Category: Catholicism

Abide With Me

One comment

“Abide With Me” by Henry Lyte  is probably one of my all-time favourite hymns:

We sang it at my grandfather’s funeral. It seems appropriate for Maundy Thursday…

1. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.		 2. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see—
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
3. I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.		 4. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
5. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me

Jesus, Friend Of Sinners

Leave a comment

My favourite band, Casting Crowns, just released a video of a song from their new album “Come to the Well”. The song is called “Jesus, Friend Of Sinners”:

This is definitely one of my favourite songs from their most recent album Come To The Well. It has a few lyrics which I find devastating:

Jesus, friend of sinners, …we cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing…

A plank-eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided…

Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers…

…and finally…

Nobody knows what we’re for, only what we’re against, when we judge the wounded…

It is this last line which I find the most powerful. Before hearing this song I had never really thought that when I judged someone, I was judging someone injured. We’re all wounded, of course, both by the Fall and our own personal histories.

Until I heard these words I had never really considered that when someone does something which disappoints or hurts me, it might be due to a wound which that person had previously sustained, so rather than judging and condemning that person, I should instead see him as someone in need of healing.

Over the past few months I have, on occasions, remembered this song and the resolution it inspired: Be More Gentle With People. When I have done this, and managed to set aside my indigence and anger, and tried to “look for the wound”, the results have been quite surprising. I have found my heart softened and the reservoirs of compassion and patience which I had long thought empty, refilled.

Now, if only I could remember this resolution a bit more often…

1795645_10153063681658879_2929648303583886376_n

Sunday Lectionary: Return Of The King

Leave a comment

This Sunday is Palm Sunday so, in addition to an initial Reading at the beginning of Mass, we also hear a long Passion narrative after the Second Reading. Rather than provide commentary for all these Readings (since I would also quite like to get some sleep this week!), I will not be providing any commentary for the narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion. 

Palm Sunday: 1st April, 2012

We are about to enter Holy Week. All our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and alms-giving have been preparing us for this moment, to walk these final few miles with our Lord to Calvary.

Our Mass begins with an account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. He is welcomed as royalty, but in a few short days the crowds which shouted “Hosanna in the Highest!” will be shouting “Crucify Him!”. Their hatred fulfills the prophecy spoken of by Isaiah in our First Reading.

In the Second Reading from the letter to the Philippians St. Paul describes in poetic terms Christ’s humiliation and final exaltation. This is also the theme of this week’s psalm which was the prayer on the lips of Christ as he hung on the cross. The psalm speaks of one scorned, pierced in hands and feet, surrounded by enemies, all hope appearing lost… Nevertheless, the psalmist trusts in God and, like Christ, in the end, is vindicated.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me
– Henry F. Lyte

Read more

Sex Abuse Facts

12 comments

The Catholic Church teaches a high standard of morality and when some of its members violate that standard, the media pounces and calls it hypocrisy, and rightly so. To be clear, this post in no way condones any of the abuses which have occurred over the years. They were all terrible, sinful tragedies.

However, over the past few years the media feeding frenzy has been such that I think it might be time to regain a little bit of perspective. The following facts came from an article at TheMediaReport.com.

1. IT’S NOT ABOUT CATHOLIC PRIESTS
FACT: Catholic priests do not offend at a higher rate than clergy of other religious denominations or employees of other institutions that deal with youth.

2. STRANGE DAYS INDEED
FACT: The media’s frenzied Catholic priest sex abuse storyline stems only from a historical anomaly, as the vast majority of allegations occurred during a narrow band of time from the 1960s to the early 1980s. During this period the Church sent abusive priests to treatment, conforming to the then-prevailing societal view that offenders could be successfully rehabilitated but resulting in a high rate of recidivism.

3. YESTERDAY’S NEWS
FACT: Almost all accusations against Catholic priests date from decades ago, and indeed nearly half of all abuse accusations concern priests who are already dead. In an institution of 77 million people, contemporaneous accusations of abuse against Catholic clergy in the United States are very rare, recently averaging only 8.5 “credible” allegations per year.

4. THE STORY THE MEDIA WON’T REPORT
FACT: The incidence of sexual abuse by teachers in public schools today has been estimated to be “more than 100 times” that by Catholic priests, and there is alarming evidence of school officials covering up abuse and failing to report suspected cases to authorities. Yet the mainstream media has largely ignored this shocking story while still rehashing decades-old allegations of abuse by Catholic priests.

5. A MODEL FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
FACT: The Catholic Church is likely the safest environment for children today.

I would invite you to pray a rosary today for the holiness of Catholic priests around the world

1 … 265 266 267 268 269 … 317