"Eli -- who Scripture records was of sufficient bulk that he could have benefited from the Atkins diet (1 Sm 4:18) -- fell over broke his neck and died"


the sons of Eli were worthless men; they had no regard for the Lord (1 Sm 2:12).


Today: The Moral of the Story!


Jesus said:

"Beware of false prophets (Mt 7:15)" not "Beware of false churches."



See today's add - on way, way below...


This is a free - wheeling adaptation of a thought - provoking article by a convert to Real - Deal Catholicism, Mr. Tommy Akin of This Rock magazine, May - June 2009.

Here he lays one on us, whether we're RCIA candidates in Brackettville, Texas, or Leroy New York, or wherever we're currently at, so to speak!

And, guess what? The sort of liturgical monkey - shines we've grown used to here with the so - called American Catholic Church have a long, long, history!

Furthermore, it ain't stretching our credibility any too much to see that Mr. Jimmy Akin is using ELI is a prototype for many an American - Catholic Bishop today, and and his equally worthless sons as prototypes for all too many American - Catholic rank and file clergy.

But!

And this is a very important but!

So what?

He seems to be telling us, 'cause we've still got to keep our eye on Number One, and Number One here folks is Jesus Christ and the Church Jesus established for all time.

As Mr. Akin assures us:

"Look, don't do it!

"Don't make the mistake of turning over your happiness before God to someone else.

"You don't have to do that.

"You may tell yourself, I just can't stand the way this Mass is being celebrated [and folks, that attitude can cover anything -- from someone's personal reaction to St. Pius X Church in San Antonio's ancient Roman Catholic Latin Mass to someone else's reaction to our very own St. Mary Magdalene's indoor trash - burning Palo Mayombe / New Age para - liturgical mitote, o.k.?] but you're wrong.

"[Some people] may become so embittered that they poison their own spiritual lives, depriving themselves of the peace Christ means for them to have, even in the midst of adversity.

"They may declare themselves unable to go to this priest for confession, and they may give up going to the sacraments altogether.

"They may adopt an attitude that prevents them from entering into a spirit of worship in any liturgy by any priest.

"People say that they can't stand something when they know full well they can.

"They're simply trying to rationalize a decision they want to make by telling themselves that they don't have any choice."

You do have a choice...

"You do have a choice.

"You have a choice how you will react to what someone else is doing.

"You can choose to react in a way that mourns whatever offense has been committed yet leaves your spiritual peace intact.

"Or you may choose to react in a way that poisons your spiritual life and robs you of the peace God wants you to have."

But it's still your choice...

"But it's still your choice.

"You can't control what another person is going to do.

"But you can control how you choose to react."

¡Adelante, Jimmy!


Now, back to today's little story!


"Don't Let Problems in the Church Steal Your Peace"

People say they can't stand something when they know full well that they can...


"Take a moment with me to cast your mind back over the centuries and ponder two incidents from the history of ancient Israel.

"The first [and the only one we're dealing with here and now, folks!] took place just over 1,000 B.C.

"It is a story well worth your while to pull out your Bible and read, and it is found in the first four chapters of First Samuel.

"At the time, the high priest of Israel was a man named Eli, who had several sons.

"According to the custom of the time, the high priest's sons served as the priests at Israel's national sanctuary.

"Unfortunately, the sons of Eli were worthless men; they had no regard for the Lord (1 Sm 2:12).

"They abused their office as priests in a variety of ways, three of which are recorded for us in this chapter:

"They took more than their share of the meat from the animals that were brought to the sanctuary as sacrifices (13 - 14) -- the ancient equivalent of stealing from the collection plate.

"They often took their portion at the wrong time during the sacrifice (15 - 16) -- the ancient equivalent of rearranging the liturgy to suit their own tastes.

"And they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (22) -- the ancient equivalent of having affairs with the church secretaries.

"As priest, Eli's sons were lazy, selfish louts who were unworthy of the sacred office that had been conferred upon them.

"As their superior, their father [an ancient prototype for a modern American - Catholic bishop? :) ] rebuked them but ineffectually, and he allowed them to continue in their ministry as priests.

"As the prophet [I'd guess Samuel, no?] declared to Eli beforehand, disaster fell upon his house.

"Among other misfortunes, two of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died on the same day.

"When it came to pass, Eli -- who Scripture curiously records was of sufficient bulk that he could have benefited from the Atkins diet (1 Sm 4:18) -- fell over, broke his neck, and died."


Wow! ¡Guau!


So there is, and there is always! -- room for optimism in situations like we Roman Catholics are facing in America today!


Now! For the moral of the story...


"Stay in the Boat"


"Surprising a sit may seem, this passage was especially meaningful to me when I was in the process of becoming Catholic.

"Why?

"Because it was easy for critics of the Church to point to real or supposed examples of abuses in the Church, by priests or other leaders of the Church either in its past or in its present.

"With this Bible story firmly in mind, I avoided the distraction these critics sought to offer.

"While it was certainly true that you will know them by their fruits (Mt 7:20), this was a test that applied to individual teachers, not to overall theological systems.

"Jesus even began this warning by saying, Beware of false prophets (Mt 7:15) not Beware of false churches.

"The emphasis was on the teachers, not the system they represented.

"The case of Eli made this all the more apparent to me since, had I been a pagan in the time of Eli and had I judged the truth of God's religion by the performance of the priests of the day, I would have remained a pagan and missed the true religion.."

A good read!