"Do your duty"
All are invited for the following in SAA Church tonight:
Stations of the Cross – 7 pm
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – 7:30 – 8:30 pm
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The following are recent questions and comments from bloggers:
1) Markov: “A person who takes the Eucharist daily is he/she in a better state of grace than a person who takes the Eucharist weekly?” There is sanctifying grace in each sacrament, most especially in the Blessed Sacrament. The more a person receives the Eucharist, the more grace they have in their soul. Therefore, a daily communicant will be in more of a state of grace than the weekly communicant.
2) Anon: “Father -- Do you know whether there is any validity to reports of a woman in Frederick recently experiencing apparitions of Mary?” No, I haven’t heard anything about this.
3) Kelly H. on “Truth vs. Feelings” post: “Go Father Greg! Great teaching. Let's me expand on the feelings part:
I don't feel like exercising today.It is raining and cold, I don't feel like going to work/school today.Oh, the baby's crying, I don't feel like getting up again to feed the baby.Mass? I don't feel like going I am just too tired or whatever. Football? My only day off! What! Try to get three TEENAGERS out of bed befor noon on Sunday?
Confession? No way, I don't feel like dealing with that. I am not that bad.and so on and so on and so on.
Feelings can be wonderful and they are part of us. However, sometimes we all need to what I call-----------FEELINGS BOOT CAMP- Marine Corp Fashion-------No matter what our mood or feelings for the moment, GET UP AND DO YOUR DUTY!
Whenever I don't feel like meeting my obligations, I think of my 19 year old nephew carrying a a 60 pound back pack and walking directly into combat/gunfire(in Iraq). Suddenly all of my obligations/commitments (both religious and personal) seem like a walk in the park.”
posted by Fr Greg @ 11:27 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
If the sacraments impart God's grace, shouldn't we experience something when we receive them? I don't -- not with the Eucharist or Confession. Do I expect too much or am I made of stone?
If you have not done so already, you may want to take a look at the original post, "Truth vs. Feelings," in the February archives. You may find it helpful in finding answers to your concerns. Sure hope so. :)
My cousin and his wife just had their first child and are now discovering new things about each other as they parent together. This spurred an debate in my home. In a nut shell, my aunt believes it's her daughter-in-law's moral responsibility to sumbit to the will of her son. If they cannot agree over something, his decision should prevail. He is the head of home. She went on to state that the reversal of the order of head of household has led, for a number of reasons I won't go into, to the basic decay of our value systems. I told her her ideas were archaic and no one believed that anymore. She informed me, however, that this is the current teaching of the church. I can't remember hearing any of that taught in recent years. I don't even think I've heard "obey" used in marriage ceremonies anymore. My aunt is a pretty devoted woman in her faith, so I would believe she is correct in her beliefs, but still.... does the church still teach that women should be submissive? I am aware of the passages referencing the subject, but they were written in a time when women weren't exactly first-class citizens. I'd like to think I am thought to be given more than only "influence" with my spouse, atleast in the eyes of the church. My reality is what it is, but I'd like to know the teaching.
To Perplexed Wife,
Hi, this is the first time my husband and I are commenting together. We we were married in our early to mid twenties, we just hit our 20th anniversary.
Christ commands husbands to love their wives as they love their own bodies. He also commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Also God is a God of order. Husband and wife are called to love and serve the Lord above all people/things.
On the practical side, if Mike is presenting a decision for our marriage/family, it is always after much prayer/receiving graces from the sacraments. If at first, I "balk," or disagree, I will start to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to continue to guide Mike and to impart knowledge understanding to me. Many times, the Holy Spirit will bring great peace to my soul. Other times the Holy Spirit will lead me to ask questions, initiate more conversation-discussions..........Sometimes this will lead to a different direction altogether. So we view it as a supernatural, divine, grace filled process. We view marriage as our vocation and know that we can not live it without Christ and His sacraments.
Of course we are sinners and we have had 20 years to learn many lessons from the Lord! Marriage is all about sacrificial love. Yet we have found that a Christ centered marriage is a glimpse of heaven on earth.
I agree, Kelly and Mike!
Unfortunately, our focus is often on the word "submissive" in that particular passage, which may lead us to overlook or neglect the emphasis on "love" which it also commands.
One of my favorite Bible passages:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous,(love)is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
On a personal note - my father shared these words of wisdom with each of my three sisters and me, prior to our being married. "A marriage is not 50/50," he would say. "It is 100/100." Husband and wife in a mutually loving relationship, giving 100% of him or herself.
We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, this fall.
There are several of our school parents who have been married 20+ years. Some ladies, one of whom I believe just celebrated 21 years the past Valentine's Day, and I were discussing how many. I guess many of our parents got married young and began having children a little later in life b/c I would never have guessed any of these ladies, especially with all the younger kids, were old enough to be married that long. You all are good examples- thanks for sharing what works for you.
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