Is the
Catholic Church dead? After all, it is
not been able to stem the tide against traditional marriage in such places as
the United States and the once-very-Catholic Ireland. Even many Catholics are
ignoring her teachings.
Catholic Church dead? After all, it is
not been able to stem the tide against traditional marriage in such places as
the United States and the once-very-Catholic Ireland. Even many Catholics are
ignoring her teachings.
“Many are
saying the Church is dead or on life support,” Fr.
John Riccardo pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, MI said
during his homily on the heels of the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage.
It would seem, he
said, that while not dead, perhaps the Church is sick and hemorrhaging. But like the woman who hemorrhaged for 12
years and only needed to touch the cloak of Jesus to be healed, according to
Fr. Riccardo, we too need Jesus because he is the answer, not an
answer, and he is the truth, not a truth.
saying the Church is dead or on life support,” Fr.
John Riccardo pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, MI said
during his homily on the heels of the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage.
It would seem, he
said, that while not dead, perhaps the Church is sick and hemorrhaging. But like the woman who hemorrhaged for 12
years and only needed to touch the cloak of Jesus to be healed, according to
Fr. Riccardo, we too need Jesus because he is the answer, not an
answer, and he is the truth, not a truth.
“But before
we go out and tell people this, we must be convinced of it ourselves first,” he
said. “That means asking ourselves what
does it mean to be Catholic during these times?” He recalled that in the Gospel
of John, many followers of Christ turned away when his teachings on the
Eucharist became too hard for them.
Jesus then turned to his apostles and asked, “Are you going to
leave me also?” Peter answered, ““Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.”
we go out and tell people this, we must be convinced of it ourselves first,” he
said. “That means asking ourselves what
does it mean to be Catholic during these times?” He recalled that in the Gospel
of John, many followers of Christ turned away when his teachings on the
Eucharist became too hard for them.
Jesus then turned to his apostles and asked, “Are you going to
leave me also?” Peter answered, ““Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.”
In the Church’s teaching on
marriage and in all things, Fr. John stated that Jesus has the words of eternal
life and he is the only real remedy in the world. “Are we
disciples of Jesus or not?” he asked. “Are
we fans or are we followers? Do we
happen to believe a few Christian things or do we really believe Jesus? Have we
for real, put him first? Are we really
convinced that the Gospel is more, and not less; that it is a better way to
live?
marriage and in all things, Fr. John stated that Jesus has the words of eternal
life and he is the only real remedy in the world. “Are we
disciples of Jesus or not?” he asked. “Are
we fans or are we followers? Do we
happen to believe a few Christian things or do we really believe Jesus? Have we
for real, put him first? Are we really
convinced that the Gospel is more, and not less; that it is a better way to
live?
“Times are
going to get hard for those who are disciples of Jesus.” Fr. Riccardo
said. He warned that we are going to
suffer, in lots of ways for being on the wrong side of history. ‘We are
going to learn in this country, perhaps for the first time, that there is a
cost for discipleship and the cross is real, and that it’s heavy,” he said. “The temptation in the days ahead
is going to be cowardice. We are
probably going to get smaller. But we
don’t hate; we love. We love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, and souls, and
we love our neighbor as our self. And
because we love our neighbor, we preach the Gospel, in it’s entirety; in season
and out of season; convenient or inconvenient.”
going to get hard for those who are disciples of Jesus.” Fr. Riccardo
said. He warned that we are going to
suffer, in lots of ways for being on the wrong side of history. ‘We are
going to learn in this country, perhaps for the first time, that there is a
cost for discipleship and the cross is real, and that it’s heavy,” he said. “The temptation in the days ahead
is going to be cowardice. We are
probably going to get smaller. But we
don’t hate; we love. We love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, and souls, and
we love our neighbor as our self. And
because we love our neighbor, we preach the Gospel, in it’s entirety; in season
and out of season; convenient or inconvenient.”
During this
time, according to him, we must understand what it means to truly be Catholic. To understand what it means, he explained
that when someone wants to come into full communion in the Church, he must be
wiling to state with conviction: “I believe and profess all that the Catholic Church
believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”
time, according to him, we must understand what it means to truly be Catholic. To understand what it means, he explained
that when someone wants to come into full communion in the Church, he must be
wiling to state with conviction: “I believe and profess all that the Catholic Church
believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”
Fr. Riccardo
closed by asking: “Which one will we be? Will we be the crowd,
or will we be Peter? Will we stay close to Jesus always? May God give us the courage to do so.”
closed by asking: “Which one will we be? Will we be the crowd,
or will we be Peter? Will we stay close to Jesus always? May God give us the courage to do so.”
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Art: Mary Magdalene reaches out for the risen Christ; he points away. Engraving by W. Walker, c. 1760, after P. da Cortona, Iconographic Collections
