Of late the Catholic Church has been outrageous, and I love it. Firstly, at the ordination mass the Saturday before Pentecost I saw not only 4 arch-bishops and 3 monsignors, but at least 75 priests. On two different occasions the Catholic Church made the congregation sit and watch every single priest come by in a single file line and lay hands/hug the 3 newly ordained priests. What other church can rest on it's awesomeness to such a degree that it makes it's congregation sit through something like that? Most churches attempt to treat their congregation like kindergartners who's attention spans need to be worked within. And the mass of priests speaking together during the Liturgy of the Eucharist was (in very literal terms) to die for.
And secondly the readings of late (particularly the first readings) have been hilarious. I think Tobit is my new favorite book of the Bible. We get to hear from Tobit until Saturday! Here was today's first reading:
- That same night I bathed, and went to sleep next to the wall of my courtyard. Because of the heat I left my face uncovered. I did not know there were birds perched on the wall above me, till their warm droppings settled in my eyes, causing cataracts. I went to see some doctors for a cure, but the more they anointed my eyes with various salves, the worse the cataracts became, until I could see no more. For four years I was deprived of eyesight, and all my kinsmen were grieved at my condition. Ahiqar, however, took care of me for two years, until he left for Elymais. At that time my wife Anna worked for hire at weaving cloth, the kind of work women do. When she sent back the goods to their owners, they would pay her. Late in winter she finished the cloth and sent it back to the owners. They paid her the full salary, and also gave her a young goat for the table. On entering my house the goat began to bleat. I called to my wife and said: "Where did this goat come from? Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners; we have no right to eat stolen food!" But she said to me, "It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages." Yet I would not believe her, and told her to give it back to its owners. I became very angry with her over this. So she retorted: "Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!"
The next day, wishing to determine the truth about why he was being accused by the Jews, he freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; (I) am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."Isn't the Holy Spirit great! In a tough jam? The Holy Spirit will find some utterly ridiculous way to get you out of it all!
I am a very proud papist these days.
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