Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Call to apostasy?

Anita at V-for victory and Fr. Z at What does the prayer really say have both commented eloquently on the histrionic rant of a certain disaffected dissident woman religious. Their comments are more than adequate, but what caught my attention was the closing of the rant with:

Now it's up to the laity to decide which church they really want -- and why. Which we choose may well determine the very nature of the church for years to come.
Perhaps she rightly perceives that there is a choice before her; just as Moses put a choice before the Israelites in the desert; the rebellion of Core (and Dathan and Abiron, Numbers 16) is still with us.

The truth which such individuals fail to grasp is that the nature of the church was established by Jesus Christ and as such is unchanging. Those who would improve it to their own ends have of necessity always left under the pretext of establishing their own vision of Christianity. They have and always will be swallowed up by the earth, for dust they are and to dust they have returned, being carnal. The father of these prodigals has always bid them sad farewell and awaited their return in humble repentance, a wait often futile, but one which gives rise to much rejoicing when it occurs.

That an individual such as this has been tolerated by the Church for so long is a testament perhaps less to mercy than to timidity, but nonetheless, her intolerance is a testimony to something else altogether. For my part, reading things like this always bring to my mind the old Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks tune:

How can I miss you if you won't go away?

2 comments:

  1. Just as the Church is the body of Christ it is also the same yesterday, today, and forever.

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  2. St. Augustine said that just as God is unchanging, Satan is the author or constant change in the world; hence when we grow tired of the slavery to the constantly changing world, we turn to God who is unchanging, and to the Church which resembles Him.

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