Living in the past denies the Spirit

by Letters Editor · July 3, 2014

From Felicity Brokensha, Cape Town

Why do Catholics so often want to live in the past? They voice such contempt for the dynamism of the living Spirit of God. Living is not static. It is a constant challenge � a battle for creativity against the destroyer of life, Satan.

I am grossly insulted at Fr Bernard Brown writing (June 4): �In those days one felt proud to be a Catholic, with such a living faith in the sacred presence. However, that is not the case today.�

My faith in the �sacred presence� is as deep and total as I assume his is. And I am proud to be a Catholic, a member of the Christian Church I chose to enter in 1965.

I prefer receiving the Sacred Host in a suppliant hand rather than sticking my tongue out at the priest. Also, I prefer to receive the Sacred Blood of Jesus rather than have only the priest receive it on my behalf.

Fr Brown is probably unaware of how many Catholics may have �profaned� the Sacred Presence in their hearts and minds during an only habitual reception while attending Mass under some or other social constraint.

Or of how many may have �adulterated� the presence by not receiving it at Mass while under some or other prescribed misapprehension that led them to remain static in their pews throughout Mass.

These are the �old guard� who still don�t trust coming back to a Church they cannot believe will care for them as individuals. Prescriptions, constraints and laws do not equal �sacralisation�.

The Holy Spirit cannot be harnessed as little as human choices can. It is the risk of freedom, the loving gift of God. And why I chose to enter this real, true Church of God � the Catholic Church � is that it has the greatest potential for unity, the �oneness� that Jesus so fervently prayed to his Father for just before leaving this world in our care, our motley care.

Change, empathy, love and sacrifice embrace us all in a supportive strength towards a creative, humble future together. We only have to understand this to accept it and be reconciled for a peaceful future.