Snapshot of the Catholic Blogosphere
Today I was reading a rather uncharitable post at another blog and I was particularly struck by one of the comments in response.
A previous commentor had said something along the lines of "people that don't agree with us don't belong in the Church." (yeah, heard that one a few thousand times)
To which the following commentor emphatically agreed "got that right," and then went on to say:
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday everyone!
A previous commentor had said something along the lines of "people that don't agree with us don't belong in the Church." (yeah, heard that one a few thousand times)
To which the following commentor emphatically agreed "got that right," and then went on to say:
Happy Divine Mercy Sunday everyone!
posted by Mark Mossa, SJ at 8:32 PM
7 Comments:
Somehow I think the "irony" that your post alludes to was lost on the commenters in question...to state the obvious, I suppose....
Wow, it really does the heart of a brand new Catholic (me) good to read such stuff...to state the facetious....
This is why the Catholic blogosphere needs a presupposition -- "let it be presupposed that every good [blogger] is to be more ready to save his neighbor's proposition than to condemn it. If he cannot save it, let him inquire how he means it; and if he means it badly, let him correct him with charity. If that is not enough, let him seek all the suitable means to bring him to mean it well, and save himself."
Bridget,
Sounds like someone I know!
(I think I'm gonna like you! :))
Divine Mercy flows in the direction toward those who need it most, even if they don't realize how much mercy they need.
You have to remember, mercy is defined as being treated better than they deserve. In this case if they can't imagine a church big enough for everyone then they need a lot of mercy.
Maggie
Well said Maggie, well said!
The priest at my parish did a very good job of pointing out that we don't get to hop on to the Divine Mercy bus unless we're willing to be merciful ourselves. Or, as my Jesuit savior Tom Weston says, "A lot of us are in trouble if God truly forgives us our tresspasses as we forgive others."
Other than that, the irony of the comment reminds me of way back in 1986, when I heard my assistant tell someone that she was going to a "Hands Across America" BBQ.
:: sigh :: I tend to like Rocco's moniker --- the "love challenged."
So much of this (and I'm including myself in this as much as anyone else) is about feeling better about oneself, "that one has got it right" or "one believes the right thing" and especially, "thank you Lord that I'm not like that tax collector over there!"
Here's Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the Papal Household preacher, on the gift of faith, from his commentary for Divine Mercy Sunday. The criticism of nonbelievers and dialogue with them, when carried out in respect and reciprocal loyalty, are very useful to us. Above all they make us humble. They oblige us to take note that faith is not a privilege or an advantage for anyone. We cannot impose it or demonstrate it, but only propose it and show it with our life. "What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift?" says St. Paul (1 Corinthians 4:7). In the end, faith is a gift, not a merit, and as all gifts it can only be lived in gratitude and humility.
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