Tonight is the night, when the priesthood is born. For me this year, as an external student at the grand seminary, tonight's Mass becomes almost an act of conception. God willing, should I be accepted in Septembre, the journey toward this ontological change will continue. The very thought that I might one day share in Christ's priesthood at once frightens me and excites me. This Liturgical year, which will climax Saturday Vigil with the 'Gloria in excelsis Deo!' will signal a complete turning away, I'm viewing as 'dying to myself.' I have been told by friends that I need a good shrink(already had one! anger issues...hehehe), why don't I just get married? (umm, to settle?,..riiight..and I'm the one needing the shrink...) Well, the point of discernement is to see what exactly God is calling me to. However, since I've been a student at the seminary, it has refurbished its gym, gotten a dojo/studio, punching bag, focus mitts, and instituted Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament!!!!!!! As well, my Spiritual Director is a kyokushin guy, who has also trained in other styles..(I have spoken about this before...) My home parish, has slowly recovered its Catholic identity, with an amazingly solid orthodox Pastor. What more bitchslaps from the Holy Spirit do I need??? (Some Optimusmastro 'isms')
Lately I've received some emails concerning my temperament, and how through my writing, it is undergoing a change. I guess old age is kickin' in...Though the Optimusmastro character was in essence a reaction to an ongoing conversion experience which in many ways I ran away from... So, I grew bitter, disenchanted and almost to a point phariseeical (is that a word?) . My excuses were typical, the liturgical silliness, the feminization of the Church, dissidence, disobediance,..yet through it all,.my conscience was never at peace. At times I lived my life more like Charlie Sheen and less like Fulton Sheen, yet Jesus never gave up on me. In the Gospels, Jesus is much more tougher on the Pharisees because simply put, they should know better, and were hypocrites...Now time for some questions: (All paraphrased,..but I inboxed messaged these people that I would be responding on 'Confessions.')
1. Ques: You recently put up an article mentioning mandatum abuse on your facebook account, What is so wrong with washing the feet of women?
Ans; Strictly speaking, this act of Christ which appears only in John's Gospel is understood by the Church as a pre ordination. The practice is optional, but should it be performed, the message is linked toward priesthood. It shows Christ, being the lowest of all servants, and the 12 Apostles, being prepared to be sent forth. There was a case, whereby a parish in the US was allowed to wash women's feet for because of pastoral concern, and I believe were granted permission to do so by the Holy See. Today, the abuse is rampant, and the theology of it twisted to suit to the so-called social justice agenda, So in the name of women's equality, creative funny priests from the silly sixties washed women's feet too! Fr Z has an excellent blog post on the subject,.(see here) Obviously this confuses people.
2. Ques: Why can't priests be women?
Ans; Simply put, because that is not their vocation. The Church has no authority whatsoever to confer ordination upon a woman. Think about it, the only other person able to say 'This is my body' and mean it would have been the Blessed Mother, and She was not NOT ordained! I've explored this topic before form a theological perspective on this blog, (you can search the archives..). Regardless of what you, I or any other may think, Pope John Paul II closed that debate infalliby. (see here)
To conclude, I wish everyone a Blessed and Holy Easter Triduum!
Sacred Heart of Jesus,...............Have mercy on us!
Lately I've received some emails concerning my temperament, and how through my writing, it is undergoing a change. I guess old age is kickin' in...Though the Optimusmastro character was in essence a reaction to an ongoing conversion experience which in many ways I ran away from... So, I grew bitter, disenchanted and almost to a point phariseeical (is that a word?) . My excuses were typical, the liturgical silliness, the feminization of the Church, dissidence, disobediance,..yet through it all,.my conscience was never at peace. At times I lived my life more like Charlie Sheen and less like Fulton Sheen, yet Jesus never gave up on me. In the Gospels, Jesus is much more tougher on the Pharisees because simply put, they should know better, and were hypocrites...Now time for some questions: (All paraphrased,..but I inboxed messaged these people that I would be responding on 'Confessions.')
1. Ques: You recently put up an article mentioning mandatum abuse on your facebook account, What is so wrong with washing the feet of women?
Ans; Strictly speaking, this act of Christ which appears only in John's Gospel is understood by the Church as a pre ordination. The practice is optional, but should it be performed, the message is linked toward priesthood. It shows Christ, being the lowest of all servants, and the 12 Apostles, being prepared to be sent forth. There was a case, whereby a parish in the US was allowed to wash women's feet for because of pastoral concern, and I believe were granted permission to do so by the Holy See. Today, the abuse is rampant, and the theology of it twisted to suit to the so-called social justice agenda, So in the name of women's equality, creative funny priests from the silly sixties washed women's feet too! Fr Z has an excellent blog post on the subject,.(see here) Obviously this confuses people.
2. Ques: Why can't priests be women?
Ans; Simply put, because that is not their vocation. The Church has no authority whatsoever to confer ordination upon a woman. Think about it, the only other person able to say 'This is my body' and mean it would have been the Blessed Mother, and She was not NOT ordained! I've explored this topic before form a theological perspective on this blog, (you can search the archives..). Regardless of what you, I or any other may think, Pope John Paul II closed that debate infalliby. (see here)
To conclude, I wish everyone a Blessed and Holy Easter Triduum!
Sacred Heart of Jesus,...............Have mercy on us!
3 comments:
Your mention of Fulton Sheen reminded me of something he said. He said Jesus was harder on the Pharisees than the prostitutes because you don't need to convince prostitutes that their lives suck and they're sinners. Much hard to convince blind bourgeois types living the good life who don't see their own misery.
Marco - very perceptive post and I like your answers to the 2 questions.
As to washing women's feet, apart from the illogicality, there is the problem of s*x. A local vicar where I lived in England was an enthusiastic washer of teenage girls' feet. Nuff said!
God bless!
Suxanne F - what a wise man ++Fulton Sheen was!
Happy Easter!
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