Because I have Faith...

The other day I was watching the evening news and they ran a story on a Priest and a Nun who years ago after they took their vows, they wed. It was like a car accident that I didn't want to look at but could not avert my eyes. I walked away from the television feeling like I wanted to rant but I needed to collect my thoughts before I blogged about this.

I recently read in "Following Christ in the World" by Seton Press this: "All men and women are called to the universal priesthood of the faithful by virtue of their baptism. All of the baptized can participate in the sacrifice of the Mass and receive the sacrificial Victim in the Holy Communion. All Catholics should stand in awe of this great privilege and thank God that He has called some men to receive the power to renew the covenant for us."

This all being said... someone told me the other day that they think the Catholic Church needs to "get with the times" and Priests should be allowed to marry. They went on to tell me that they thought the Church would eventually be dry of Priests unless something is done by way of Priests being able to marry.

Let me get this straight... times are a changin' and therefore the Church has to bend? Correct me if I am wrong but it looks to me that the change that is happening in our world have come about through sin, because of sin, and a result of sin.

I about tossed my shoe through my television when this "priest" on the news made the claim that we have all heard... the Church would not be having so many priests abusing children if they would only be allowed to marry. First of all, I am a warrior when it comes to abused children. I will fight and protect any child I know-or any adult that I know who has been abused as a child-until the day I take my last breath. This is not something I take lightly and I firmly believe that if a person abuses a precious child... a little lamb, they they deserve to be punished to the fullest. Here on earth and how God sees after death. I say that so you understand when I say "HA!" that you do not think I am undermining what children have gone through-in and out of the Church. But, correct me if I am wrong... but there are pedophiles that are married are there not? There are pedophiles who are leaders in other religious churches and there are pedophiles who are school teachers, bus drivers, youth ministers, uncles, grandfathers, and fathers. Do I believe that priests will be judged more severely because of their sins here on earth? Yes... Fr. D has always said that the road to hell is paved with the skulls of priests. This is because a priest holds the sins of their Church on their shoulders. Remember, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my bothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." James 3:1

We need to pray for our Priests. They are married to the Church and they have devoted their lives to our salvation. Just as I fast in order to teach myself to control my desires to demonstrate my love for God, so a Priest practices the fast which is celibacy. It is a wholesome and pure thing that is incredibly difficult in the world that surrounds them. We need to realize that this is not an easy fast and that it is a lifelong lesson of discipline that offers these chosen men the ability to be completely devoted to Our Lord and to offer complete concentration on the Will of God.

To read more about this, the article The Truth, the Young, and Married Priests http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=2043 is a great read.

Too often we look for things that will make us more comfortable with our sins rather than taking on the courage to stand for what we believe and for what is right in this world. We all sin, we all make dramatic mistakes... I pray that we all discover the meaning to God's Word in our lives. Proverbs 4:20-27 basically tells us to Look straight ahead and fix our eyes on what lies before us. To mark out a straight path for our feet and stick to it. Don't get sidetracked.

You are all in my prayers
~Blessings, Cris