Reflections, Reflections

I happened to check out the American Scene today and it was a good thing, doesn`t happen too often.

They had a very nice passage from (then) Ratzinger`s sermon, two days ago:

The other element of the Gospel to which I would like to refer is the teaching of Jesus on bearing fruit: “I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” (Jn 15, 16). It is here that is expressed the dynamic existence of the Christian, the apostle: I chose you to go and bear fruit….” We must be inspired by a holy restlessness: restlessness to bring to everyone the gift of faith, of friendship with Christ.

In truth, the love and friendship of God was given to us so that it would also be shared with others. We have received the faith to give it to others – we are priests meant to serve others. And we must bring a fruit that will remain. All people want to leave a mark which lasts. But what remains? Money does not. Buildings do not, nor books. After a certain amount of time, whether long or short, all these things disappear.

The only thing which remains forever is the human soul, the human person created by God for eternity. The fruit which remains then is that which we have sowed in human souls – love, knowledge, a gesture capable of touching the heart, words which open the soul to joy in the Lord. Let us then go to the Lord and pray to him, so that he may help us bear fruit which remains. Only in this way will the earth be changed from a valley of tears to a garden of God.

Ross adds his comments, including what I found out to be a link to homo Sullivan's blog, who is trashing Ratzinger/Benedict and wailing about the choice made by the conclave. I don't understand why people bother reading Sullivan.

I think Pope Benedict is going to surprise many people, in more ways than one. I differ with him on the question of married priests. I think the Catholic Church would be much better off if it were like the Jewish faith/practice in that sense, rabbis should be married, it's much better, but they can, in certain exceptions (I believe) be single.

Homo Sullivan posted an email he received:

The guy's 78 years old. I give this papacy 3-5 years tops, given that guys like him don't exactly jog 3 miles a day and stick to a low cholesterol diet. His election was for a classic "stay the course" place-holder to give the church a few years to take stock of where it wants to go in the long term.

Most of the Sullivan crowd is clearly already counting the days until he is gone. If bad thoughts could kill a pope... Anyways, I don't think Ratzinger/Benedict looks at all frail. Then again, we could all depart tomorrow...

It's a little nice to see this obscenely self-pitying, self-centered homo froth at the mouth with the choice of Ratzinger for Pope.

---

update April 20:

From EagleSpeak - NYTimes: New Pope is Catholic

NY Times, apparently still stunned that some people hold consistent beliefs announces :Thousands Cheer in St. Peter's Square as New Leader Emerges:

"He has been described as a conservative, intellectual clone of the late pontiff, and, as the dean of the College of Cardinals, he was widely respected for his uncompromising - if ultraconservative - principles and his ability to be critical. As cardinal, he had shut the door on any discussion on several issues, including the ordination of women, celibacy of priests and homosexuality, defending his positions by invoking theological truth. In the name of orthodoxy, he is in favor of a smaller church, but one that is more ideologically pure. On Monday, at a Mass before the conclave convened, he delivered an uncompromising warning against any deviation from traditional Catholic teaching."

I guess the Unitarian applicants missed out.

Update: Although I quit reading Mr. Sullivan some time ago, Professor Bainbridge has discovered that Andrew Sullivan is an Ass. Sullivan's latest hissy fit seems to center on the problem that the Catholic church does not revolve around his "sexual preference."

So why is Sullivan so worked up? Here's his real gripe in his own words:

... the impermissibility of any sexual act that does not involve the depositing of semen in a fertile uterus ....

It's always about sex with Andrew, isn't it?

.