on the Cross, Lord. Give her the hope and Joy of your Resurrection to be her strength in You, Lord. Give her long periods of rest. And rest her heart, mind, soul, spirit and body IN YOU 24/7. Give her loved ones around her full of humor and compassion as well as wisdom, initmacy and Spirit-filled sensitivity to her every need without her needing to ask. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
And, Lord, may you also Touch JimRob similarly. Give him Hope and Joy in You, Lord as his all sufficiency. May he choose/realize his residencey in YOUR KINGDOM above every other locale, group, focus. May he begin to see himself every bit whole and healed, IN YOU, Lord and choose that emphatically regardless of the cost. In Jesus’ Name.
And, Lord, Alamo-Girl’s neice. Correct her liver and every other aspect of her body and life from the sub-atomic particle level up and out to the relationship level, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
LUB, 10th.
I have tended to avoid most of the religion threads lately. It’s just not worth it. Take a break, Judith Anne, but please stay on Free Republic.
And thank you for the beautiful post.
Dittos here.
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