Women Priests?

The mind of God. It is much more than any of us can comprehend. Our finite existence surely can be a frustration at times, but part of the mystery of God is how he uses us for things we would never expect when we only humble ourselves to his will.

You know, I am very guilty of often trying to do things my way. It is this weakness that I will readily admit, but it is also a weakness of the human race. I often find myself frustrating my plans or intentions or getting more anxious about what I need to do for something to turn out perfect.

I learned this reality in a very real way one weekend when I was trying to get a bunch of kids together to attend a youth even a few years ago. I had it all planned out, but I kept running in to hangup after conflict after problem after frustration. Then somewhere in the midst of my building anxiety something dawned on me. I needed to let go and let God work things out. And in the end, everything worked out great!

Well, I know this kind of do-it-my-way mentality can be applied to numerous situations. I think now-a-days it can be seen a lot in people trying to give their opinions on how the Church should be run, or what the Church isn't doing right and should change. I think sometimes we (any of us) can tend to forget that the Church is a divinely directed institution. It isn't like some international human rights organization with a democratically elected board of directors. It can be hard seeing something that looks so human on the surface and not feeling like we should have a say in it's operation. Well sure we can give our input, but we have to remember that the one with the real power in the Church is the Holy Spirit. And Christ placed that power in the hands of the Apostles and their successors. So yes, God works through flawed human vessels.

When Christ was instituting his Church he did so with placing governance in the hands of 12 of his followers (the Apostles), with one of the 12 holding a special office of leadership and responsibility (Peter). Now I know that many people now-a-days look at the Catholic Church and think about all the problems the priesthood is dealing with (scandals and small numbers) and how all those old guys in their funny hats in Rome are completely detached with what is going on in the real world. Why doesn't the Church just start ordaining women, I mean after all, there are many women who are much more faithful and holy that could do the job. That is true, and you know, not much has changed in 2000 years. Some of Jesus' most faithful followers were women and his Apostles abandoned him. Why didn't Jesus pick his own mother to be an Apostle? I mean if he was just looking for holiness, how could he do any better than his own mother?!

Jesus obviously didn't know what he was doing by today's standards...WHOA! Okay, that is going a bit far to say that God didn't know what he was doing. God has his reasons. And who knows the mind of God? He is God and we aren't, therefore it is our duty to acknowledge that he is right, not to question his motives. We need to be content with how God has ordered things. Because he has done so to our good. It is when we grow discontent with God's ways that we open our souls to deception. Lucifer deceived himself into thinking that he could be God when he grew discontent with being the highest ranking angel. Adam and Eve bought the lie of Satan when they ceased being content with what God had ordered then in the Garden, and sin ensued to this day. And don't think that we are free from this same discontentment with God's plan. Lucifer (aka "The Devil") is trying to bring us down with him.

Jesus instituted a priesthood of men and that institution has been carried on faithful to the Lord's will to this day. Why should we assume that we can come up with a fix for what God made good. When we try to do things our way, we tend to mess them up.

What if we try to think of a solution from God's perspective? Has God ceased to be faithful to the Church he started? No. So he must still be calling men to the priesthood. Then what is the problem? Maybe there is a loss of faithfulness on the other end. Maybe the loss of faith of God's people has ceased to produce men willing to answer God's call to the priesthood. I mean, God isn't going to force ill prepared men to be priests. That would jeopardize their souls. So we are the problem. Not the priesthood. We need to "pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matt. 9:38)

This is the weakness of the Church. When the people of the Church start to think we know how to live our lives best we grow discontent with how God is doing things and this discontentment overflows into how we think of things in his Church. So we need to continually reevaluate where perceived issues in the Church are truly originating. Are we part of the problem? Let's pray that we be part of the solution.

For more answers to your questions on the priesthood please visit:
http://www.catholicscomehome.org/answers-priesthood.php

Santa Maria Maggiore

Today is the great memorial of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. This basilica is indeed of such beauty that it overwhelms the senses, much like our Blessed Mother herself. The universal church celebrates the anniversary of four major basilicas in Rome: St. Peter's, St. Paul's Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, and St. John Lateran. Through the celebration of these great churches, which indeed are wonderful testimonies to God's great glory, all Christians find a special connection with the Holy See.

"This feast commemorates the miracle of the snowfall that occurred during the night of August 4-5 in the year 358 on the site where the basilica now stands. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to two faithful Roman Christians, the patrician John and his wife, as well as to Pope Liberius (352-366), asking that a church be built in her honor on the site where snow would fall on the night of August 4-5. Pope Liberius traced the outlines of the church in the snow and the first basilica was built on that site. It was completed about a century later by Pope Sixtus III (432-440), after the Council of Ephesus in 431 during which Mary was declared to be the Mother of God." (CatholicCulture.org)

On a visit to Rome, it is common for pilgrims to make a point of visiting all four of these basilicas. The age and beauty of these basilicas point to God in a way that few things still do in this modern world that so eagerly disregards Him. But in addition each basilica holds significance to the lives of every Christian through the treasure of the faith which they contain and the role they have held as witnesses to God on Earth through the centuries.

What specifically sticks out in my memory about this basilica is not only the breathless mosaics and artwork covering almost every surface, but more wonderful yet is the relic of Christ's Crib hidden beneath the High Alter. How can one even give words to the awe of beholding part of the humble little crib which held our Lord on that most holy of nights. Praise God! It is a bit of Bethlehem in Rome.

For a virtual tour of the basilica please click here.

To learn more about St. Mary Major and its history please visit the following sites:
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/sm_maggiore/vr_tour/index-en.html
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2010-08-05

Veritas

Veritas in Latin means truth. I am in constant pursuit of the truth. This is because God is Truth, and my heart longs for the living God. In my pursuit of the truth I have come to discover that the well of truth in the Catholic Church is deep and vast. And so I am continually delighted in my exploration of the Catholic Church.

Now the truth is a tricky thing because only those with ears to hear will hear it and only those with eyes to see will see it. "And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you." (John 14:16-17) But when you do receive the truth it is liberating unlike anything you have ever known before. "Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'" (John 8:31-32)

I love how the truths of the Catholic faith all make sense in the broader context of Scripture and the life of the Church.  Nothing is added, or omitted, or skimmed over to make the faith fit into some ideology. It is the life of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- made available to man. In the Church, we can enter into the life of God as fully as humanly possible. And so, in my desire to draw deeper into that life I enjoy discovering resources that help build up and confirm God's people in the faith.

Here are a couple of resources that I came across recently at the Catholics Come Home blog and the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church website.

The first is a great visual diagram of origin of churches throughout history. Now you may be saying. How do we know this is true? Don't other churches claim similar things? Well, lots of people claim lots of things, but many of them are built around sketchy facts and half truths. Go ahead, do the historical research. It will verify exactly what this chart shows. The early Church Fathers (early Christians carrying on the faith the Apostles shared) believed and practiced the same faith that the Catholic Church does today. And if after confirming these facts you still don't believe, then it is possible that you may never see it apart from the grace of God. But let me say that I stake my very life of the truth that the Catholic Church is the church established by Jesus Christ.

The second resource is a chronology of the Apostolic succession of every pope from the first one established by Jesus (Peter) to our current Pope Benedict XVI.

"Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.' Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?'" (John 18:37-38)

A Scandal-Free Church

You may have just read this post's title and thought "Ooh intriguing. 'Bout time those Catholics try to get their act straight?" Or perhaps you thought "Is this some new fad diet?" Or maybe you didn't think either of those things. Any way "scandal" and "church" are two words we are not unfamiliar with lately.

I must say that the greatest scandal of the Church is that it welcomes sinners. Now hold it, New York Times, before you go and publish some slander, make sure to get your facts right, and this is an issue you want to take up with Jesus Christ himself.

(Note: This reflection is intended to address the many misconceptions that segments of society are attempting to propagate from recent true wrongs of individuals in the Church. I in no way mean to downplay the severity of the tremendously horrid acts of sexual abuse of late that need to continue to be addressed thoroughly. I pray especially for healing for any victims of this evil.)

Yes, the Church is full of sinners. I myself being one of them, but by the grace of God. This issue of sinners has perhaps been overlooked by the New York Times because Jesus himself had the greatest response of all time to one who attempt to cast a stone at a sinner. And the unwillingness to look at this problem of sin causes the Media to completely overlook the fact that the Catholic Church was born in the midst of scandal. One of the first Bishops betrayed the Church's founder, other Bishops abandoned him, and the first Pope denied he even new him when a similar mob reared its ugly head about 2000 years ago. And even worse, our Founder was even seen associating with prostitutes!

I must also say that I partly understand the motive of the popular media to fix its gaze on issues in the Church. I mean, the Catholic Church talks so much about Saints and our need to become saints that the hypocritical contrast of what we strive to be versus where we are at right now makes great gossip. But that is the reality of the road we are on. It is hard to hide, and at times we don't want to hide it. For example, when you are heading on vacation all you like to talk about is where you are going, not work or school or wherever you came from. It is the same with Catholics. We know where we came from, but as we look ahead to where we are going, we can't help talk about it or people we know who are already there.

I came into the Catholic Church completely aware of the fallen character of many of its members but also aware of my own flaws. Unfortunately Jesus isn't offering a scandal-free Church. Though, if you are looking for a Gluten-free Church, I hear there is a Baptist congregation down the street with this appeal.

Yes Jesus Christ knew what was going on when he was inviting the sinful, fallen, and shameful to be apart of his followers. But it seems no one has mentioned that to the New York Times yet.

"And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?'And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Mark 2:16-17)

38,000 Ways, 1 God?

Listening to a talk by Jeff Cavins yesterday brought back some memories of some of my B.C. (before Catholic) years.  I remember in high school talking to a friend of mine at the time who was a Jehovah's Witness.  We were talking briefly about our faiths, and I was struck by how different our beliefs in who we thought was the same God were, though we both believed in Jesus.  This is the earliest I can remember of wondering why there are so many different belief systems among Christians.

One statistic I recently found says there are 38,000* Christian denominations.  Wow!  38,000!  Now, as a Protestant, I generally tried to take the stance that they are the spiritual body of Christ.  The Holy Spirit must be the one guiding all these groups of Christians.  Because after all Sacred Scripture tells us that there is One Faith, and we know that Christ established one Church not 38,000.  So, in order to make sense of this the Holy Spirit was the answer.  And this satisfied me for about another 10 years.

A few years post-college the Lord slowly helped me out of my comfort zone when needing to find a new church to attend.  Then questions of denominations and their differences started to rise up again.  I wanted to find not only the church that I was most comfortable at but the one that was most in line with the truth as I knew it.  Now I had to ask myself, "Which is the true Church?" and "Which Church is right?"  Those turned out to be dangerous questions.

Can all 38,000 denominations be right?  They all claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, yet they taught different and sometimes opposing ideas or doctrines.  Now, I'm not a great theologian or anything, but I knew that God can't contradict himself.  I think God has given us all enough reason to understand that.  God IS the Truth (as Christ said).  So there is one Truth.  And if so, then the Holy Spirit can not inspire two opposing truths.  Conclusion: some, if not most, denominations must be wrong.  Honestly, I did not like my own conclusion on this matter because that raised the potential that my own denomination was wrong on some things or at least didn't teach the fullness of the truth.

So, which denomination is teaching the truth actually inspired by the Holy Spirit?  If there is supposed to still be one truth, then it must have come from Christ.  This led me to history (dangerous territory for Protestants) and to Christ himself.

Which Church did Christ start?  "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18)

* http://christianity.about.com/od/denominations/p/christiantoday.htm