Another colleague of Dr. David R. Reagan who I liked learning from was Mike Gendron, a former Catholic.
You will appreciate his gentle tone which speaks many things my heart questions about my own Catholic faith, too.
Pastor Gendron says:
"The Gospel is about Christ alone."
Perhaps, if people's ego would be set aside and if they really love Christ in full, they will give the Savior proper respect, love, and homage.
Having grown up Catholic, I am not here to put down my former church, even as I look wonderingly at the ostentation in it, starting with the Vatican.
If Christ drove the merchants from His Father's Temple, why does the Vatican have a bank and a treasure-rich museum?
Why the commercialization of "indulgences" or the creation of it at all?
Why are Catholic priests dressed in quality vestments when Christ, I believe, merely walked in all simplicity?
I've even encountered many women ("handmaidens") who would create such vestments for the priests and would even guard the priests jealously like when one time I requested for a copy of the sermon.
It's like these women were the "gate keepers" to the priests.
I think that's one of the reasons why I preferred to pray directly to God and not be part of too much ritual or ostentation.
I really wanted to savor the Word of God and not be distracted from it.
All these concern my heart as I feel Christ lived so simply and was merely focused on showing us how to love His Father.
Of course, I am but a beginner in learning more about Christ. I only speak of what I've personally observed or experienced in my own church.
I think, all pastors and priests supremely devoted to Christ will only focus on Him and not on themselves.
The Message is more important than the messenger.
That's why my favorite passage is:
Having grown up Catholic, I am not here to put down my former church, even as I look wonderingly at the ostentation in it, starting with the Vatican.
If Christ drove the merchants from His Father's Temple, why does the Vatican have a bank and a treasure-rich museum?
Why the commercialization of "indulgences" or the creation of it at all?
Why are Catholic priests dressed in quality vestments when Christ, I believe, merely walked in all simplicity?
I've even encountered many women ("handmaidens") who would create such vestments for the priests and would even guard the priests jealously like when one time I requested for a copy of the sermon.
It's like these women were the "gate keepers" to the priests.
I think that's one of the reasons why I preferred to pray directly to God and not be part of too much ritual or ostentation.
I really wanted to savor the Word of God and not be distracted from it.
All these concern my heart as I feel Christ lived so simply and was merely focused on showing us how to love His Father.
Of course, I am but a beginner in learning more about Christ. I only speak of what I've personally observed or experienced in my own church.
I think, all pastors and priests supremely devoted to Christ will only focus on Him and not on themselves.
The Message is more important than the messenger.
That's why my favorite passage is:
"He must become greater;
I must become less."
John 3:30 NIV
Updated 18 January 2022
