Today if you are Catholic you were hopefully at Mass. Today these were the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent. No doubt many Catholics first thoughts as they were standing during the Gospel was " wow this a long reading".
However what caught my attention was the second reading. It was:
Reading II
Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
Brothers and sisters:Since we have been justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,through whom we have gained access by faith to this grace in which we stand,and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
And hope does not disappoint,because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless,died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.But God proves his love for u sin that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Now at times after certain scripture readings that touch on very essential Catholic doctrine, I often want to set up an appointment with the priest.
I want to ask why when there is a chance to expound on matters of Catholic doctrine that we lay Catholics are often asked about why didn't they take the opportunity. Because nine times out of ten it seems it is not happening. Whether the Catholic doctrine is purgatory, mortal and venial sin,the Papacy, Bishops, or in this case how we are saved.
Now this second reading is not the main proof text that some Protestants use against Catholics. I am referring to the whole are we saved by" Faith Alone" or "by Works" or by "Faith and works" debates. However spending Five minutes on the topic today. would be helpful. Heck I would take 3 minutes!!!
Now to be fair my Priest had a excellent homily on the Gospel that led into the mandatory presentation(plea for money) for our Diocesan appeal. WHICH IS IMPORTANT. So he had a lot on his plate today. However sometimes I think there is a fundamental disconnect between what the Priests are preaching about and sometimes the very much special Catholic Education needs of their flocks. This struck me be time when the Pope John Paul the II died. I got a thousand questions on the Pope and the Papacy etc etc. What a fantastic opportunity to spread our Catholic faith. Yet, I think most priest and Preaching Deacons were oblivious to the needs ot their Congreagations to have a refresher course on this the folllowing weeks. I mean first we need to know this stuff for our benefit. Second we are being told by well meaning non Catholics that what our Church teaches is wrong and yes many Catholics leave the faith because of bad info.
All this was on my mind today more than usual because of something I read through the Catholic News Service this week. That is Bishops discuss integrating doctrine, Scripture and preaching.
Bishops discuss integrating doctrine, Scripture and preaching
By Don ClemmerCatholic News ServiceMISHAWAKA, Ind. (CNS) --
Continuing a discussion begun at the Second Vatican Council, about 40 U.S. bishops gathered at the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka for a Feb. 11-13 seminar exploring the relationship between doctrine and Scripture in Catholic teaching, especially in homilies.
In his keynote presentation, U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada noted that the trend to eliminate catechetical homilies after Vatican II was not really in the spirit of "Dei Verbum," the council document on divine revelation.
He said the Scripture commentary aspect of the homily was emphasized because it had been so lacking prior to the council.The cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the church should now seek to integrate these two aspects.Titled "Eloquence of Teaching: Doctrine, Scripture and Preaching in the Life of the Church," the seminar was a follow-up to a 2005 conference at the University of Notre Dame marking the 40th anniversary of "Dei Verbum."It was sponsored by the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on Doctrine and Notre Dame's Institute for Church Life.
The seminar looked at the problem faced by priests who feel they must choose between preaching on the Scriptures or preaching on the church's doctrines and moral teachings."Dei Verbum," as noted at the seminar, does not see the two as mutually exclusive, but rather as two components that can work well together."We have to find ways to improve homilies so that they are at one and the same time genuinely exegetical -- genuinely interpretative of Scripture -- and genuinely catechetical," said another speaker, John Cavadini, chair of the theology department at Notre Dame.
He gave a talk on how the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be a resource to priests by helping to identify Scripture passages related to certain doctrinal or catechetical themes.According to Cavadini, this integration of Scripture and doctrine should not be so difficult."
All of the major doctrines of the Catholic faith were articulated in defense of Scripture and with scriptural language, while the canon of Scripture itself -- what books were chosen and what books preserved -- was a function of doctrinal considerations," he said.In other words, "Scripture itself has a doctrinal shape, and doctrine has a scriptural context," Cavadini said.Preaching his homily on the final afternoon of the seminar,
Cardinal Levada recalled how God called upon Jonah to save the people of Nineveh by preaching his word."If Jonah could be eloquent under those circumstances," said Cardinal Levada of the reluctant prophet, "how much more eloquent, brother bishops, can you and I be? An eloquence not from our own skills, but from the Spirit teaching us."He continued, "Only Jesus can lead us in the Spirit and make us sharers in the Holy Trinity. It's not what we say or do, but the person of the risen Christ, present in the word and the sacrament.
This is how we are drawn into communion with God."Later Bishop John M. D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend said the bishops were "very positive" about the seminar. He noted it was effective for helping the bishops to better exercise their ministry."The bishop is a preacher of the word of God," he told Today's Catholic, the diocesan newspaper. "If you look at the Second Vatican Council, it's very clear that part of his role is to preach. (The purpose of the seminar) was to help us preach and to help our priests to preach."
At times I just shake head. I Had no idea that there was problem with priest's choosing " between preaching on the Scriptures or preaching on the church's doctrines and moral teaching." How did this attitude develop?
Yes use the Catechism. Heck, If I was a priest or Deacon I would invest in a ton of those Paperback's Cathechism and put them in the pews. Have us people in the pews grab them out as he instructs us to turn to page xx. Heck there is a great thing called the Internet that has a ton of resources. Put some inserts in the parish bulletin.
So hopefully this year such as on March 30th when we go to Mass and hear :As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained.” we can hear something about Confession, and Penance and what we Catholics believe on the subject.
On April 13th perhaps when we hear "Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,raised his voice, and proclaimed:“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ,this Jesus whom you crucified.” we can talk about the Role of Peter and how that is related to the teaching mission of the Church to this day and the Papacy. That would be a good idea since the Pope will be in town that week and no doubt tens of thousands of clueless Catholics will be asked questions about this Pope Thing.
These are just two examples I have pulled out by picking two post Easter sundays coming up.
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