http://www.genoesezerbi.it/blog/blogs/index.php?disp=comments en-US http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:24:02 +0000 Magister [Member] c2@http://www.genoesezerbi.it/blog/blogs/ Note: Comment originally entered by "The Scrip Lady" on 6/28/2006. Moved here by administrator on rehosting. I am loving this class! You're giving excellent information, excellent questions are being asked by the class, etc. Enjoyed last night's extended discussion very much. Thanks everyone! I know all the Church's seeming overly legalistic and bureaucratic processes can be mind-boggling and appear to be silly overkill. (I used to think so, until I really started to study the Faith and Church History.) Yet, we should not underestimate the importance of these systems, especially given the size, scope, and the extraordinary responsibility of the "organization" we're considering. The Catholic Church is the ONLY worldwide "governing" body, with more than a billion people to organize, serve, and save, through the spread of the One Truth--daily. McDonalds, eat your heart out! One of the most convincing pieces of evidence of the critical need for organized, central governance came early in the Church when the Bible was compiled in the 300s. Even at that early time in our history, things had gotten to such a state (with numerous false teachers and writings spreading across vast distances and populations) that a final compendium of the truly inspired writings on the Faith was put together--infallibly (thank you Holy Spirit). Viola! The Bible. And that's just governance of teachings! Without loving, firm, central governance we would implode and splinter into thousands of different churches--directly in opposition to Our Lord's fervent plea to His Father in the Garden prior to His Passion (John 17). As evidence, I give you Protestantism/non-Catholic Christians--at this writing an estimated 40,000 different individual denominations exist, with new ones popping up each day (no kidding). And that's just within the past 500 years, while for 2000 years and counting we remain true to our four pillars: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Even though it's not always pretty, years ago these facts gave me pause. Still amazes me to this day. I lean not unto my own understanding. Offline Thoughts on the governance of the Church Family The Catholic Church isn't an oganization. It's a family. A supernatural family. God's family. He was very clear about that ("Our Father," brothers and sisters in Christ, heirs to the throne, etc.). It all makes sense to me. The only way to keep consistency and cohesion of a global family this big, this culturally and ethnically diverse, this geographically spread out, is through structure, order, and filial (loving) respect for our siblings in this “ginormous” family. As a practical microcosm, what is true for our own families is true for our Church family (at every level—domestic church, parish, diocese, global). We all know the bigger they get, the more structured and organized things need to be to ensure the highest degree of happiness and peace possible. And the bigger the family unit, the naturally more complicated (more crazy, to use a mom's term) day-to-day life is. To the kids, some of the parents’ decisions seem totally unfair and their parents’ requests and rules ridiculous. Yet the parents know what they are about. Good parents do their level best to fulfill their responsibilities lovingly and justly... or if that fails, just try to keep the kids doing what they should be doing and not bickering. The same is true for the Church and those in charge. As the Bark of Peter sails along, like the family minivan on its way home from a long journey, we can count on repeated cries of, “Mom, Johnny won’t stay on his own side!” or “Are we there yet?” or “I’m tired of this game, can we do something else?”... "Don't make me pull this car/boat over!" Yep. Cracks me up. I used to think the Church was an antiquated, sexist, oppressive, power-/money-hungry, controlling dictator--just like the media and culture say. After serious study and multiple Grace baths, I now understand and believe the Church is Our Mother. Like any good mother, she keeps the family together and on schedule, nurtures, feeds, teaches, and disciplines her children for their own good and for the good of the entire family. I love my Mother and my Family--warts and all! ...er...just stay on your side, and stop making that wierd noise. (hee, hee, hee)
I am loving this class! You're giving excellent information, excellent questions are being asked by the class, etc. Enjoyed last night's extended discussion very much. Thanks everyone!

I know all the Church's seeming overly legalistic and bureaucratic processes can be mind-boggling and appear to be silly overkill. (I used to think so, until I really started to study the Faith and Church History.)

Yet, we should not underestimate the importance of these systems, especially given the size, scope, and the extraordinary responsibility of the "organization" we're considering.

The Catholic Church is the ONLY worldwide "governing" body, with more than a billion people to organize, serve, and save, through the spread of the One Truth--daily. McDonalds, eat your heart out!

One of the most convincing pieces of evidence of the critical need for organized, central governance came early in the Church when the Bible was compiled in the 300s. Even at that early time in our history, things had gotten to such a state (with numerous false teachers and writings spreading across vast distances and populations) that a final compendium of the truly inspired writings on the Faith was put together--infallibly (thank you Holy Spirit). Viola! The Bible. And that's just governance of teachings!

Without loving, firm, central governance we would implode and splinter into thousands of different churches--directly in opposition to Our Lord's fervent plea to His Father in the Garden prior to His Passion (John 17). As evidence, I give you Protestantism/non-Catholic Christians--at this writing an estimated 40,000 different individual denominations exist, with new ones popping up each day (no kidding). And that's just within the past 500 years, while for 2000 years and counting we remain true to our four pillars: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

Even though it's not always pretty, years ago these facts gave me pause. Still amazes me to this day. I lean not unto my own understanding.

Offline Thoughts on the governance of the Church Family

The Catholic Church isn't an oganization. It's a family. A supernatural family. God's family. He was very clear about that ("Our Father," brothers and sisters in Christ, heirs to the throne, etc.).

It all makes sense to me. The only way to keep consistency and cohesion of a global family this big, this culturally and ethnically diverse, this geographically spread out, is through structure, order, and filial (loving) respect for our siblings in this “ginormous” family.

As a practical microcosm, what is true for our own families is true for our Church family (at every level—domestic church, parish, diocese, global). We all know the bigger they get, the more structured and organized things need to be to ensure the highest degree of happiness and peace possible. And the bigger the family unit, the naturally more complicated (more crazy, to use a mom's term) day-to-day life is.

To the kids, some of the parents’ decisions seem totally unfair and their parents’ requests and rules ridiculous. Yet the parents know what they are about. Good parents do their level best to fulfill their responsibilities lovingly and justly... or if that fails, just try to keep the kids doing what they should be doing and not bickering. The same is true for the Church and those in charge.

As the Bark of Peter sails along, like the family minivan on its way home from a long journey, we can count on repeated cries of, “Mom, Johnny won’t stay on his own side!” or “Are we there yet?” or “I’m tired of this game, can we do something else?”... "Don't make me pull this car/boat over!" Yep. Cracks me up.

I used to think the Church was an antiquated, sexist, oppressive, power-/money-hungry, controlling dictator--just like the media and culture say.

After serious study and multiple Grace baths, I now understand and believe the Church is Our Mother. Like any good mother, she keeps the family together and on schedule, nurtures, feeds, teaches, and disciplines her children for their own good and for the good of the entire family. I love my Mother and my Family--warts and all!

...er...just stay on your side, and stop making that wierd noise. (hee, hee, hee)
]]> http://www.genoesezerbi.it/blog/blogs/index.php?title=request_for_feedback&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#c2