I've been saying this for years! It is time for the church to go on the offensive in trying to answer its critics. Failure to do so is counted not in convictions or cases but in souls lost to God. At least the latest set of attacks have brought some Bishops into the public square to defend the faith and its leaders.
Still not enough though. Bishops Collins (Toronto), Smith (Edmonton) and Henry (Calgary) have set the example that their brother priests need to follow. PLEASE PRAY that more Canadian Bishops will find the courage to do the same.
Fr. Tim
Catholics' ties to church tested by crisis
Still not enough though. Bishops Collins (Toronto), Smith (Edmonton) and Henry (Calgary) have set the example that their brother priests need to follow. PLEASE PRAY that more Canadian Bishops will find the courage to do the same.
Fr. Tim
Catholics' ties to church tested by crisis
OK Tim, go on the offensive. What do you offer people in your community that they can't better get from somebody else? Friends. Family. Significant other.
ReplyDeletereddog: Friends, family and others can all be agents of grace and peace. So too can the church. It is not so much a question of 'better', it's a question of 'more' - more grace received through the sacraments, more healing, more peace, more knowledge, more community. These are all good. Why would we not want 'more' of all these things. Insofar as the Church is true to its commission to be the visible presence of the Body of Christ, it can be the source of much 'more' for any Christian.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps to explain what I mean by going on the offensive.
Fr. Tim
More-
ReplyDeleteMore misogyny and Gay hatred. More telling married couples that the hopes and aspirations that they have for their families are sin and must be jettisoned in favor of of the dictates of a mincing little Bavarian wiener wagger.
When it comes to the Church, the question people are asking themselves is not whether they need more of anything it has to offer.
"...it's a question of 'more'..."
ReplyDeleteIt's also a question of "different." As in perspective.
Sometimes, help from a stranger/outsider* is more important than the same help from a family member, because a family member is supposed to help you, but a stranger is doing so because that's what fills him.
*Not that clergy are exactly strangers, but they have no personal vested interest. I'm looking for a word, here, and it would appear that -- for a rarity -- I'm stuck. But I'm having one of those days... ;D
Thanks Fr. Tim for being a voice of inspiration and encouragement. I hope that many bishops in Canada and further abroad will take up the challenge!
ReplyDelete