The late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
was know to be a frequent “sufferer”
The Sunday homily as an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word, can only be renewed and energized by the Holy Spirit.
Kerygma or the proclamation of the Paschal Mystery should lead to metanoia, a progressive (or radical) conversion of the heart to the Gospel. But, it is the Holy Spirit who is the great “Converter” waiting to be “stirred up” or “fanned into flame” in the hearts of the faithful, through the preaching of Christ crucified.
As Pope Paul VI said in his very powerful apostolic exhortation “On Evangelisation”: “…the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization. It is he who inspires each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is he who causes the word of salvation to be understood and accepted.
It was not by chance that the inauguration of evangelization took place on the morning of Pentecost under the inspiration of the Spirit”. 7 It is noteworthy that the greatest aspect of the renewal of the Eucharistic Liturgy that Vatican II has brought is the introduction of the epiclesis, 8 right before the words of consecration of the bread and wine.
That is why preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit is essential. Hopefully, this kerygmatic preaching will elicit conversion which in turn awakens the desire in the believer for a deeper knowledge and understanding of the faith, which is catechesis.
However, what is sorely needed in our parishes, before faith formation or catechesis, which is, in itself, very important, is boldness in the kerygma, the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen.
My response to a reader comment shocked me.
Remembering simpler times. Were they really better?
by Doug Lawrence
Responding to a recent comment about the teachings of the pre-Vatican II Catholic Church, I wrote:
I lived during the era of the pre-Vatican II Church, so I’m an eye-witness.
Way back then, 75% of Catholics attended Mass every Sunday.
Urban renewal projects had yet to break up and disperse faithful Catholic communities.
Contraception and abortion were not yet central issues of the day.
The clarity of Catholic teaching was superb.
The quality of Catholic schools was excellent and the tuition was easily affordable, even for families with many children.
Catholic churches were beautiful.
Men and women religious were numerous, orthodox, and wholly dedicated to their work.
The liturgy was traditional, Latin, and quite adequate.
The seminaries had yet to be liberalized and feminized, so there was an abundance of good priests available to serve the needs of most parishes.
In those days, the Catholic Church was respected, all around the world.
We had a strong Pope in the Vatican, no nonsense bishops running most of the dioceses, and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen proclaiming Catholic truth to the world, every week, in “prime time”, on network television.
Of course, there were a few “bad apples” and scandals, even then. But the pre-Vatican II church knew how to properly handle them.
Then came Vatican II. Somebody put the radicals in charge.
The church tore itself apart, lost its focus, along with much of its good sense, and with a few exceptions, things have been going downhill ever since.
Were things really that good, back then? Comments, anyone?
May 14, 2023
Categories: Books & Publications, Events, history, Human Rights, Inspirational, Politics, Religious Ed, Scandals, Videos, Photos, Audio . Tags: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Catholic-Church, latin, mass, priests, reader comment, Religious, schools, Vatican II . Author: Hosted by Doug Lawrence . Comments: Leave a comment