I am in Toronto where I am speaking at a wonderful conference called SERVIAM, focused on renewal of the sacred in the Church.
Many people have expressed to me their fears and concerns about where the world is today (many want to know about the US elections and they are well informed!), and where the Church is in the world today.
But I am also seeing and hearing concrete signs of how people are taking matters into their own hands and forming small groups of support, especially when their priests and bishops are less than optimal, or even soft-pedaling sins they confess, or smoothing over immorality in our culture.
Among the things that I have noticed are how small efforts produce good results. For example, quite a few have told me how they use this blog. That is encouraging. People have asked me to bless Rosaries prepared by my friend Fr Heilman, the Combat Rosary. They intend to give them as gifts or to use them. Many people want objects blessed and they tell me from whom they are intended and why. People are relying also on the promises of God, through the Church, for sacramentals. They are not forgetting God’s work.
The Holy Spirit is at work among a creative minority here.
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Ego: Ubi loqueris hodie, Pater?
Pater: Ego in “Serviam” colloquio, loquor.
Ego: In Serbiam?
Pater: Non, Serviam.
DOH!
Hate Speech : https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/49199 (warning, not for those seeking love, honesty, and God)
yeah, and whoops-a-conspiracy-theory to you guys too
Father, I’d love to hear some details about how these people are taking matters into their own hands. Anything you could share would be appreciated.
Before starting my current ministry in seminary teaching and formation, I was prone to bouts of despair for the Church. Now, knowing the 135 men in training right now at NDS, I despair no more. There is a great deal of diversity among this group — race, nationality, age, education, etc. — but to a man they are faithful to the Church and her apostolic mission. Not one of them looks back to the 70’s -90’s as an era to be imitated. Not one of them supports women’s ordination, same-sex “marriage,” false ecumenism, or goofy liturgical innovations. They are smart, dedicated, faithful, and serious. AND they will be on the front lines the battle for souls. Pray for them!
Fr. Philip Neri, OP
Renewal usually comes from the bottom up as they are not as invested in perpetuating the status quo
As a former resident of Toronto, I can vouch for the difficulty in obtaining properly blessed sacramental. To obtain a proper, full traditional blessing of a pair of Rosaries for my son and I, I had to mail them to an Ottawa FSSP parish with a donation. No priests would agree in Toronto to using the traditional blessing, even though I would bring it printed out with a copy of the source material to prove they may use it.
So…thanks for doing that. Whenever I gift a sacramental, I always provide the date it was blessed, using which formula and the name and parish of the priest who blessed it. Those who know the difference want this information, and we make it a habit to pray for the priest who blessed the Rosary when we pray it.