Benedictus Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 18 minutes ago, chrysostom said: Remain relevant? Reduce alienation? The whole world is seated in wickedness. It hates Christ and it hates his Bride, the Church. The more it publically approves objective evil, such as this mockery of the sacrament of marriage, the more it opposes the Church by the bare fact that the Church teaches otherwise. The Church's job is to rescue men and women from alienation with God by sin so that they might inherit eternal life - and to remain faithful to Christ until the last day. Alienation with the world? The world hated Jesus and it will hate His disciples. Yes, the Church needs a good strategic plan to remain relevant and reduce alienation. What you said doesn't change that. Every challenge needs a plan of action that is contextual and makes sense. I'm not as bleak about things either - God will take it in hand and transform things for the good. Our mission starts with ourselves - our own integrity and dignity in light of God's personal presence in our lives. This is about now and not after death. We have to try to not project our own insecurities and weaknesses by always assuming good intent etc whilst knowing all have their part, their calling and their crosses. God is life giving, compassion and love. Sacrifice is involved, of course. But this can be so often distorted by human ideas and even internalized prejudices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 3 hours ago, Benedictus said: If anything it's weird you see God as being limited to human gender norms. I'd hate to trigger your insecurities more but God is beyond this! It's weird you'd think the feminine aspects of God and creation are somehow tainted. Do you think the Bible referring to the Holy Spirit in feminine terms is blasphemous? Take it up with every seminary in the world dude, seriously.. Including my own, I can't think of a seminary faculty off the top of my head that wouldn't be theologically concerned about a seminarian referring to God as "she". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 4 hours ago, Benedictus said: If anything it's weird you see God as being limited to human gender norms. I'd hate to trigger your insecurities more but God is beyond this! It's weird you'd think the feminine aspects of God and creation are somehow tainted. Do you think the Bible referring to the Holy Spirit in feminine terms is blasphemous? Take it up with every seminary in the world dude, seriously.. How rude. Do you expect me to actually engage with a post like this? It is below me, frankly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedictus Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, Nihil Obstat said: How rude. Do you expect me to actually engage with a post like this? It is below me, frankly. Of course, its below you. Seriously, do you ever read your posts? I think your projecting - being rude and then calling someone else rude when you get a response. I would seriously advise you speak to a priest about the roots. Prayers for you. 5 hours ago, PhuturePriest said: Including my own, I can't think of a seminary faculty off the top of my head that wouldn't be theologically concerned about a seminarian referring to God as "she". Yeah, OK. Context is everything. It's an issue in some situations. It's not something that comes up on a visit to most seminaries. Anyway, hope your studies are going good? You're in your first year of philosophy now, right? Edited August 3, 2017 by Benedictus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedictus Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 5 hours ago, PhuturePriest said: Including my own, I can't think of a seminary faculty off the top of my head that wouldn't be theologically concerned about a seminarian referring to God as "she". I would laugh my socks off if we were at the same college, although I doubt very much we are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Absolutely it is beneath me. I deal with intellectually honest people, and people with some amount of good will and propriety. If you show none of those, I will not waste my time. So go ahead, say what you like. It is wide open because you know I will not respond anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 10 hours ago, Benedictus said: Yeah, OK. Context is everything. It's an issue in some situations. It's not something that comes up on a visit to most seminaries. Anyway, hope your studies are going good? You're in your first year of philosophy now, right? They're going really well. I'm leaving for 2nd college on the 18th, so only... seven more years to go. I don't imagine you study at the University of Dallas, do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 20 hours ago, Seven77 said: I think that man is precisely like fish in the ocean. There's a lot of meaning in Jesus calling the apostles to be fishers of men… It's not just an incidental analogy. Hmmm....I hadn't even thought of that, very important point. Will need to think more on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 23 minutes ago, Era Might said: Hmmm....I hadn't even thought of that, very important point. Will need to think more on this. To be honest, I don't think I had ever thought of that before I read your post! Haha. in the past I kind of thought about it through St. Therese's analogy of different kinds of flowers in a garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 56 minutes ago, Seven77 said: To be honest, I don't think I had ever thought of that before I read your post! Haha. in the past I kind of thought about it through St. Therese's analogy of different kinds of flowers in a garden. It only came to my mind cuz I've been watching a nature documentary on the South Pacific on Netflix, and the narrator keeps calling all these creatures bizarre, and I'm like, why are they bizarre? To you they're bizarre, but not to nature. An interesting side-point here is that Jesus doesn't use the fisherman analogy for himself, he calls himself the Good Shepherd, not a fishermen. A subtle difference to think about...though he does use the shepherd analogy for Peter ("feed my sheep"). I suppose maybe sheep are already in the fold, whereas fish are not...fish could be coming from anywhere, you have no idea, you just throw out your net and whatever you catch you keep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 2 hours ago, Era Might said: It only came to my mind cuz I've been watching a nature documentary on the South Pacific on Netflix, and the narrator keeps calling all these creatures bizarre, and I'm like, why are they bizarre? To you they're bizarre, but not to nature. An interesting side-point here is that Jesus doesn't use the fisherman analogy for himself, he calls himself the Good Shepherd, not a fishermen. A subtle difference to think about...though he does use the shepherd analogy for Peter ("feed my sheep"). I suppose maybe sheep are already in the fold, whereas fish are not...fish could be coming from anywhere, you have no idea, you just throw out your net and whatever you catch you keep. And maybe Jesus relationship to us is as shepherd to sheep... and in our relationship with others, especially in the context of evangelization, we are like fishermen to fish… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benedictus Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 On 03/08/2017 at 9:03 PM, PhuturePriest said: They're going really well. I'm leaving for 2nd college on the 18th, so only... seven more years to go. I don't imagine you study at the University of Dallas, do you? No, I don't. I have about the same length of time to do though, partly as I've a three year regency to do. A long time before final vows! Hope it all progresses well for you - I've found it fun and reassuring so far (even if philosophy studies can be a bit tiresome at times) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack4 Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 On 3/8/2017 at 6:29 AM, Benedictus said: If anything it's weird you see God as being limited to human gender norms. I'd hate to trigger your insecurities more but God is beyond this! It's weird you'd think the feminine aspects of God and creation are somehow tainted. Do you think the Bible referring to the Holy Spirit in feminine terms is blasphemous? Take it up with every seminary in the world dude, seriously.. What are the "feminine aspects" of God? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 On 8/5/2017 at 3:54 PM, Benedictus said: No, I don't. I have about the same length of time to do though, partly as I've a three year regency to do. A long time before final vows! Hope it all progresses well for you - I've found it fun and reassuring so far (even if philosophy studies can be a bit tiresome at times) Regency? You're a Jesuit, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthfinder Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 10 minutes ago, PhuturePriest said: Regency? You're a Jesuit, then? I just realized his avatar is Ignatius - this has been staring us in the face for some time. I heard some Jesuits speaking about their time-to-vows, as being they were the exception past the already long formation. Whatever else we may say or thing of the Jesuits, they are incredibly patient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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