Sins of wrath and pride

Several recent posts on other blogs have been troubling my conscience. First, is this from Disputations, via Dappled Things, which touches on folks who want a general ecclesial crackdown from the new pope.

"And in all honesty, 'radiating the joy of the faith' is not how I would characterize those eagerly awaiting the first batch of excommunications."

Ouch. That one hits close to home. Is it wrong to crave leadership? Is it improper to be scandalized when a local priest says you can attend Communion after missing Mass? The "joy of faith" is overemphasized at the expense of the "sobriety of faith" in this bourgeouis era, but can one yearn for a general crackdown and not be a Pharisee? I don't know.

Then there is the Thoughts of Apolonio Latar III, a high schooler whose piety shames me. I'm too embarassed to post the link lest he follow it backwards and find my pitiful scribblings. It's "apolonio dot blogspot dot com." After a mortal sin, he couldn't find a confessor:

"I instead went to the rectory of the church I was at and rang the doorbell. No one answered. I prayed hail marys and said, 'Please God, if it be your will to forgive me today, give me a priest. If it be your will that I receive your mercy, please give me a priest. Hail Mary, full of grace...My mother, please send me a priest. You know how it is like when you lost your Son at the temple. I lost Him now. Please send me a priest.'

"Priests are wonderful. They may not be the best homilist, but they still have the power to forgive sins and to change bread into His Body. The hands of priests points to the mercy of God. The next time you see a priest, give glory to God. The priest may not even be orthodox. The priest may even be liberal. But he is still a priest. St. Francis of Assisi said that he would bow down even to the worst priest. The priest should get that honor. "

On the 5-whip Contrition Scale, right now I deserve at least 2.5 self-mortification lashes.



O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.