This
is a very moving article, written with great sincerity, straight from the heart.
Even if we may not agree with everything in the article, we should be willing,
with the utmost respect and charity, to hear voices like
this.
How would Jesus re-act to this mother's plea?
I'm sure he would immediately give
this dear mother the warmest hug she'd ever experienced.
And this dear mother's words might well be a way forward for making the Church
more welcoming:
"Let
us open our doors of God’s church and welcome everyone without discrimination;
let Jesus do the rest.
Let’s help Our Lord’s kingdom come, so that His will can be done. Let Him
feed, medicate, nourish and love.
Let Him be the potter. If the
clay is not of good quality, then let Him decide"
John W
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012-06-29
by
‘A Weathered Cracked Pot’
A
Mother's Plea
I
am a practicing Catholic who loves Our Lord like no other, I am also a wife,
mother and grandmother and very proud of my family whom I cherish very much and
thank God for his abundant generosity in giving me so very much – I am truly
blessed. I could be any one of those parishioners’ sitting in church on a
Sunday. I am just another face in
the crowd. Considering oneself a
‘cracked pot’, I believe to be very fitting, firstly because my reflection
portrays quite a few wrinkles (or laughter lines as one would prefer), and
secondly, because of life’s
lessons and knocks; mind you, I am proud of my cracks.
To
actually sit down and write this has been a long, long time coming.
I have had a foolscap pad in my bedside draw that I have taken out on
numerous occasions over a long period of time to jot down thoughts and
frustrations. I have also prayed,
contemplated, prayed; prayed for discernment and for God’s will to be done,
not my own. So I have to conclude and believe that I am writing this in God’s
will with hopeful anticipation of opening up closed minds and locked attitudes
– even if it only breaks the seal and opens just slightly as to let some fresh
air and light in. Plus the fact,
that if our Lord takes me home tomorrow (be it, that I am worthy), then at least
I have had a go at something that I believe I am meant to do, in fact, ‘born
for it’.
I
have a couple of issues and although this document is lengthy (this paragraph
was obviously added once I was on about the eighth page), I am absolutely
hopeful that you will be inspired to read through it.
My concerns really do stem from the heart and I am reaching out/breaking
out, therefore, please do not let these efforts be in vain.
Even if you do not agree with this documents content, I ask that you
would at least honour me with some of your time and hopeful contemplation,
consideration and much prayed for ‘action’.
My
first issue is that I believe that the church discriminates against some
people/couples of modern society (I can almost hear your groan as you read that
‘oh no’!). Seriously, as a
mother of a gay daughter who is in a long term loving and committed
relationship, I can acknowledge and understand her feelings of resentment
towards the Catholic Church being that she has lived through periods of
confusion, shame and feelings of unworthiness because of the attitude of the
Catholic Church towards gay individuals or couples.
Secondly,
and although I am not one of them, I am frustrated that people who feel that
they have been called by God, regardless of their sex to serve within the
Catholic Church’s ministry are deemed not suitable and rejected (there’s
that groan again). Surely the
suitability is decided by God Himself. Of
course, I am speaking about women being ordained, but not only that, a number of
priests that I know of have left the church because they have found love of
partner. The church is crying out
for priests and I believe that God ‘IS’ answering prayers for vacations by
producing wonderful and perfect people
for the job, however the church seems to be blinded and have stopped up its
ears. I know of a priest that had an Anglican background and was married with
children. He converted to
Catholicism and is still a priest, be it a Catholic one, married with children
– how is it not hypocritical to not let the equation work the opposite way?
(Galatians 3: 26-28) ‘It is through faith that all of you are God’s children
in union with Christ Jesus. You were
baptised into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak with the
life of Christ himself. So there is
no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between
men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.’
Well,
you might say, if people are not willing to accept the Catholic rules and
regulations, they can jump ship - go to other churches/denominations that will
accept them. Yes they can, but what an absolute shame!
I was an Anglican, and actually was not baptised and confirmed until I
was in my twenties (hmmm, quite a long time ago!!).
Yes, of course these people had and
have faith, however, once I was enlightened to Jesus’s real Presence in the
Eucharist and the efforts of Mother Mary throughout time to bring God’s
children back to Him, there was no other denomination for me.
I know that I need that Presence, that nourishment, that healing.
I need Mother Mary in my life. Bless Her, she is the one that took me by
the hand and lead me to the Catholic faith in the first place.
So no, I am not about to suggest that the others, as mentioned above
should seek out alternative and accepting churches. I also do not believe that
it would be God’s Will either. Please believe that this effort is not to cause
division, but unity; I am not trying to pull apart, but to build up; not trying
to discourage, but encourage; not trying to cause controversy, but outreach,
acceptance, understanding and reconciliation.
I
guess I need at this point to relay that I was, or attempted to be, a good and
disciplined new Catholic. I
respected and devoted myself to all the teaching, rules and rituals.
I remember having a conversation/debate with a working colleague, who
also, by the way, was a practicing Catholic.
He asked me about my view on women being ordained and by golly, I argued
that women are a part of the church and indeed need to be part of the church,
however there was enough for them to do without being ordained. It is so,
because of the Church’s teaching and I was trying to respect that.
He asked, but what about my personal opinion and I think I relayed
something like, ‘I don’t need to have one’. Well, I have learnt that I am
not a puppet on a string, God has given me a brain and if I do not use it for
his purpose, what good am I to Him?
The
heart and beating pulse of the church belongs to Jesus, be it a bleeding heart
(the reader absolutely cannot refute this fact – surely).
We read in scripture that we are His body parts. It is obvious that His
body parts are different, just as we are different. It does not mean that it is
not His precious blood the keeps us all
going. What’s the hymn, ‘We are
many parts, but all one body’? How
can the leg say that it is going to lead and control the rest?
The leg would then have to take control of the brain so as to enforce its
ideals and control. Maybe that is a
silly example, but remember, a cracked pot is writing this. There is a fine line
between ‘leadership’ and ‘dictatorship’. That leg can help lead the rest
of the body, but it can’t expect to control the rest of the parts. Leadership
is accepting, caring, concerning, openness, gentle and understanding – the
other, well; by telling someone how to live, what to believe in without any
consultation to individuals circumstances is non-personal, controlling
dictatorship. It takes away and
steals from the individual their own identity which God gave them.
Just like the leg wanted to do in my silly example.
(Ephesians
4: 15-16) “Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up
in every way to Christ, who is the head. Under
his control all the different parts of the body is held together by every joint
with which it is provided. So when
each separate part works as it should. The whole body grows and builds itself up
through love.” - Under His
control, not the leg’s, the body parts work as they should.
If
Jesus is in a life, then He is the one who will change things if He thinks
change is to be made and this will happen over His time – if it be His Will.
Of course, God can do anything, so it could happen in a flash – as did
Saul’s conversion. “All things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).
So, why is man trying to do God’s work?
Here we go, we are back to that leg again!
The
problem is now, we need to help Jesus and Mary get people to a point where they
are open to accept that God is real, that he loves them, that all are worthy,
and wants to call them to himself. Materialism, which is man’s god these days,
is not the answer. We know that all
of that will be burnt up by fire; it is not
why God put us on this earth. Man is
searching for something to fulfil their inner needs, be it money, possessions
drugs, sex etc. etc. Yes, they have stopped up their ears and are blinded.
Well I say, turn the ruddy light on - it’s dark and cold out here!!
Open the doors and windows and let in some fresh air, it’s stuffy in here!!
People that may have a seed of hope planted within are not going to
bother to knock, seek or attempt to find if the lights aren’t on and without
an inviting atmosphere. Ok, so we put the lights on, pop a log on the fire, lay
the table and prepare a wholesome, life changing, welcoming meal.
Oh but hang on, our guests are not worthy to share in our meal because
they are not living up to our standards, rules or dictatorship!
It is a good job for you, the reader, that this is not a video clip, as
you would not only see my wrinkles, you would be hearing me scream at this
point. I can relay that only a few
weeks ago, I was encouraged to give a young women a cuddle and tell her
that she is loved (it was at my daughters suggestion – her story is yet to
follow, lucky you!). I did just
that, my arms went around her and I whispered in her ear that she is love very
much, by me and by Jesus. Initially
she was like holding a rock, however her body relaxed and God’s spirit took
over and I broke into tongues with her in my arms.
She lifted her head, a puzzled look on her face, exclaimed ‘that was
weird’. When, I say ‘when’ and
not ‘if’ that young lady realizes that she was touched by Jesus and comes
back to me and is searching, where do you think I should direct her – you see,
she is gay. Oh, and by the
way, she requested to be my friend on ‘Facebook’, so she wasn’t frightened
away. So, if I direct her to the
nearest Catholic church, what would they expect of her before she would be
welcomed to share in Jesus’ sacrificial meal – note Jesus’
sacrificial meal, not man’s.
Jesus, the one who went out of His
way to eat with the outcasts – sorry, couldn’t hold back that dig. Would the
church not expect that person to turn away from herself, to not
be as created by God, to pretend to be someone else, to then be cleansed and
moulded into the expectation of the church and then ‘My Dear, welcome to the
table!’ Let’s not forget that this person and so many others that have lived
their lives
in confused states, finally
coming to terms and accepting who they are, but are then thrown back into the
turmoil. I say it again, If these
people are not what God wants them to be, let God into their lives to change
them – if it be God’s will. By
blocking these soles out or erecting walls of rules and stipulations makes it
too hard for them to be open to God. The
church is an extension of Jesus – let the body parts out of locks and chains!
How
many sermons have I listened to, great sermons at that.
But what do they encourage – go and preach the good news!!!!
Sure, but what do I do with them once I have??
My
daughter ‘came out’ a dozen or so years ago and I can relay that it was so
very hard to come to terms with, consequently the inner struggle and distress
(or God’s Spirit), led me to have a deep and open conversation with my parish
priest. Regardless of my arguments and beliefs, he relayed that a person does
not choose to be gay; it is in their makeup.
He also asked how I would feel if she had married, had children to please
me and/or my expectation only to have a future break down of
marriage which would ultimately leave hurt and brokenness for all
concerned. Another question he
asked, which made me gasp, how would I feel about having a sexual relationship
with another woman? I relayed that
the thought disgusted me – he then relayed ‘that is how a gay person feels
about sexual relations with the opposite sex.’
(By
not accepting this fact, the church expects these people to live a celibate life
with no room for what normality and realism is for them.
Either way, bitterness would surely live in these hearts. The Seeker’s
Catechism, The Basics of Catholicism acknowledges that homosexuality exists –
however if they be themselves and love accordingly – they are deprived;
if they live the churches requirement, a celibate, lonely life – they
are deprived. I wonder how many of
the deprived soles contribute to the excelling rate of suicide.)
I
asked, ‘but what about the (Catholic) churches attitude?’ He relayed that a
relationship between God and a person is just that.
Basically, it is of no business of other parishioners, and my daughter
was welcome to attend his services.
We
have moved on now, and so has that wonderful, understanding and caring priest
but thank God for him in my life. He helped me through one of the most difficult
times of my and my daughter’s life.
I
have been at a new parish for a few years now, and I have not felt comfortable
enough to be open about this to our new parish priest for fear that my daughter
and partner may be frowned upon or indeed discriminated against. On one hand, I
would sincerely love to be honest and open with the hope that this priest would
be as understanding with insight and acceptance as the previous (oh, what joy
that would bring), however, on the other hand, I could not bear the thought of
her being refused to participate in the holy mass – if indeed, she felt
comfortable in doing so. Just
writing that is such a painful thought, tears welling.
Consider
oneself turning up to a dinner party without an invitation, or for whatever
reason, felt that they shouldn’t really be there –
the fear of being caught out or recognised, where is the comfortable
participation and peace? Even if
hunger was the driving force, one would be continually looking for disapproving
eyes and the mind would surely be full of discomforting thoughts. How can that
be a peaceful, prayerful atmosphere in the presence and love of Jesus?
My
daughter’s partner’s parents visited us from another country and stayed with
us for a couple of months. These two
beautiful people are devout Catholics. In
their home country, they are very involved with their local church.
In their home, they have a dedicated prayer area.
I would often hear them sing hymns first thing in the morning while
staying with us and they attended church with my husband and myself regularly.
Although communicating was somewhat difficult, being they are French, we
did recite the rosary together and on one occasion, we held hands in a circle
and prayed for our daughters. I
cannot tell you how special that was. Dialogue
was not needed; I felt that they shared our pain.
Not the pain of having gay daughters, as I/ we have all accepted this
fact, but the pain of the Church’s attitude and non-acceptance or indeed,
prevention from openly receiving the Lord physically as well as spiritually (if
they were to disclose their sexuality).
I
am sure that the blessed Mother Mary is able to sympathize, being that her Son
was not accepted by the powers that were back then.
It is such a sad and terrible thing to live through this with your child
as the mother feels their child’s pain – regardless of the child’s age.
Unless, living through the eyes of Mother Mary and feeling the pain
within her heart, one could never truly understand what she went through.
Further, unless one has lived through and experienced the pain of a gay
person/sibling ‘coming out’, dealing with it, to then observe the happiness
of that person when finally accepted for
who they truly are – then
acceptance and understanding by
persons not exposed to such situations is unlikely; perhaps attempting to put
oneself in our shoes may help.
We
are blessed with two beautiful grandsons from our eldest daughter, both have had
Catholic baptisms and we are also blessed with a wonderful and special
son-in-law. I am so happy to relay
that he is on his spiritual path – praise God!
He has talked of being baptized, so one day, hopefully in the not too far
distant future; we have this special event to look forward to.
He is undecided at this time as to which religion he will be baptized.
I am hopeful that he chooses the religion which consumes the real
‘Bread Of Life’, however, just to have him baptised will be an awesome
answer to many prayers.
I
wonder though, if indeed, he does choose to become a Catholic and is confirmed,
how his gay sister-in-law and partner will feel while sitting on the church pew
and witnessing such an event. To
feel that awesome sense of belonging – to be wrapped in God’s love,
forgiveness and unconditional love. I
cannot express how wonderful the warmth of heart is within when my mind’s eye
paints the picture of our whole family attending a church that accepts us all ;
in the love of God and all comfortable and welcomed as individuals. Enwrapped in
a loving and devoted relationship with our God; and be welcomed to share in the
divine life-giving meal of the Eucharist.
I
believe sincerely, that to have this relationship with God, then He is the One
who nourishes, feeds, heals, disciplines and changes us to live the lives that
His will calls for. Being prevented from having this glorious, life-changing
sacrament seems so very wrong. How
would a sick person ever get well if they do not have access to required
medication – worse still, what’s the good of an ambulance with a life
threatened patient on board turning up to an emergency ward to then be turned
away, deemed not worthy – or indeed, the doors of the hospital locked? A
chronic smoker cannot be expected to stop smoking and only then, be given aids
such as patches/medication to help him conquer his addiction. This non
acceptance of one of God’s beautiful creation by the church is detrimental to
the hope of a seeking sole of a needful, intimate relationship with God, which
includes hopeful anticipation of eternal life promised by our creator.
I
visualise Jesus standing, arms wide, beckoning ‘Come, come as you are,
that’s how I want you. Come to Me
all those that carry heavy loads, let Me help you’.
Crowds gathering with relief and happiness radiant on faces, moving
forward towards this awesome invitation. But
then, a protective vault of ownership is then placed around Jesus, like the ones
that spring up in banks for protection. A further barrier is then placed so that
only those judged worthy by man are able to taste, feel and experience the grace
and life changing presence of God. Who,
by the way, or what is the church trying to protect here, because if it is Jesus
and/or His Body, their run is slightly too late!
Jesus said (John 6: 37-40), “Everyone whom my Father gives Me will come
to Me. I will never
turn away anyone who comes to Me, because I have come down from heaven to do
not My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And it is the will of Him who
sent Me that I should not lose any of those He has given Me, but that I should
raise them all to life on the last day”.
God’s
Word 2012 Daily Reflections on Mark 1:40-45
With
all humility, the leper in the gospel implores Jesus: “If you wish, you can
make me clean.” To it Jesus responds: “I do will it. Be made clean.” Note
that Jesus does not simply say: I will make you clean, instead Jesus declares:
“I do will it.” Against the religious and social norms of his time, Jesus
breaks distance, reaches out and touches the leper! With this, Jesus brings not
just physical healing, but the healing of heart and spirit that have long been
ostracized and kept away even from family and friends. At the end, the cured man
is excited not just in telling the story, but in being able to associate with
his own people after a long time.
I
refer to ‘The Seekers Catechism, The Basics of Catholicism’ – Presented in
light of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church. Within the chapter titled
Sacraments, The Eucharist is the sub heading of ‘What does the word “Mass”
mean?:-
The
term Mass is derived from the Latin words recited at the dismissal “Ite missa
est” which mean “Go, you are sent.” This reminds us of our duty to love
and serve the Lord in all the people we meet.
When we “break bread” in the name of Jesus, we are celebrating our
brotherhood and sisterhood and receiving the source of our life, the Lord Jesus.
In this sacred meal, He reminds us to take Him out into the world, a world that
desperately needs His love.
(Mark
3: 33-35) Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” He looked
at the people sitting around him and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My
brothers! Whoever does what God wants is My brother, My sister, My mother.”
(Mathew
15: 3-9)
Jesus
answered, “And why do you disobey God’s command and follow your own
teaching? For God said, ‘Respect
your father and your mother, and ‘If you curse your father or your mother you
are to be put to death.’ But you teach that if people have something they
could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This belongs to God, they
do not need to honour their father.” In
this way you disregard God’s command, in order to follow your own teaching.
You hypocrites! How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you!
‘These people, says God, honour Me with their words, but their heart is really
far away from Me. It is no use for
them to worship Me, because they teach human rules as though they were My
laws!” …………
Please
refer to the last paragraph above re mothers, sisters and brothers. We, the
church definitely have the ultimate
something that can help our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers –it/He
definitely belongs to God, yet God gave us this awesome gift - His precious Son
who died for our sins – including immorality.
My
eyes at this point are drawn to Mathew 18: 6-9.
Under the heading ‘Temptations to Sin’ Jesus teaches that if anyone
causes one of these little ones to lose his faith in Me, it would be better for
that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the
deep sea. How terrible for the world
that there are things that make people lose their
faith!.....................................
What strikes me, is that Jesus seems to be saying that the sin, in this
case, is the one who causes the loss of faith.
He goes on to say to cut if off and throw it away.
At this point, I admit, my thoughts are thrown into turmoil.
Is He saying that if the church had a part in forcing a seeking soul to
turn and walk way – then cut it out of your life.
A baptised Catholic turning away from the Catholic Church to seek
acceptance elsewhere, where they find understanding and acceptance?
The very following parable – that of the lost sheep, where the shepherd
leaves the rest of his flock to find this lost sheep (the one who walked
away)……….In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of
these little ones to be lost.
Jesus
himself taught on the subject of marriage (Mathew 19: 11-12):
Jesus
answered, “This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom
God has given it. For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some,
because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and
others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can
accept this teaching do so.”
Where
in the above teaching does our Lord say that the ones that were ‘born that
way’, are not acceptable to be in My presence or are to be treated differently
because they don’t fit the norm? Would this not be the same as not inviting or
accepting a disabled person to the Lord ’s Table or refusing them holy
matrimony – because they were born that way? We are as
created i.e., black people can never be white and vice versa, praise God
that the world has woken to this discrimination in most parts of the world and
that we are all able to celebrate mass together as God’s family.
Taken
from the ‘The Seekers Catechism’, the Basics of Catholicism – under the
sub heading ‘What is the church’s stance regarding women in modern society?
‘Jesus
recognized the equality and dignity of women. The church praises those efforts
which win recognition that women have the same dignity and fundamental rights as
men. With respect to the fundamental
rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural,
whether based on sex, race, colour or social condition, language, or religion,
is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent (The Church in
the Modern World, #29).’
How
can we have phrases within our Catechism such as this, but then don’t practice
the same?
Again
taken from the ‘The Seekers Catechism’, the Basics of Catholicism - What is
meant by “the dignity of the individual?
‘Catholic
social teaching roots itself in the human person.
Each of us images and reflects God. Jesus
loves and redeems all humans. All
have basic dignity and are “capable of knowing and loving their Creator”
(The Church in the Modern World, #12) who made us for interpersonal
communication. Our worth comes from
who we are as God’s children, not what we do.’
Again,
how can we have phrases within our Catechism such as this, but judge the worth
of some?
Once
again from the ‘The Seekers Catechism’, the Basics of Catholicism, under the
heading ‘What does the church teach about homosexuality?’ The church
distinguishes between a homosexual condition and homosexual acts. Homosexuality
as a condition exists when a person’s sexual desires are directed to a member
of the same sex rather than to a member of the opposite sex.
People with homosexual tendencies do not choose their homosexual
condition, which is a trial for most of them.
They deserve respect, compassion, and sensitivity.
And, unjust discrimination toward them is un-Christian.
However, the church teaches that homosexual acts are intrinsically
disordered against the natural law. They are a serious violation of God’s plan
for male/female bonding and are not open to the procreation of life.
They can never be approved.’
(One
should never say ‘never’, especially when prayer is involved)
Natural
law for who? Definitely not for a
gay person who was created as such. God’s plan for procreation of life is
obviously given to those He chooses. The church here is saying
‘yep’, you exist – but it’s against our rules to follow your own
heart and be the person that God created you to be. You cannot experience the
bond of devotional love of partner with all its security beauty and happiness.
If
a person chooses to be celibate, let him/her. Actually, my thoughts have raced
to the question, if a perfectly ‘normal’ young lady chooses not to marry and
procreate (and not be a nun), and live a celebrate life, does that not also
constitute a violation of God’s plan for procreation of life? Or perhaps we
should bind these women to marriage as other cultures do, so as not to violate
God’s plan! People in modern western society cannot and will not be moulded by
man and dictation – so let us stop trying! This takes away a person’s
rights, thought processes, char actor, personality and individualism, it is
impossible – but not for God. Again, let Jesus into their lives.
Give Him the rough and hard bit of clay to mould and transform – again,
if He sees the need and if it is His Will.
Same
chapter, just over the page under the heading of ‘What does the church teach
about artificial birth control?
‘In
striving to live the ideal, sometimes people fall short.
The bishops advise us not to judge the consciences of those couples who
fall short of the church’s teaching. This
moral judgement is God’s to make. Couples
must follow their consciences in this moral issue and all moral issues.’
Umm
hello, is this here cracked pot the only one who sees injustice here with the
hypocritical last paragraph when comparing with other moral issues?
One
could strongly argue that the term ‘marriage’ is used between a man and a
woman, as it is absolutely stated in the bible. My mind has been awakened of
late to the Bible permitting behaviours that we condemn today, such as
prostitution, polygamy, levirate marriage, sex with slaves, concubinage,
treatment of woman as property and very early marriage. Surely if these
behaviours are now construed as wrong and ‘old world’ in today’s world,
then perhaps we should look at Jesus’ new truths and old (Mathew 13: 51-52)
“Do you understand these things?” Jesus asked them. “Yes,” they
answered. So He replied, “This
means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a
disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a home owner who takes new and
old things out of his storeroom.”
I
urge the reader to ‘Google’, ‘John Mark Ministries’ and find part of an
article written by ‘Walter Wink’ titled ‘Homosexuality and The Bible’
I believe this to be an absolute eye opener which helps to broaden or
open up closed minds and attitudes.
To
appease the critics, (although still discriminatory), perhaps, an alternative
term, other than ‘Holy Matrimony’ could be considered and used for a
committed union between same sex couples; for I sincerely believe that love is
definitely God’s gift – surely this belief
is a universal Catholic belief. Perhaps
the term could be on the lines of ‘Holy Blessing of Union’ or ‘Celebration
of God’s Gift Of Love’.
Another
argument, I’m sure, would be that couples should refrain from sexual intimacy
until after marriage. Therefore, since gay people cannot be married, they are
not entitled to intimate relationships, (if they did then they would not be
considered to be in the state of grace, required to receive the Eucharist – if
I am wrong with this comment, then I’m sure someone who knows me will correct
me). In the perfect world, not one
of us would be eating apples, in
today’s world, one would have to be pretty naive to believe that all those
stunning brides in white, or the grooms for that matter, that are married in the
church today are virgins…………
Let
them then, cast the first stone! Do
families witnessing these marriages or even the priest consecrating such, hold
the right to have a stone in readiness and aimed at same sex couples? I
absolutely doubt it, unless they are complete hypocrites - being that we are all
sinners – however, we ‘straight people’ are comfortable in the knowledge
that we can rely on God’s forgiveness for the wrong in our lives – because
we deem ourselves entitled to it. We
then have the opportunity to stand and sing – on behalf of Jesus, ‘Come as
you are, that’s how I want you, come as you are, why stand alone.
Each time you fail to live by my promise, why do you think I’d love you
the less.’ Our Lord suffered and
paid the ultimate price for all of our immoral behaviours.
Are we not putting man made conditions on God’s unconditional love and
invitation? (Ephesians 5: 1-3) ‘Living in the Light’, “Since you are
“God’s dear children, you must try to be like Him. Your life must be
controlled by love, just as Christ loved us and gave His life for us as a sweet
smelling offering and sacrifice that pleases God.
Since you are God’s people, it is not right that any matters of sexual
immorality or indecency or greed should even be
mentioned among you.” To me, this cracked pot, this piece of scripture is
telling me to get minds out of the gutter, stop the intimidation, judging,
accusing other people and just ‘love’ one another. How many times in
scripture does it tell us not to judge! There is only one judge!
I
believe that a union and gift of love is a heavenly gift, given to whom God
chooses and these special and wonderful gifts should be acknowledged as just
that. We should leave it up to God
to be the final judge – to be worthy or not.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, - did Jesus prevent Judas
from sharing meals with the rest of the disciples?
When Jesus fed thousands of people who sought Him out, did He first judge
them worthy or otherwise at the time?
As
far as not accepting people who do not live by the churches rules or
expectations – therefore labelling them not-worthy (or not in a state of
grace), – which ultimately makes them outcasts, Jesus teaches us:-
Mathew
9: 10-13
While
Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other
outcasts came and joined Jesus and His disciples at the table. Some Pharisees
saw this and asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such
people?” Jesus heard them and
answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are
sick. Go and find out what is meant
by the scripture that says: ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal
sacrifices.” I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.
John
9: 30-34
The
man answered, “What a strange thing that is! You do not know where He comes
from, but He cured me of my blindness! We know that God doesn’t listen to
sinners; He does listen to people who respect Him and do what He wants them to
do…………
.
They (the Pharisees) answered, “You were born and brought up in sin – and
you are trying to teach us?” And they expelled him from the synagogue.
I
too, was born and brought up in sin and do not consider myself a scholar in any
area, in fact, I didn’t even get to finish high school; I’m sure that a
multitude of well-educated scholar’s will definitely pick up heaps or errors
in my writing. In my case, to even write this document is stepping
way out of my comfort zone – but, I do have my faith and trust in Jesus
for the changing and healing of lives
– if indeed, He finds it necessary and it
is His Will.
Scripture
has story after story of Jesus healing scores of people from a huge array of
illnesses, disabilities and of course forgiveness of sins; forgive me if wrong,
but I can only recall one of these people that was not in the actual presence of
Jesus to be healed, that being the officials slave.
Jesus even appeared (as blinding light) and came to Saul before he was
converted, and oh what a conversion that was!
Jesus is present in the tabernacle – is He not?
Mark
3: 4-5
“What
does our law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To help or to harm? To save
someone’s life or to destroy it?” But they did not say a thing. Jesus was
angry as He looked around at them, but at the same time He felt sorry for them,
because they were so stubborn and wrong.
Mathew
15: 8-9
‘These
people, says God, honour Me with their words, but their heart is really far away
from Me, because they teach human rules as though they were My laws!’”
Mathew
18: 6-7
“If
anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in Me, it would
be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be
drowned in the deep sea. How terrible for the world that there are things that
make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen – but how
terrible for the one who causes them!”
Mathew
7: 1-3
“Do
not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the
same way you judge others, and He will apply to you the same rules you apply to
others. Why, then, do you look at
the speck in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the log in your own
eye?”
Luke
15: 2- The Lost Sheep:
The
Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, “This man welcomes
outcasts and even eats with them!” So Jesus
told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and
loses one of them – what do you do:…………
‘I
am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let
us celebrate! In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over
one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need
to repent.
In
the Old Testament, God entrusted His chosen ones to lead His people, Jesus
became man to amend their errors, as written in the New Testament. Jesus then
gave Peter the keys to heaven, once
again with instructions to lead His people -
has Peter’s successors
locked that door and hidden the key?
I believe the Holy Spirit is today’s locksmith.
You can’t patch the old with the new – listen if you have ears. Again
Jesus’ words, “And why do you disobey God’s command and follow your own
teaching?” Jesus’ last command and the most important of all “Love one
another, as I have loved you.” Jesus
loved and accepted every single person that was before him.
He did, however, say to one, words to the effect of ‘It’s not right
to give to the dog’s what is reserved for the master’, she replied, but even
the dogs eat the scraps from the masters table” Her faith, not her morals or
living standards made way for healing.
“Father,
Lord of heaven and earth! I thank You because You have shown to the unlearned
what you have hidden from the wise and learned”.. Jesus tells us that the only
way to heaven is through Him. To eat
this bread and drink this wine – then I shall be in you and you shall be in
Me.”
Could
Jesus be speaking of the Church when He said
(Mathew 4: 13)“You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt
loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again.
It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.”
I
sincerely plea to the reader to read or re read passages from Romans 9: 30-33,
10: 1-13. ‘So we say that the Gentiles, who were not trying to put themselves
right with God, were put right with Him through faith; while God’s people, who
were seeking a law that would put them right with God, did not find it. And why
not? Because they did not depend on faith but on what they did.
And so they stumbled over the “stumbling stone” that the scripture
speaks of “Look, I place in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock
that will make them fall. But whoever
believes in Him will not be
disappointed………………………………………………For
Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right
with God.
Romans
11: 6. His choice is based on His
grace, not on what they have done. For
if God’s choice were based on what people do, then His grace would not be real
grace.
Do
we not pray “Bring all soles to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy
mercy?” Jesus Himself gave us this
prayer ? I feel the Lord saying
‘how can I heal a life, if I am not in it? They do not know Me!’
Surely the Churches invitation should be for all, without discrimination
– as we are all in need of His
mercy.
Speaking
of the Lord’s prayer, ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in
heaven’, and considering (Mathew 22: 29-30) ‘And Jesus answered them, “How
wrong you are! It is because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power.
For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven
and will not marry.” Hmmm, we are
calling God’s Kingdom to come to us, so that His Will be done, as in heaven,
but in heaven people do not marry. Goodness
me, gay people must be angels on earth! Told
you, I am a cracked pot!
Because
Jesus did not conform to their ways (the ‘then’ church), they crucified Him.
Is that not what the church of today is doing to people who don’t fit
the norm? Look what they did to John
the Baptist to shut him up! I am
sure that I heard My Lord saying to me “Cracked Pot, they are not there for My
people – My beloved lost ones. They
have stopped up their ears and they have blinkers on. Wake up those who are
sinning against God’s call – let them come to Me”
Real
poverty is not having Jesus in one’s life. Poverty of faith opens the
multitudes of wide doors, poverty of health, poverty of depression, poverty of
happiness, poverty of love, poverty of acceptance, poverty of healing and
poverty of the hope of eternal life.
A
fine line is had between ‘leadership’ and ‘dictatorship’. Rules and
traditions are getting in the way, they are stumbling blocks that Jesus did away
with. He is all we need.
He knows us as we are and He died for us. He is the pinnacle of life.
Given the chance, He teaches us, changes us, helps us and in the end will
judge us. If He thinks us worthy, we
have eternal life. This is what He was made man for, did He die it in vain, why
are men interfering with His mission and purpose? By dictating harsh and unfair
rules which are just too hard and difficult, resulting in shaming people , the
church is taking away from Jesus the chance to change poverty into riches or His
own wealth of self. Jesus evokes
Peter three times, ‘feed My
lambs, take care of My sheep, feed My sheep.’
Peter was given the huge task of taking care of/leading the flock, yet
Paul (Galatians 2: 11-22), rebukes Peter for being swept along with cowardly
actions. I hear the Lord saying,
“Don’t they see that they are taking away from Me the chance to save these
people because their hearts are closed to Me.
Because the Church doesn’t accept them, they believe I don’t accept
them.”
Jesus
in the Eucharist is an absolutely special and wonderful gift.
It should never be consumed if the receiver is not in full knowledge of
its grace, the actual precious Body and Blood of Our lord.
Over
last Easter, I hoped that my daughters would attend a Mass service.
I was in such hopeful anticipation that they would attend Mass, and I
knew that to receive Our Lord, then they would be nourished and helped on the
spiritual journey. My concern was
that they hadn’t been to church for some time, hence, they were not in ‘a
state of grace’. I am always
telling them, “Jesus loves you, depend on him, make sure you say thank you etc
etc. If I said, ahh, you can go, but
you shouldn’t participate in Communion unless you first go to the confession
box – there is NO way, they would have even gone through the door.
I had a huge problem with this and took it to the Lord. With pen and
paper in hand, I waited in contemplation – then it came:- When a person first
tries a food that is different to them, such as a spicy hot curry, they do not
appreciate what they are consuming. After
a few mouthfuls however, they learn to appreciate the full flavours and do not
need to look at a menu for alternatives to fulfil.
In other words, as I understand my lesson, once a person consumes Jesus,
they learn to realize that they do not need to seek anything other in their life
because they are and will continue to be fulfilled, nourished etc. They learn to
truly appreciate. Further forward
within this document, I tell a story of a walk that I had just after we had
substantial rain. We reside on small acreage of rolling paddocks.
The drive way runs through these paddocks with a steep descent. Water was
running off the paddocks at some speed and made its own gutter to one side of
the driveway. When the water from
the paddock first entered the gutter, it was rather mucky, being that it had
been washed through cow dung and mud. After
it had streamed through the grassy gutter in the rush of the down descent, it
became much clearer as the vegetation was its filter.
I believe that lesson added to the curry lesson.
We might start out not appreciating and quite yucky, however He, our Lord
takes care of all that.
I
pray, what is claimed on the front of the booklet ‘The greatest devotion of
our time’, Devotion To The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself is quoted of relaying this prayer to a visionary Barnabas
on July 22, 1998 in Nigeria. The
booklet is full of beautiful prayers, however this one, I feel, should be
shared. The prelude
is Jesus leading us into why He prayed the prayer. “(I
envisaged constant abandonment of faith in My people and how they will
constantly reject their God and crucify Me daily.
The pains grew in intensity when I saw how hard it will be for them to
return…Many there were who would stop on the way because they thought the way
was too hard and too long….How large the number of My people who will lose
hope and fall….I say to you, My children, wake up and stand firm! During My
fall, I remembered all these things and offered them to My Father through this
prayer… Through it, My Father will pour on you all the needed graces to endure
until the end. All who pray it
devotedly will possess the fullness of the Holy Spirit and learn to be obedient
and humble.)”
“Eternal
and Loving Father, look kindly on Your only-begotton Son.
See the heavy cross they prepared for Your only Son and have mercy on
your people. I Offer You all the
pains, sufferings, and the Precious Blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, Emmanuel;
for all Your people who have abandoned their faith and will abandon their faith
in the mountainous hills and deep valleys of this world.
May they through the falling of Your Son under the Cross have strength to
rise again and stand firm in the true faith.
Through the ocean of His Precious Blood dumped under the Cross on the
streets of Jerusalem strengthen all who are eager to do Your Will. Amen. Precious
Blood of Jesus Christ – strengthen our weakened souls. Amen
Man
has secured boundaries around God’s beautiful church. Boundaries surrounding
the lush green pastures that feed and nurture nicely rounded and healthy sheep.
These boundaries though prevent the lost, wandering and seeking soles to
enter. These lost souls build up
resentment frustration, feelings of unworthiness and bitterness.
This is not what Jesus taught. Leaving/keeping
then on the outside is letting them stray into the hands of Satan and he will
definitely fill them with junk food.
I
am sure the reader has witnessed a child that is seeking attention from his/her
parents. In their absolute desire to
be noticed or heard, they will get up to all kinds of mischief and trouble.
Some don’t even worry about getting into trouble, as long as they get
the attention that they seek. Perhaps,
if more acceptance and understanding was given to the gay society, then maybe
they would not need to seek attention in the so called Gay Mardi Gras.
That scene saddens me immensely.
The
brotherhood of the priesthood is very commendable; it reminds me of a uniform,
continuous cut out paper chain of men, joined on both sides by the hand and
foot. That’s all very wonderful
and supportive; however, they are not able to get their hands free to reach out
or indeed their feet free to move where needed.
I absolutely commend the brave and courageous ones to date that have cut
themselves free but alas, they have really put themselves ‘out there’, which
somehow reminds me of John the Baptist. That is definitely a huge leap of faith!
Their trust in God to be carrying out His will, must be so very strong and I
sincerely thank God for them. They
are the true leaders in my eyes. It is such a shame and just plain wrong to
extradite these, God’s hero’s. Surely,
they should be permitted to stay and be considered a part of the Catholic church
so as people like myself and the ones that I am endeavouring to represent can
come to Jesus in the Eucharist and feel at peace to receive Him without
prejudice. Be part of the same body with the same heart as mentioned previously.
If the rest of the church society do not feel comfortable with this, then
let them stay with the traditional, I am trying to say that the church should be
there for every person. Let women be ordained if it is their calling, let family
men be priests, don’t block them – welcome them so as the load can be
shared. Again if the re remainder of
the church society prefers the old way, then let them stay with the traditional.
Let God’s spirit lead, not that ruddy leg! (if that doesn’t make sense,
refer back to page 2, paragraph 3).
I
reside in Victoria and so does a priest that has left the church because he felt
that women were being called to be ordained and that gay people were being left
behind; alas, his views were not acceptable to the Catholic Church. I am not at
liberty to name this hero, but I know that it would not be too hard to track him
down. He has started ‘Inclusive
Catholics’ and welcomes all. This
priest has gone through what Jesus went through to some extent.
Jesus was rejected, cast out, discarded.
He suffered for not swanning from his mission from God.
He was constant in preaching love and mercy without prejudice to the
outcasts and scorned members of society, This
task or his drive and commitment to do God’s will was not jeopardised.
He definitely did not allow the church of that time to bully Him to stop
– because He could see the absolute need. For an ordained priest to leave the
Church must come at a huge cost and the cross he bears must be so huge and
heavy, but he is carrying it just as Jesus did. I’m sure it would be an easy
option for him to just drop it, however, I pray he does not.
I pray that he continues to speak God’s Word, to nourish and give to
the thirsty and needy outcasts of society and I also pray that God will send
this hero some helpers to help with the weight of his cross. This hero is
definitely a priest of God, following is Jesus’ footsteps.
Going against the grain of stubborn elders of the church to do the will
of God. The Catholic church should
absolutely restore him back to his well-deserved and honoured position within
the Catholic priesthood.
I
take myself for a walk most mornings and we live on a dirt country road.
The Lord has shown me some beautiful sites. On one of these walks, after
a huge amount of rain, a glorious rainbow hung which kissed the rolling green
hills at one end and the other highlighted against the heavy grey of the sky. My
driveway though was literally covered with earth worms wiggling on the surface.
I thought how weird – they have exposed themselves from the comfort of
being hidden by the earth and are so vulnerable to a multitude of native birds;
on the other hand, God had provided wonderful nourishment for our feathered
friends by flushing the worms out. I
pray that the lord will use His wonderful spirit to flush out ones that He has
chosen to be the extension of His body to nourish His creation where and when
needed without fear of exposure. We need to stop brushing these issues under the
carpet, and stop pushing them back into the ‘ too hard basket’.
Further
on, I walk past a usually small, peaceful running creek whereas this particular
day it was a raging torrent which exceeded its banks and pushed down all
vegetation in its way. I pray that
our Lord and Mother Mary’s brave soldiers will do the same. You see, I believe
and actually know that God’s church has within its ministry an abundant amount
of devout priests and practicing laity alike with views, thoughts and beliefs
that are contrary to the rules and teaching of the church in matters and
concerns that I have mentioned. It
is a brave soul that will stand up against the hierarchy to pursue much needed
healthier and happier outcomes, but momentum can only happen if these persons
stand up and together push for change – like the flooding torrent which only
happened after abundant and persistent rain. I might add that on my return, a
beautiful King Parrot was calmly sitting on overhanging tree branches of the
torrent – and that rainbow was still standing proud.
I
refer to ‘God’s Word for Each Day 2011 Daily Reflections’ . The
inside cover reads ‘Dedicated to The Catholic Family that makes God’s Word
its home’. The last sentence of
the reflection of Tuesday, July 5th
2011 which is based on Mathew 9:32-38 reads ‘Simply put, those called to lead
have forfeited their right and responsibility by failing to attend to the real
needs of the people and insisting on their out-dated approaches to the human
problems.’ I am reluctant to name the author, however I will disclose that his
name is preceded with ‘Fr’. In
fact, this same author has his name under the heading of ‘Editor’ as well.
Eleven other contributors of the book have also a ‘Fr’ preceding their
names. Surely, if these other eleven did not agree with comments in the book,
then they would not support or have input to same.
If
my arrows hit a target, it is not to damage, but gently prick a conscious.
My Lord has taught me over time. He
has put individuals in my life with perfect timing to help me acknowledge and
face truth and to stand up for truth. Even
if truth has at times flawed me, made me uncomfortable, left me in a desert of
despair. It has all been for a
reason which you are reading right now. I
believe I was born to write this and my joy is putting pen to paper which has
been the result of a lot of prayerful contemplation over a long time.
If you could see my desk, covered with notes, on bits of paper, back of
diaries, etc. It is wonderful to
actually bring them it all together. I
will relay that Satan did/does not want me to write this.
I started this document quite some time ago.
I wanted to run the ‘short’ rough draft past an old friend.
I attempted on a few occasions to e-mail a copy to him.
My email went down, and it took me some time to realize that he didn’t
get it. You see I was waiting for
someone’s approval before doing something with it.
But then, God’s approval should be what I should have been looking for.
Then, because I was being careful, I saved the copy to a special safe
remote computer drive – it crashed. I
thought, I will retrieve it from my email ‘outbox’, but it had gone.
A family computer tech was kind enough to retrieve it from the remote
drive, however it was corrupted. Well guess what, here it is, God has and will
have the last say. May God’s Will
be done in you.
Another
reflection of many that I have highlighted just recently is from Mt 11:28-30
‘Today’s
liturgy of the Word reminds us that our God is never far away, especially in
times of problems. Jesus seems primarily referring to the burdens, which the
Mosaic Law laid on people, especially as interpreted by some of the Scribes and
the Pharisees. Jesus liberates us
from all that, it does not mean that we do what we like, but all is now reduced
to simply one commandment, the commandment of love of God and love of neighbour.
Jesus does not say that if we go to Him we shall have no more troubles,
no more pain, no more disappointment. There
will be “yokes” to carry but He will carry them with us.
Jesus never promises to take away pain.
What He does is to help us go through the pain.
A life without any pain, without any failure of disappointment, a life
without difficulty or challenge is not life worth living.
The challenges of life are necessary for us to grow and mature. But they
are easier to bear when He carries them with us, when we know that we are never
alone in our difficulties and sorrows. And, because of our own pains, we are in
a much better position to help others carry their yokes of sorrow, pain and
sickness. Reflect on what is
burdening you these days – is there anything in the family, anything in your
workplace, anything in your community? Have you taken your problems to Jesus,
ready to overcome them with Him?
If
gay people, in the confusion of their sexuality and feelings of unworthiness,
had the inspiration/opportunity to listen to or pick up the above reflection,
without fears of being considered and treated as an outcast – then surely this
would be so very comforting and perhaps lifesaving (especially, eternal life).
I wonder, if a gay person did pick up, read, absorb and believed the
above reflection, perhaps we would hear them say ‘Well Jesus, You may love me,
but your church does not; I’m not
welcome to share in the life giving meal that You have so kindly and lovingly
provided – even though You died on the cross in reparation for
my sins – I am still not worthy, even to gather the crumbs from under
their table.’
Let
us open our doors of God’s church and welcome everyone without discrimination;
let Jesus do the rest. Let’s help Our Lord’s kingdom come, so that His will
can be done. Let Him feed, medicate, nourish and love.
Let Him be the potter. If the
clay is not of good quality, then let Him decide. (Does a nurse conclude a
prognosis and describe medication before the patient gets to see the Doctor?).
In the prayer of the ‘Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary’ a
section reads ‘ O Mary, humble and meek of
heart, remember us when we are in sin.
You know that all men sin. Give
us, by means of Your Immaculate Heart, spiritual health.’-
I pray for spiritual health for all, the rest will follow.
I
have given myself to Jesus, I have said “Yes”, I have placed myself, a lump
of ugly clay into his glorious potters hands.
I let my heart dictate to me – not rules and regulations. I believe
that My Lord resides within my heart which humbles me immensely because I know
that I am not worthy of such grace. I am however, sincerely grateful that the
Spirit is free to praise God through my lips
as only He deserves to be praised. I, this cracked pot, who loves a glass
of chardy or a cold beer to quench a thirst.
I who am definitely not perfect – but I know that I am loved, just as
my gay daughter is loved. I could
never turn my back on her, just as Jesus and Mary, the mother of us all could
never do. We may not be the perfect
children, but we are still loved.
I
say ‘make way for the Lord and let Him be the judge’ Life is sometimes not
the way it is supposed to be, it’s the way we cope with it that makes the
difference. Let us focus on the greatest and the second of all commandments,
because the whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these
two commandments.
I
acknowledge that many good Christians devote time, money and energy into
providing nutritious meals for people in need and the outcasts of society.
These benefactors of this charity will certainly leave with a contented
belly, memories of the fuzzy warmth of being welcomed, pampered, loved and
feeling special, if even for just one day. Jesus,
would want that for everyone, not just on odd occasions – but every day.
No prejudice, no judgement – only the reaching out - welcoming love of
neighbour
I
am hopeful that I have exposed my inner self enough so as some light can be seen
through this ‘Cracked Pot’. I
know that I am a David facing a Goliath, however, I reckon I could use a
slingshot with a bit of practice, of course! What has dawned on me, which
shouldn’t surprise me but it absolutely amazes me – this documents
completion coincides with ‘The Nativity of John the Baptist’ Sunday 24th
June 2012. Wow, praise God and His
timing!
Year
of Grace Prayer:
Gracious
God,
You
have blessed this ancient land
with
many gifts, especially its people.
We
thank you for the Year of Grace,
a
time to start afresh from Christ.
You
invite us to contemplate the face of Jesus your Son,
that
we may experience a new wave of grace,
and
that the light of Christ may burn more brightly in our lives.
Attune
our hearts and minds to the presence of you Holy Spirit,
that
our Church may be transformed, our relationships be healed,
and
our nation grow in compassion and justice.
With
the intercession of St Mary MacKillop,
who
showed us new ways of living the Gospel,
we
make our prayer through Christ our Lord
Amen.
Mary,
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Shalom
& God’s blessings.
The
‘Cracked Pot’