As you know the priest at the Mass I go to has very stimulating reflections.

Today he was talking about Jeremiah and Isiaah - how God chose them against their wishes.

He mentioned that 50 years ago he told a Protesatant friend in his Rugby football club he was thinking of becoming a priest. The friend sail "why would you do that. You will miss your Rugby friends and the social life and recently your play is improving, but if God wants to mess you up,I suppose he has the right to do so". The priest thought this was a very profound theological insight and no Pope or theologian could not put it more accurately, even if the words were different.

The priest did not use the word "mess" from the altar, he used a more earthy word, which might offend delicate American susceptibilities.

The priest ended the Mass with the words of Hilaire Belluoc:

"Mary, help of the half-defeated, pray for us".

God bless,

Noelfitz.
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IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS, IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS, IN OMNIBUS CARITAS.
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A more polite way to express the idea this wonderful priest was trying to get over is the words of Cardinal Newman (which we recite at every meeting of the Newman Society of Ireland):

"God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another... Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him... still he knows what he is about"

You see the priest at Mass has very deep thoughts that he expresses in provocative ways that makes one think and reflect on our faith.

There are some who think he is wonderful and others who cannot stand him.

It is obvious where I stand.

Sometimes I wonder do I admire him because I share his prejudices or has his preaching converted me to his way of thinking?

God bless,
Noelfitz.
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IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS, IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS, IN OMNIBUS CARITAS.
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Laura

Thank you for your reply.

In the seminaries in the old days the regimes were strict.

Seminarians were not allowed play sport outside the seminary.

The priest became a brilliant golfer, having a very low handicap.

God bless,
Noelfitz.
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IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS, IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS, IN OMNIBUS CARITAS.
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How God 'messes' any one of us up is part of His call to that person to turn more completely to God.

In this specific call from God, such as suffering and/or sacrifice seem to make us a mess, but it is purely a temporal 'mess' to make for a very orderly and eternal salvation.