The Unprofitable Servant: Caution and Folly in Philadelphia

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Caution and Folly in Philadelphia

I came home from work to the news that three priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have been suspended from active public ministry pending further investigation of charges that they exhibited inappropriate behavior toward minors, to varying degrees. Of course, no one knows the truth except the priests, the alleged victims, and God. In light of what transpired last week, I think this is a good step for the Archdiocese to take. The priests are not charged with anything and quite possibly, they won't be. However, this at least shows the faithful that the Church in Philadelphia is going to proceed with caution and err safely on the side of children. None of us wants to see the reputation and character of innocent priests ruined. Anyone who would bear false witness against a priest would undoubtedly place themselves in very serious moral jeopardy. But given the track record on this issue, I think the cardinal's actions were prudent.

On another note, a letter to the editor in today's Philadelphia Inquirer urges the faithful to stay home from Mass on Sunday and withhold their contribution to the collection. The writer advises those "who must go to Mass" to do so in another state, like New Jersey or Delaware. Doesn't this guy miss the mark completely? He is urging people to commit a mortal sin and deliberately offend God because he doesn't like the way the Archdiocese has handled the issue. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! The offenses committed against God were enough. Why we do want to compound that outrage by encouraging the faithful to neglect their Sunday obligation?

All I know is that last night, the Mass I attended was celebrated by a priest who could scarcely walk because of his debilitating arthritis. He has many physical challenges, with rheumatoid being just one of them. All of the men left as soon as Mass was over. I am never comfortable walking on the altar or in the sacristy, but I offered Father some help putting things away, and he gladly accepted. In some way, his difficulty in just being able to stand made me think of the other night, when the priest knelt on the floor in front of the Blessed Sacrament, seemingly bearing the weight of all the problems in the Church on his shoulders. This is quite a heavy cross these man are carrying. Will we be like the Cyrenian, and take some of the weight from them, or would we be like the Romans, and make a difficult journey even that much tougher?

7 comments:

JulieFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:36 PM
Another beautiful post.
I'll keep this in mind during my blog abstinence tomorrow.
Thanks, Joyce.
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doughboyFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:38 PM
that's very thoughtful of you to help that priest. i bet it doesn't occur to most folks to ask if father needs/wants any assistance; it wouldn't to me. i don't know what's going on in philadelphia and not sure i wanna know, but it's great you're letting your light shine in that corner of the world in support of the Church & her ministers. good post.
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CarolineFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:39 PM
Joyce, your account of that poor priest is heart breaking. I agree - what a heavy cross they must be carrying. I pray many choose to be like the Cyrenian ..
Isn't tomorrow blog abstinence day for prayer?

St John Vianney pray for us.
+PAX
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MannyFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:13 PM
The three priests haven't been charged? Whoa, I didn't realize that. This better not be a witch hunt. I'll pray then that they will be exonerated.
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TLWFebruary 19, 2011 at 7:46 AM
Sorry, folks, that I did not see these comments earlier but I went to bed very early Thursday evening. Caroline yes, we agreed that whatever time we normally spend writing and reading blogs would be spent in prayer yesterday. Perhaps during Lent this can become a more regular occurrence, but we'll see.

My kids even did their part by staying off the computer yesterday, though only Rebecca was willing to pray the Rosary.
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KellyFebruary 19, 2011 at 8:26 PM
We know one of the three accused priests. I am not so sure even if they are exonerated that the stigma will ever be removed from them, now that their names and charges are known to the public. The one we know may possibly just have had his long faithful ministry thrown in the garbage. We don't know. There have been falsely accused priests that have been ruined over this. The truly guilty ones will have to answer for all this someday. It is a frightening business.
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TLWFebruary 19, 2011 at 8:51 PM
When I was in college, a student at a nearby Catholic high school accused a priest of plying him with wine and then attempting to sexually abuse him. I remember that at the time, no one believed the student and we all rallied to the priest's side. Years later, when the scandal really broke, this priest was one of the accused, except he had ceased to be a priest years ago. I, too, know one of these priests, though not well, and I truly feel for him. However, if he is innocent, and I hope he is, it sounds like he has another abusive priest to blame for his predicament. That's the tragedy of the way this whole debacle was handled from the start. Now, even the marginally suspect are going to have to come out of active ministry until a full investigation takes place. And as I said, anyone who would falsely accuse an ordained priest had better fear for their soul. I can't believe what a sickening mess this is, but I will never abdicate my support for the many good and holy priests I know and love. To me, they, too are victims of this mess.
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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The Unprofitable Servant

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Caution and Folly in Philadelphia

7 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross