Friday, March 29, AD 2024 4:06am

PopeWatch: Saul and Obedience to God

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The Pope gave an interesting homily in which he bashed those who do not support what he is doing to the Church.  Here is the report on the homily by Vatican Radio interspersed with PopeWatch comments:

 

 

In the first reading, Saul was rejected by God as King of Israel because he disobeyed, preferring to listen to the people rather than the will of God. The people, after a victory in battle, wanted to offer a sacrifice of the best animals to God, because, he said, “it’s always been done that way.” But God, this time, did not want that. The prophet Samuel rebuked Saul: “Does the Lord so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the Lord?” Jesus teaches us the same thing in the Gospel, the Pope explained. When the doctors of the law criticized Him because His disciples did not fast “as had always been done,” Jesus responded with these examples from daily life: “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

 

 

What an odd interpretation.  Samuel conveyed to King Saul the command of God that the Amalekites be annihilated long with all their animals.  When Samuel learned that Saul had disobeyed by sparing the King of the Amalekites, Agag, and the best of the animals, he rebuked Saul and slew Agag with his own hand.  The lesson is strict adherence to the commands of God, something that the Pope is shaky in regard to.

 

 

 

 
“What does this mean? That He changes the law? No! That the law is at the service of man, who is at the service of God – and so man ought to have an open heart. ‘It’s always been done this way’ is a closed heart, and Jesus tells us, ‘I will send you the Holy Spirit and He will lead you into the fullness of truth.’ If you have a heart closed to the newness of the Spirit, you will never reach the full truth. And your Christian life will be a half-and-half life, a patched life, mended with new things, but on a structure that is not open to the voice of the Lord—a closed heart, so that you are not able to change others.”

 

 

Once again a bizarre interpretation.  God gave a command and Saul failed to carry it out.  The passage has nothing to do with what the Pope is arguing.

 

 

 

 
This, the Pope emphasized, was the sin of Saul, for which he was rejected by God. “It is the sin of so many Christians who cling to what has always been done and who do not allow others to change. And they end up with half a life, [a life that is] patched, mended, meaningless.” The sin, he said, “is a closed heart,” that “does not hear the voice of the Lord, that is not open to the newness of the Lord, to the Spirit that always surprises us.” This rebellion, says Samuel, is “the sin of divination,” and obstinacy is the sin of idolatry:

 

 

Saul was rejected by God because he did not heed the commands of God as conveyed by Samuel. God commanding the annihilation of an enemy population was not a new teaching as a cursory reading of earlier passages in the Old Testament would clearly indicate.

 

 

 
“Christians who obstinately maintain ‘it’s always been done this way,’ this is the path, this is the street—they sin: the sin of divination. It’s as if they went about by guessing: ‘What has been said and what doesn’t change is what’s important; what I hear—from myself and my closed heart—more than the Word of the Lord.’ Obstinacy is also the sin of idolatry: the Christian who is obstinate sins! The sin of idolatry. ‘And what is the way, Father?’ Open the heart to the Holy Spirit, discern what is the will of God.”

 

 

 

The whole point of the passage is strict obedience to the will of God.  Unless the Pope is seeking to claim the mantle of prophet with some new revelation from God, it does not support the argument he is making.

 

 

 

 
Pope Francis noted that in Jesus’ time, good Israelites were in the habit of fasting. “But there is another reality,” he said. “There is the Holy Spirit who leads us into the full truth. And for this reason he needs an open heart, a heart that will not stubbornly remain in the sin of idolatry of oneself,” imagining that my own opinion is more important than the surprise of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

Christians fasted after Jesus ascended.  As Christ noted, it was not proper for the Church to fast while He, the Bridegroom of the Church, was present on Earth.

 

 

 
“This is the message the Church gives us today. This is what Jesus says so forcefully: ‘New wine in new wineskins.’ Habits must be renewed in the newness of the Spirit, in the surprises of God. May the Lord grant us the grace of an open heart, of a heart open to the voice of the Spirit, which knows how to discern what should not change, because it is fundamental, from what should change in order to be able to receive the newness of the Spirit.”

 

 

 

Pope Francis has a dismaying habit of attempting to turn his policy preferences into mandates of the Holy Spirit, while taking as unimportant teachings of the Church based upon what Christ said.

Go here to read the rest.

 

 

Disobedience to the Word of God is why Samuel lost his throne.  May Pope Francis profit from his sad example.

 

 

 

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Felixstowe Moore
Felixstowe Moore
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 5:56am

Pope Francis seems to think that he has the power to re-write the Catechism. So surely he also has the power to re-write Holy Scripture?

But if he’s wrong about his powers, then I guess he’s the idolater, and not traditional Catholics.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 7:04am

Good post. Thanks.

DonL
DonL
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 7:31am

Old Church bad–New Church good?

Seems to be that simple?

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 9:02am
Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 11:30am

So if I’m understanding this… if I’m in a war (against say… some Muslims?) and I get a command from the Holy Spirit in my heart to wipe them all out, I should totally do so even if it goes against the Just War and all that jazz the church has “always” preached.

Alright everybody! Go dust off your nukes and be ready to eliminate the middle east down to even the livestock – the pope said so!

(c’mon, you know it’s going to be funny to watch Francis fans try and wiggle out of that conclusion)

Pinky
Pinky
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 12:14pm

I could guess what the Holy Father is referring to, but it would only be a guess. The issuance of harsh reprimands without specifying their targets is a real problem. I want to serve God and His Church in perfect obedience. The Holy Father is indicating that someone’s being disobedient, and if it’s me, then I want him to rebuke me. That requires forcefulness on his part, but also clarity. Without clarity, all it does is raise people’s hackles.

I’ve worked in an office where everyone’s on pins and needles because the boss is upset, but he won’t say why. A person can only take that so long. The anger is not efficacious.

Don the Kiwi
Don the Kiwi
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 12:53pm

You’re right Don.
Here is a part of my reflection on Monday morning Liturgy:
Reflection – Monday 2nd.Week Ordinary Time – Year II 18.01.2016
In todays reading from the book of Samuel, we see Saul rejected by God as King of Israel Although Saul had carried out his orders to defeat the Amalekites, he displeased God because he and his men used the victory to plunder and gather all the spoils for themselves. Saul tried to justify his behaviour by claiming that the best of the sheep and oxen seized by his men would be sacrificed to God. But Samuel points out the important principle that obedience to God’s will transcends any religious rituals – and that is the central point of today’s reading.
.Samuel is not condemning sacrificial practise as such but that ritual which is not accompanied by appropriate behaviour in our relationships with God and others is of no value. To act against God’s known will while doing homage to something which is not of God (e.g. personal greed in this case) is to be guilty of a kind of idolatry .Saul’s crime is likened to ‘sorcery’, called here, “the crime of teraphim”. Teraphim were the pagan household gods, which guarded houses and property.
We too should remember that it is God’s will in our lives that is paramount. Our greatest good is in making that will our own. To think that God will be happy with us simply by our piling up religious exercises is misguided piety.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 1:58pm

While I don’t think it’s as far of a stretch as the rest of you seem to think, I do agree that Francis has
.

this rhetorical tic—to which he resorts so frequently that he must think it a profound path to genuine insight rather than a substitute for it—of setting at odds the spirit and the letter of doctrine. . . . Every powerful gesture he makes, like visiting the Little Sisters of the Poor, or embracing a disabled child, must stand beside a cloud of utterances either impervious to interpretation, or so clearly censorious as to be unmistakable in their intent. The implication of the latter sort is that, if you are among those who insist that true doctrine must be defended before all else, then you cannot be among those who “uphold its spirit.” You don’t live the doctrine, but relish laying it down. You don’t really care about those “difficult cases and wounded families,” or, to unmask the rhetoric, your devotion to doctrine has maimed your capacity to love [sic]
.
How can you know the spirit of a thing without knowing first the thing itself?

.

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 2:09pm
Patricia
Patricia
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 4:56pm

‘ “Christians who obstinately maintain ‘it’s always been done this way,’ this is the path, this is the street—they sin: the sin of divination. It’s as if they went about by guessing: ‘What has been said and what doesn’t change is what’s important; what I hear—from myself and my closed heart—more than the Word of the Lord.’ Obstinacy is also the sin of idolatry: the Christian who is obstinate sins! The sin of idolatry. ‘And what is the way, Father?’ Open the heart to the Holy Spirit, discern what is the will of God.” ‘
Funny how the flaky heretics and professional theologians supporting such as Planned Parenthood and politicians and UN removing God from laws, flying in the face and will of God (who clearly states all manner of His facets through the Prophets) get no direct advice. I think the church leader is relentlessly targeting the faithful. Breakfast table and meeting conversation must be about counting the ways and using surprise as the element.

Patricia
Patricia
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 9:51pm

Following is a prayer request from email, and its subject is something that the shepherd could show a redeeming interest in by speaking to the worldwide flock with this subject as a case in point about discerning the will of God, therefore helping breaking hearts in the field hospital..

‘ … Please also pray for seven babies kidnapped by ISIS on Sunday night, stolen from their mothers’ arms outside of a refugee camp. God knows what will happen to these children.

At this time prolife activities in the USA are memorializing the millions of babies aborted in the past 43 years since the legalization of abortion on January 22, 1973. Please pray as well for unborn babies in danger of abortion.

God bless you for your prayers for these innocent children. …’

Steve Phoenix
Steve Phoenix
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 9:53pm

Early on in this pontificate, it appeared soon on that the present pontiff had a serious anger problem as a personality issue. “Self-absorbed Promethean neo-Pelagians”, “neurotic priests”, religious called “unfruitful bachelors” and religious-order sisters slammed as “spinsters”.. the list goes on.

Mr. Bergoglio now appears to be veering into psychosis, reading into Scripture passages his enemies as biblically-evil antagonists, using sermons as railing rallies—starting to sound a little like Mein Kampf. Note this turn: it wont turn out well for the Francis era.

Funny thing: I don’t find personal direct references to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit as alive and active Persons almost at all in his screeds. Oh well: A few more downward-spiraling years of this. God is in control of all.

.Anzlyne
.Anzlyne
Tuesday, January 19, AD 2016 10:06pm

Such a complete opposite of how I read the passage. Popes message sounds like “don’t do what God has officially told you, but just be open to your own on-the-moment interpretation as moved by the Spirit”. Which is just what Ssul did that got him in trouble. Pope had to go into pretzel shape to come up with this interp.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 3:49am

Pope Francis transcendent error (heresy) is his failure to proclaim that obedience precedes mercy and God’s will precedes obedience. Without the need for obedience mercy is meaningless. Pope Francis is a modern day Martin Luther, a Protestant against the Catholic Church. Let us pray more folks will understand this and that his disastrous reign will end soon.

Jeanie
Jeanie
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:12am

I enjoy reading your articles and comments, but the print is so tiny I am really having difficulty reading it. Is there anything you can do about this?

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:18am

Jeanie, if you’re on a computer, hold down a “ctrl” key and then spin your the wheel in the middle of your mouse (forward IIRC). If you don’t have a mouse wheel, press the “+/=” button on your keyboard instead. That makes text bigger.

Jeanie
Jeanie
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:22am

I am using a mini iPad.

Steve Phoenix
Steve Phoenix
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:31am

Pope Francis’ “rhetorical tic” (Ernest Schreiber) helps most to now turn him off before he begins.

Patricia also encapsulates the present pontifical aim: “I think the church leader is relentlessly targeting the faithful.”
..
Amen.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:32am

Well there’s your problem. It’s just righteous judgement for using Apple. XP j/k

http://www.macworld.com/article/2013669/make-text-more-readable-on-your-ipad-mini.html
Should be the ipad instructions.

Jeanie
Jeanie
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 8:34am

Thank you?

John
John
Wednesday, January 20, AD 2016 2:56pm

God never changes, he is the same yesterday, today and forever!

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Thursday, January 21, AD 2016 11:49am

Pinky, you really captured how I feel about Pope Francis’ unceasing criticisms: “does he mean me?”

Thanks.

Steve Phoenix
Steve Phoenix
Friday, January 22, AD 2016 4:28pm

How Pope Francis is handling his antagonists:

“Pope Hits Out At Internet Trolls”, AFP, Jan. 22, 2016

“Our words and actions should be such as to help us all escape the vicious circles of condemnation and vengeance which continue to ensnare individuals and nations, encouraging expressions of hatred,” he said.

The pope urged politicians and others in positions of power “to remain especially attentive to the way they speak of those who think or act differently or those who may have made mistakes.”

And he emphasized the importance of everyone applying the same principle to encounters in cyberspace by showing respect for “the neighbor whom we do not see.”

“It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal,” Pope Francis said.

https://in.news.yahoo.com/pope-hits-internet-trolls-152809983.html

Hmmm. Coming from one who seems to enjoy the original bully-pulpit, and ladling out his abuse on Promethean neo-Pelagian trolls, Neurotic Priest-Trolls, and Spinster-Nun Trolls, it sounds like PF (or more likely his lieutenants) are having trouble with this internet-thing and its runaway freedom-of-expression. PopeWatch better be careful to meet our Peronista-Pope’s prescription for “using wisely the means at our disposal”. Or else.

Farmer0831
Farmer0831
Saturday, January 23, AD 2016 3:48am

@Nate Winchester:
See Deuteronomy 12:31. The reason given by the Lord for commanding the Israelites to kill all the Amalekites is that the Amalekites practiced infant sacrifice. It was necessary for the people of God to stamp out that practice, root and branch.

May we hope that the infant children of the Amalekites were taken into the Lord’s bosom to live forever in eternal bliss? Certainly we may. But it was necessary, according to the Lord, that all traces be stamped out of that culture which habitually practiced infant sacrifice for the propitiation of demons.

Nate Winchester
Nate Winchester
Saturday, January 23, AD 2016 11:47am

@Farmer0831, you… didn’t actually read anything past the first sentence did you? Or do you have difficulties figuring out when people are being tongue-in-cheek?

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