A Priest's Thoughts on Pope Benedict's "Journey of Hope"

I am thrilled to have read such a well-written and thought-provoking piece from Fr. George Welzbacher (good German name!), which was featured on Fr. Zuhlsdorf's blog. Since my mind is still on the issue of Catholics and social justice, it especially caught my eye.

I agree with Fr. Z that at times, the "Pastor's Page" of the church bulletin doesn't offer much, but this article was pure meat. Wow. All I can say is the Church of St. John at St. Paul is one blessed parish to have such a wise and courageous priest! I may place a link on the side of my blog just to keep up with their pastor's page!

Here is a snippet of what Fr. Welzbacher said:

Paul is telling us that if we fail to shape our behavior in accord with our faith, we will very soon shape our faith to accord with our behavior. That formula fits the so-called "progressive" Catholic quite well. As St. John tells us in his Second Letter: "Anyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son" (2 John :9). There is a kind of "progress" that means turning our backs on God.

Pope Benedict has come to our shores to rescue those who have suffered shipwreck in the faith, or at least to rescue those who are willing to accept the terms that will permit such rescue. Such terms of rescue call fundamentally for a return to the "sound doctrines of which St. Paul speaks, the doctrine protected and proclaimed in Christ’s Church ("the pillar and bulwark of the truth"-1 Timothy 3:15) by the Holy Spirit against the devil’s ceaseless attempts to subvert that doctrine. As Pope Benedict announced, "A people of hope is a people willing to make a change," a people willing to make whatever changes in their lives may be needed to bring them into harmony with Christ’s truth. Whatever may have been the previous course of their lives, if they are willing now, under the grace of God, to change course and and to take Christ’s teachings as the only true compass, they can find their way home to safe haven through "all of life’s tempestuous seas." That is his message to us.

Great stuff!