Church In Crisis

Strike the shepherds and the sheep will be scattered. Mk. 14:27 

Clearly there is a serious crisis unfolding in the Church today. Among the several words that describe what is taking place the word "scandal" stands out. It is as a vicious blunt hammer striking against a delicate vessel that holds priceless treasures, that fall to the ground and are washed away. If there is any doubt about the seriousness of scandal, the follow scripture quote from Matthew makes it clear. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 18:6-9 With this crisis the Church faces an enormous challenge. Still grappling  with the assaults from a virulent secularism that thrives in the "wild west" environment of the digital age, now this mortal blow of sex abuse scandals.  The Church must now undertake a most vigorous examination of how it has failed in its shepherding responsibility.  A dagger has been thrust into the heart of the Church. What failures allowed such a weapon to gain entrance unnoticed? How much of this is the selling of one's soul to the demon of lust? How much of this is leadership's naive reliance on a confession that has no truth of repentance in it? What role now can the Faithful, shaken but still standing, wounded but desiring to heal, undertake? In Luke chapter 22, we have this encounter between Jesus and Peter. Jesus is foretelling that a crisis is about to hit the disciples. Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Lk. 22:31 Jesus promises to PRAY. Prayer is the foundation upon which any undertaking on behalf of the faith rests. Prayer connects or reconnects us to the Wisdom and Power of God when self reliance has failed us. Let there be no mistaking, the power behind this crisis is the Deceiver. The same Satan that Jesus warns is coming against Peter and the disciples is once again at work against the Church, in all out warfare.  The goal of this blog is to provide resources to aid those who are engage in the practice of prayer. Prayer is the weapon Jesus has placed in our hands to defend ourselves in the spiritual warfare that the church continually faces. Voices hopes to offer support to the prayer of those who will join in this spiritual warfare.

*

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL  Saint Michael Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; may God rebuke him,  we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince  of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

PRAYER OF EXORCISM  In name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. St. Michael the Archangel, illustrious leader of the heavenly army, defend us in the battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of darkness and the spirit of wickedness in high places. Come to the rescue of mankind, whom God has made in His own image and likeness, and purchased from Satan's tyranny at so great a price. Holy Church venerates you as her patron and guardian. The Lord has entrusted to you the task of leading the souls of the redeemed to heavenly blessedness.

Entreat the Lord of peace to cast Satan down under our feet, so as to keep him from further holding man captive and doing harm to the Church. Carry our prayers up to God's throne, that the mercy of the Lord may quickly come and lay hold of the beast, the serpent of old, Satan and his demons, casting him in chains into the abyss, so that he can no longer seduce the nations. amen.

*

A link to the historical background of these prayers to St. Michael the Archangel. *...... LINK ......*

Bishop Robert Barron has two new videos addressing the sex abuse crisis in the Church.  Link to video #1  *...... LINK ......* Link to video #2  *...... LINK ......*

*

D I O C E S E  O F  H A M I L T O N  Protocol and Policy in Cases of Alleged Sexual Misconduct *.......... LINK ..........*

.

Twenty-first Sunday - 2018

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also wish to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:66-71                       Today’s gospel text brings to a close our reflection on chapter six of John’s gospel, which has been our focus these past five Sundays - and it ends in a serious crisis. “Many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” Things started out wonderfully when Jesus feed the large crowd with only five loaves and two fish. When the people saw this, they identified Jesus as the prophet all Israel was waiting for. They were going to make him their king. But Jesus avoided this and left them. The next day Jesus rejoins the crowd who are still looking for him, but now everything is about to change. Jesus tells them that he has come to feed them with the bread of life – they all acclaim, give us this bread. Jesus then announces that he is the bread come down from heaven – the bread he has come to give his flesh to eat. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”. To the Jewish ears there could not be a more repugnant idea – eating human flesh – disgusting, totally pagan and evil. The crisis is struck, and many walk away.  What is striking here is that Jesus does not try to soften his language – explaining “Transubstantiation” – it will still look and taste like real bread. Jesus in no way wants anyone to think of the “Communion Bread” as merely a symbolic recalling of the Last Supper. The Eucharist is Jesus’ flesh and blood. What are we to make of “Many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” in today’s experience? Even though we see the Eucharist still in the form of bread and wine, many people have a problem connecting it to Jesus’ truth flesh and blood. And if all it is is a symbol, why is coming to Mass and receiving Communion all that important?  So many no longer come to this table. Each year at this time the liturgy takes us back to this chapter six of John’s gospel and it does this so that we can examine our position on this profoundly important question regarding the Eucharist. When I take this Eucharist into my hands and then eat it, what am I thinking? Is my body and Jesus body now becoming one - a true and mystical "Union"? We are living in a time of crisis in the Church - a crisis of faith. What will get us through this crisis?  "The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. Butthere are some of you who do not believe." "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." Faith is after all a work of grace. There is a plan to be sure, and when it is revealed the Eucharist will be at the centre of it.

.

Becoming A Small Boy

BECOMING A SMALL BOY? Ah, but here it is again as it was before The need to feed the many. Yes Lord but how can this be done now They are so many, many, and more? Is there a small boy among you Who has five loaves and two fish? I am one such Lord, for you have made me so Even my fish are smaller as are these loaves. Indeed you are, and for this I formed you Each passing year from grown man to a small boy. Now you are ready for such a service Only the humble and small can fulfill. Bring them to me. And Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ... Matthew 18:3

.

Twentieth Sunday - 2018

In a previous post I reflected on the reasons why we go to Mass. In the liturgy we transcend time and space to join the people encountering Jesus for the first time; listening to him, reacting to what he is saying and doing. Now in the liturgy it is our turn to add our response.  Click the picture for the LINK.

.

Nineteenth Sunday - 2018

The past few Sundays our focus in the gospel has been on chapter 6 of John and the mystery of Jesus as the bread of life. If there is one thing we may be certain of it is the absolute necessity of food for life. No bread no life. We also understand the way food works in our body – we ingest the bread, then it is changed and absorbed into our bodies – this is known as metabolism – and the bread become us. We also know that in the spiritual world we cannot of our own effort rise up into heaven and see God – to discover who God really is. But God wants us to know him, so God chose to come to us – to take on a body the same as ours, so that we could see Him, listen to Him, learn all about Him. Yet God wanted even more than that – God wanted to have a deep, personal, loving union with us – an intimate communion with him – person to person. So God became flesh and dwells among us in Jesus. Now in Jesus this union with God can take place. St. John of the Cross, a profound mystic and teacher of the spiritual life, describes this total union with Jesus in a poem; the title of the poem is The Dark Night. In his poem John describe how in secret he steels away in the night from his compound to go and rendezvous with his beloved waiting his coming – the lover and his beloved unite. The poem reads; Upon a darkened night The flame of love was burning in my breast And by a lantern bright I fled my house while all in quiet rest Shrouded by the night And by the secret stair I quickly fled The veil concealed my eyes While all within lay quiet as the dead Oh night thou was my guide Oh night more loving than the rising sun Oh night that joined the lover To the beloved one Transforming each of them into the other But how was this communion of God and man to be seen so that everyone could understand it and experience it? Jesus chose a perfect way. Jesus gives us a simple sign, one we all know very well – bread – food and body and life; a common sign but now to become a sign of a profound mystery. Jesus transforms bread into His body so that when we consume this bread the two of us become one body – Jesus in me and I in Jesus (Transforming each of us into the other) I brought communion to someone in the Villa Friday, and as she received the host into her mouth she exclaimed. “Oh how beautifully sweet this communion is in my mouth, Jesus I love you.” It is Jesus who causes this communion of persons to happen, we have only one part to play – to come with the eyes of faith to see, to see through the dark night, to see our lover. As we will hear in the gospel readings for the next couple of Sundays people complained about what Jesus was offering them. Faith had not yet come to them. And in our day as well so many no longer are coming to this table to eat the Bread of Union with God because of the same lack of faith – a dark night is overtaking many these days. But thank God, like John of the Cross, with the eyes of faith we will see through the dark night of doubt and will come to this table and see he who is our lover – and here each of us will become the other.

Link to Audio Version of the 

Dark Night

Songbird

I awoke one morning To the sounds of a songbird singing Just outside of my window. So beautiful was its song That my spirits were sent souring within me Raising me up out of the dark place that encaged me. Each new morning that followed began with this messenger’s song And the peace that it brought me was a  light for that day. Yet a hidden fear lay buried deep with me Which would whisper to me in the night - what if . . . . Then one morning I was awakened by silence Loud and painful as only aloneness can hear; And so it was, the next day and the next, and more. Resigned to the sound of darkness I expected nothing more When suddenly I awoke to that beautiful voice calling again. My Songbird had returned. Quickly joy and fear conspired, and a plan was plotted. I captured my messenger of joy with gentle hands A place within my walls I had crafted to encage it With every comfort a songbird could ever want. And I retired that night in confidence of my own making. The next morning, I awoke – not to songs but silence My captive messenger but fluttering its wings as if to fly While I pleaded for its song again and again. It did not take many days of silence for me to accept I must free my silent captive and give it flight. That night I retired once again into my darkness The songs with their messages of joy and peace now gone My days would begin with only myself alone as guide. During the night an angel visited my dreams To retell in plain words the lesson I seemed unable to grasp. “God’s messenger is a gift freely given to those who seek true freedom Encaged you will remain as long as you believe in cages. You fail to understand the songbird I sent you Is My Song of Truth to free you Free you from the cages your self-will  wantonly constructs Wherein you try to capture the peace your heart so desires.” Startled, I awoke to the Songbird singing yet again And its message which now I can hear with the ears  of an understanding heart. Now I pray not with words, rather with wings. “Come fly with me now and I will take you there To where your true heart will be found And to where He is waiting.”

Peter's Sinking Faith

Link to a previous post

.

Eighteenth Sunday - 2018

Link to Bishop Robert Barron's Homily for this Sunday

.

Jesus Family Members

Gospel for Friday August 3rd. - 2018 Jesus came to his native place  and taught the people  in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. Mtt. 13:54-58 For more on how these names mentioned are actually related to Jesus go to this ...... [... LINK ...]

.