Brood of Vipers!

From These Stones - The Coming Home Network: To hear Marcus address this topic on our Deep in Scripture podcast, click here. I find it difficult to free my mind from the present scandal in the Church. It bombards us no matter where we look.  Click on this article to read how the religious leaders in Jesus' times were corrupt.  Corruption in the church is nothing new.  That's still no excuse.  It was an abomination then and it is now.  This article is a good commentary.

People Pleasers

Don't ask me why; but "Everybody's Talking at Me" often pops into my mind, during scripture readings.

You see I'm the Lector for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I'm reading 1Corinthians 10:31-11:1. I love these short dramatic readings. It's so short that I'll have no problem memorizing it, so I don't have to look down to read it; I can look people in the eyes.

Although, I like the Reading, itself, I don't really agree with it. The idea is not to cause scandal. It seems to me that St. Paul is driving himself crazy trying to be a people pleaser.

Do not be a stumbling-block to Jews and Greeks and to the church of God,
even as I myself in all things please all men, not seeking what is
profitable to myself but to the many, that they may be saved.

St. Ambrose gives the opposite advice to St. Monica: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." St. Ambrose seems more sensible to me. Would St. Monica's neighbors back home be scandalized because St. Monica was acting Roman? Probably. But if she didn't, then the Romans would be scandalized.

Well, Paul, what now?

Attacks on the Church

Kim Yu-na is standing next to Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk in this picture from Rok Drop, the blog about Korea. It's a nice picture accompanied by not so nice comments. The comments saddened me. Instead of honoring Kim Yu-na, the comments were focused on the priest. And His Eminence did nothing to deserve any disrespect. The ridicule was on the church. One commentator asked if the Cardinal had abused her yet. One response was that she was a girl--not a boy. When another commentator suggested that the comments were out of line. The retort was simply, "It's a valid question."

This reminded me of exactly what's happened with Pope Benedict. Of all people, who have worked tirelessly to rid the church of permissiveness of all kinds and at all levels!

Since BXVI has taken office, he has been taken to task: at Regensburg for being an enemy of Islam, forced to cancel a talk at La Sapienza, criticized for reconciliation with Lefebvrists, and TAC, and dialogged with Constantinople, and now accused of covering up the scandals of priests sexually abusing children. Is he going to be blamed for the weather, next?

Would I be accused of paranoia if I expressed a conspiracy to discredit the Church? You do have to wonder. Who benefits from disgracing the Church? Whatever, or whoever it is, comes under the general noun "Satan." Whatever and whoever benefits, does not have the best interests of humankind in mind. That's evil; that's Satan.

Do you know the pray to St. Michael, the Archangel?
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