tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post2385705709690374791..comments2023-04-25T08:59:27.122-04:00Comments on Little Colonies of Heaven: Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03009819584864535929noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-32955944977821470342009-06-15T00:54:49.239-04:002009-06-15T00:54:49.239-04:00Hi Emmarinda,
I did not immediately understand yo...Hi Emmarinda,<br /><br />I did not immediately understand your question, "Is it true you have two Christmases?" I believe some people have a bit of a thing about celebrating a mini Christmas (food etc) in July as this is our winter. It's not a big thing, however, and I don't personally know anyone who does this. Some magazines try to promote it, probably for commercial reasons.<br /><br />I have no complaints about the church in Australia. To me, it is wonderful, after all, isn't Jesus the cornerstone? I am not saying all people feel this way and I'm sure I could be accused of being one-eyed.<br /><br />I think the church in Australia is getting better and better. As I said before, I don't think the church has always been secure in itself. I now see priests more confidently proclaiming the True Presence in the Eucharist and I cannot remember this as a child. Perhaps it is just that I did not appreciate what they were saying back then, I don't know.<br /><br />It is true that most of our congregation are older people and most of our priests are now from overseas (India, the Philipines, Vietnam and Africa). In some churches a lot of the congregation are from overseas. We need vocations from our own country.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Sonya, AustraliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-46777285037899131502009-06-13T08:09:41.097-04:002009-06-13T08:09:41.097-04:00Hi Sonya,
If someone leaves me a comment, it goes...Hi Sonya,<br /><br />If someone leaves me a comment, it goes to my e-mail inbox, so thankfully, I received your comment right away. Concerning Vatican II, I was a child then (born in '54) but I do remember the old ways, and what occurred in the Church after the council was nothing short of a revolution! I do agree with you that the Church became less confident, but also a lot of leadership became over-confident, and very experimental, pretty much throwing the baby out with the bath water, in my view! I remember going into a Catechism class as a young teen (I had been going all my life) and being told by the Christian brothers that, oh well, we have some news for you: God doesn't really exist like we have been telling you; He is love, you know, that abstract mushy feeling. And not a real supreme being, not a person.<br /><br />I think the laity had the rug pulled out from under them, and being for the most part such good and faithful people, they just kept on worshiping God and hoping for the best, at least for awhile.<br /><br />Then, succeeding generations, at least in this country, were not properly catechized, and hence, their Catholic identity was weakly formed, and therefore not highly valued.<br /><br />My parish priest insists on having some teaching sessions be mandatory for the parents of those about to make first communion, for the reasons I've mentioned. He told me that studies have proved that the more a religion demands from its adherents, the more devoted and faithful those adherents are.<br /><br />So your statement, "we are finding our feet again" is well put, in that some people, clergy and laity alike, are coming out of the fog and standing up for the faith. We also have some very troubling things occurring, however, such as our radically anti-life president being invited to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame University, a venerated Catholic institution. Not only did they arrest and cart off elderly Catholic priests and old ladies who had peacefully assembled on the grounds to pray the rosary for the unborn, but they gave the president an honorary degree and the bishops and clergy were either silent or supportive, for the most part. Sad, and a bit frightening.<br /><br />I would love to hear about the nature of the Church there in Australia. You probably have a mixture of things there, as well.<br />And it sounds like you made quite an ambitious trip to the States! The west is big and overwhelming in its beauty, isn't it? We are east coast people ourselves, having come from New York and now have been settled in Virginia Beach for some time. I love the east, since everything (mountains, and such) is on a smaller scale, many communities are very old, and quaint and everything seems quite manageable!<br /><br />Well, have a blessed day!<br /><br />P.S. Is it true that you have two Christmases??!!Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009819584864535929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-62590400751494848532009-06-13T04:23:10.907-04:002009-06-13T04:23:10.907-04:00Hi Emmarinda,
I'm so pleased you managed to f...Hi Emmarinda,<br /><br />I'm so pleased you managed to find my comment.<br /><br />I think what happened within the Church after the 2nd Vatican Council, is that we became insecure as to what was right anymore, and it has taken awhile, understandably, to find our self-confidence again. I am only saying this because of all I have read and understood, not because I really know! I myself was born in 1963, about when the Council ended, so I have known nothing else. I do feel that my early faith foundation was a little shakey because of some insecurity. Now, however, I feel we are finding our feet again and people are again saying how they love and appreciate the beautiful artwork in some churches. They are saying they feel closer to God because of these surroundings. I think that is the intention of beauty within the church. It is something else that can in a way lead us to God.<br /><br />Yes, I have been to the States. I went for a few weeks about a year after my husband and I married (more than 19 years ago now). I particularly loved the South Western states of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. We also went through Texas to Louisiana then up through the Rockies to Montana. We traveled by Grey Hound bus and I was a little over three months pregnant! We never saw the East Coast. I think if I wasn't pregnant I would have enjoyed it more.<br /><br />Praised be Jesus and Mary,<br /><br />Sonya, AustraliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-13125494718416398852009-06-11T22:30:27.865-04:002009-06-11T22:30:27.865-04:00Dear Sonya,
Thank you for reading this post, and ...Dear Sonya,<br /><br />Thank you for reading this post, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I do not know why the Church has, in recent decades, seemed a little shy about her heritage of beauty, pomp and ceremony. The world can be such an ugly, mundane place and therefore some feel we shouldn't overdo it by being so sublime, I guess! But the aesthetics teach as object lessons: they show in a concrete, physical way that God is a God of beauty, goodness, and order. The Church reflects that.<br /><br />Anyways, the Internet is so great, allowing us to communicate with each other from opposite ends of the world! My teacher friend is taking a tour group of young people to Australia later this month, and she says that out of all the places she has ever visited, she loves it the most! Have you ever been to the States?Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009819584864535929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-25180311869086905042009-06-11T02:33:27.999-04:002009-06-11T02:33:27.999-04:00Dear Emmarinda,
You may never read this, as I am ...Dear Emmarinda,<br /><br />You may never read this, as I am commenting way after you wrote this post. I've only just read it! I too am Catholic and really appreciate what you have said here. I too love the Catholic church regardless of all that goes wrong within it. Studying Church History some years ago made me appreciate the role of beauty in the Church: beauty that was thought unnecessary and wrong by those who left. I love that as a Catholic I feel almost obliged to appreciate the aesthetic, and indeed am continuing a long uninterrupted tradition by doing so. <br /><br />Sonya, AustraliaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-80579993282042907022008-11-01T08:11:00.000-04:002008-11-01T08:11:00.000-04:00I will check out these links; thanks!I am glad tha...I will check out these links; thanks!<BR/>I am glad that in spite of not being brought up in a Christian home you have found your way HOME.<BR/><BR/>Re: the Pope, yes, after coming out of the Episcopal Church after 30 years, I was really glad to have the Pope back in my life, for sure!<BR/><BR/>This is All Saints Day, and so I am off to Mass, then home to bake for our Parish's Fall Festival bake sale, so I guess I better get in gear.<BR/><BR/>Have a lovely day!Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009819584864535929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-9132115711954986722008-10-31T23:20:00.000-04:002008-10-31T23:20:00.000-04:00It is 'general conference' -Mennonite Church Canad...It is 'general conference' -Mennonite Church Canada - this is the website: http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/<BR/><BR/>The American equivalent would be here: http://www.mennoniteusa.org/<BR/><BR/>There is a very nice blog I like to read - I don't know if you are acquainted with it - she is Catholic: http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/<BR/><BR/>I haven't come across many blogs by Mennonites!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974582712368288657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-53204683835022243642008-10-31T20:56:00.000-04:002008-10-31T20:56:00.000-04:00Thank you for your kind comments and the encourage...Thank you for your kind comments and the encouragement to write more. I spent some time attending the Beachy Amish church with my neighbors when my husband was at sea. They are the most sweetest and sincere people.<BR/>Which branch of the Mennonite church are you a member of?Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009819584864535929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33053266.post-1376765416261120342008-10-31T16:38:00.000-04:002008-10-31T16:38:00.000-04:00Hello Gail.I enjoyed your post. I was brought up ...Hello Gail.<BR/>I enjoyed your post. I was brought up in a home with one atheist parent and one agnostic paren. Interestingly, I was given a children's Bible for Christmas one year! In spite of my upbringing, or perhaps because of it, I was always open to organized religion as a child and youth. When I was 30 I met a Mennonite man and was subsequently baptized into his church and then I married him. I thoroughly enjoyed your take on denominations and the whole protestant/rc discussion. Whenever there are "issues" at the church I like to quip, "we need a pope!". Sorry if that is irreverent but I think you know what I mean! Please consider writing more on religious/faith topics!<BR/>kindest regards,<BR/>Karen (Mrs. D.)Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974582712368288657noreply@blogger.com