Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Opening Mass

a Biblical thought...
May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. (1 Thes 3:11)

a Book thought...
The contemporary climate is not religious. People today hunger not for personal salvation but for the feeling, the momentary illusion, of personal well-being. (p23 Sayers)
a Dave thought...
Last night was an amazing experience as we sat under the stars at Darling Harbour and joined over 140,000 others in the opening mass of World Youth Day. Kevin Rudd welcomed us all and stated the fact that without the church we may never have begun schools, hospitals and homes for the poor. He also made the point that faith and reason are both valuable today and despite what others are saying both are needed in Australia today. Archbishop George Pell gave the homily based on Ezekiel 37 and challenged us to let the Holy Spirit breathe life into us all.

This morning as I was chatting with other guests about the evening it was ironic that a Texan teenager commented that she didn't actually go to the mass as she was on a cruise on the harbour. But she did say "it looked absolutely awesome", unfortunately there are many here who are interested in the spectacle but are not that keen to experience faith personally.

Just a thought.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A Salvation Army Officer at a Catholic Mass, celebrating the message of the Pope - aka "God on Earth" according to his own words?

I guess it all comes down to whether you believe Roman Catholics are Christians.

Is the confessional in the Bible?

Does a wafer/biscuit actually become the real flesh, and the wine the true blood of Christ, hence reliving the crucifixion of Jesus every day as part of the Catholic Mass?

Is purgatory in the Bible?

Does the Bible say Mary wasn't a sinner but rather, the perfect unblemished mother of Jesus and as such, equal to God Himself?

No, no, no and no.

Without starting an online war on the topic, I instead pray that you and the Salvation Army are clear on what the Bible says. Be among them, but be not of them. We should be thankful for the message of Jesus and the publicity the Pope's visit brings to the Christian Church - but we also need to be clear on where we stand with the Catholic system. We are Protestants. They are Catholics.

Yours in prayer,

A senior soldier from a nearby Salvation Army Corps.