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Friday, August 12, 2016

St. Longinus

I was just reading Bob Klitzkie's post in the jungle and I found it amusing.  He was telling a story and in it was a Father Barry. In his story, Father Barry goes to the docks and tries to rally the men to stand up against Johnny Friendly and the mob. According to the story found in the jungle Father Barry cried out to the people (the bold is mine): 
Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion. And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and letsit happen, keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead."
In the first place, we know that this story is a metaphor in which Mr. Klitzkie tries to encourage the priests of Guam to rally together the Catholic faithful to stand up against Archbishop Hon.  It is the wrong movie to choose for a metaphor.  The Archbishop is not the Mafia. 

Secondly, Mr. Klitzkie puts this Roman soldier in an unfavorable light compared to those who were willing to stand up for human justice. But in truth, we are all guilty of nailing Christ to the cross and killing him. We all share in the guilt because Christ carried all our sins on His shoulders.    

Finally, I guess Mr. Klitize did not know that the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of Jesus became a holy saint.  His name was St. Longinus.  After piercing the heart of Christ, he was covered in the blood and water of Christ.  It was at that moment that he declared the divinity of Christ, repented from his sins and later became a deacon. According to the Catholic Herald:
Sister Anne Catherine in her visions recorded this event, adding that when the soldier pierced the heart of our Lord, blood and water covered his face and body. She wrote, "Grace and salvation at once entered his soul. He leaped from his horse, threw himself upon his knees, struck his breast, and confessed loudly before all his firm belief in the divinity of Jesus." Moreover, he was miraculously cured of failing eyesight. According to the visions, Mary, St. John, the holy women, and the soldier gathered up the blood and water in flasks, and soaked-up the remainder with linen cloths.
Sister Anne Catherine identified the Roman soldier as "Cassius." She noted, "Cassius was baptized by the name Longinus; and was ordained deacon, and preached the faith.
A statue of this Roman soldier who pierced the heart of Christ is found in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  The jungle who claims to be the defender of the Catholic faith did not even know that the Roman soldier whom they placed in an unfavorable light became a holy saint.  

23 comments:

  1. Dear Readers,

    Please try to stick to the OP as much as possible. I received some comments that has nothing to do with the OP and therefore did not allow its publication. In some cases, I have no idea what they are referring to and how it is even related to the OP. Straying away from the OP derails the thread and the discussions, so please stick to the OP as much as possible.

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  2. Diana....maybe the like the sound of their own voice. Never mind that one cannot articulate a point during focused discussion; they just want to be heard.

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  3. Dear Lapaz, now we understand you better. You had abusive parents who physically hurt you when you were a kid. It is very, very sad story and we feel compassion for you. Your community did not work for you. You felt helpless and abandoned. So you swore for God to pay back, to fight against the Neocatechumenal Way in all possible means. Very sad.

    I don't know what your catechist told you. It is true that when you have your parents, they are whom you need to live with. Fighting back physical abuse with love - this is not as abandonment. Braking the cycle of violence by showing atypical behavior as submission is not necessarily the worst strategy. I am sure your community also has a pressure on your parent(s) who beat you to stop violence and show love. I don't know enough to judge your situation. I am just very sad that this did not work for you.

    Please, consider also those who were successful in overcoming abuse and violence. For some, the community means hope, a chance to get out of their nightmare. Community may mean protection and victory over sin. This is the only way communities make any sense. For some, it works!

    Dear Lapaz, we do have compassion over your suffering. We do regret if your hurts and pains prevented you from forgiving. You need to forgive yourself for being a victim at the first place. Then you have to forgive God that He threw you into this situation. The free choice of man is never taken, but freedom can take the form of evil.

    If you would have had a different choice what would you ave done? Please, do not blame others when they try to help you following the path of radical love. Radical love, as we have seen is Jesus, is something very special. Perhaps, it is not the best for everyone. We are sinners, we mess up the ways of the Lord. You have to forgive them and go ahead with you life.

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    1. Dear Zoltan,

      God allowed those things to happen. Why He does it, I do not know. Usually, with time, it would be made clear..

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    2. Radicals seem to be the correct word. a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.

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    3. Radical Justice love means to take up weapons to fight this war. Blood may spill to win this war.

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    4. Radicals that fight for liberation of our Church Diana.

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    5. Dear Anonymous at 6:16 pm,

      Get real. You mean the destruction of the Church. Anyone who favors a bill to sue the Archdiocese instead of the person responsible does not care for the church and would rather see it go bankrupt.

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    6. Rohr and his compatriots follow the SNAP strategy in everything. Even Joelle Casteix SNAP director expressed disbelief and joy when she said their previous business was in line with anti-Catholic groups, but now they work with groups INSIDE the Catholic Church! She was, of course, talking about her contacts in Guam, in particular about the jungle group.

      The Media Report recalls an attack on the Pope when "Joelle Casteix, SNAP's "western regional director," actually went as far as to claim that Pope Francis' gesture was actually "intended to promote complacency," without, of course, providing any evidence for her claim."

      A terrific quote from C.J. Doyle at the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts reveals the deeply biased language of these poorly disguised anti-Catholic warriors:

      "If the Catholic Church were to put out a press release today saying that they were going out of business, SNAP would say, 'Why didn't they do this sooner?' No matter what the Church does, it will never satisfy SNAP."

      http://www.themediareport.com/2014/06/03/mary-gail-frawley-odea-snap-media/

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  4. No one is talking of sueing the Archdiocese Diana. You are saying that. This bill is being supported to stop child abuse in the catholic Church on Guam. Those who support this bill are devoted catholics they will never harm the church.

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 11:29 pm,

      Have you not read the news. It says that if passed, the Archdiocese can be sued.

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  5. Agree Diana. Unfortunately there are people who want to see the Archdiocese bankrupt. Infact they open about it.

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  6. Diana with no disrespect. Why don't we ever have someone who would call these radio stations and defend our views??

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 9:31 am,

      I think the best way to get our voices heard is through a demonstration of our own and with signs. The protesters are only about 50-60 people, and they are always the same people, most of them are elderly. The NCW, on the other hand, are in the thousands. When we are called for an advent or Lenten announcement, we fill up the Church in the Cathedral. Perhaps, it is our turn to speak up starting with a demonstration. And we can bring our drums, guitars, and tambourines and our voices can be heard. Music has a way of evangelizing people.

      As for speaking in the media, I highly recommend Travis Coffman. He has shown no bias for or against the Neocatechumenal Way.

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    2. On second thought, I think calling in the Travis Coffman talk show is the better idea or schedule a show with KUAM with an objective reporter. The point is to get people to know that we did not take over the Church. Rather, we are part of the Church.

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    3. Diana when can we set this up? It would only show our solidarity! I will be the first one there with my tambourine!!

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    4. Travis Coffman is actually intrigued by the Neocatechumenal Way and is very sympathetic. He makes fun of those who call in to criticize The Way. Travis would welcome anyone who wants to explain what The Way is about. A couple years ago Fr. Adrian and Ric Eusebio spent almost 2 hours with him. That was before he left K57. I don't think he took notes or anything so it will be like teaching him all over again.

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    5. Dear Anonymous at Anonymous at 9:35 pm,

      I have found him to be very objective in his interviews. I also notice that he would repeat and/or ask questions for clarification. I think having a mission family, an itinerant, and a responsible on his show would be great.

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    6. I nominate Diana!! Anyone second the motion!?!

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    7. Dear Anonymous at 7:06 am,

      My family is not a mission family; however, there are mission families on Guam who can share their experience in the interview with Travis Coffman. Ask one of them.

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    8. Why do you back down Diana? Aren't you the NCW's insider guru? It only makes sense that you be interviewed about the NCW. :-)

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    9. There will need to be Responsibles, Catechists as well because for sure there will be questions about NCW that go beyond what mission families do. And someone that can correct any misconception about us and what we do. Diana, I agree with 7:06.

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    10. Dear Anonymous at 8:51 am,

      In the first place, I never volunteered.

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