Our
family has a “first generation” cradle Catholic in the family on my uncle’s
side. He is my uncle’s grandson and my uncle journeyed into the Catholic Church
in 90’s. I’m sure family history could back-up
some family origins as being Catholic …….. it would be many, many generations ago. Most likely
before the Reformation or before our family ancestors came from Ireland and
Germany to the United States. This cousin is a cousin on my father’s side of
the family and his grandfather was my father’s younger brother. Family stories
going back to my great-grandparents, who were mostly Methodist, spoke of a prejudice
toward Catholics and an understanding that you did not date or marry a
Catholic. This cousin, a first
generation cradle Catholic (born in the faith), is a junior in high school and
is considering the Priesthood. WOW! This cousin is an honor student, good
looking, has a beautiful girlfriend, excels in sports and could be anything he
wanted to be in this world. This cousin is also very active in his Parish “Youth
Group” and is a Lector for youth Mass and Regular Mass. He was invited recently,
to speak at a Men’s Retreat on the Eucharist and was so well received that a
Women’s group wanted him to speak on the Eucharist. Now every group wants a
little of him to speak on the Eucharist. This led me to go for a visit to hear
what he had to say about the Eucharist. I was amazed at his maturity and wisdom
this young person has in the understanding of the Eucharist and this precious
Sacrament. My time was limited in our visit and this young cousin asked me a
question just as I was walking out the door to leave. It was a question that
sparked this writing to him. Why share this on Blog? In hopes if you read this,
you will keep him (my cousin) in your prayers as he discerns his vocation in
this life. What are God’s plans for him?
To have a vocation in Marriage or the Priesthood? Also, putting this writing on
my Blog in hopes that others who read this might see how my journey of faith
has grown and continues to grow in the understanding of the Priesthood. It is
such a small morsel of knowledge… But, it excites me to see a glimpse of what
God orchestrated when it comes to the Priesthood. The following is what I wrote my cousin,
concerning a question he asked me;
Dear
Cousin,
Enjoyed
my short visit with you and was so inspired in seeing your Catholic faith
growing and your desire to share with others. You are being a “great” witness
to many who are seeking and trying to find God and Faith in this ol’ world.
Just
want to share with you some thoughts that I did not have the time to express
because of time.
You
asked me what I thought of Joel Olsteen and I want to share with you what I
have observed in many of these mega churches that lead many astray to the
understanding of who “God” really is. Joel is a great communicator and knows
how to keep one’s attention. He entertains many folks with his eloquent ways
with words… his talks “A hope” to achieve anything through God you want… you
can have it all, if you have faith. It is a great touchy, feely message and it
does encourage many to not give up in the fires and trials of life. Is his
message a “full” or “complete” teaching when it comes to the word of God and
the life of a Christian? I am not going to be the judge or juror… only God
knows. I just know that seeking God all my life in many, many denominations
including churches that taught the “prosperity gospel”(name it and claim it
gospel), God is our sugar daddy, that at the end of the yellow brick road it
was dead for many, including us.
Now
that we are Catholic, the fullness of Christianity in our lives cannot be
explained with words. The teachings of the Church Fathers, the Saints and their
lives truly show me what a Christian is and how they persevered all the way to
eternal life. Did they have a life with no troubles? Many were martyred in the
Early Church and up to this day many are still being martyred throughout the
world for the faith. Where does this Gospel of “believe and have faith” fit
into the lives of so many suffering in this world for the Gospel and have faith
in the midst of their sufferings and death due to hunger and famine?
Have
you ever read the history of the Church? Good and Bad? Did you know that in the
beginning priests were married? Then corruption entered in with greed and
building power and money for themselves and their families with the money of
the poor. It is interesting to read the history and how the Church stumbled and
got up again and again and again. How the Church learned from mistakes and is
still learning from mistakes. For a man of God… to serve His people and live in
this world can be very hard. Can a man of God love money and truly serve God’s
people? That is something to ponder on. For all these Mega Churches and their
leaders to be multi- billionaires…living in mansions… are they really living
the gospel message? Why do they keep so much money for themselves when so many
are poor… in their midst? Just think how much they could do… if they lived like
a Catholic Priest. Needs are met… lived comfortably and gave to help feed and
educate the poor.
From
what I have learned and observed since I have been around Catholic Priests…
they truly give their whole life to God and the Church… just like Jesus. To
become a Priest, for the Catholic Church, you will not have a life like Joel
Olsteen… I’ve also surrendered myself to not being my own Pope. To find
understanding to scripture and the things of God, I now search to see what the
Church teachings are. I might not agree at times… but so far as I take it to
prayer and seek wisdom from above I see… That Mother Church has grown in wisdom
from her old age. Mother Church has also told me to be aware of the “prosperity
gospel” that is being preached by many… including, Joel Olsteen and Joyce Myers.
The Church does not judge them and neither do I… I just know that their message
is not preached with the totality of scriptures and the Traditions in which the
Catholic Church has held onto for 2,000 years. If, you become a Catholic
Priest, you will have to be totally sold out to the Catholic Truth of
Christianity. Many false truths have invaded Christianity… including new age
and this prosperity gospel. Many of these false truths have invaded the
Catholic Church and its people and many times those in authority have joined
this bandwagon.
As
an ex Protestant… I’ve been there and done that. I’ve seen the changes and
growth over the years in the Protestant Churches (those who teach the
prosperity gospel) that lead many to these false teachings…including Catholics.
Are they harmful? That’s a hard question…. Because I have seen many lives be
changed for the good…. In those circles, I’ve also seen many be deeply hurt and
lose their faith… including me. I’ve witnessed parents who lose a child to
cancer and blame themselves because they do not think their faith was strong
enough to “Believe.” In time they stop believing and growing………
Cousin,
you are a smart person and God has gifted you with many talents. You can be
anything you want to be in this life. You are young and the possibilities are
endless. If you want to find a career in which you make money with your hard
work… go for it! God can use you in your profession and the vocation of
marriage if that is His call for you.
If
He is calling you to the Priesthood… you will find your peace and happiness in
His call. Not many are called to this “High” of calling… it will require a
total surrender to SELF… and you will be obedient to your superiors… so that
the “deposit of truth” in which Jesus handed down to the Apostles, and the
Apostles handed it down to the next generation… then the next… all the way to
our time… this line has never been broken. To be obedient to your superiors is
trusting the protection in which they protect the teachings (Jesus) of the
Church.
The
Protestant faith is only 500 years old and it started with one man, who was a
Catholic Priest; Martin Luther who saw abuse in the church… and addressed it. In
doing so he caused division… and this division continues to this day. Churches
are splintering in this direction and that direction. Men and women interpreting
the things of God… in light of themselves and what they think the Holy Spirit
is teaching them. How can the Holy Spirit be so divided in its truth? That’s
why God left us a teaching body to help us… the Magisterium. Have they done it
perfect….using imperfect men? NO! But for 2,000 years “the deposit of faith”
has been protected by the Holy Spirit and has not changed… God using imperfect
men, to lead His people to eternal life. Scriptures tells us the gates of hell
will not prevail against His CHURCH!
To
be a Protestant Pastor you will be successful in today’s world if you create
the right music, have a great speaking voice, great staff and tickle their ears
with HOPE… even entertain them with your abilities to keep them from getting
bored. If you do not do all these things, folks stop coming.
For
Catholic Priest… it does not matter how good his homily is… if the music is
good during worship… because a true Catholic that understands his or her faith
is not there to be entertained. They are at church to receive the gift from
above that gives the pilgrim so much grace and strength in this broken world.
The Eucharist is our hope… not a man who gives a good sermon. The Eucharist shows
us how much God loves us and gives us the vision of His eternal plan, of no
more suffering. Without the Priest we have no Eucharist. Yes, many leave the
Catholic Church because they just don’t get it… they leave to be entertained by
many who use the things of this world to tickle their ears.
You
cannot compare a Preacher to a Priest….
The
following is something I just read and it really spoke volumes to me about many
areas of the Priesthood I never thought about, the book Rekindle Eucharistic Amazement Healing and Holiness through the Mass
and Holy Hour, Author Kathleen Beckman.
“St
John Vianney is named the patron of diocesan priests and what a marvelous
example he provides for every priest! On pilgrimage in 1992, I visited the
towns of Ars, France. We toured the Saint’s parish and living quarters. His
humble bedroom is preserved so pilgrims can venerate the holy ground. One can
see the burn marks left from Satan’s attacks against the saint. It is easy to
imagine spiritual battles that occurred in his room with the visible signs that
confirm the devil’s assaults. Why did a humble priest in a remote village like
Ars, France draw such intense retaliation from demons? St John Vianney’s
devotion to the Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is exemplary and
known throughout the Church.
St
Augustine exclaimed, “Marvelous dignity of priest! In their hands, as in the
womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Son of God becomes incarnate.” St Paul
said, “They are ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God
(1Cor. 4:1). Commenting on these words, the Cure of Ars said, “Without the
priest the death and passion of our Lord would be no use; the priest has the
key of the heavenly treasures; he is God’s steward and the administrator of His
goods.” Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us knowledge of these truths. It
will inspire us with a religious veneration for the character of the priest,
and a lively gratitude towards our Lord who has invested him with it. What is
the priest? A man who holds the place of God, a man clothed with all the power
of God! Go, our Lord, said to the priest, “As my Father has sent me, I also
send you.” Behold the power of the priest! The tongue of the priest makes God
from a morsel of bread! It is more than creating the world. How great is the
priest! He will only rightly understand himself in heaven….. To understand it
on earth would make one die, not of fear, but of love. The priest is
everything, after God! Leave a parish for twenty years without a priest, and
the beast worshipped there…. will be If I were to go away, you would say, “What
is there to do in that Church? There is no Mass. Our Lord is no longer there,
we may just as well pray at home.” When men want to destroy religion they begin
by attacking the priest, because where the priest is no more, there is no more
sacrifice; there is no more religion. The priesthood is the love of the heart
of Jesus. When we see the priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ” (St John
Vianney, Eucharistic Meditations).
Dear
Priest, in your singular dignity as ministers of God’s mysteries, you remind
the laity of our own dignity, too. We need you to be a sign of contradictions
in the world. We need your good, courageous example, and your light to shine
brightly into our hearts and lives. Father, by pleasing God first, you will
bless the people.”
God Bless you Cousin and praying for you
and whatever your vocation in life will be… only God knows… seek His wisdom for
your life and that is where you will find your happiness.
These are sites that I found among many, many
others that might give you more understanding of the subject of; “Prosperity Gospel”.. The Catholic Church
tells us to beware….and I trust them over others opinions. Love and hugs, Cousin Jewels
My
cousin responded back to my answer to his question and I will conclude with
what I responded back to him with another question he had;
Cousin,
Would
love to speak to you “more” about all we’ve learned. If you understood how
committed we were… Jim and I.. to the Protestant faith and it’s understandings
of scripture you will find out how deep we had to dig into the teachings and
history of the Catholic Church to make sense of it ALL. Especially Jim being so
educated and an engineer, he had to make sense of it all…. “Cross every t and
dot every i.” In the end he received
enough grace from above to the understandings, that some things of God…are a
mystery and He makes them a mystery to build up our faith. Just like air….we
can’t see it, can’t smell it, can’t touch it…. But without air we have no life.
At first I was upset Jim did not follow Jeanine and I into the Catholic Faith….
I felt like a lone wolf. But, he supported us, went to Mass every time we did….
In time, I began to thank my Lord for his hardened heart…because of his road
blocks and questions, we both studied the Catholic Faith like theologians and
historians (together) and journeyed “more” deeper than any RCIA class could
take us. You would not believe all the books we have read together about
Catholicism. You are more than welcomed to borrow any of them if you want to…if
you can find the time to read them. We both “now” hope our journey will help
bridge the gap of so many misunderstandings and wrong perceived concepts that
Protestants have about the Church and also help Ex Catholics come home. Many
Cradle Catholics today are in a rut and have no clue how awesome their faith
is….So SAD. Also, I do not know if you
ever read my book I wrote? I know your Meme has a copy. Many of my early
understandings of being Catholic are in those pages. I need to re-write it,
because I need to add so much more to it, that I have learned since I wrote it.
I had it self-published and hope one day when I get it just like I want it…. I
will try to publish it. It’s called “Finding the One in His Time.” In the last
part of the book I share about 3 Catholic Seminarians that visited our Parish
one summer to help with Vacation Bible School. I had them over at our house for
dinner and lunch several times and really got to know them and their stories
about how God had lead them to become…or discern to be a Catholic Priest. What
I shared in my book is a question I asked them; “Do all who enter the Seminary
become a Priest?” This is what I wrote; “They informed me the percentage was
very low. The good news is while they study to become Priest, they are pursuing
God’s will in their lives and preparing for whatever their vocation may be in
life; married, or a life dedicated to the Priesthood. They went on to say those
who choose marriage for a vocation, after the experience of seminary, leave the
seminary really understanding God’s purpose for their life and a good insight
in understanding the meaning of sacrificial love that serves its place “in
time” when they do marry. They were a precious young bunch, and it was
refreshing to see young men really pursuing God with all of their hearts. I
wish more young people had the opportunity to figure it out. It is sad one has
to escape the world to get answers. I wish our modern world could be still for
a day and give our young people an experience of silence away from cell phones,
IPods, television and the materialism that keeps them from hearing God’s
voice.” I wrote that almost 4 years ago…. And still keep up with those precious
men. We were invited last spring to the “Ordination” to the Priesthood of one
of those Seminarians.. Jim and I both cried through the whole service. We both
had been praying for him, since we met him that summer, to complete, discern,
and understand his God ordained call or vocation in this life… we felt like his
parents. We even got to go to his first Mass at his home church. To be there
was amazing to see the fruits of the Apostolic succession continue on… to see
the miracle in which….the first time this young priest through the power of the
Holy Spirit made present our Eucharist. We took part in a miracle of God and we
witnessed the miracle of God in this young Priests hands, the wine and bread
became His Body and Blood. For us and all his friends and family, to be a part
of witnessing his first Eucharistic miracle at the Altar was awesome. He was
not the one who performed the miracle; it was the Holy Spirit using a man who
surrendered his life to this call…. a calling from God. We cried again. One of
the other Seminarians is studying in Rome for 2 years and can’t wait to hear
his story when he gets back. Wonder what his experience was when Pope Francis
was installed? He got to witness all of that amazing history being made.
The
book you asked me if I read it; “To Save A Thousand Souls”….. You will like
it.. The author Fr. Branner was on EWTN… “Bookmark” with Dough Keck. The
following link is the interview with Fr. Branner and a great discussion how the
book came to being. Fr. Branner is affiliated at Mount Saint Mary’s in
Maryland. When we lived in PA we use to pass by that place, many times, with
our trips to DC. Wish we would have stopped, it is beautiful and we always
admired the place… just did not know what it was back then.
God
Bless, Cousin Jewels
P.S.
Also, listen to all the other YouTube’s to the right of this link… Many discussions
and areas in which you can use to discern this complex subject of the “calling”
of the Priesthood.
