Humility

and the Common Ass.

Donkey I mean. Remember that God hates the proud-really thinks conceit stinks. Jesus could
have rode into Jerusalem with a calvary on a great white horse of the finest breed or on a Camel as signified royalty in some parts in the North of Africa. He rode in on a common Donkey. Mary rode in on a donkey to deliver him in Bethlehem. A Burrow if you will-something that trods along slowly carrying a heavy load-like a pregnant woman. That is why you will sometimes see Saint Nicholas in ikons or images with a Donkey-that in northern parts has been translated as a Reindeer (far more common in the Northern Woods of Northern Europe than Donkeys.)
That's why the pride that has the confessors not confessing their messes is a mess. Prevarications and obfiscations like the one we got from Bishop Knestow in an archdiocene letter hoping to do damage control pre-empting the Washington Post article that said the child protection codes and policies have been in place for twenty years looked a little ineffective against the litany of offenders who were ordained after that or whose abuse occurred after that (and that was only 30-some of the 5,600 noted by the Bishops conference nationally.) That, ladies and gentlemen, is a scandal. Something that I wouldn't be surprised featured somewhere in Fatima secrets.
It doesn't help anyone, especially the priests, to not get real about this. Get Real Already.
It does not help anyone to deny that the Saint Lukes Institute treats people who have a hard time with the imposed from afar demands of celibacy which morph into all kinds of personality aberations and worse. It doesn't help the church, it doesn't help the clergy and it certainly doesn't help the parishioners. There ABSOLUTELY should be a marriage option to allow men to properly fall in love, be in love and consecrate and consumate their love to ONE WOMAN as God designed it from the beginning. You won't have to raise all those millions for the Saint Luke Institute.
For the Feast of the Immaculate Conception there will be an abundance of emphasis on the virginity of Mary-although that is not what Immaculate conception means- it means SHE was conceived without sin herself. The Virginity of Mary is supposed to somehow translate as a requirement that priests should be chaste celibates. All of them. Because Mary Was. Because they say so.
Humility and Pride are difficult to grasp for some- some are so proud of their humility.
Some don't have a clue how much pride they are really carting around like a tumor.
A Mercedes Popemobile even if greened or electric is hardly a donkey. Maybe a golf cart would work better. Maybe DC Metro should be tried out by the guys with red cone-head hats.

Someone who is humble knows his (or her) need and can express it regardless of what the consequences might be. Children are like this. When they need their apple juice they let you know: "I need more apple juice please." Because they trust that their mother is not going to say- "So What! No More Apple Juice For You Ever!!" They are bold in asking. Because they know their mother loves them so much.
Now you try.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/1207/1224284924422.html?digest=1