Wednesday, January 7, 2015

STILL MERRY CHRISTMAS - FOR A FEW MORE DAYS!


Do you think American culture is completely lost?

 

I don’t.

 

At the very least I think it is salvageable.

 

Think of this:  Every year thousands of manger scenes are placed outside of churches, homes, and other public areas.  They are not alarmed, do not have guard dogs, they are not electrified to give a shock to somebody who touches them.  By and large, good sized and often expensive statues are set out on the lawn where I wouldn’t leave my bike overnight and there they sit during the Christmas (and advent) season mostly unmolested.  And when they are tampered with, it makes the news.  We still care.  There was only one incident of which I am aware concerning scores of Catholic churches in the Diocese of Cleveland this year. 

 

One.

 

And there are scores of outdoor church manger scenes.

 

And millions of people.

 

There is hope.

 

We need now build on that hope.

2 comments:

Stephen said...

Wednesday 07 jan 2015

Dear Father,
Yes. You are correct. Bishop Sheen wrote to me in a letter in 1977.
He said, "Stephen. The good people are getting better and the bad people are getting worse. Make your choice." I choose good. but don't tell any body. I don't want to look like a sissy.
Stephen

Pat said...

Dr Philip Jenkins (an Anglican) spoke in July at the Napa Institute Conference (Equipping Catholics in the Next America).

Dr. Jenkins called attention to several trends that go unnoticed but are perhaps picking up steam. Two of them that I recall were the explosion of interest in going on pilgrimage to well-known holy sites (even secular or minimally churched people are going) and an interest in Mary.