Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon made an urgent appeal for prayers today for the upcoming Synod on the Family in Rome. Using his Facebook page to post the below message to the faithful, His Excellency asked that all “pray that God’s will be done at this Synod and that all the powers of the Enemy, Satan and his demons, be kept far from the work of the Synod.” Archbishop Sample was appointed to the Archdiocese of Portland by Pope Benedict XVI on January 29, 2013. He is not a delegate to the Synod.
AN URGENT APPEAL FOR PRAYER!
I am going to make this bold request for prayers from all who are willing and able. The Ordinary Synod of Bishops begins this Sunday, October 4 and will run through October 25. The theme of the Synod is “The Vocation and Mission of the Family in the Church and the Contemporary World.” This is an extremely important moment in the life of the Church and for the future of the Christian family.
I am asking us all to begin now and pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for the Holy Father, the Synod bishops and other participants. I am suggesting that we all commit to praying the Holy Rosary and/or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day from now through the end of the Synod on October 25. Pray that God’s will be done at this Synod and that all the powers of the Enemy, Satan and his demons, be kept far from the work of the Synod.
Pope Francis said earlier this year: “Let us pray to the Lord and ask Him to protect the family in the crisis with which the Devil wants to destroy it. Families are the domestic church where Jesus grows in the love of a married couple, in the lives of their children. This is why the Devil attacks the family so much. The Devil doesn’t want it and tries to destroy it. The Devil tries to make love disappear from there.”
Will you join me in prayer?
*Sigh* I’m sorry, but why should we pray in accordance with the one who has orchestrated this whole mess? Francis will not give his definition of ‘family’ , so I think it best to choose a more reliable prayer, perhaps Pope Leo’s prayer to St. Michael the Archangel? Oh, and make it a novena.
I don’t understand your objection, friend. A daily rosary for the intention outlined by the archbishop is surely a sound and worthwhile thing. Am I missing something?
No objection to the Holy Rosary of course. It is the request that we pray with the intentions of Pope Francis that I have a problem with, without knowing clearly what his intentions are. Until we know which side PF is on, it is dangerous to assume , at this point, that he is with Christ, when all indications are that he is on the side of the enemy. I hope I am wrong. And we certainly must pray very much for Francis.
Ah, yes. Thanks for clarifying. I agree on all points. God bless.
He didn’t say “for the intentions of Pope Francis.”
Hard to believe Pope Francis when he says such Catholic things…yet has called this Synod to discuss issues that need no discussion – he has encouraged, nay, insisted on discussion of forbidden evil things – sodomy? fornication? divorce? adultery? Mary Most Pure, pray for us.
Ironically, as you point out, the threat we are facing today would not be so great if this synod was never called or certain proponents of such anti-marriage diatribe were refused a podium from which to spread their lies. Instead, a synod has been called on this very issue and those who are spreading the radical ideas have been hailed as doing profound theology, serene theology , theology on one’s knees.
Archbishop Sample has been very good to tradition-loving Catholics since he arrived here. He gave a multi-part catechesis on marriage in the diocesan paper (the paper has greatly improved), and left no doubts as to Church teaching. He hired a new liturgy director with a love of tradition, and has had multiple conferences on Gregorian chant and sacred music. Finally, he put one of the most beautiful churches (St. Stephen) under the care of two tradition-friendly priests Fr. John Boyle and Fr. Eric Andersen. They have since introduced the TLM on multiple weeknights, Vespers/Adoration and a Philosophy Night (Thomistic–too much even for my taste!). Theology on Tap has been resurrected with large crowds, and is overseen by the excellent young Dominicans at Holy Rosary. If every bishop was like Archbishop Sample, the Church would change dramatically in just one generation.
Thanks, Scott, for this review of events in Oregon. Here on the east coast we hear such strange things about Oregon that it’s nice to see there are still strong pockets of sanity there. The archbishop suggests the Rosary every day. We Catholics should strive to meet his request and to continue the practice after the Synod closes. The whole Rosary, every day. It’s doable and powerful.
Well,It is good to study Aquinas if you have priests who promote Him backed by a good bishop,everything is fine and good.
It’s very edifying to hear all of the good that Archbishop Samples is doing in Portland…but I’m not surprised. His previous assignment was in northern Michigan and he was a model for the whole state. I wished we had had him as archbishop of Detroit. I am going to follow his suggestion about praying the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet throughout the synod. I hope many other Catholics will follow this wonderful suggestion.
Pope Francis is Catholic to the core. Stop believing the mas media out of context foolishness. And he is Pope Francis, not PF or Francis. Read his writtings, study his life. Would that any of us could be half the man or half the Catholic that he is.
I don’t watch t.v., nor do I read any secular news publications, not one. The information I do gather is from direct quotes and analysis of Francis that are presented by sincere faithful Catholics who are very concerned by the way things are going in this pontificate. Besides, the mass media loves Francis, so I don’t really see your point there. His writings are a jumbled mess of contradictions. May I suggest you read the writings of Leo XIII or Pius X? Then you may gain a better understanding of how a truly Catholic pope speaks. It is precisely because of the love for Holy Mother Church and the respect for the Papacy that Catholics feel very disturbed by Francis’ words and actions.
Touchy, touchy. John Paul, Benedict, Francis…these seem like slights to you? Should we also say from now on ”Pope Peter” so as not to offend those of delicate sensibilities like you? And while I have little use for the mass media, I’m not naive enough to swallow the exculpatory malarkey that says they are all just plain stupid or malign always and everywhere when it comes to Francis ….er…Pope Francis. So many ”mistakes”, ”misinterpretations”, ”misquotes”, ”exaggerations”, etc. begin to look a lot like a pattern. For those who are not completely gullible, a great deal of the blame for this 30-month-long string of confusion and subsequent ”clarifications” seems to belong to the Vatican, not the secular press.
Please define Catholic.
One who is in union with the Holy Father and the Bishops is a good start. And one who lives the faith in the way of Mother Theresa is good example.
Pope Francis has spoken on “Family” in many of his weekly audiences. Family is well defined. He is both very simple and obvious while also being quite clever. He could hit his opponents with 2×4’s but honey will catch them much more effectively. For example, the Church has always welcomed homosexuals as beloved children of God. Behavior is a different issue. Our Pope Francis has changed the tone of late but not the teaching. He does not advocate sodomy. He loves Gods children as his own, as we all should. Also, he finds human abortion to be a horrific thing, but loves the people scarred by it. That is what we are called to be as Catholics. If you love only those you find perfect then, parphrasing the Gospel, what merrit is there in that? Is our faith so weak that we can’t allow those who lack faith to come near us for fear that we will crumble or be contaminated? Are we afraid that by recognizing that other faiths pray to God that we will lose something? Even an atheist is made in the image and likeness of God. Did Christ not tell us to love, yes LOVE our enemies?
Not long ago, I needed to deal with someone who had caused me harm and whom I found to be abhorant. In the past I dealt with this very poorly. Since I could not change that person, this time I changed myself. I imagined, step by step, washing that person’s feet. It was very hard at first, but I persevered. It made a world of difference. I highly recommend it. We have been given much, therefore much is expected.
‘Since I could not change that person, this time I changed myself.’
Did you change yourself to become more like Christ, or more like that person?
Here is the difference you see. When we are changing to become more like Christ then we are in accord with the will of God.
If we must change to approach others by becoming unlike Christ we no longer bring others to the truth but further away as we take ourselves further from Christ. We will loose our way and cause others to do so.
There is a point at which we cannot cross if we wish to remain in Christ. The sinner is on the other side of it. That’s why they are in sin. If we ask them, ‘where can we move this line so you may no longer be in sin?’. They will say, ‘move it back, move it back a little more, so I can feel comfortable’. But before long they will ask for it to be moved again. And again. And then one day they may say to you, ‘What need of this line? let us dispense with lines.’
God made these ‘lines’ for a reason. They are what defines His Kingdom from what is not. A person who is in sin is not willing to be a part of God’s Kingdom. You can ask them in all kindness and patience as you should but if they choose to remain right where they are it is no kindness to them if you start to lie about the truth.
I was an atheist. I am so thankful for the holy witness of the people who by God’s grace helped to bring me to Christ’s true Church. Please God one day I will go to Heaven.
But if I had met only with Pharisee’s you are right. I may have never have converted. And if I had only come across people who wouldn’t tell me Christ’s truth I would not have converted, what conversion would have been necessary.
And do you know what?I would not have looked like Christ when I died and would have gone to hell. Forever.
Thankfully I chose Christ/choose Christ. I had to leave my old ways. Now I see clearer and clearer how to follow after my Lord, to walk in His ways.
Thanks to the Lord for His mercy. For in the truth is true mercy to be found.
May you walk after the living Christ!
‘Did you change yourself to become more like Christ, or more like that person?’
Sorry, I should explain that this is not an accusation. I understand that you were trying to be Christ like in your actions.
What I’m trying to illustrate is when it is different.
Thank you for your wise words and wonderful testimony, Sharyn. May the Lord continue to bless you as you grow in Christ and in love of His Church. And you identified the spirit flowing through many of these replies to a “T”.
How about the Nicene Creed as a beginning. If a pope and the bishops are orthodox, of course we must be union with them as well.
Amen, Dennis, on your definition of “Catholic”. I wonder when it became acceptable to show the Pontiff such disrespect as to spell his title as “pope” and not Pope. I see that a lot in replies by Catholics these days. You’d think that folks that are so upset about the non-traditional direction of the Church would have old fashioned respect for the hierarchy of the Church. It’s the Pope, the Bishop, the Archbishop, the Cardinal and always has been. Too many sheep trying to be shepherds I think. And so much anger and venom in their words.
Oh, get off it, Bugal. What patronizing nonsense you write here. In English, “pope” is written with a lower case ‘p’ unless it is paired with the pope’s name; same thing for “president”, “senator”, etc.
I have read about him and I’ve read his words, even the ones that need frequent “clarification.” That’s what alarmed me. You wrote this 20 days ago. My bet is that you have been chastened by what has happened at the Synod. If not, perhaps you’re not paying close attention.
Can it be coincidence that the Sunday readings for the official start of the Synod on the Family include Genesis 2:18-24 (God created woman from the rib of the man and joins them together as one body) and Mark 10:2-16 (what God has united, let no man divide)?! God is good! His will be done!
Since the institutional church teaches that Jews and Muslims worship the same God as Catholics, the pope needs to give us instructions on how to properly pray. Do we pray using the name of allah? Do we pray to the Jewish god that rejects Christ? Or might we ask one of the other gods of the numerous other religions for his/her/its views on the Synod? It is all so confusing.
The “Jewish god” the last time i read my Bible was the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Jesus. God didn’t and doesn’t reject Jesus since Jesus is that God. The Jewish people reject Him.
Pray, pay, and obey. That worked rather well for a long time, or at least it seemed to. Then we had Vatican II and learned that the formula wasn’t as sound as it seemed; in fact, we were told by the shepherds to take adult responsibility for our Church.
Later many of us experienced nests of sodomite priests in our diocese doing very nasty things. In my own, there was a bishop who facilitated these nasty doings repeatedly, and a chancellor whose job was to silence anyone and everyone who criticized the bishop, or anyone who wondered aloud about shocking press reports of arrests and trials of priests. It later turned out that this arrogant and patronizing chancellor — he often said things reminiscent of your advice here, telling us not to “try to run the Church” — was himself a sodomite who embezzled huge amounts of money to feed his “lifestyle”. He admitted this in court and is now sitting in prison. All of this tended to cast doubt once again on the kind of advice you offer here, because these shepherds had led their bleating flock to a poisoned water hole.
So, yes, by all means let’s all pray both the Rosary and the DM Chaplet. But please don’t ask us to also check our brains at the church door. We did that in the past, and look where it got us.