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| Different Ways of thinking and praying | |
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| Topic Started: Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 15:47 (1,346 Views) | |
| Mairtin | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 15:47 Post #1 |
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A Traditionalist and a non-Traditionalist went into the church to pray. The Traditionalist prostrated himself before the altar saying “O wonderful and majestic God in Heaven above, I thank thee for the bounteous gifts thou has bestowed upon me thy humble servant. “I thank thee especially for giving me thy gift of the Catholic Faith which so far surpasses that held by those who falsely claim themselves to also be servants of thyself but who only turn themselves away from thy loving face. “I thank thee for helping me avoid the errors fallen into by those who also claim to follow thy one true Catholic faith but succumb to the ways of the modern world. I thank thee in particular for the tremendous gift of the Latin language and giving me the ability to recognise its uniquely sublime characteristics even though I do not understand it nor was it neither thy first language nor the language thou chose to express your precious words in Holy Scripture. “I thank thee for opening my eyes to see that arrogance involved in people who think that they can make a throne of their hands fit for thy precious body and do not recognise that it is much better to show other people their reverence by kneeling before you altar, closing your eyes and sticking out your tongue. I thank thee also for letting me see that a simple expressions of faith is far from enough when someone receives thy Blessed Body, that simple recognition of thy True Presence, is not sufficient and the priest must utter additional prayers to remind them us how much our souls are in peril. “Our world and our Church are in a sorry state, O God, but I work hard to fight against this. Even our very churches and liturgy are contaminated where public sinners are made welcome. I thank thee, God, for the discernment thou hast given me to recognise their sins and the courage to call for those sinners to be spurned by thy priests and people. “This is not made any easier, God, by the fact that even thy priests, thy bishops and even thy very popes have fallen from thy ways and are leading thy people astray. I thank thee God most of all for giving me thy overwhelming gift of Wisdom that allows me to see beyond their errors and revealing to me the True Faith that I know thou really wanteth me to profess.” …. The non-Traditionalist sat down in his seat and said “Hi, God, sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk to you much this week but things have been hectic. I know that’s no excuse, God, but I’m a weak person and I really need your help so that I can try harder and try more often to do your holy will. “Talking about a hectic week, there are a few things I need to talk to you about. “First of all, my son and his girlfriend announce that they are getting married. Now you know well that despite my best efforts, my son doesn’t have much time for religion, in fact he hasn’t darkened the door of your church for about five years. His girlfriend, Anne, is very religious but she’s a Protestant so it looks like they will be married in a Protestant church and my grandchildren will be raised as Protestants. Now that’s not what I hoped for but I can’t help feeling a bit glad that at least they will be raised with belief in you and maybe some day they will even recognise the special gifts you have given the Catholic church; also, maybe Anne’s beliefs will rub off onto my son and encourage him to return to your fold. “The second thing is that my friend Tom and his girlfriend Kate are moving in together. They’re both Catholics as you know but they don’t want to get married just yet. They intend to continue to practice their faith and go to Holy Communion. I know that is well outside the rules but it’s a bit awkward for me to lecture them about that when I regularly break so many of your rules myself. They’re a good couple, God, they really believe that what they are doing is okay so I’d as you not to get angry with them and don’t be too hard on them, hopefully they will eventually get married. “Finally, the Pope gave a talk about morality this week and I’m struggling with some of the things he said, they don’t really seem to fit in with how I think about my faith. I know he’s the Pope and appointed by you so I’m definitely not going to disobey him but whatever kind of mind you gave me, I like to figure out the actual sense behind these things; I need you to open my mind a bit so that I can fully understand and come to terms with what he was saying. “That’s all for now, God, I’ll see you later, please stay with me in the meantime so that my bumbling efforts to follow your path don’t do too much harm to other people.” |
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| Rose of York | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 16:06 Post #2 |
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Mairtin do we have S.E.P.s, Spiritually Enlightened Personaltiy Types A and B? If so which is which? |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Rose of York | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 16:10 Post #3 |
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I have at times wondered if I am not quite so Catholic as the parish spinster who says the Daily Office and know litanies off by heart, in fact I have felt guilty. She has more free time than I. However, I do have long conversations with God my father and with Jesus. At times I have told the Father I cannot understand his ways, but will have to accept them. Jesus is my confidante, I can tell him anything, confident it won't be spread around. On occasion I ask the Spirit "please tell me what I should do about this problem". Despite my casual way of prayer I am wont to take my battered old Tridentine missal off the shelf, and read passages from the Proper of whichever Mass is appropriate for the subject of my supplication. The old Douai text appeals to me. I'm a hybrid, not quite sure whether I am a tradmod or a modtrad. |
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Derekap | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 17:28 Post #4 |
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A wonderful parable Mairtin. Rose, your comments reminded that years ago a woman used to spend most of the day everyday praying in church. The sacristan used to say she should spend more time at home looking after her husband. I don't know any more of the domestic circumstances. One day the Sacristan was not available to light the central heating boiler so the two curates attended to it. When they opened the Sacristy door to the church it was like a November fog of coke fumes and there in the gloom they could just make out the lady praying as usual (probably more than usual!). They had forgotten to adjust something to prevent such a fog and most of the fumes seeped around the pipes instead of going up through the chimney. Edited by Derekap, Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 17:43.
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| Derekap | |
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| Derekap | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 17:55 Post #5 |
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Rose, apart from my reaction above, I think your prayerful practice is wonderful. There were times in my younger days when I prayed for enlightened answers one way or the other to my problems. I still wonder sometimes whether I made the right decisions without such answers. I hope I did. |
| Derekap | |
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| Clare | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:18 Post #6 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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You don't know any traditionalists personally, do you, Mairtin? |
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S.A.G. Motes 'n' Beams blog Join in the Fun Trivia Quiz! | |
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| Clare | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:24 Post #7 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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It would be if it had any basis in reality, which it does not. Mairtin, Do you really believe that traditionalist lead care-free, crisis-free existences? That no traditionalist has ever had to deal with grown-up children in irregular relationships? That there are no single mothers, and if they are, I suppose you think we ostracise them? That children of traditionalists never go off the rails? Do you really think we pray like that, in those terms? And that we think we're "better" than mainstream Catholics? Your "parable" is one of the most judgmental, ignorant posts I've read. So I'll hit you on the head with a hammer!
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S.A.G. Motes 'n' Beams blog Join in the Fun Trivia Quiz! | |
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| Mairtin | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:43 Post #8 |
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Maybe the Traditionalists just need to employ a PR professional, Clare
Edited by Mairtin, Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:45.
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| Rose of York | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:48 Post #9 |
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That's not fair! Modernists use these rubber hammers. Mairtin, watch it. Trads use jewelled brass hammers.
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Clare | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:48 Post #10 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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It wouldn't make any difference. You'd still believe what you want to. And don't think that halo will protect your head from my next assault!
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S.A.G. Motes 'n' Beams blog Join in the Fun Trivia Quiz! | |
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| Mairtin | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 18:56 Post #11 |
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Now, now, Clare, you're usually accusing us "modernists" of changing too easily, now you're complaining that we won't change at all ... sounds like we're hanged if we do, hanged if we don't.
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| Clare | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 19:06 Post #12 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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I'm now going to flog your horse, Mairtin.
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S.A.G. Motes 'n' Beams blog Join in the Fun Trivia Quiz! | |
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| Rose of York | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 19:14 Post #13 |
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Mairtin and Clare: Prayer time, NOW! TOGETHER!
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Keep the Faith! | |
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| Mairtin | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 19:18 Post #14 |
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| Clare | Tuesday, 6. January 2009, 19:25 Post #15 |
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
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