Monday, July 03, 2017

Without Faith

Feeling a lot better I hope I might return to this blog, apart from saying Mass and sleeping I haven't had the energy for the last six months even to type or think clearly.

However when the Son of Man returns will he find any faith on earth? Luke 18:8

I have always thought our greatest problem in the Church today is a lack of faith. I mean, for example, bishops and other ecclesiastic being appointed or promoted not because they had a fervent belief but because they belonged to a particular faction.

In Italy in diocese from North to South, even, possibly more so in Rome, the papers seem to contain news of clergy involved in orgies and other sexual scandals, which might be reason why there seems to be growing call for an end to celibacy.

In dioceses and parishes, in colleges and schools and other Church affiliated organisation professional competence, especially amongst lay Church employees outweigh a commitment to the Gospel and the person of Jesus Christ. Some people might be committed to externals, it is problem for both left and right, an enthusiasm for the cappa magna an other ecclesiastical ornaments on the one hand might be matched on the other hand by someone's enthusiasm for a particular pilgrimage site or branch of the Church's social teaching, or increasingly being a 'gay' or 'feminist' Catholic. There is no problem with any of these things in themselves, they add to the richness of the Church which because it is made up of individuals is always going to be diverse, the problem is that without faith in Jesus first and foremost all can become dangerous.

I hope I have a proper devotion to Our Lady, and in this centenary year to Our Lady of Fatima but I really get worried when someone is more concerned by the third secret, than the words of Holy Scripture.

As Pope Benedict said the new Cardinals, "In the end Christ will win", the problem is that without the centrality of Jesus everything goes out of balance most especially charity and mutual respect, without faith in him the Church becomes weak, powerless and will eventually disappear as is increasingly happening in its once European heartlands but where the Gospel is taken seriously like parts of Africa and South East Asia it grows and prospers.

Someone told me a story of Thomas Wilkes the Protestant composer, who seems to have lost his faith and taken to the bottle towards the end of his life, he became so disaffected he peed on the bishop of from the organ loft.

Without charity we are nothing but without faith charity itself becomes disordered to the point where killing someone or destroying their reputation becomes a sign of love.

10 comments:

Kathleen1031 said...

Fr. Blake, I'm not sure why you were so ill, but am so grateful you are feeling better! God be praised. Illness is a hard cross, and we all come to it sooner or later in most cases. I have a 94 year old little friend who was the picture of productivity, just like a bee she buzzed around, indomitable. I remember her actually fainting while making bread for a church bizarre, at 82. The hot kitchen was too much, but do you think she went home? No way, she yelled at those of us who called 911 and went back to making bread! Sometimes in life we have to be Marines, so take care of yourself and carry on.

Our Church is in crisis. We are in virtual schism. We now accept our Church is filled to the top with homosexuals and destroyers, and they are doing their utmost.
We await God's chastisement, because it does not seem in God's world, which this is, that rebellion and glorifying sin last for too long. He will have the last word.
Homosexuality is a disorder, a deviation, and in no way can it bring anything positive or good to the person, nation, and definitely not, the Church. If it is capitulated to, it will destroy our Church, as it destroys the individual. It is incompatible with the Gospel. Page One of Genesis "Male and female He created them". Important enough to put on the very first page of the Bible. People are lied to and encouraged in their sin.
Just this past month we lost a 13 year old "transgender" child in our community, to suicide. The child was "supported" in her LGBT madness. What are we doing to children, that they are now committing suicide at 13? Why are we lying to people and confirming them in something that is only going to bring them ruin.
I hope you get stronger very day. You are needed on the spiritual battlefront.
God bless you for being a priest.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Very kind of you Kathleen, my heart was resting at 128, now it is a 57. It meant it just wasn't working, just barely keeping me alive, not much oxygen to the brain or anywhere else.

Yes, the confusion is deadly!

geoff kiernan said...

Wishing you well Father.

" The greatest problem (in the Church) is the lack of faith".......seems to me there are a couple of steps before the 'loss of faith' EG, The cessation of the simple act of Genuflecting before the Tabernacle, leading to the loss of 'the sense of the Sacred.' Before that the Mass was reduced from a sacrificed to a Eucharistic Meal, etc , etc.

Leo Flanagan said...

welcome back Fr Ray

Anonymous said...

Father I am glad you are slowly returning to normal. If you want to look at a country bearing the fruits of a loss of faith and of inaction by bishops ,look no further than where i live-Australia

The Census of 2016 revealed that "No religion" now was greater than catholicism.
We have had an ongoing child abuse Royal Commission and the church is heavily in its crosshairs-more so than other denominations,where i question whether it is not in reality an anticatholic slagfest.Cardinal Pell charged with child abuse has brought salivation to the lips of his enemies-political and ecclesiastical .George Weigel has written an article that there is possible evidence of collusion between the police and the media. On sunday i noticed that there were many at Mass at my parish church. Is this a sign that the silent majority of catholics were taking heed to stand for the faith or was it a bunch of stickybeaks wondering how "the micks are reacting".As Fr Tattersall of the Newman parish the traditional Latin Mass parish wrote'July 29th is when war was declared on the Catholic church in Australia". An aussie recusancy in the Ascendancy i wonder?

Nicolas Bellord said...

Very glad to hear you are better. You are much needed in these confusing times!

Kirt Higdon said...

Good to be able to read your comments again, Father.

consolata said...

Hi Father, I am really happy to read your musings again ! I come to your site every day - and visit older posts, too.
Re: illness etc: I suffered beginning about a year ago, and the thing for me was that the Psychological Recovery was really tough. it was/is as if all of my energy went into the physical repair, leaving a shell of my former self, mentally.
Now that I am very nearly back to semi-normal, I can understand it a little better: doesn't one's brain require different nutritional requirements than one's body, more carbs - and I suspect mental processes are less important to one's entire body in recovery - in addition it sure is stressful to be ill, or for that matter, to be 'damaged' in any way at all.
I hope you have good rest: healthy refreshment: and wonderful friends to bolster you.
Re: our Church: I am in USA: and in a wonderful diocese: dovotional life goes on, but I always ask fellow parishoners, in a neutral way, what they think about what is happening: and I think it is 9-3 In Favor (!) of PF and they are ok with direction of Catholic Church ! go figure.
Ellen Hanson

Anna said...

Praise be Our Lord Jesus Christ for bringing back Fr Blake.

Just another mad Catholic said...

Please pray for me Father, I know that God exists and that Jesus is Divine, but my Faith has been tested of late.

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