25 Hours A Day

Man! Where does the time go? It has been a week since I've been able to get to my own blog site. Let me see. Two columns written on Monday. A science fair project built with my daughter. Two trips to Chicago. A first communion and party. The only thing that seems to be lacking is sleep. Four, maybe five and on occasion even six hours of sleep a night. Too much to do, too little time to do it.
We have a new pope, Benedict XVI as of yesterday. Will he be a transitional Pope that takes us through the next 5 years or so and continue to hold the torch for what John Paul II started, or will he surprise everyone and be more progressive? Let us hope and pray that he doesn't begin to undo the positive that has been developed in the Church over the past 2000 years. It would be easier to give in to the "progrssive liberals" who feel that the Church is behind the times and that we are in need of loosening the reins and the morals of the Church. We need to keep an open dialogue with all faiths and with our Catholic friends, even if they do disagree with the Church's teachings. That doesn't mean that the Church should kowtow to the whims of those who want the Church to be more lenient in its ideals and principles. It is often most difficult to hold firm to the ground when the waves are striking at your foundation. The American Catholic Church needs to be held accountable for the abuses by our clergy and not let it be kept our of sight/out of mind. No one is helped. If we need to bring in more priests from other countries, that might be mor successful in the long run than recruitng any male for the priethood without regard to his tendencies. It will be interesting to see what transpires and if there will be a greater dichotomy in the Church of the "advanced" countries who want the Church to go their way and hold donations and membership as Damocles' sword over the diocesian leaders when the Church doesn't suit them. People tend to forget all of the good that he Church does if it isn't doing what they want for them. Why shold standards be relaxed for receiving communion or being in good graces with the Church? If people choose to sin, that is their own free will. We all do it, but we also have the opportunity for forgiveness if we ask. It is ovious that the relaxation of social morals and mores has really helped our country to be more loving, more giving and more compassionate. We have a long way to go, but we need to have a strong foundation to build on and tearing it down doesn't necessarily equate with progress or a better world.