tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post6408060843551391461..comments2024-03-25T17:14:03.066-07:00Comments on The New Theological Movement: Why was John baptizing?, and John Paul II: When confession is need before communionFather Ryan Erlenbushhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07557817305024750902noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-77691363259569251062011-12-04T13:56:15.169-08:002011-12-04T13:56:15.169-08:00@Bernardus,
Thanks for commenting, it is always go...@Bernardus,<br />Thanks for commenting, it is always good to hear from you. I'm glad that you are still with us! :)<br /><br />Regarding the comment from Jack ... I believe that he meant the phrase "nasty old pope feller" in a joking sense ... i.e. I think that he was mocking the typical anti-catholic attitude, and saying that the traditions of the Church are very ancient and true; but I could be wrong.<br />In any case, it is certainly difficult to sense irony and/or sarcasm in an internet comment!<br /><br />Peace and many blessings to you for a holy Advent. +Father Ryan Erlenbushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557817305024750902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-40563535219406156832011-12-04T10:36:23.127-08:002011-12-04T10:36:23.127-08:00Peace and blessings to your Father Ryan.
It has be...Peace and blessings to your Father Ryan.<br />It has been a very long time since I've offered a comment, though I follow this blog daily. I enjoy your thought provoking dialogue. This teaching is very good and will allow me to further dive into St. Thomas' teaching, as well as other Church Fathers.<br />Your dialogue with Fr. S was very helpful. I've never found a communal penance service helpful in my spiritual life for the reasons you and Fr. S mull over.<br />But......but, what caused me to post this comment was what @Jack December 3, 2011 6:06 PM said.<br /> "...something thought up by that nasty old pope feller,..."<br />To those of us who pledge an allegiance to the successor of Peter, I took that as an offense. To you Jack I say please be civil and keep such comments to yourself. You are entitled to your opinion, but please, let's use some tact and civility.<br />Sorry to vent Father Ryan.<br />Peace and blessings to you.<br /><br />Ernie Bragiel (aka Bernardus)Bernardushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09343171766154713726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-28711719872670931722011-12-03T19:50:22.626-08:002011-12-03T19:50:22.626-08:00@Derreck,
Peter Lombard (The Master who wrote the ...@Derreck,<br />Peter Lombard (The Master who wrote the Sentences) erred on this point ... he thought that some of those who received John's baptism did not need to receive the baptism of Christ. <br /><br />However, we know that only the baptism of Jesus makes us fit to receive the other sacraments ... hence, it is certain that those who received John's baptism were further baptized in the Name of the Trinity when they began to follow our Savior.<br /><br />Excellent question! +Father Ryan Erlenbushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557817305024750902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-8022474240027127512011-12-03T19:47:41.659-08:002011-12-03T19:47:41.659-08:00@Fr. S,
I agree with you about the need to provide...@Fr. S,<br />I agree with you about the need to provide screens (both for the priest's sake and that of the penitent, especially when young adults are confessing [since they are often ashamed to confess sexual sins face to face]) and also on the importance of giving adequate privacy (so that confession are not overheard).<br /><br />Further, there is no doubt that rushing confessions is a big mistake ... especially at penance services when many people come who have not been to confession in a long time! <br />There is also generally a lot of pressure from other priests to "speed it up" ... and that is terrible.<br /><br />Still, I am delighted when a penitent comes who hasn't been in a long time and who doesn't know the act of contrition ... now we have a chance to do some good catachesis! If the penance service gets them there, I'll take it.<br /><br />On the other hand, I also agree with you that simply offering confessions more often (and occasionally bringing in several priests) is a huge step toward solving the problem.<br /><br />Thank you for the reflection! Peace to you. +Father Ryan Erlenbushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557817305024750902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-79118823869370677092011-12-03T18:46:03.015-08:002011-12-03T18:46:03.015-08:00Did those who were baptized by St. John need to be...Did those who were baptized by St. John need to be baptized again by Jesus or the disciples of Jesus in order to receive the Sacrament?Derrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18020027138083363194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-7216910561363784952011-12-03T18:06:00.033-08:002011-12-03T18:06:00.033-08:00The Jewish Rite of Mikveh is still done if a Jewis...The Jewish Rite of Mikveh is still done if a Jewish couple adopts a Gentile infant of either sex and wishes to raise this child as a Jew.<br /><br />So, as you see, infant baptism is not something thought up by that nasty ole pope feller, but is a carry-over from pre-Christian Judaism.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01133668737743486061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-63798158004325340932011-12-03T17:32:18.043-08:002011-12-03T17:32:18.043-08:00@Father:
I am not sure that I have had that much ...@Father:<br /><br />I am not sure that I have had that much more experience than you. That being said, I do have one thought on the matter. I think that penance services (as permitted in law, not those invented on the fly) have some ill effects. <br /><br />First, people who go only to these almost universally do not know an act of contrition. <br /><br />Second, these often are insufficiently private. It is too easy to overhear others. <br /><br />Third, the rights of the priest are almost always dismissed. Screens are often not provided, and hearing with or without a screen is the confessor's discretion. <br /><br />Fourth, they are rushed. People see five priests and one hundred penitents and are rarely well-recollected. <br /><br />Are there exceptions to this? Sure. More and more, I see that parishes simply invite several priests to hear Confessions at the same moment without the opening hymn and communal act of contrition. People can come and go as they please. I think that this is a very fine model. <br /><br />I cannot speak for what goes on in Montana. I've been to Dickinson, ND, but that's the closest I've come. Around here, I just don't see that penance services are all that fruitful. <br /><br />Kind Regards, <br />Father S.Father S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-70483643314613150122011-12-03T16:52:39.823-08:002011-12-03T16:52:39.823-08:00It's also striking that the first Joshua led t...It's also striking that the first Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan from slavery to freedom. The Jordan River was even more richly symbolic for Jews than crossing the Mississippi is for Americans.<br />I wondered why Jesus, sinless, chose baptism, but Paul solves the mystery with his meditation on Jesus leading the way from death to life, slavery of sin to freedom. Location, location, location.<br />—KathleenKathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07023469274544648759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-72994973451681977792011-12-03T11:11:01.861-08:002011-12-03T11:11:01.861-08:00Baptism was a Jewish rite up to the coming of Chri...Baptism was a Jewish rite up to the coming of Christ, whereby the newly converted were dunked into running water (like rivers) to symbolize the purification from sin and entering into the House of Israel. There were other baptisms as well, such as the purification of common utensils, but the baptism of repentance was the one which symbolized conversion and penance and God's Mercy on sinners.Nickhttp://www.catholicity.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-10297290939494044542011-12-03T09:55:31.168-08:002011-12-03T09:55:31.168-08:00@Father S.,
I meant the comment about "penanc...@Father S.,<br />I meant the comment about "penance services" as more descriptive than prescriptive ... that is to say, the fact of an increase in penance services is an opportunity to prepare the way through confession.<br /><br />As to whether or not we should have penance services ... I would think that (as you mention) it would depend upon the situation in the parish.<br /><br />In Montana (where I am from), parishes are often very spread out (perhaps an hour or more between towns), and then a penance service can be very helpful -- it will be one of the few opportunities to confess to a different priest.<br />Also, it seems to me that many people will return to confession through the opportunity of a penance service, whereas they might not come to just a regularly scheduled confession time.<br /><br />Most definitely, I agree with your practice of hearing private confessions more often during Advent ... I should think that the practice of offering confession every day would be very beneficial for souls!<br /><br />I am certain that you have had more pastoral experience than I, so I would be interested to hear any advice you have in this regard (if there is anything in particular you recommend). +Father Ryan Erlenbushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07557817305024750902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5578980753063154388.post-81226865965263018122011-12-03T08:35:53.571-08:002011-12-03T08:35:53.571-08:00@ Father,
Are you advocating "penance servic...@ Father,<br /><br />Are you advocating "penance services" in the sense of inviting many priests to one's parish to hear Confession? Or, are you advocating simply hearing more Confessions? For example, in my parish of about 1000 souls, we have Confession every day, sometimes twice a day, as it is before every Holy Mass. In Advent, I offer an additional hour on Saturday mornings. I don't see the benefit of inviting other priests to come in until the number of Confessions is too large for me to handle or I am incapacitated. There is some argument for bringing in other priests just for the sake of those who prefer more anonymity, but we are fifteen minutes away from two other parishes and five other priests, so it seems like that could be accomplished by visiting those parishes for their daily Confessions. Thoughts?<br /><br />Kind Regards, <br />Father S.Father S.noreply@blogger.com