“Far better it is for you to say: "I am a sinner," than to say: "I have no need of religion." The empty can be filled, but the self-intoxicated have no room for God.” - Blessed Fulton J. Sheen

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Prodigal Nuns

Well, I was going to take the time today and start a massive couple of posts on Sola Fida, but I've been sidetracked. And is there a better way to get more readers (or a reader) than to post something controversial?  

The LCWR. If you're Catholic, you've probably heard about them, and have an opinion one way or another. If you're not a Catholic, you've probably also heard about them, as they've been supporting the popular myth that the Catholic Church hates women, especially nice old ladies. The Vatican criticism (which is probably one of the nicest criticisms ever) is 10 years in the making, after they warned them the first time. All the Holy See is saying is that if you proclaim to be a part of the Catholic Church, there are certain things you have to agree to, otherwise you're not being Catholic (that includes you, politicians). Those 'things' are called dogma, and they include, among other things, being pro-life (yes, pro all life, Sister Pat, especially the unborn), against gay marriage, and acknowledging that women will never be priests. 

Which brings me to the Prodigal Son. In summation, the son tells his father he wants his inheritance now, which in that culture effectively means he wants his father dead. He spends the fortune, and then, because he is more miserable than words can describe, he goes crawling back to his father, hoping to be a servant. But his father greets him with joy, and throws him a party. 

Let's pause there, for the sake of my metaphor. As you may have guessed, the prodigal son is the LCWR (I suppose that in this case it's daughters). They have asked for their inheritance early, and it comes in the form of worldly acceptance and 'modernity'. They have the approval of men. But God's inheritance for us is His heavenly kingdom, and it is far better than anything we could earn here. 

I'm not saying that the LCWR has left completely, but they seem to be headed in that direction. I imagine that before the prodigal son left, there was a lot of unrest between him and the father. Maybe he didn't like the way his father ran things, maybe he didn't agree with his father's teachings. But it's not as if he, all of a sudden, told his father to go die. That's where I think we are now, and I'm hoping and praying that they'll come back before things get any worse.

The LCWR is the prodigal son. God and is the Father. So who are we? Well, the obvious answer is the other brother. We're good brother, the one who follows his father's rule. We're faithful and orthodox and stick with the Bishops. But doesn't the 'good' brother also deserve chastisement for his resentful attitude after the brother comes back? Isn't he in the wrong, too? And again, this resentment didn't come out of nowhere. The 'good' brother works hard, and watches his brother grow angrier. As his father tries to bring the prodigal brother, the 'good' brother wishes he would just give up. After all, he's got the 'good' brother--he follows his father's teachings. Why does he need the prodigal son anyway? When the prodigal brother leaves, a part of him is glad. 

But who should we be? We are the Body of Christ. We are His hands and feet. We are the branches, he is the Vine. And if we are the Body of Christ, we must reflect the attitude of the Father. He feels great sorrow for his son, as does the Lord when any of his children strays. What sorrow He must feel for the LCWR! And I bet the father never stopped praying for his prodigal son. So should we. 

Our attitude should never be one of 'good riddance'. Yes, it's right for the Holy See to correct the LCWR. They did it with charity and hope. And as the Body of Christ, we should do the same. So please, let's you and me and all of us, pray, pray, pray. 

J

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