tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post4465272009256106272..comments2024-03-28T20:30:10.681-04:00Comments on southern orders: PRE-VATICAN II CHURCH WAS WAY MORE INCLUSIVE THAN ANY PROGRESSIVE OR CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATION-EMPHASIZED PARISH TODAYFr. Allan J. McDonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16986575955114152639noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7846189835239594160.post-8946021870257614242018-02-17T13:25:54.413-05:002018-02-17T13:25:54.413-05:00Bee here:
There is a young man (in his 20's) ...Bee here:<br /><br />There is a young man (in his 20's) whom I see occasionally at St. John Cantius in Chicago. He is literally covered in tattoos: his face, head (he wears his head almost bald), arms, legs (I saw him in shorts). His appearance is repulsive.<br /><br />When he is in church, his remorse and devotion to God is so evident. He barely lifts his eyes above the floor. When in the pew, his head is bowed profoundly all during Mass. I have seen him in line for confession, and as I mentioned, he processed and prayed the rosary in several (perhaps all) of the special rosary processions held by St. John's though the streets of Chicago in honor of Our Lady of Fatima this past summer.<br /><br />Whenever I see his young man, my heart is moved to pity, and tears even come to my eyes. I beg our Lord to give him abundant graces, and help him, and grant him whatever forgiveness he seeks, and bring him close to His heart. Our Lord even used his physical appearance to teach me a lesson about sin. A thought came to me regarding this young man's tattoos: how will he ever get those off? My answer: He won't. And then I realized that is how my sin is on my soul, like permanent ugly marks that seemed fun and great at the time I did them, but now, not so much. Only with sin, no one else sees those marks but God and me. So I can skate around like a goodie-two-shoes without anyone knowing the depth of my sinfulness, or just how hideously marked up I am. And I can have those ugly sins removed in the confessional. But this young man wears the marks of his life on his body for everyone to see, and will have to go through many painful treatments to try to remove them, if they can even be removed at all. And the sight of him is hideous.<br /><br />I say all this because of Father McD's post about flaunting of sin in church, and the pretense that it is inclusive to "welcome" all sinners, and invite them to "be themselves" even in their unrepented sinfulness. If this young man set his jaw and strode to the front pew, threw down his backpack, and looked around defiantly, challenging everyone who stared at him and his appearance, I would not feel pity for him, or want to pray for him. I would wonder, "What trouble are YOU bringing here?" If he behaved as if he was there to force the rest of us into an "attitude adjustment" of acceptance of him as he was, with no sense of remorse or shame, I doubt he would get much compassion.<br /><br />I think it is so interesting how the devil is twisting our religious beliefs and mocking us in our own churches with the lies of "inclusiveness" and "acceptance." These sure are very challenging times to be Catholic.<br /><br />God bless. <br />BeeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com