So, the whole Roman Catholic thing. It was great. Really. It injected some much needed Catholic piety into my prayer life and practice of my faith. I devoured and am devouring many books. It made me question many of my beliefs. I still have issues I’m working thru. I needed to immerse myself in the Mother Church to re-align my faith which was not just lukewarm, it could only be called faithlessness. but I can’t. I can’t assent to all of the Roman beliefs. I can’t. As beautiful as the religion is. I have prayed. A lot. And I am an Anglican. On Sunday I will attend my TEC parish. I’m sure you are all assured of my insanity at this point. I’m still growing my sodomy-preventing-beard. I’m not returning to TEC so I get “get away with” sins that Rome is strict with. There is just this underlying hate among RCs lately. They just hate the other. I can’t find love in Roman Catholicism. I’ll take my TEC parish with my female Vicar and gay and married Canon. I always seem to sense Jesus present there. I can never seem to find Jesus among his Roman followers. I don’t think this is a problem with Catholicism. I think this is some sort of American-Catholic aberration.
Life is a journey for each of us. Perhaps your beard is not the only growing thing in your life. Hold on tightly to our Lord, because the ride sometimes gets bumpy.
Having come from the RCC myself, I can totally relate to your observations. I shall be praying for you. God will not let you down.
I will be praying for you brother. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God." (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
I believe there is nothing in the Anglican faith that compels one to reject Marian apparitions per se. Acceptence is not to be required one anyone as a matter necessary unto salvation, but then neither is rejection (AOR VII). Apparitions are clearly a reality in scripture, both for angels and long dead saints. Since Mary was alive throughout most if not all of the writing of the New Testament canon, biblical evidence of her apparition is understandably absent. Though the woman clothed in the Sun in Revelations 12 would quite possibly fit the bill. I'm not interested puffing up my protestant chest on the issue. AOR 22 doesn't address the Roman Catholic stance on apparitions so I see no reason to insert it where wiser minds decided to remain silent. jmo.
What is or are AOR 22, and AOR VII ? I find a few people use terms here that they know, but don't realise that others don't.
I think it is fair to note that that much in contemporary RCC theologians discussion of the Eucharist is more amenable to most Anglicans than some of the abrasive teachings of Trent. To illustrate my point, this passage is from Laudato Si by Pope Francis: 236. It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable expression when God himself became man and gave himself as food for his creatures. The Lord, in the culmination of the mystery of the Incarnation, chose to reach our intimate depths through a fragment of matter. He comes not from above, but from within, he comes that we might find him in this world of ours. In the Eucharist, fullness is already achieved; it is the living centre of the universe, the overflowing core of love and of inexhaustible life. Joined to the incarnate Son, present in the Eucharist, the whole cosmos gives thanks to God. Indeed the Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love: “Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world”. The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation. The world which came forth from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of the Eucharist, “creation is projected towards divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards unification with the Creator himself”. Thus, the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation.
Francis must have a budding poet on his writing staff! He seems to conflate and confuse faith in Jesus Christ with faith in the Eucharistic meal, in my opinion. I know of nothing from the Bible, the first 4 Councils, or the first 500 years that exalts and glorifies the act of receiving the Eucharist anywhere near so much as Francis does. The way he turns it into an environmentalist message would be humorous, were it not so seriously posed. I wonder what the hundreds of previous popes, or for that matter the twelve Apostles, would have said about an attempt to turn Holy Communion into a conservation effort?
I fail to see a connection as strong as that which Francis seems to assume, however I think it incongruous that so many 'Bring on the Apocalypse, we'll be out of here soon', climate change denying, 'believers?', happily watch the extinction of half the planets species with approval, while blithely consuming their holy morsel and washing it down contentedly. .
So I have returned to this thread to announce I have returned to my senses. After much reading and thinking I shaved of my beard and now identify as an Evangelical Anglican. I feel like I was a tad out of my mind for a few weeks. Thanks to you all for all you posted that brought me to this decision.
With Covid, growing older, and everything else, my hair and beard routine now includes the following. Head and neck hair -- If needed, electric clippers for hair cut -- yes, I do my own haircut. Beard routine -- Step 1: Electric clippers for facial hair in the event allow my facial hair to grow too long. Beard routine -- Step 2: Soak beard with hot wet towel. Beard routine -- Step 3: Apply favorite pre-shave cream. Beard routine -- Step 4: Apply favorite shave soap with brush. Beard routine -- Step 5: Put new razor blade in the razor. Beard routine -- Step 6: 3 swipes of the face. Beard routine -- Step 7: Rinse face with cold water. Beard routine -- Step 8: Rub face with favorite post-shave stone for cuts and nicks. Beard routine -- Step 9: Rinse face with warm water and pat dry. Beard routine -- Step 10: Apply favorite after-shave lotion. Off topic -- more than you really need to know about my hair and beard routine?
I commend you on shaving the beard; IMO it's the wrong time of year (too warm) for facial hair. Grow one for winter instead!