There are several links to the need for beauty, for rich and poor alike. When you take away the tabernacle, when you destroy and sell Catholic churches for temporal gain, you are saying in no uncertain terms that the here and now is more important than the eternal. It's unpopular to mention the eternal nature of existence, but if you make the present of more importance than the eternal...in the end you may....lose.
UPDATE: A poem by G. K. Chesterton that speaks to 'only' losing one's soul:
Fantasia
by G.K. ChestertonThe happy men that lose their heads
They find their heads in heaven
As cherub heads with cherub wings,
And cherub haloes even:
Out of the infinite evening lands
Along the sunset sea,
Leaving the purple fields behind,
The cherub wings beat down the wind
Back to the groping body and blind
As the bird back to the tree.
Whether the plumes be passion-red
For him that truly dies
By headsmen’s blade or battle-axe,
Or blue like butterflies,
For him that lost it in a lane
In April’s fits and starts,
His folly is forgiven then:
But higher, and far beyond our ken,
Is the healing of the unhappy men,
The men that lost their hearts.
Is there not pardon for the brave
And broad release above,
Who lost their heads for liberty
Or lost their hearts for love?
Or is the wise man wise indeed
Whom larger thoughts keep whole?
Who sees life equal like a chart,
Made strong to play the saner part,
And keep his head and keep his heart,
And only lose his soul. (H/t to Why I Am Catholic)
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
This is a request for all the people in the village of Painted Post and Erwin and the City of Corning to contact the elected officials in your respective communities. Recently there has been increased interest in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church campus. I have been told that one such association is the Salvation Army and another a local Painted Post businessman. The following is the Salvation Army Mission Statement: "The Salvation Army, an international movement is an evangelical part of the universal christian church. Its message is based on the bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination." How ironic that if the Salvation Army is able to secure the purchase of Immaculate Heart Of Mary Church that their intention is to have it demolished !! Please contact the elected officials in your area and plead for the 'salvation' of yet another Catholic Church in the Corning Painted Post community. This does not just affect the Catholic community in the area but it will affect everyone.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the Salvation Army intends to use the church as an indoor gymnasium. Feel free to contact the captain. He is honest about the intentions of the SA.
ReplyDeleteIHM would have to be desacralized. It would no longer be a church. Christ would no longer reside in the tabernacle. Not sure there is much of a difference between a gymnasium and destruction.
All of this of course would go on with the blessing of parish leadership and the diocese. Parish council members? Rubber stamps, apparently. Money trumps souls, trumps Rome, trumps all.