Catholic Action
Brothers, This note is from Larry Squires, our county's Catholic Action chairman.
Dear Brothers in Christ Jesus,
In response to recent stories posted on the Catholic League Web Site regarding Eucharistic Desecration, please consider the following comments when considering a response.
In all four Gospels, we can read about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Let us consider and contemplate Jesus’ response to those who were torturing and crucifying him, “Forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
Should we decide to proffer a response to the stories of Eucharistic desecration, let us first forgive the actors and pray for them, for, truly, they know not what they do. Then let us examine our own conscience and ask Jesus if we have always been properly disposed to receive his precious blood and body, lest we be considered hypocrites, since, as practicing Catholics, we do know what we’re doing.
In his latest book, Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict the XVI very articulately resolves the problem of God allowing evil to exist. In his lucid and expansive analysis of the “Our Father,” Pope Benedict correctly states that evil must be present to recognize good, and man must be given the choice to exercise his free will and thus demonstrate his love for God by choosing good and repenting and begging forgiveness when he chooses evil.
As Eucharistic desecration certainly is evil, we must ask ourselves, “Why would God allow this?” Certainly, it is natural to respond to Eucharistic desecration with anger and malice for the actors, but that would violate Jesus’ command to “Stop judging and condemning.” It is much more challenging to respond with love for the actors, who are certainly in need of conversion, repentance, forgiveness, love, and prayers. Additionally, the source of our anger points to our devotion and love of the Eucharist. We need to contemplate the reasons why we love the Eucharist and exhort our fellow Catholics to love the Eucharist and present ourselves properly disposed for reception of Christ’s precious body and blood at Mass.
Brothers, we live in very evil times, and malicious acts against Jesus, Christians, Catholics, and the Eucharist are going to rise, until the pendulum again begins to swing towards a moral culture rooted in mutual love for each other and based upon God’s Law. Until then, we should pray the Rosary daily for the conversion of pagans, who are no longer on a far away continent, but in our neighborhoods and even seated next to us at Sunday Mass.
We should also take comfort in St. Paul’s words from his conclusion of Chapter 5, in the letter to the Romans:
“For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners,
so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
The law entered in so that transgression might increase but,
where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In Unity, Friendship, and True Christian Charity,
Larry Squires
Allegheny County Board & Division 17
Catholic Action Chairman
Dear Brothers in Christ Jesus,
In response to recent stories posted on the Catholic League Web Site regarding Eucharistic Desecration, please consider the following comments when considering a response.
In all four Gospels, we can read about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Let us consider and contemplate Jesus’ response to those who were torturing and crucifying him, “Forgive them father, they know not what they do.”
Should we decide to proffer a response to the stories of Eucharistic desecration, let us first forgive the actors and pray for them, for, truly, they know not what they do. Then let us examine our own conscience and ask Jesus if we have always been properly disposed to receive his precious blood and body, lest we be considered hypocrites, since, as practicing Catholics, we do know what we’re doing.
In his latest book, Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict the XVI very articulately resolves the problem of God allowing evil to exist. In his lucid and expansive analysis of the “Our Father,” Pope Benedict correctly states that evil must be present to recognize good, and man must be given the choice to exercise his free will and thus demonstrate his love for God by choosing good and repenting and begging forgiveness when he chooses evil.
As Eucharistic desecration certainly is evil, we must ask ourselves, “Why would God allow this?” Certainly, it is natural to respond to Eucharistic desecration with anger and malice for the actors, but that would violate Jesus’ command to “Stop judging and condemning.” It is much more challenging to respond with love for the actors, who are certainly in need of conversion, repentance, forgiveness, love, and prayers. Additionally, the source of our anger points to our devotion and love of the Eucharist. We need to contemplate the reasons why we love the Eucharist and exhort our fellow Catholics to love the Eucharist and present ourselves properly disposed for reception of Christ’s precious body and blood at Mass.
Brothers, we live in very evil times, and malicious acts against Jesus, Christians, Catholics, and the Eucharist are going to rise, until the pendulum again begins to swing towards a moral culture rooted in mutual love for each other and based upon God’s Law. Until then, we should pray the Rosary daily for the conversion of pagans, who are no longer on a far away continent, but in our neighborhoods and even seated next to us at Sunday Mass.
We should also take comfort in St. Paul’s words from his conclusion of Chapter 5, in the letter to the Romans:
“For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners,
so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.
The law entered in so that transgression might increase but,
where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In Unity, Friendship, and True Christian Charity,
Larry Squires
Allegheny County Board & Division 17
Catholic Action Chairman
Labels: Catholic Action
posted by Ed Blank at
11:38 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home