“”I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the…”
Mark 5:20, from Today’s Gospel
When I blog and post about my conscience telling me that the clericalism at St. Mary’s Cathedral is having Sacraments, people and evangelization canceled, am I doing as Jesus told his disciples, “…unless your righteousness surpasses that of…”;…❓
…St. Anthony’s “sermons are full of gentleness, but he reproved the wicked with fearless severity – especially backsliding clergy”…
…I wonder what St. Anthony would say to one of his namesakes who avoids at all cost doing anything that would lead to a “burnout” of his “20 years of humble service”
……”It is useless for a man to flaunt his knowledge of the law if he undermines its teaching by his actions.”-St. Anthony of Padua
…Last Sunday Fr. Tony, in true synodal fashion, told me to ask myself, “Where am I❓ Am I found week in and week out a member of the worshipping Body of the Church❓” My answer to that ❓ would be, “Yes and no.” ; for although Bishop Zurek does not consider me among “the parishioners of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish…the faithful and loyal disciples that the Lord Jesus desires.“, I am there week in and week out, not only on Sunday, but if Fr. Tony would, “Seven times…”Go, look again!” , he would find that Where I am is at Mass…(notwithstanding the fact that I am only at St. Mary’s Cathedral six times since a Saturday daily Mass is not offered there.)…
…and isn’t it right for me to be there for, “It is right to praise you…, O God“, even though Fr. Tony would argue that what I am doing is practicing “rugged individualism and self sufficiency” “to simply take care of (my) obligation…
I have mentioned in many homilies in recent years that our country is in dire straits. What Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J. wrote several years ago in an article seems to have penetrated our country completely. He said: The southwest seems to have evolved a new philosophy which he termed, “exaggerated frontier individualism”. This has dulled our society and permitted a philosophy of “non-distinction; all is equal!” to emerge.
from Bishop Zurek’s Letter to St. Mary’s Cathedral, “A Reflection on Christian Life”
…but wouldn’t it be simply taking care of my obligation, as Father Tony says, if I receive Communion from him and buy an aluminum can koozey with his image while simply ignoring my conscience about the Sacraments and people he has canceled and my obligation to Jesus to “love one another as I have loved you, …
…so, in answering, “Where am I❓, shouldn’t I consider “Where is Fr. Tony❓”; because if he considers his obligation to say one Mass a day fulfilled when he celebrates his priestly anniversary Mass, and considers it an obligation to himself to have the regularly scheduled Mass and even confessions for the day canceled; couldn’t it be that, “Where I am” “surpasses the righteousness of ” where Fr. Tony is❓