Prayers for the Catholic Church

[temporal1]

Prayers for the Catholic Church
i suppose everyone is aware of the fierce battles raging within the Catholic Church.

sin comes with high prices, possibly the worst of it is how it does not remain contained+isolated,
there is a ripple effect that harms all around, often, prices are paid by generations that follow.

humans do not design this outcome, it’s factual, scriptures warn of the penalties.

i’m trying not to read much about this current battle.
this, because, i first read about it, in shock and horror, in the late 1990’s.

in those years, being Protestant, not Catholic, my thoughts were that there is everything to be gained, not lost, by exposing and rejecting sin. yes, the Church would experience pain+loss, but the potential to be redeemed was so much more important. the ultimate goal ..

.. of all, shouldn’t Church leaders who teach, “Confess, Repent, Submit, Obey” ..
personally embrace those very foundations of Christian faith?

this is The Way Jesus offers to all, no exceptions. this, no matter how powerful or humble.
Jesus’ one offer to all.

at this time, my thinking is, there was not full repentence and obedience, so. it’s not over.

Jesus has not changed. where sin persists, Jesus “persists more.”
if sin persists 2000+ years (and, it has, not in the Catholic Church alone) Jesus persists more.

i’m praying-hard for wisdom. my frequent prayer.
there are powerful groups, esp political/politicized blocs, who want to destroy the Catholic Church altogether. i am no more enamored with these folks than (any other sinners). Jesus offers His redemption. my prayers are for redemption to be chosen.

i grieve for Max, and for other Catholics harmed by sins of others.
just as prayers are needed for family members of any felons. the price of sin spreads outward.

Jesus did not eradicate sin on earth.
2000+ years later, struggles continue. He offers His Way. 2000+ years later.

2 Peter 3:9
https://biblehub.com/2_peter/3-9.htm
The Day of the Lord
… 8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be dissolved in the fire, and the earth and its works will not be found.…

God have mercy on each one of us.

[Josh]

"Come out from among them, and be ye separate." Just as Anabaptists separated from a faithless, sin-soaked "church" that had long ago departed from anything resembling following the scriptures, it is time for those who want to be sincere followers of Jesus to answer that call today and leave the sinking ship known as the "Roman Catholic Church".

[MaxPC]

Thank you, T1. We do need prayers while we also pray for others.

Personally I'm not harmed by their sins in which these men chose to submit to temptation and evil; but many are grievously wounded. These sins and others have existed within the first Christian communities and reoccur throughout history. It's man's fallen nature to be controlled by lust, envy, greed and all his carnal appetites. Our ministers and priests are not angels without sin. They are flawed men who, when they forget who they are in Christ, fall when they give into the worst temptations.

Likewise there are many good priests who resist satan and his evil and they outnumber those who are fallen. They work tirelessly day and night to minister to the people of God. There are over 400,000 of these men who as priests, love Our Lord and seek to be good disciples.

Even now in this crisis, our Masses have been filled and overflowing with people who have come to pray for the Church and those priests who are faithful to Christ. The Holy Spirit seems to have spurred people to fill the pews.

I will say this though: every time satan tries to destroy Jesus' disciples, God raises up a solution and we continue His Work while the chaff are burned in the unquenchable fire. There is always hope for those who love Jesus and we never lose hope just because God sees fit to clean His House every now and again.
[bible]Matthew 3, 11-12[/bible]

[temporal1]

"Come out from among them, and be ye separate."
Just as Anabaptists separated from a faithless, sin-soaked "church" that had long ago departed from anything resembling following the scriptures, it is time for those who want to be sincere followers of Jesus to answer that call today and leave the sinking ship known as the "Roman Catholic Church".

Yes. This was my sincere response in the 90’s. “Leave that church!” It seemed clear, not complicated. i was surprised droves of Catholics did not move right away, in those years.

In my stunning wisdom, it seemed, moving to the Lutheran church would be “a short step.”
That did not happen.

My view of what appeared to be happening, all around me, and in the outer world:
many Protestant churches (and, later, i learned, Anabaptist fellowships) went into “high gear” accepting women in ministry, homosexuals, and other contested (doctrines?) ..
so contested, these churches lost many of their own followers, much less remaining a viable alternative for those fleeing sin. many church pews emptied.

i admit, i wondered, and continue to wonder, about the timing of these big events in church history. the coincidence of the Catholic priest scandals with the Protestant leap to embrace questionable doctrines, was remarkable (in my view).

honestly, i’m not sure it was discussed. (anywhere. MD did not yet exist.)
folks were busy reeling over what seemed most urgent to them. understandable.

Aside from that, another question ruminates in corners of my thoughts.
Jesus teaches about love. (i am not a believer in, “love is love.”)
i believe scriptures teach about different sorts of love, there are several types of love.

One sort of love Jesus teaches is, “love your enemies.” profound stuff. i believe Anabaptists specifically value these teachings (?) ..

So. when we identify an enemy, perceived big or small, what is the response Jesus wants?

Matthew 5:44
Love Your Enemies
…43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…

We feel tiny in face of the Catholic Church.
Is “tiny” an excuse to view the Catholic Church as the “approved” enemy?
No kidding, we can be comfortable with it. But, what does Jesus want from His people?

[Josh]

Well, I'm an Anabaptist, and we hold to the Anabaptist confessions.

From all this we should learn that everything which has not been united with our God in Christ is nothing but an abomination which we should shun. By this are meant all popish and repopish works and idolatry, gatherings, church attendance, winehouses, guarantees and commitments of unbelief, and other things of the kind, which the world regards highly, and yet which are carnal or flatly counter to the command of God, after the pattern of all the iniquity which is in the world.

What does Jesus want from his people? He doesn't want them in engaging in "popish and repopish works and idolatry" ("popish" being an archaic term meaning "Catholic"), nor "church attendance ... which [is] carnal or flatly counter to the command of God".

We're to love our enemies, which are people. As far as institutions? Institutions can be "enemies", but aren't people. The institution of false religions and things that claim to be Christian, like apostate Protestant churches that you mentioned, are not really "enemies" but are institutions that Christians should have no part and parcel with. We should not even bother to feel happy or sad when we see such institutions crumbling, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." It is inevitable that an institution like the Roman Catholic Church would crumble.

[Bootstrap]

The latest headlines hit me harder than earlier ones.

When I was in high school, I used to go to prayer meetings at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Warren, PA once a week. A priest who admitted to sexually molesting as many as 15 boys — some as young as 7 years old — served at that church. That link points to an article in the newspaper I used to deliver when I had a paper route.

This was after my time, but two of the priests at that church contributed to my own spiritual growth when I was younger, and I knew some very strong Christians there. This is the first time that I have looked at these stories and recognized the names of churches and people and places. This affects people I knew.

I am not Catholic and never will be, but this is an issue that affects Mennonites too. Things like this have also happened in our churches. Sometimes Mennonite churches have covered them up too. I am not going to cast the first stone here. I will pray for Catholics and Mennonites and all churches in the face of this vile sin.

I will pray for holiness. I will pray for healing. And I will pray for a credible witness. All of our churches have fallen short. Christianity is losing credibility in the eyes of many as a result.

[temporal1]

To paraphrase an observation from Mr Jim:
The Catholic Church is “the big target” for those who want to destroy (all) of Christianity.
He added something to the effect that, if the Catholic Church were to disappear, the rest of us would be “quick work” for attackers.

i had not yet thought very much about the Catholic Church, either as an institution, or a body of people, but, this got my attention. i began thinking as not before.

(i see Mr Jim’s thots as something to soberly consider.
at the same time, i know that outcomes are determined by the Holy Spirit.
so, no matter what is destroyed on earth, the Holy Spirit will not be destroyed.

the Holy Spirit will determine what lives, and what form it will take.)

“Destruction of the Church/church.”
There is much to think about. There are different modes of destruction.
Some types of destruction are on the inside, leaving the outer structure to stand, giving the appearance of its existence. But leaving it empty.

This is what some politicians are keen on. When politicians reprimand Christians, making statements like, “Well, Christians are just going to have to accept homosexuality and abortion,” this is an example of saying, “Sure! Keep your buildings! But, we decide the rest.”

This is makes sense to those who worship self-as-god.
Confession, repentance, submission, obedience. (ARE YOU KIDDING? No.)

Of course, lots of this has happened/is happening without politicians’ demands.
However, when it gets to that official level, led by the highest political “leaders,” it takes on increased gravity. Where is the brake pedal?!

i agree with Mr Jim.
it’s important to recognize this is not solely an attack on the Catholic Church, or Catholic laity.
Jesus Christ is the target, just as He was 2000+ years ago.

John 15:18
The Hatred of the World
17This is My command to you: Love one another.

18If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.

19If you were of the world, it would love you as its own.
Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.…

https://biblehub.com/john/15-18.htm

i believe this awful continued/renewed scandal is an opportunity for Catholic leadership to “hit bottom” then to be renewed, possibly, as not before. there is One Way. no other, no exceptions, no shortcuts. the offer is sincere.

i’m praying Jesus’ offer will be accepted.
if so, what a day that would be.

[MaxPC]

T1.

[temporal1]

T1.

i wasn’t sure how you would respond to this thread.
was not expecting a “high-5!”

[temporal1]

i wrote:
.. “We feel tiny in face of the Catholic Church.
Is “tiny” an excuse to view the Catholic Church as the “approved” enemy?
No kidding, we can be comfortable with it. But, what does Jesus want from His people?”

an aside to this.
i’ve counseled my daughter to be conscientious about treating wealthy/powerful people she might meet (some in the family) with the same courtesy, care, generosity, as any other. that this can be unexpected, it’s often very much appreciated. after all, they are people, too.

there are burdens that come along with money+power. it’s not all glory.
everyone appreciates courtesy, tho. to not feel taken for granted.