JMJ
The infighting between so called conservative and liberal Catholics must stop. Traditional Latin Mass and Novus Ordo must come together as one Church. The Mass said in Latin, English, Spanish, Polish, German, Chinese, French, Swahili, Japanese. . .is the Mass. We are Catholics and we, at this time in History, have greater threats to the Kingdom of God than how many times we kneel at Mass. A Kingdom divided cannot stand. This is not to say “anything goes,” for example we must fight to:
- abolish abortion
- welcome the refugee
- end the death penalty
- protect the family (people may live as they will, but we cannot be made to deny reality)
- include the marginalized (and as Pope Francis reminds us, those who have been pushed off the page)
- seek justice regardless of race, religion, or social class
- heal the rift in our Church
- feed the hungry
- give drink to the thirsty
- clothe the naked
- shelter the homeless
- visit the sick
- visit the imprisoned
- bury the dead
- care for our common home (a quaint little planet known as “Earth”)
- preach the Gospel always, if necessary, use words (St. Francis of Assisi).
How are we to spread the word of God, the message of love, if we are constantly attacking each other? Jesus said, “By this all men shall know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
How are we to attract people to the Gospel if we have people in the Church who flagrantly despise our spiritual father Pope Francis, Liberals attacking Church doctrine demanding God accept contraception and advocating the murder of innocent babies in the womb, and conservatives who seem to think the Second Commandment of God is the right to bear arms? Whatever happened to “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic?”
WE ARE CATHOLIC BROTHERS AND SISTERS! and we should behave thus! We need now, perhaps more than ever, to unify. While we fight each other, our Churches are set ablaze, statues of saints, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and, I am horrified to say, even Jesus Christ Himself are desecrated and beheaded. Laity attack the clergy. The Clergy attack Bishops and even the Pope. Protestant are joining the Church and “shading our doctrine” based on their teaching and, yes, protestant tradition. I do not doubt their sincerity of heart, but we are all products of our upbringing.
We flounder and blaming our shortcomings on our Priests and Bishops justify our laziness and cowardice in the idea that righting the wrongs of the world is somebody else’s job.
I cannot recount how many people I have heard complain, Priests and Bishops “don’t denounce abortion enough in their homilies,” as though the people who actually condescend to show up at Church don’t already hate this crime against humanity. So here is the question: Do we go to Church to praise and show our love of God, or do we go to Church for self-affirmation?
There are over 50 million Catholics in the United State and in an election year. We must evangelize each other with love and patience, select candidates that support the Catholic Social Agenda (here is a link to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, 7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching), we must find a third party candidate (check out this Christian Democratic Party: The American Solidarity Party ), or, perhaps, an independent candidate and vote for him or her, even if you have to write her in.
I have had enough of choosing between:
- the lesser of two evils
- the evils of two lessers
- Coca Cola or Pepsi
- Burger King or McDonald’s
- Democrat or Republican
Maybe the time has come to form a Catholic Party. Even if such a party is not viable, with 51 million Catholics, it will be at least enough to scare the devil out of the Reps. and Dems. and may even drive the conversation. That is, if we are unified. We may even consider calling it the “Sherwood Forest Party.” With Jesus Christ as our Robin Hood, we could be His “Mary Men” and “Maids Marian.” TOTUS TUUS MARIA!
Part jest and deadly serious, I think the time has come to change the game and We the People, of the Catholic Church, are just the ones to do it.
God Bless,
Love,
Erik F. Kreis
Slave to the Handmaiden of the Lord
Let us pray:
O Almighty Father, we implore you, through the most Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us to be poor, to mourn, to be meek, to be merciful, and pure of heart. Let us hunger and thirst for righteousness and peace for love of You and neighbor regardless of what persecution it may bring. Please loving Father, remind us that we are mere dust and ash, made from nothingness and but for your love would return to nothingness. Teach us not merely to love, but to be love that we may immersed in your Holy Spirit and through Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ live in the way of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which our souls magnify Thee O Lord, and our spirits rejoice in Thee O Lord. That we may know Thee, love Thee, serve Thee in this life, and be eternally happy with Thee in the next.
Amen.
May Almighty God bless you; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
For Lourdes Sake 