Seeing happiness in the midst of living out wrong choices and the conscience being ignored against wrongdoing, makes me really sad. I find it difficult to rejoice for the person. I know we are to love the person and not the mistake, but how do I do so when the person knows that the membership joined is not a true one, and yet remains within it?
God is not all blessings and prosperity and a smooth life, which the group seems to have been advocating for donkey years. God is also suffering for love, obedience to His mother, protection through His angels and all things not recognized by the former (group).
How does an empty cross remind us of God's present love and of the power of suffering? A crucifix never brings this reminder far from us, of how God's death is the greatest form of love for us and how we crucify Him with our sins(Lord, help me!), of how we can unite our own sufferings with His for redemptive purposes. How then can we praise and worship Him with just an empty cross and without His actual presence within us?
Believing in the representation of God when beholding a communion wafer is really watering down the actual theology of Holy Communion as a sacrament. Receiving Communion is actually receiving our Lord. How blest and privileged we are to have Him enter us every week, instead of just something that symbolises Him, and only at times too! How inspired and grateful we must feel to know the humble love of God for us through this! Obviously, with the total omission of Maundy Thursday, the communion wafer is seen per se. How sad.
How then can we praise and worship Him with just an empty cross and without His actual presence within us? Doesn't this ever strike the soul?!
What is adored then? Benediction and silent adoration is sorely missing. Good Friday, with its weaker emphasis, will make Easter Sunday less appreciated, since suffering will make the resurrection more poignant.
Mother Mary never ever fails to intercede for us, even if we neglect her(yours truly is guilty of this). Disregarding her love and her Son's command before His death is indeed a grave omission. How about the angels and saints under her charge? These friends of ours are ever ready to help us, to pray for us. We are surrounded by so many Heavenly friends! Sadly, they are now deliberately pushed aside.
Chastity is therefore seen as less important with this membership. After all, the shepherds are allowed to have their own families too. Our Lord was singularly focused on one vocation. To juggle two at the same time would compromise on either one, unfair to the recipients involved. At death's hour, a prayer is not as strong as an anointing with holy oil. Self-explanatory to me.
Feeling "high" and "good" and "radiant" won't last. It is the music during the praise sessions that make you so. Services are made up of these, besides preaching and Bible reading. Where is the depth and richness?
There is flexibility in attending these services. Doesn't it mean our own desires are met rather than our Lord's? We go when we can or when we want. Where is the sacrifice then? The love is not so deep then.
I don't know if the new member actually bothers to reflect on the losses associated with this change made, or perhaps they have never been treasured in the first place. Hence, there is no emptiness within and the ease of shrugging it off, if any, is strong. Truth be told, a lot is being lost. A lot. To think that the original group is one with strong religious emphases and this member chose to leave the true flock, as a whole. Sad.
No comments:
Post a Comment