Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan at the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 9th, 2012
|The great American evangelist, The Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, commented, “The first word of Jesus in the Gospel was ‘come’; the last word of Jesus was ‘go’. ”
The New Evangelization reminds us that the very agents of evangelization must first be evangelized themselves.
Saint Bernard said, “If you want to be a channel, you must first be a reservoir”.
Thus I believe that the primary sacrament of the New Evangelization is the sacrament of penance, and I thank Pope Benedict for reminding us of this.
Yes, the sacraments of initiation· – Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist – charge, challenge, and equip the agents of evangelization.
But, the sacrament of reconciliation evangelizes the evangelizers, as it brings us sacramentally into contact with Jesus, who calls us to conversion of heart, and inspires us to answer His invitation to repentance.
The second Vatican Council called for a renewal of the sacrament of penance, but what we got instead, sadly, in many places, was the disappearance of the sacrament.
So we have busied ourselves calling for the reform of structures, systems, institutions, and people other than ourselves. Yes, this is good.
But the answer to the question “What’s wrong with the world?” is not politics. The economy, secularism, pollution, global warming… no. As Chesterton wrote, “’The answer to the question ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ is two words: I am.”
I am! Admitting that leads to conversion of heart and repentance, the core of the Gospel invitation.
That happens in the sacrament of Penance. This is the sacrament of Evangelization.
“Conversion of heart and repentance,
the core of the Gospel invitation”
That phrase is very good.
For years at Saint Andrew Catholic Church
in the city, the parish boldly announced:
CHRIST’S LOVE WELCOMES ALL
Welcomes all to what?
Conversion of heart and repentance!
As we bring Jesus to others and bring others
to Jesus, we invite them to repent and convert.
No doubt; in order to invite, we ourselves must
be always accepting the invitation.
See you in the confession line.
Unless priests and bishops start preaching what’s sinful, so we can actually go to confession, this, like all other recent themes of evangelization, will fail.
They need to preach about mortal sin, especially the sexual sins.
Cardinal Dolan said: “The second Vatican Council called for a renewal of the sacrament of penance, but what we got instead, sadly, in many places, was the disappearance of the sacrament. So we have busied ourselves calling for the reform of structures, systems, institutions, and people other than ourselves. Yes, this is good.”
He had me until “Yes, this is good.”
A definitive ‘This is good’? No qualification on that, hein?
That is the wily politician in him that just repels.
By the way. Let’s reform the seminaries so that new priests learn about hmoosexuality, contraception, abortion, premarital sex, pornography and NFP. Maybe once they know it, they will preach it.
Richard, I agree with you that it would be good if, on occasion (or perhaps more frequently), we were to hear from the pulpit about sin. And more specifically, mortal sin. Certainly this needs to be the subject of adult and youth catechesis.
Sadly, the whole concept of sin has been clouded and obscured by a complete misunderstanding of “conscience” which all too often has been interpreted to mean “whatever is right for me” and even “everything goes.” The idea that there are objectively right and wrong actions is sadly lost on most Catholics today, I fear.
Since we’ve done away with the notion of sin, we no longer need the Sacrament of Penance. We don’t even need a Savior, for that matter. Or such would seem to be the plan of the enemy, it appears.
Why do I have the impression that we are going around
and around and around this new evangelization subject
without addressing the most pertinent point?
Ok, I will say what I mean.
There is nothing wrong about the comments.
Everything stated is true.
Now, is there something person to person anyone
wants to write?
For example, is the Year of Faith moving you
to study, pray and proclaim?
Has anyone experienced effective faith sharing
recently which has been inspired or motivated?
Hey, about this?
JESUS CHRIST!
How about sharing who he is to you?
What he has done or is doing for you?
Or how you bring him to others…
Open up and speak about the Son of God made man.
Anyone experiencing conversion of heart and repentance?
One of the components of confession that has been overlooked is the aspect of it being a form of spiritual direction. This direction can hardly be achieved by a large group (communal)confession where our transgressions are not clearly articulated by us and evaluated by a priest.( To say it is to own it: basic psychology) One of the reasons the young clergy are so inexperienced is because they have not studied spiritual direction enough or heard confessions enough.If you are serious and want some data on the importance of a good confessor, read St Teresa of Avila’s autobiography or why St. Jean Vianney spent hours in the confessional each day or why Blessed John Paul II is rumored to have secretly heard confessions incognito in St. Peter’s Bassilica.!!.
Cardinal Dolan: “So we have busied ourselves calling for the reform of structures, systems, institutions, and people other than ourselves. Yes, this is good.
But the answer to the question “What’s wrong with the world?” is not politics. The economy, secularism, pollution, global warming… no. As Chesterton wrote, “’The answer to the question ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ is two words: I am.”
I am! Admitting that leads to conversion of heart and repentance, the core of the Gospel invitation.”
That happens in the sacrament of Penance. This is the sacrament of Evangelization.
Although what Dominick says is true, the message will be much more effective if the weight of the clergy is behind it. A pious priest like St. John Vianney, had a lasting impression on tens if not hundreds of thousands of people.
Richard Thomas, a proposal!
You and I individually pray for the priests every day
using Ben’s calendar post. We wait on the Holy Spirit
to open an effectual door to share faith in the
Lord Jesus with at least one of them, more if
possible.
In our faith sharing with the priest, whether in
Person, by email or by however God allows,
we share and encourage the good comments
on this post.
Just Do It!
Is the Cardinal telling his brother bishops to REPENT?
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1204759.htm