Rosary Army #190: Prayers, Priests, and Pizza
Prayers for Archbishop Gregory, Sad News from EWTN, Letter from Fr. Francis Mary Stone, Praying for Apostolates, Hills and Marathons, YAM Revive, and Giving Campaign Tally. 206-984-1899 to leave feedback! Visit www.RosaryArmy.com for more from Rosary Army!
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You’re right, maybe scandal is too harsh of a term with regards to Fr. Francis Mary Stone. However, getting ordained is like getting married. What if I were to say to my wife, “I’m sorry honey, but I’ve been helping this poor widow, and well, feelings started to develop, and…..”
He should have cut out of that as soon as he had an inkling that things were starting to head down a certain road.
But, none of us are perfect. As I reflect on the log in my own eye, how often do I see a situation develop that may be an occasion of sin and immediately turn back?
You handled this perfectly. Prayer and not condemnation is what is needed for Fr. Stone and all Priests and Religious.
God bless,
Tom
Commenting on what you all said about yourselves, in the MMP (Marian Movement of Priests) Book Our Lady said something like don’t be surprised to see that those who fall did not say the Rosary or did not know How to say the Rosary.
The more I think about this the sadder I get about the whole thing. Of course, Fr. Stone didn’t say he was leaving the Priesthood. He said he’s just taking time to step away from everything and sort out his life and what he wants to do. Lets keep praying for him. Lets also pray for the widow he fell in love with. I pray that he will stay faithful to his vows, and that she will find another good, Catholic man.
Dude! I had no idea you would play my feedback. No cool, man, not cool….Do I really sound like that? I sound like I got a Chuck Norris round-house kick to the throat? A lady once told me I had a sexy voice - she was clearly lieing!
Anyway, I couldn’t listen to myself, but I did listen to your feedback and I agree with it all. I thought I’d made the point that only God converts, therefore, all conversions happen on God’s time, but I may have skipped that oh-so important fact. And when I do talk to people about my faith, I know I have to be in the right frame of mind. If I’m in a Jersey state of mind, I usually just say I’ll be happy to talk with you at another time, but if I’m in a loving, happy state of mind, I usually do much better talking to people about all faith.
The only thing I struggle with is my belief in a hyper-logic. My conversion from Atheism to Catholicism went through many churches and many debates about what was most logical. I’ve said it before and truly believe it, that there are only two logical belief systems in the world, atheism and Catholicism. As a result, whether wrong or right, I find protestantism…illogical. Eh, I’ll just pray for the right words whenever the opportunity for theological debates comes up. We’ll see how that goes.
Thanks for the feedback.
God Bless,
James
James, you have a very strong opinion in your feedback.
However, as a open minded Catholic I agree with Greg and suggest that we not present our personal opinions and faith as a hardcore absolute but rather talk about our personal faith journey of joy, discovery and mystery(as there is a lot of that in it). That way will much more lead others to discover and learn for themselves in God’s time.
A candle of joyous feeling & learning that enlightens the soul is better than a hard edged sermon to the head. ;
We should remember that it is not our place to condemn those of other faiths and castigate them by saying a very strong opinion of you are wrong and I am right. I think there is a phrase about that goes “Judge not lest ye be judged”.
God Bless,
Ted A
“Humor is the shortest form of communication”
- Mark Twain
St. Francis of Assisi did something wonderful, sometimes the vocation is not in the church, but to serve the church from a family; what I don’t understand from Greg comment is why falling in love, feeling something for someone is an act of the temptation of the evil one? Don’t know, I don’t see it like that, like a sin, or a scandal, it is not. Scandal are bishops (with small b) hiding or relocating priests that have molested children; now that is a scandal. My point of view.
Hi Frank,
You’re right, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with falling in love. The problem comes up when a person has committed themselves to another. I have made a vow to be with and love my wife until death do us part. If I were to fall in love with another, well that’s when falling in love is wrong.
Fr. Stone has made a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He has given his life to the Lord much the same way as spouses give themselves to each other. Because of this falling in love with another is wrong.
Again, I don’t mean to condemn Fr. Stone. I am not the one without sin who can cast the first stone (absolutely no pun intended). Lets pray hard for him and the widow.
Tom
I felt that some of the comments in this and previous podcasts were rather close to being legalistic or judgmental about non-Catholics. I was pleased to hear Greg and Jennifer conclude with the comment that in the end it is all a matter of God’s mercy (for Catholics as well as non-Catholics.)
I agree with you Richard.
Maybe we should all keep in mind that the primary thing that Jesus asked for was that you believe in him.
God bless all whatever their faith may be,
Ted A
Hey Tom, did you know you could be in sin and still cast the stone and get alone with it?
Thank you for sharing your perspective of the matter; one of these days visiting the National Seminary I saw a lot of kids of 19 through 23 years of age studying to become priests. All of them think they have a call to serve the church and I was able to see in their faces great illusions for their future as catholic priests; my confessor Padre Solano has big expectations for this generation, he says students are now asking a lot of questions, that is good.
You are right; we have to pray for them, they need all the help they can get to face the world and renounce their human reality.
-Frank
If belief alone is enough, why be Catholic? Why can’t I just go to a different church? Should not our actions, our true following of God’s intentions be a reflection of just how strong our belief, or faith is? I don’t see any book in the Bible called the Beliefs of the Apostles. I do see a book called Acts, however. Just my thought.
Richard, we are not being legalistic or judgemental about other religions, because Christ established ONE Church. I don’t see why we have to soft-pedal that.
The fact that other religious denominations followed other men (Luther, Calvin, etc) away from the Church should not make us defensive as Catholics. They are the ones who left the Truth. I have had discussions with a Reformed Church member who tells me the the whole of John 6 is not meant to be taken literal as well as Jesus’ words “This IS my Body…This IS my Blood..”. He believes in Sola Scriptura, yet doesn’t believe Christ’s own words! The Catholic Church IS the True Church, but I do not doubt God’s mercy towards those who lead holy lives in other faiths. God’s Mercy is bountiful.
I’m off my soapbox now!
I think, sometimes, we’re all a little too PC. To believe in anything as valid is to believe that the opposite is invalid. That doesn’t mean disrespect comes into play, it simply means that if I chose to believe 2+2 = 4, then another’s belief that 2+2 = 5 is invalid to me. If I believe in ONE Church, I, automatically, believe that all others are invalid. It sounds harsh, but in acutallity, it’s merely logical.
To state you believe in anything is to state that you disbelieve in the opposite or counter arguments. It’s pointless to say, “I believe this, but your belief if just as good.” It’s kind, but not accurate. I can respect other faiths, but I will not make the statement, “There’s some truth in all the churches.”
Here’s a link that has a response to Fr. Francis Mary Stone’s recent vocation crisis from Fr. Serpa.
Sorry,
Here’s the link.
http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=196824
James as a cradle catholic who has talked with many priests and ministers over decades, all I will say is that I tend to respectfully disagree with your strong hard theological opinions which many catholics seem to believe would tend to turn people off of our church.
One recent example of an excellent sharing of what the catholic faith and prayer meant to him is presidential canditate New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He stated that his catholic faith taught him about the importance of social justice, caring for the needy & homeless and how prayer got him through many things. He also mentioned how going to mass with his extended family and non-catholics was important to him growing up. This was yesterday on PBS’s Charlie Rose show.
Peace,
God Bless,
Michael C.
Michael C,
I understand your points and I agree with them all, but that’s not really what we’re talking about. We’re not talking about Church as a self-help organization or as a political ideology. If that was true, then any church that did any good would be a True church. We’re talking about the Truth, capital ‘T’. While the Church has done and will continue to do so much to better the world through social outreach, that is hardly the sole purpose of the Church. The Church’s purpose is to get everyone to Heaven.
I do not agree with the sentiment that we Christians are all a part of the body of Christ, and we all have different parts. Catholicism has the fullness of Christianity. Catholicism does not just possess on part of Christ. We got it all. Look at any protestant denomination, from Baptist to Quaker. Each has take one part of Catholicism and raised it above all else, but each part is within Catholicism, from the Baptist passion in the Evangelical Catholics, to the Quaker simplicity of the Franciscans. Catholicism is not one link in the chain of Christianity. We are the chain, we are the Church. True, there is the “church”, which encompasses the people, but don’t let that idea sway you away from the fact that there is a Church, with a hierarchy and everything. I find it hard to believe that God would send his only son to leave a church that was so wishy-washy, that could be splintered, and splintered and splintered to an unrecognizable level. A truly just and logical God would send us His Son and His message, but then also leave us an authority to guide us in our path. It’s very hard for me to believe that Jesus would come and say, “Okay, I’ve given you Me. I’ve given you this gift. I’ve given you this message. I’ve given you these teachings. Now I’m going to go and leave it all to you to figure it out. I would leave you a chosen authority figure, but I don’t want to come off legalistic or hardcore. Peace out.”
If Jesus did that, the Church wouldn’t have lasted a week, because there would have been one hellish power struggle. No, instead he left an authority and that authority has continued unbroken to this day. Show me where in the Bible Jesus ever took a vote. Christianity is not a democratic faith. It is not subjective. It was really only after the reformation that people started splintering away and dismissing the authority. To further my point, one group splintered away and from that influence, hundreds of churches have been established, each with slightly different teachings and the further they break away from the authority, the Church, the further they get away from the true message. It wasn’t long before the Eucharist became symbolic. If the Eucharist can become symbolic, Jesus can become symbolic. If Jesus becomes symbolic, it’s all over.
I don’t know if it was cut off from the podcast, but I’ve always had a problem when people say, “all churches hold some truth.” To give a horribly blunt example, the KKK is often filled with Christians. With that in mind, one could argue that the KKK holds some truth, but does their some truth dismiss the horrible teachings that pass on? Some truth is hardly a pass for missing out on the full Truth. If I’m having surgery and the doctor has done everything right but in the end has decided not to stitch me up, one could argue that that surgeon held some truth. But if you don’t mind, I’d like the fullness of the truth and be stitched up.
I may be more “hardcore” because I am a convert. I know what it is like to be away from the faith and I will not take it for granted. I visited a lot of churches in my search, but, in the end, everyone fell to pieces under scrutiny. Catholicism was the only one that held water and made sense. Another reason for my defensiveness may be that in my search, I encounter some strict anti-Catholicism. And when they found out that I had decided to convert to Catholicism and not their church, they were hardly as forgiving as you would be towards them.
God bless,
James
James wrote:
“Michael C,
I understand your points and I agree with them all, but that’s not really what we’re talking about.”
Hi James,
Since you agree with what I said then I don’t think we have a disagreement on what I posted there.
What I believe gets some churches and even cults in trouble is when they start saying and totally believe that “they have it all” and/or that “they posess all the truth”. If one looks back in history this has been a sign of trouble no matter what the church, ministry or whatever they choose to call themselves.
Any of the learned priests or ministers I have talked or listened to(including the priests or catholic writers on SQPN, Busted Halo, National Catholic Reporter) do not say that.
I suggest that there is more than enough enlightenment, learning, discovery, mystery, fun and faith within the many aspects of Catholicism without falling to a point far away from it where we may feel it is necessary to condemn other faiths.
Peace & God Bless,
Michael C
Someone is going to have to tell me why to be Catholic, then. Tell me now if I’m wasting my time. If any church will do, then why be Catholic? Why go to confession? Why go to Mass? If, in the end, all these things are just ‘extras’ to the one true thing of our faith, simply believing in Jesus, then why should I do all the extras? Why not simplify it all down to my inner belief? Why believe in any organized church? I can just stay in my living room and believe in Jesus. I can have the Church of Christ of my Living Room. Tell me who removing the requirement of Catholicism doesn’t unravel the entire thing.