Journeying together
The Synod on Synodality poses apt questions regarding journeying together. I chose to attend the traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in my college years and remain committed to that choice because nowhere else have I found completeness in journeying together. The Diocese of Richmond parish of my youth, my collegiate parish and my local parish did not communicate a journey’s existence, much less its togetherness.
My mother’s homeschool catechesis, often cobbled unwittingly from pre-1960s sources, provided that missing element among many others. The message I receive from the Mass, as offered in non-Latin Mass parishes, is we celebrate arriving at our destination.
Many priests strive to preach the Gospel through homilies. However, priests primarily preach the Gospel through how they offer the Mass. Action speaks louder than words.
The sweeping actions of “Traditiones Custodes” bloc journeying together. Where was the dialogue or journeying with TLM communities by bishops around the world before they were told to shut up and close immediately?
The TLM makes clear the long arduous journey of daily carrying the Cross laid ahead of me. The goal of the journey within Catholicism is Heaven and the narrow path that of growing in virtue.
The TLM community zealously encourages me along my particular via crucis. With joy, I cannot help but strive to reciprocate. I hope to develop to the point of evangelization, but I struggle against many years of unintentional malformation. Where else may I find fellow pilgrims? – Timothy Olmsted, Farmville
Clergy must speak against ‘abortion on demand’
Before the Roe vs. Wade decision, Roman Catholic Church bishops consistently opposed abortion on moral grounds. However, they have continued to ignore the radical democrat, political/social policy of “abortion on demand.” This policy is morally degenerate. It is based on a philosophy that an unborn child can be destroyed at any time for any reason.
Abortion may be legal, but it is not legally mandated. The Biden/Democrat administration has made “abortion on demand” a mandated, social/political/cultural dogma. Anyone openly opposing their policy risks being publicly vilified. Moreover, they want taxpayers to finance all abortions.
Unscrupulous politicians have made pregnancy the mother’s responsibility, have made the unborn child’s father role irrelevant, and have preached that the unborn child is not really or legally a human being.
Marriage has long been considered a social and religious blessing for the man and the woman who willingly accept each other as life partners. Christians recognize and respect husband and wife as co-generators of new life. We believe the aspect of marriage imparts an imitation of divinity to the union. Today’s radical Democrats have spurned and denied this aspect and its responsibility.
The policy of “abortion on demand” must be strongly opposed by both the Christian laity and the clergy. Vigorous opposition has come from the laity; we are waiting for widespread and vigorous vocal and written opposition from all clergy. – Robert J. Mack, Hampton
Repair what is broken by focusing on future
Mark Pattison’s article, “How to bridge Church’s racial divide” (Catholic Virginian, Oct. 18), articulately describes our shameful history of slavery. While his narrative about reparations is fairly balanced, his solutions are limited. House bills, discussions and apologies for the past simply kick the can down the road.
The article says “63% of Blacks favored education and job training as a form of reparations” and continues with “Reparations mean repair – healing what has been broken.” Why not repair what is broken by focusing on the future instead of the past, as the majority of Blacks have requested?
A high school in Louisiana struggled with constant violence impacting the learning environment and often landing the students in jail. Seeing how consequences didn’t work, a group of dads got together and began volunteering to simply be present on campus throughout the day and develop friendly, caring relationships with the students.
They made “Dads on Duty” T-shirts and gently mentored those who crossed their paths. The violent behavior dropped dramatically in a few weeks as the young men and women began actively seeking out the visible role models who encouraged and joked around with them.
The article also mentions the Sisters of the Sacred Heart – also in Louisiana – who “have begun efforts to make amends for their role in slavery.” Sounds like wonderful networking potential!
Our government should decide how much to allocate and put it toward programs that actually improve the lives of those who need the most help. We can’t change the past, but we certainly have the power to create a positive future for the descendants of the enslaved. – Cecilia Thomas, Mechanicsville
CV has succumbed to ‘racial divide nonsense’
How sad that The Catholic Virginian as well as the Church leadership has succumbed to the manufactured racial divide nonsense brought to us by politicians who have used it — and continue to do so — to further their own ends.
Real racial progress had been made, despite the obstacles put in place by Democrats (the original and continuing slave holders) subsequent to the Civil War, until the so-called War on Poverty, which was passed for votes (per LBJ) and effectively destroyed the Black community, compounded by the corruption of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Please do some homework and check into the works of Shelby Steele, Jason Riley and Thomas Sowell, among others. – P. A. Melita, Charlottesville
We’re failing to see vocations before us
On Sunday, Oct. 24, as I listened to the reading from Mark’s Gospel about the healing of Bartimaeus, I was inspired to write. Perhaps because it was vision that was restored to Bartimaeus, a series of mental pictures flipped through my mind:
Sacred Heart, NY: An elderly pastor citing his sixth Mass for the weekend, imploring us to pray for vocations and making the point that “the faithful” are being denied desired access to the sacraments by the death of priests.
Williamsburg, VA: Two local churches blessed with wonderful and talented deacons assisting at Mass and in our church ministries.
Trinity Church, CA: An incredibly thought-provoking homily about the bravery of Mary in accepting God’s offer, a homily made more compelling by the passion of the Episcopal minister in her chasuble and surplice.
I have often shared frustration of others at the critical but constrained roles for women and married men in our Church, but not until that Sunday had it struck me as a potential moral failing if we Catholics are allowing access to the sacraments and priestly ministry to be limited by a failure to see the vocations right before us — not only among our already serving religious, but also in the “missing” young Catholics who have sought fuller vocations in other Christian faiths.
Perhaps the original apostles were all male. They were also Jewish, mostly fishermen, and none, to my knowledge, had any physical disability. Like Bartimaeus, do we need Jesus to cure our “blindness” so that we see the much greater apostolic work which could be accomplished if we only “saw” all those vocations right before us? – Virginia Carey, Richmond
Columnist’s answer was incomplete
While Father Doyle’s answers to the question of women’s ordination (Catholic Virginian, Oct. 4) is certainly correct, I fear it leaves the impression that the Church’s refusal to ordain women as priests is simply historical and leaves out the underlying and critical theological reasons.
The priest stands sacramentally “in persona Christi” — in the very person of Christ — not merely in his name. St. Thomas Aquinas in his “Summa Theologica IV” points to the need for the priest to have a “natural resemblance” to Christ, who was a man, a requirement clearly understood since the earliest Church.
Christ’s gender is not simply an accident of the Incarnation, like his hair or eye color. Additionally, the Church is the bride of Christ, a relationship in which gender clearly matters. Without these theological foundations, the Church would have little basis in insisting she has no authority to ordain women. – Ralph Shawver, North Tazewell
As Body of Christ, bring Jesus to the world
The Catholic Virginian (Nov. 1) reported that a large percentage of Catholics do not in believe Jesus really present in the Eucharist so that we may bring Jesus really present to the world.
We become the Body of Christ we receive to bring, in compassion and love, Jesus to the suffering and hurts of life in the world. “As often as you did it for one of my least brothers (sisters), you did it for me” (Mt 25:40).
There is a real connection in seeing Jesus present and in bringing Jesus to the world. As St. Augustine said centuries ago, “Become what you receive.” Becoming the Body of Christ is not just a head trip in which we believe, but it is to be lived in activity from the heart. It means real action bringing Jesus to the world.
If we are not the active, dynamic Body of Christ to the world, then perhaps our belief in the real presence in the Eucharist is not what it should be. – Father Louis R. Benoit, Roanoke
Reasons to have faith in the real presence
Thank you to The Catholic Virginian (Nov. 1) for reporting the concern of bishops about doubt among professed Catholics in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Since I did not see any reasons offered to have faith in the real presence, I offer some here:
First, the Gospels say that Jesus said so at the Last Supper, that he offered Mass again with the disciples on the way to Emmaus; and we have numerous witnesses through the centuries to the theological truth of the Gospels, including that of frequent appearances of Mary, the martyrs, saints, theologians, medical professionals and many scientists. We believe in obedience to God’s revelation and command, not because of any emotion or manipulations of our own.
Secondly, the fruits, gifts and works of the Spirit show that Christ is in those who receive in faith his body and blood at Mass.
Thirdly, Jesus’ presence is consistent with the mystery of our own life, which we often take for granted. When we eat, drink or oil our skin, it becomes us because it does our will. In the same way, we know that Jesus is present in the Eucharist because it achieves his will through us.
Our intent at Mass has such power because we are made in the image of God, and God is our life. – Joseph D. Rudmin, Harrisonburg
Understanding real presence
Dr. Scott Hahn does a far better job of explaining the bread and wine‘s transubstantiation at Mass — and the Last Supper — to the body and blood of Jesus than any priest or CCD teacher I’ve had in 61 years.
He delves into the Old and New Testament as well as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas in free You- Tube videos. If the bishops want a good place to start, I suggest his lectures become part of the confirmation classes. Before age 7 we believe because we’re told to, by 13 we rightly question everything.
If we are not teaching the biblical basis from Old Testament to New Testament of why it becomes the body and blood then we’ve denied our 7,000-year history and all God the Father’s prep work before sending his Son to fulfill the law. – Steve Restaino, Chesapeake
Readers shouldn’t question Father Doyle’s spirituality
I lead a very busy life, so sometimes I do not have the time to read The Catholic Virginian from front to back. But I always make sure I take time to read Father Doyle’s “Questions and Answers” column.
I have learned more Catholic theology and spirituality from him than I have from all the other sources made available to me. So it saddened me to see letters to the editor questioning his spirituality.
The Book of Proverbs (24:16) tells us, “Even a good man sins seven times,” which means none of us are perfect and all of us “fall short of the glory of God.” Once we do fall short, the test, it seems to me, is what we do next. Do we try to justify our mistake, or do we behave in a penitent manner?
The issue in question was a letter to Father Doyle regarding a “disruptive woman at Mass.” He says in a subsequent column he regretted his response, that he was sorry, and he added words of comfort to his apology.
What more could a decent human being do? It seems to me his apology should be sufficient and that there would be no need to attack his integrity.
Perhaps those letter writers should look within and try to determine the cause of such anger toward a pious and caring priest. – Joseph Swonk, Dunnsville