"I only know it is God's Will and all that is to happen. But I do want to say that there is no reason to fear, because the Blessed Mother does not want faith to come from fear. That faith does not last. There is no reason to fear.""Pray for priests, stop judging and criticizing them, If we judge we will also be judged...Americans think they are the worst in the world but I have only the best to say about pilgrims from the U.S. They have an excellent culture of behavior and do so many things very well."
"I'm allowed only to report the words that Mary gives to me, I have no right to speak on them, but I think they are clear."
6 comments :
Of course, while not judging priests, constructive criticism and fraternal correction are often necessary. As I mentioned here, constructive criticism has its place within the Church:
http://lasalettejourney.
blogspot.com/2006/03/canon-
212-and-constructive-criticism.html
As for fear of the Lord, such can be a good thing. A salutary fear of the Lord is necessary for salvation. But such fear is more akin to the fear and reverence we show [or should] to our earthly fathers.
Ecclesiasticus 7:31 exhorts us, "With all thy soul fear the Lord, and reverence his priests."
And Our Lord taught us, "But I will show you whom you shall fear: fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him." (Luke 12:4,5).
Saint Catherine of Sienna (in he Dialogue) said that those who [and this includes priests as well as laity] will not give or receive correction are like limbs beginning to rot.
read "her Dialogue" above.
I'm a bit concerned about this message. We have an "excellent culture of behavior" here in America? How does one reconcile such a statement with our culture of abortion-on-demand and attempts to legalize homosexual "marriage"? How about the roughly 80 percent of "Catholic" couples who contracept? Or those who have simply abandoned the sacraments of the Church? I could go on but you get the idea.
Without wishing in any way to judge anyone's moral culpability, I have to say this woman's statement is just alarming.
What does everyone else think? Just expressing my view from the pew. I don't see American culture as anything close to "excellent" or exemplary anymore. It used to be. But now?
All of your points are valid William. Indeed American culture is in crisis. But we must strive to understand where this young lady is coming from as we consider her words.
She writes (in part), "Americans think they are the worst in the world but I have only the best to say about pilgrims from the U.S. They have an excellent culture of behavior and do so many things very well."
Here she is plainly speaking about "pilgrims from the U.S." who naturally would tend to be more devout than most Catholics and more serious about their Catholic Faith. This is the milieu in which she lives and operates.
I do not think that she is attempting to suggest anything about the broader American culture in her statement. Such is outside of her province.
William,
She sees the Americans who go to Medjugoria, not the ones in Congress, or in Hollywood.
More on that salutary fear I was speaking of:
http://www.zenit.org/article-22970?l=english
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