The Attraction of Courage!

There is something about the virtue of courage that calls to my heart in a way that many other virtues do not. Why is that I wonder? Is it because our modern world overflows with cowardice, that so few are willing to defend the truth? Fr. John Hardon often urged parents to raise their children to be martyrs. "You do not remain faithful to the Savior without paying for it," he once said. 

Meditation for Sunday: What Did St. Matthew Mean When He Said Treat Someone Like a Gentile or Tax Collector?

The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio

It's easy to misunderstand scripture. When I was a child, I thought St. Paul's saying that prayer "heaped coals on the heads" of sinners meant you called down fire and brimstone on them like on the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah. Only later did I learn that he was actually talking about calling down the fire of the Holy Spirit to convert their hearts.

Today's gospel from Matthew is another passage that's easy to misunderstand. We are all called to admonish each other and Jesus tells us the right way to do it. If your brother sins against you, go privately and talk to him. If he won't listen, take another brother and challenge him together. If he still won't listen, take him to the Church (the doctrine). At that point if he won't listen, Jesus says, "Treat him like a Gentile or tax collector."

Did Jesus Really Say, "Who Am I to Judge?"

By Fr. Tom Collins

One of the great perversions offered by secularized Christianity is the excuse for pastoral negligence
provided by the mantra, "Who am I to judge?". This is supposedly a paraphrase of the words of Jesus,
"Judge not, lest you be judged" (Matt 7:1). 

The fact of the matter, though, is that this is a distortion of Christ's teaching. More accurately, the teaching of Jesus is that we are not to condemn sinners, but rather assist in converting them away
from sin into the gracious and healing mercy of God. Since none of us can fully appreciate the effects
of the personal history and dynamics of a soul trapped in sin, we are unable to determine for certain
the degree of that person's culpability for the sins that distort his perspective and enslave his life.

Where is the Schism Coming From?

Why does this reminds me of Cdl. Dolan?

I often see Catholic bloggers (who don't like traditionalists) predicting a schism coming from them. Omigosh, traditionalists rarely get the benefit of the doubt. Traditionalists are nasty, judgmental people who will be leaving the Church in five minutes for sure. But if you really want to know where the danger of schism is coming from just take a look at the Archdiocese of New York.

Cardinal Dolan and the Shameful NYC Gay Parade

I certainly have a lot more in common with the traditionalists who publish Catholic Family News than I have with Cardinal Dolan and his continuous congratulations of active sodomites.

Really, I have great sympathy for sinners. I know personally what it is to be one which is why I go to Confession regularly. But I don't expect people to congratulate me for my sins. And I certainly don't pat my children and grandchildren and say, "Don't worry about committing mortal sins, precious ones. Jesus would never be so mean as to send you to hell. You don't have to worry. He's the Candy Man and the Pillsbury Dough Boy all rolled into one and he's fixing you funnel cake for your funeral canonization. So don't worry about reforming your life, just go your way and sin some more."

Isn't it time for Cardinal Dolan to learn the spiritual work of mercy, "admonish the sinner," or does he care so little for sinners that he wants to be like the pharisees whom Jesus warned, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you frauds! You travel over sea and land to make a single convert, but once he is converted you make a devil of him twice as wicked as yourselves."

Did Cardinal Dolan's "bravo!" for Michael Sam encourage him to give up his sinful lifestyle or confirm him in it? Did his approbation of the homosexuals at St. Francis of Assisi encourage even one of them to repent? I seriously doubt it. (Michael Voris made that obvious when he interviewed homosexuals after the pre-pride Mass.) He's like parents who approve of a child's homosexual lifestyle or bless the cohabitation of a son or daughter with a lover, or celebrate a child marrying outside the Church. They fear the wrath of their children more than they care about loving God. ("If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15)

Cardinal Dolan is an irresponsible father to his spiritual children. That is simply the truth. If I acted like that with my own children, I would fear for my salvation. As it is, I fear for the "unity" of the Church. Cardinal Dolan always talks about unity when he is committing a scandal, but his actions threaten the unity of the Church. You cannot make whole cloth by uniting a dry-rotted fabric with a newly loomed piece, you cannot unite good and evil. Cardinal Dolan's actions rend the temple veil, and that sounds like schism to me!

Do You Fear for Fr. Z's Soul?

I recently criticized the Nuns on the Bus in a post and included a warning that maybe...just maybe their souls were in danger. Somebody commented on how she feared for my soul for daring to say such a thing. Apparently no one can ever carry out the spiritual work of mercy, to admonish the sinner, without jeopardizing his own soul. (I think the only mortal sin some people believe in is "being judgmental." Forget it that our intelligence is called the "seat of judgment." The only judgments we may make in their minds is what to have for dinner...as long as it's low fat, low sodium, and meets the USDA health guidelines.) Well, I wonder if my commentator has seen one of Fr. Z's latest posts.

Hell and the Enemy exist. Priests and bishops who don’t teach about them will probably wind up there:

If you don’t believe in Hell, you will probably wind up there. And if you chose that fate, it would be better for you had you never been born (cf Matthew 26:24). 

STOP. Spend a moment to examine your conscience. 

NOW. Try to imagine what goes through the mind of the damned soul

Sunday Meditation: Is Your Trumpet Rusting from Misuse?

In the Bible, the trumpet is an instrument of warning, not too different from the tornado sirens in some towns right here in the U.S. An advance warning can save lives. And that's what today's reading from Chapter 3 of the prophet Ezekiel is all about.  

Ezekiel was the first prophet called to speak for the Lord outside the Holy Land. Exiled to Babylon by King Nebubuchednezzar around 600 B.C. along with many of his fellow Israelites, he prepared the people for the destruction of Jerusalem. To a jew, such an event was unthinkable. The holy city and the temple were inviolable. But destruction was exactly what the sinfulness of God's people brought about despite the fact that many false prophets refused to blow the trumpet. Here's what we heard this morning:

When Christ Returns Will He Find Any Faith on the Earth?

Many so-called Catholics these days reject many of the Church's teachings. How do you respond when a Catholic you know dismisses doctrines of the faith? To admonish the sinner is a spiritual work of mercy. Michael Voris gives a personal example of witnessing in the face of a friend's expression of heresy.

 How do you measure up on this spiritual work of mercy? If someone comes to you for advice do you tickle his ears and coddle him in his disbelief? Do you remain silent out of fear of her reaction? Or do you exercise the supreme act of charity by warning friends of the impact of what they are doing? Tough love is willing to suffer.