This should take care of them.
Posted on 09/22/2007 6:09:42 AM PDT by NYer
Our congregation is actually starting to sing along with Albert's Mass . . . . they're still a little spooked by the Latin Mass, but they're beginning to sing that too.
Our assistant pastor has our tiny 7 a.m. daily Mass group of 10-14 singing the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. With no preparation whatsoever, but that's OK, it's so simple! I'm going to meet with him to see if we can gradually expand on that. Laus tibi, Domine!
Thank God that Protestants are getting back into what God intended. The Holy Catholic Church.
A year ago we had a mission with a presenter from the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament during Lent. By the second week of May, we had an Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel up and going. Good things have followed.
I think we are at the beginning of those baby steps. Before restrictions, seven classrooms and a nursery were added. The youth room now takes up two of those rooms and we have a florishing parish library in another, leaving us with only four classrooms. There is talk about adding a second story to the wing of four classrooms, but it is only talk right now.
Between the church and the hall we had a breezeway and grassy area that was mostly weeds. It is now a beautiful garden with a gazebo and benches and tables for meditations. The youth sometimes meet out there in the summer. Our church (currently be re-roofed) was originally planned to convert to a gymnasium.
We have improved an area, thanks to the Knights of Columbus with water, tables, trees, volley ball sand court to a park in honor of a pastor who was with us for a year and then died.
So, you can see that with the landscaping and sprinkler system that is being installed we are ready for the next step. I think it will be plans for a new church, possible enlargement of our parish hall and the offices.
Do keep us updated on your progress with the music. I can only pray right now.
That should have been “Pray for an improvement in our music program right now.” LOL!
I love to see a parish growing! And baby steps are really the way to go, because the whole parish gets involved and helps any way they can. It makes it seem more like everybody's church, instead of having a few big donors drop a ton of bucks on the parish (although we wouldn't turn it down, ahem!)
While I'm thinking about it, would you please pray for our Permanent Deacon and his wife? His wife is finally losing a long, long struggle with cancer, she is in hospice and the end is very near. She has left instructions for her Funeral Mass and the whole music department is planning the very best we can do for her, which is all we can do other than pray with all our hearts . . . she was a member of our handbell choir and just a wonderful, sweet lady who has faced her illness with incredible courage and cheerfulness. She will be sorely missed, not least by her husband. I can't imagine what he will do without her, he will have to lean heavily on the Lord for a long, long time.
My family has about 100 years of Catholic School attendance as well. You could be right about the religion lacking, but the education overall is very good. However, we did not hear anything about Homosexuality being a sin, but then again we did not hear anything about sex either. To be honest with you hearing about sex from Dad was much better than some old teacher. In 1987 when I graduated from high school, homosexuality was not the “in thing” to talk about so I would imagine there would’nt be any reason to discuss it. I would imagine it was the same with the Polosi family. However, maybe her grandkids will get the homosexuality is a sin speech since homosexuality is more known to the population now. In 1987 nobody even knew a homosexual. Today, I would imagine that most people know a homosexual or has a family member who is one. What America has done in 20 years. lol.
You're right, the Latin Mass is simple. Just sing it like you speak it!
I have a friend who is concerned because her eighth — or is it seventh? graders had to watch a video on “French Kissing” and then they had an assignment to write something on it. Yuck!
Yieks! Was this Catholic School? Even if it isn’t this is tragic. I really dispise what our young kids are being put through these days. It is really sad. They have to watch porn while chomping on carrot sticks singing Muslim is the true religion songs. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is 1000 families really considered small? With 35 registered families (not all attending), what does that make my parish? What's truly disheartening is that the RC Churches have absorbed Maronite Catholics into their folds. If they would just send them back to their own Church, perhaps we could complete the rennovation of the future Church quicker. We all believe St. Ann is guiding this parish to its future home.
We will soon be unveiling the sign from NYS OPRHP (Parks and Historic Preservation) at the future Church (the sign is mandated by the state). I suggested to Father that we turn this into a media event. In whatever spare time I can find, I will write up the Press Release and put together a quick fact sheet on the Maronite Church. Given the number of RCs whose parishes in Watervliet were closed by Hubbard, you can be sure I will bold the text that says a Roman Catholic may participate in and join a Maronite Catholic parish.
The rectory is nearly finished and we are hopeful to get Father moved in before winter. Once he is there, the work inside the Church should progress more quickly. He will also be a physical reminder to area Catholics that this Church is coming to their neighborhood. With St. Ann's guidance, perhaps some of them will even volunteer their time to assist with the work. Please keep us in your prayers.
In John 20:22, the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.
Continuing the Scripture, in John 20:23, Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
Consider, for example, St. Pio who was granted many charisms by our Lord. He spent many hours in the confessional. People would line up, sometimes for days, in order to have their confessions heard by this saintly priest. The following gives great insight into this aspect of his priesthood.
Flowing from the Side of Christ on the Cross was the grace of reconciliation between God and Man (Rom. 5:8-11). Thus, on the evening of the Resurrection Our Lord appeared to His Apostles and said,
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained. (John 20:21-23)
Padre Pio's conformity to the Pascal Mystery of His Lord necessarily included the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-20) and, its fruit. Toward that end he dedicated many hours of the day to the confessional, both in the mornings and the afternoon.
According to the practice common then he heard the confessions of men and women separately. The men's confessions he would hear in the sacristy, essentially in the open with a portable grill, while the women's would be heard in the church in his confessional.
To this task he brought an advantage that few confessors have, the ability to read hearts. Padre Pio's charism enabled him to know when someone was being deceitful in confession or simply had forgotten a serious sin, perhaps through lack of an adequate examination of conscience. In such cases he was able to tell the penitent exactly what they did and when, as well as any relevant circumstances. This drew many hundreds a day to him, moved by the grace of sincere repentance and the knowledge that Padre Pio could guide them with the wisdom of God in the spiritual life.
He also drew those who did not believe in his gifts or who intended to test the Padre. These were invariably unmasked, often in harsh ways. In the end they often repented, made a sincere confession and renewed their lives, despite their initial intentions.
He could read hearts. There were several penitents who arrived at his confessional only to be turned away and told to return when their consciences were more fully formed; in other words, when they were truly repentant of their sins. These individuals would return to the back of the line - some lines running as long as 10 days. When the penitent approached for the 2nd time, St. Pio would say: "I've been waiting for you! What took you so long?"
My pastor was taught in Seminary to recognize true repentance by the penitent's tears. Several years after his ordination, a man approached him at a local hospital and asked him to hear his confession. Father immediately donned his stole and sat down alone with the man. The many poured out his heart, lamenting his sins while crying profusely. Father immediately recognized the sincerity of this man's confession.
This brings to mind the words of our Lord to St. Faustina. With regard to the Sacrament of Confession, He said:
Today the Lord said to me, Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls
I have heard stories of a priest in the confessional at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC. There was a Jewish man who would come to him on a regular basis, to hear his confession. The priest acceded to his request but could not administer the actual words of forgiveness. There are no words more beautiful than to hear the priest say (with fully power from our Lord): "I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen" It is like stepping out of a shower.
My first confession was a good one, then. I cried like a baby. (Hey - 40-odd years’ worth of sins is a big backlog!)
This should take care of them.
See #54.
Could be a sign from God that He is getting the Protestants ready for reunion with Rome.
...But at least this is a start to in time rediscovering the true sacrement. Have hope.
Scripture contradicts you, repeatedly.
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