We Do Not Need Understand The Cross to Bear It Are We Fit for Service If We Put Our Hand to the Plow but Look Back at Innocence Lost?


By: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans

“You have to suffer as much from the Church as for it; the only thing that makes it endurable is that somehow it is the body of Christ. And on this, we are fed.”—Flannery O’Connor

It’s hard to remember what the feeling was before the McCarrick scandal was compounded. Things were maybe cooling off. Some light-heartedness starting to peek through dark clouds. But on Tuesday I didn’t get too far into the introduction of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. Because I felt like I was going to either vomit or faint.

McCarrick. The death penalty. Pennsylvania. And in between it all, the FDA announces it has signed a contract to acquire human fetal tissue for experiments with mice.

Seems like the Easter People could use a vacation.

I actually had mine all planned out. This week I was going read my book about discernment and look back on my first year in the seminary and prepare for the new semester with little distraction. I mean, besides what was already going on with McCarrick.

While I discerned I was going to use The Church as my bearing, my North Star, but with each new scandal, it continued to shift positions. So, I’m disoriented. A bit unsettled.

But, I/we can never be beaten. Because I/we trust that God is working to turn evil into good. Because suffering is my/our strength.

“I do not desire to die soon, because in Heaven there is no suffering. I desire to live a long time because I yearn to suffer much for the love of my Spouse.”–St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi

We can all, in this hard time, offer our suffering to Jesus, and in this way, better understand His Passion. This scandal is a cross we’ve been given, and we must try to carry it proudly. To bear it well.

“If you seek to carry no other crosses but those whose reason you understand, perfection is not for you.”—St. Teresa of Avila

God has blessed us with so many people who can help us carry this cross. Let us first turn to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He will comfort us. We can turn to our spiritual directors, our formation directors, and Fr. Wehner. We can turn to our seminarian brothers. My email is jasonsonge@nds.edu if you would like to share privately. If you feel comfortable sharing publicly, you may always submit a blog post.

Let us pray for the victims of this abuse. Let us offer acts of reparation for the sins committed by clergy.

Satan is working. Let us work harder.

Mary, Mother of The Church, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Peter, pray for us.

St. Michael The Archangel, pray for us.

St. Augustine of Hippo, pray for us.

St. Joan of Arc, pray for us.

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, pray for us.

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us.

St. George, pray for us.

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us.

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.

St. Martin of Tours, pray for us.


About the Author: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans


Jason is a seminarian in Second Pre-Theology.


Disclaimer

All opinions published by the authors on this blog are solely those of the authors. Although the goal is that they should, they do not necessarily express the views and opinions of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Notre Dame Seminary, the Church, or their respective dioceses and bishops.

Notre Dame Seminary and the Archdiocese of New Orleans are not responsible for the comments of commenters, although every effort will be made to remove offensive comments.

If you should find an error or offensive content, please email the NDS Blog editorial team.