Having grown up Protestant, I was shocked when I became Catholic to find that Sunday school for adults was not “a thing”. We all need ongoing formation.
We don't need "Sunday school" for adults, if you consider that the Mass is itself a form of catechesis. Despite this, in my parish (I live in Bergamo, Italy) we offer catechesis programs for adults during the week, but they are attended only by a few people. I'm afraid it won't be enough.
Yes you are true : We all need ongoing formation. But, everyone can use a little time in his/her week to read and learn the Gospel, the teachings of the church or watch an instructiv video on YT. People prefer all the tings of the world and does not give 1 or 2 hour per week for a personal work to learn about Jesus Christ. God bless You and yours.
@@TedruUges1 I was a Lutheran, and in college I was in an ecumenical Bible study of Lutherans, Catholics, and Episcopalians. First time I’d ever met a nun! I began to study the issues in the Reformation, only to find that most of the legitimate concerns had been addressed. I then was exposed to the rich heritage of the centuries before 1517, which belied the simplistic view that, “after the apostles died the church became corrupt”, in which I had been raised. In short, after studying for 2-3 years, I became convinced that the Catholic Church was the church founded by Christ.
I separated myself from the universal church from after my first communion at 12 up until about two years ago when I turned 27. It was only after going through something devastating that it led me back to God. I think what I was missing the most through all those years was inspiration. The church always felt like routine, obligation, etc to me. To be fair to the Protestants they inspired me to look into my faith. When I read on the church history I came home to the Catholic Church. Now I know I’m where I’m meant to be. Amen.
Watching the division in the world made me wanna search to be closer to God. Coming out of the world waiting to be apart of the sacraments; I found myself facing more division. Now I just continue to focus on Jesus and only listen to our spiritual Fathers. They are the only thing I need right now. God bless!
As a retired evangelical minister, I think it's wonderful that some of us were able to be there for you and that you came back to your faith in Jesus. Also happy that you are now grounded in the Catholic Church.
Are you actually me? That sounds like I could have written it about my own life, even down to the ages things happened at (although I came back at 26). God bless you my brother in Christ.
@@sirzorg5728 it’s interesting how alike some of our testimonies can be. I think this is why it’s important to share them within the Catholic Church. God bless you always 🙏🏽.
I wouldn't have thought the average priest is poorly trained in Bible study and theology: as are most Protestant clergy. Where would the church obtained folk sufficiently educated to conduct Bible study. To be frank: a typical atheist can beat any clergyman in a Bible quiz. Oh I was beaten by a school chaplain who knew all 17 names of the 12 diciples.
"They'll never forgive us if we turn out to be just as worldly as everyone else." I think this might just be a perfect summation of the whole video and the crux of our problems. Thank you for bringing to light our true nature and purpose as a Church! People need this!💕💕
Who are you referring to(they will never forgive)Jesus forgives, He is your redeemer and saviour It is Jesus that Justifies by his death on the Cross Whosoever believes will be saved 🙏
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God We all need Jesus as Savior That’s why he came to die in our place Suffer in our place to overcome the curse of death , by rising from the dead and the firstborn into heaven so that whosoever shall believe shall be saved
@@hannanolan8140 By 'they' I mean non-Christians. We've all messed up, but as the video talks about we rarely come forth and admit to our sins. So what I'm saying is that non-Christians perceive Christians as hypocrites, people who preach against sin but refuse to repent our own sins. This perceived image (be it faulty or not) is what we need to change in the Church. People should see that we're 'in the world but not of the world' and be inspired by this. God bless!🙏💕
As a Ukrainian Greek Catholic, I say, "Amen" to returning to the original way the Sacraments of Initiation were originally celebrated. Not only is it the way the Orthodox do it, but it's how we Eastern Catholics do it as well. I was born and raised Latin Catholic, but I canonically transferred my membership in 2017, and have witnessed two Baptisms in our parish. The beauty of not only being there when an infant is Baptized, Chrismated, and Communed for the first time, but the community's participation, is a wonderful occasion indeed. We all, along with the parents and godparents, participate in the renunciation of sin and Satan, the Profession of Faith, and in the Promises of Baptism, thus agreeing that this child's faith formation is the responsibility of all of us. And when the priest Chrismates him/her, he anoints the forehead, eyes, ears, shoulders, hands, and feet of the child, saying, "Sealed with the Holy Spirit." And each time he anoints the child, we all affirm this by exclaiming, "Sealed!" Thus we reaffirm that we are all participants in this Child of God's faith formation. And when it's time for Communion, the newly Baptized and Chrismated child is the first to receive, via the priest placing a tiny droplet of the Precious Blood into his/her tiny mouth. Thus the child is recognized from that day onward to be in full communion.
Okay, but what they have to do with my comment on the Sacraments of Initiation I fail to understand. Even if you are joking, the joke falls flat in this context. Oh, and since the Byzantine Rite Divine Liturgy is sung a capella, one needn't worry about such things anyway.
This attitude towards self-reflection and self-correction are absolutely necessary if we are to prevent the schisms that marred the Church, and which resulted in the Protestant reformation, as well as the mindboggling amount of denominations that have fragmented Protestantism ever since. Thank you, Father Casey, for this much needed intellectual honesty.
I have frequently appreciated Breaking In the Habit. As a Protestant theologian, I disagree with the use of some scripture at times in the Fr's talks. But I fully fully agree with and encourage the church in these matters. Excellent and hopeful humility, washing feet, seeking to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation given us by Christ, these are what make the church stand out in a world hungry for the love of God (though they have NO idea of this). I love my Catholic brothers and sisters. Thankful for this message.
I was accepted into the Catholic Church 3 Easter's ago and yesterday a friend of mine insisted that I watch comedian Jim Gaffigan and then Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's video from the Alfred Smith Catholic Charities fundraiser dinner and I have come to the conclusion the church has a lot that needs to be worked on aside from the issues you mentioned in this video. The only thing I can always and absolutely say that I believe in is Jesus Christ. Thank you Fr Casey for the videos you post on RUclips.
I'm a pro-Catholic Protestant, and I agree with your positive ways to make Catholicism more effective in reaching people with the Good News. Much of what you say applies to us as well.
@@russellmiles2861 He that is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-40). Protestants, Orthodox and Catholics share in the same baptism and the same body of Christ. Stop mistreating them, please.
My priest mentioned you in his serrmon today, said someone sent him this video and mentioned the community part of the 5 things. (to keep sermon short) Made me smile; : )
Hi Father! Great video - I agree with all your points. 3:45 - well said. When I was first learning of Catholicism, I was impressed how united it was instead of the near-constant schism of Protestant denominations. However, I eventually ran into the N.O. vs TLM debate. I was disappointed to see the vitriol and reminded me of the division I just came from. I've had to warn my wife, who isn't Catholic yet, to ignore the debate.
WOW ! This was both uplifting and inspiring for me. I am a cradle Catholic, and while I have had my periods of coolness and non-involvement, but I always come back. I totally agree with all your points; especially continuing education.
Why can’t we have both forms without either side feeling self righteous?” Amen to that! And yet when I even suggested something tangentially traditional for our parish’s 150th feast day, my pastor turned to me, a then 20 year old college student and said, “a procession with the relic? That’s Lefebvrist.” I think many who discover the EF have been reaaaaaly burned over the years, and that simmering angst is really bubbling over. TC did not give both a path to not feel self righteous; it just intensified the issue. Many blessings, Fr Casey!
Africa was one of the centres of Christianity in the early days of the church. I sense that a rebirth of faith will come from Africa in this century. From Germany, with love.
I came back to the Catholic Church around 2 years ago and I am now undergoing lay leadership formation. Having spent some time going to Anglican and other churches, I fully understand your zeal for evangelism. I pray we can reach out, as people of God, and be the example set out for us by our saviour Jesus Christ. Please keep beating that drum father. We all need to hear it. God bless
Ft. Casey, I'm so glad you are doing what you are doing, and that I found your channel a while back. You are definitely one of the major reasons I recently came back to the Church. Keep up the great work. God Bless.
Father, i am a Ukrainian Catholic who attended Roman Catholic schools through 12th Grade. So I deeply appreciate this message. You are spot on. Keep up the good work.☦️
I spent an hour today listening to a wonderful talk on Scripture and Liturgy. It was given by one of the brothers at The Oratory, Birmingham. UK. The weekly talk is part of a full programme to engage children and adults. We have both the Latin and vernacular mass to choose from every day. It is a thriving community. I feel so blessed to live in this Christ- centred Parish. Thanks for your wise words on ways we can truly live in the Light of Our Lord, within the Catholic Church. 🙏💗
I think Marian devotion is sorely needed too. The world has fallen into much cruelty and darkness and as mother of all believers it’s her gentle touch that can help guide souls back to her son Christ. St. Mary, pray for us!
@dannyscroggins3913 Are we looking for people to enter into a deep relationship with Christ? Do we want people to understand the basics of the Faith so they will not be thrown to and fro by the world or by anti-Catholics who will convince them to abandon the Faith? Do we want them to enjoy community with the Parish so they will not fall away? These are all important aspects of the RCIA process.
@dannyscroggins3913 Is it ridiculous to ask someone who wants to enter the Christian life to learn and practice obedience, submission, humility as they are getting to know their Lord? Is our goal quick Christians, or those that understand the practice and thus will not fall away from the Faith? Are you Catholic?
@dannyscroggins3913 All good questions that can be studied. If RCIA is teaching Truth AND those that go through it take the Faith seriously, they will not leave the Church. Our Church has about 20 people going through RCIA each year and is very solid. Are there RCIA programs that are weak and need to be vastly improved - I am sure there are. I am doing what I can to help improve this. I invite you to also.
Good afternoon Father Casey, I agree with everything you've said and I'm saying that as a protestant. I would love to see the day when God's church, Catholic, Orthodox, and all the various protestant denominations truly become one body again. We all need to respect the truth that God is big enough to call us to worship Him without requiring us to be identical in our expressions of awe. Sound theology is crucial. Reverence for the truth and for what God has done and commanded of us are crucial. But much of the arguments we have made about our cultural and artistic differences are entirely superfluous. I very much like your idea of the discipleship process for church members, and think it's the most Biblically sound way of teaching given how it is described in Acts and the various Pauline epistles. As a Franciscan I'm sure you know this better than I do--our primary job as the Church isn't just to replace ourselves with our children, it's to go out and reach the Lost. I am curious, what are some ways you would adapt that teaching style you mentioned to someone who only comes to the church as a teenage or adult convert?
I was just saying this to a friend. Catholics almost tend to love the church more than it loves Jesus. We talk about ourselves much, much more than we talk about Jesus and his love and his mercy.
Well said brother, well said. We Catholics tend to forget about Jesus himself, and focus too much in our "earthy church and organization" not our heavenly church and the body of Christ
@@onisuryaman408 guys the church is the wife of Christ, when who came from the body of Christ himself in the crucifixion. is the church is not doing well many souls will go to hell, and hurts Jesus. Defend our lord by defending the church.
And that's why I love your channel since the very early days. You speak what I often see, and convey it in quite a calm manner. I could expand way more on that, but I'm short of time right now (actually something positive in regarding one of the points mentioned.) If you are interested (both brother Casey or the viewers) let me know. Of course let's do it in civilized manner. Oh and I have both U.S. and Polish perspective these days. And keep on doing the good work.
Our parish is becoming so divided - so much so that after 35 years in music ministry, I was actually told by a young priest in our parish who believed the traditional Latin Mass was the only “honorable” one that organ was the only acceptable instrument for Mass and that if I continued to play the piano that was still in the choir loft, I would have to go to confession. I was dumbfounded….and devastated that even much of the sacred music we have played for decades has been subject to bans by our clergy 😢. Also that receiving in the hand offends God - maybe it’s not everyone’s preference, but offending God? Didn’t they use their hands at the Last Supper? 😑
I would recommend that you do some research to try and understand what this young Priest was trying to say, then you can have an informed discussion with him, instead of posting something scandalous on social media; for instance, the following is from Word On Fire FAQs about Vatican II: Q: Did Vatican II forbid Latin, Gregorian Chant, pipe organs, and ad orientem worship in the Mass? No. Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, did not forbid any of these things. On the contrary, it preserved Latin as the official language of the Latin rite, and had this to say of the use of Latin in the Mass: “Steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.” Regarding Gregorian Chant, it said: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” Regarding pipe organs, it said: “In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.” It said nothing about liturgical orientation-that is, whether the priest celebrates the Mass ad orientem (facing the altar) or versus populum (facing the people). In fact, many churches have incorporated ad orientem worship into the Ordinary Form of the Mass. Disagreements about these issues and more are due to the misimplementation of the Second Vatican Council texts, not the texts themselves.
Women running the "music ministry" makes men flee to traditionalist parishes. Much of the 'sacred music' that has been played for decades is Taizé type ecumenical kumbaya nonsense that has no place in a catholic environment. Your world is crumbling and I can't wait to see the end of it.
@@confiteordeo3863no need to be cruel. These women were asked to play music for us for years and did so with their heart and soul. While I agree about the more traditional music being better, that is a matter of taste. There is no reason church cannot have different music for different services.
I went to my first Mass on Sunday. It was reverent and solemn in a way that I’ve never seen in the Protestant churches I have attended. I will also say the church felt alive. It was filled with young families and kids everywhere. I would also like to add that from an outsiders perspective, Sunday has enough hours for both Latin and Novus Ordo Masses. Nobody should feel like their church leadership is waging a war against them.
Glad to hear it! But if I may add some context for an outsider... no one in the Church leadership is waging a war. This is the rhetoric of some with a persecution complex. The Church allowed the Extraordinary Form a few decades ago because it thought that it would help the unity of the Church. What has been very apparent is that the opposite has happened. Pope Francis has limited its use because of the rampant schism that exists in many communities.
Taking all in consideration. It's not the rites, it's the people. I'd never had problems with the N.O. rite and had not seen abuse while attending in my life so considered I am blessed. I doubt that people on both sides know much about the faith if they don't read the Bible and Catechism and spend more time study and prayer (obedience to the teachings of the Magisterium is a big problem today). The number on the pew doesn't reflect piety and holiness. Only God knows men's heart.
I left the church because of the hypocrisy I saw in its members back when I was 16. Then, so my mom would stop harassing me, I became a very apathetic/agnostic catholic who would lie about going to mass on Sundays, would leave early from mass and rarely confessed. It took me getting diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24 to seek God and appreciate the beauty the Mass and Church offers. For that I can say I was blessed to go through this disease for my own good. Pío "Blessed is the crisis that made you grow, the fall that made you look to heaven and the problem that made you look to God."
Great video Father. I agree with alI that you said. I do miss small groups from my Protestant days. We met every week and read books, did Bible studies and prayed for each other. At my parish the Deacon is the only one allowed to lead Bible studies, so we only do two a year. I also miss adult Sunday school. I could see having classes about the Catechism, Church History, The Mass. So many possibilities. At my Parish there's little opportunity to connect and make friends. After Mass everyone just leaves. I was confirmed four years ago and I still don't know that many people. In my Protestant church I knew tons of people. I don't want to say Catholics aren't as friendly, maybe just less social. At least in my experience, RCIA could also use some fixing. All that being said, I LOVE the Catholic Church and the Mass. Our priest is absolutely wonderful. The people I have made friends with are kind and generous. It makes me sad when others don't see the real beauty of life in the Church.
Excellent thought provoking video. Continuous professional formation is common in other areas of life, and it should be no different for the Catholic faithful.
Your evangelical minister admirer here. WOW, what a video. You are 100% Catholic, but you are also, IMHO, a fellow evangelical. ALL Christians should be evangelical, it is what Jesus is all about! I know you were shooting for 5 points, but I would suggest one addition: Apologetics. This summer I am teaching an 8 week course to our Jr and Sr High students. When these kids get out in the world, their faith will be attacked. They need to have answers to the questions they will be asked, and they need to have their questions answered.
Excellent addition. Many wander away from the Church as an early adult as they don't see anyone shouting about how reasonable the faith is, nor do they spend enough time in their young formation wrestling with these difficult questions themselves.
It's important but honestly inside the Catholic school system no one can touch us. I have a Baptist father in law pastor (essentially and he knew my grandpa and ministers to my alma mater) and I can largely go toe to toe theologically with him. This with only a fifth grade religious education and Confirmation under my belt (and Bible study) against his theological degrees. The biggest issue is going to be student interest. Good apologetics are about the student, more than the instructor.
@@userJohnSmith I would agree with you. Out of the 50 or so students in the class, only a small number are really engaged. Of course, I hope that the others, when challenged, will remember that we have good answers. Frankly, I don't care if they stay in the Free Methodist Church, another Wesleyan denomination or become Catholic. IMHO, our mutual "enemy" is secular humanism, and aggressive atheism with it pseudo intellectualism. That is what they will face in the world. That is what stands in opposition to Jesus Christ.
Thank you Father . I listened to this various times to understand this related to my life. I love the church I go to and the Father. Very accessible person and answers his cell phone if u call. I get to church early Sunday and have discussed some of these topics with him . I follow God not man and I shall remain Catholic until I die . If there is disagreement in the church pray to God but I remain faithful. I left the church for some years but never again. My parents took us to church every Sunday after we did our confirmation so that’s not my case . When I grew up in Connecticut we had youth groups and various activities based around fomenting friendship with other Catholics and yes that is lacking here in Puerto Rico. Father mentioned how the family is dying and almost no children that even come for sacraments. Ur right there is a generation that is lost . I am praying 🙏 to bring my Godson/nephew back to church . He is 29 and hasn’t done his confirmation. His mother went to Protestant religion and he got lost . His brother said he was interested but I’m praying .
I came across you very recently and absolutely resonate with so much you say. I am a convert to the church. I wish you were around 30 years ago preaching these ideas. I feel deeply about the topics you venture to discuss. I am relieved hear your courageous voice. Thank you!
Thank you for the hopeful message! This is why i'm becoming a catechist for children. We need good education, love and fire in our hearts for the Lord, if we want to turn things around. Lukewarm is not going to cut it! Let's go catholic, in all it's beauty and unity and diversity! What we have is such a treasure... yet barely anyone knows it. Please, please pray for me! And all the children and adults that need to learn faith!
As a Protestant strongly considering converting to Catholicism, this set my heart on fine! Many of the issues that you addressed are concerns that I have and I’m so glad to hear that the Church isn’t completely blind to these crucial issues. I hope that changes can be made to bring congregants back on mission and share the Gospel of Christ with the world. We all have a personal responsibility to live out this mission and I hope we find our way back to that call.
Your comments about there being many options for Mass including Novus Ordo and the traditional Latin Mass strikes a particular chord with me. I do not understand what issue the Pope and his advisors have with Catholics having a renewed interest in the Latin Mass. While I have not attended a Latin Mass myself, I find it extremely heartening that people during the pandemic rediscovered the Latin Mass when they were stuck at home and forced to watch Mass online; the inspiration it has generated in young Catholics is particularly encouraging. Why would the Vatican want to stifle that is beyond me; what may be a temporary fad could motivate these people to return to the Catholic Church overall, bringing their families with them. What's not to like about that?
You should try going one of these times. It's so easy to demonize people you don't know, but speaking as someone who moved his family across the united States to be in one of these communities, it's incredible how kind and generous these people are. A lot of us live in tight-knit, mutually reliant communities where we try to live the gospel as best we can. There's more families coming all the time, lots of children, and so many vocations.
Totally agree with the first point. Catholics don’t deserve all the online criticism from Protestants about how we don’t appreciate Jesus enough. However, I think we could work him in a bit more. Just look at our parishes… I’m hard pressed to find any that are named for Christ. Our lady makes up 25% of parish names. And I love the fact that we have a diverse set of saints to honor as well. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing more parishes named for Christ and more Christ statues in gardens (I see plenty of Mary).
My understanding as a Protestant is that the Virgin Mary is highly associated with flowers- particularly roses and lilies. When I get to Heaven I will have to ask her if those really are her favourite flowers.
We have warriors who are fighting the wrong people. Nobody goes to heaven alone, the body of Christ is how we get there. One part of the body hurts, we all hurt. Embrace one another and love one another, dont let the evil spirits shred us apart like it already has to our country.
I love how my priest Fr Glenn brought up this video sent to him by a friend. He said to look it up but he concentrated on repentance and community. Thank you for your voice.
One thing and only one thing I envy when I hear counselors online talk to callers who are evangelical or "born again". They always say "do you have a church?" If not, they suggest some and say they need community to help them. They always ask like it's one big family which I know isn't true, but it sounds so much nicer than nodding to people or having the clique's the Catholic church usually does with clubs or functions. Many say they have so many contacts for jobs, for Bible study, to help widows or children without dads or moms. Do you feel that way in your Catholic church? I know it's for reverence and Eucharist and communion with God but community sure helps tie it up in a bow.
I sometimes listen to Dave Ramsey and although I don't follow his credit card advice, I do hear him talk about the community of the church and how so many callers need that. I never felt that way with my Catholic church, I love it but community, no. I joined social action committees etc, but never felt anyone cared about me personally or that other members were thought about when not in church. It's just a different setup. I wouldn't change but I do envy that community also.
Thank you and well done. I was in active priestly ministry for 20 years. Thank you for the balanced approach and for calling out the essentials. Count on my support. Hopefully you and others will be interested in my voice and those of others like me that have so many years of formation and service. We can continue to support priests and the Church’s ministry. Well done. Count on my support.
Thank you for emphasizing the fact that the Church is a big tent. All are welcome and there are different ways to express the faith. It would be wise for church leaders to respect this before there is no one left in church..
You are a brave man to publicly saying such truths. I agree with you, especially, the way the Church uses the Sacraments as some sort of stages or rites of passages according to age, but once Confirmation arrives it is over and done. God Bless you and may the The Holy Spirit continue to guide you and protect you.
Not a Roman Catholic anymore, but it's an interesting mix of new and old ideas for you guys, you're suggesting. I've grown to like this channel. Its the only Catholic channel that doesn't treat Christian charity as a foreign concept.
@@foodforthought8308 he is not. I watched his video on Orthodoxy where him and his guest flat out lied and misrepresented our church throughout the entire video.
So true! We need more focus on the Bible study and we need a lot of opportunities to share stories about how Jesus effects our daily life with real testimonies to help us rooted in Gospels! Our daily mass has 2 or 3 relevant readings which are great things with a lot of great homilies followed(but a lot come from online! ) Also, the other problem is after mass we rarely remember any Bible verses at all! This is so important we need to know only Lord’s body &blood(Eucharist)in his LIVING words(Scriptures)can feed people’s soul!
I genuinely think that these changes are necessary to continue with the mission put in the shoulders of the Apostles, more than 2000 years ago. In general, the church has to stop being an institution that just looks like any other government, and instead be with the people side to side, trying to redeem every soul that can be. However, these changes might be popular and doable for the lower hierarchy, but without the compromise and reorganization of the upper hierarchy, it would be very difficult to change the perspective of society.
Father, as a recently convert to Catholicism, from Baptist, I agree wholeheartedly that the Church needs desperately structured and ordered bible studies. This is coming from a former Protestant’s perspective. And also a greater role in lay ministers and volunteers, and more deacons. Amen on more missionaries, particularly at home. More Prison fellowships, and visiting and praying for the sick and dying in hospitals. Even the Mormons do a better job at this. Mormon children have to go to bible study an hour before leaving for school. And Mormons have scripture studies also on Sundays. And most Mormon young adults go on missions! The Catholic Church could change things so dramatically for the better.
I definitely agree with Fr Casey on the first step: Proclaim Redemption. This is what is sorely lacking in the spiritual growth of many Catholics, even among those who are actively involved in parish organizations. I, too, am an active servant in our parish. One problem that I saw in my years of service is the lack of pastoral formations to enrich our understanding and appreciation of Jesus and of our Catholic faith. I was a former altar server, choir member and a lecturer. Many of my fellow members in those organizations are not interested whenever I suggested that we organize prayer meetings or studies of the Word of God and the basic teachings of the Church for the members. For them, doing our bit every Mass and going to a pilgrimage from time to time is enough. I felt that I was not knowing Jesus well merely through fulfillment of religious obligations or observance of traditions. Fortunately, my longing to know and love Christ better was answered when I joined a Catholic charismatic community. I appreciated the group's emphasis on evangelism and renewal of oneself, the family and the community. I also appreciated the Charismatic community's advocacy to reflect the tenets of the Catholic faith in the lives of the members, and taking definitive moral stances on social concerns. In this way, my Catholic faith is no longer just a religious affiliation, but a conviction as well, as expressed in my daily life.
Good video. I was born and raised in the church but I no longer practice, yet I still watch your videos. My conscience gives me a lot of pause going back until the church makes up for its offenses of abuse in a way that actually feels legitimate. I also think the church handcuffs itself to several things that prevent it from being a relevant piece of modern society, you have mentioned several of them. If the church was filled with people like you, I would be much more open to coming back.
@@JenniferMiller-sx1xn Jesus is still my Lord and Savior. I did not abandon Him, I have a relationship there. I still pray. My problem is my heart tells me that wickedness still infects many influential people in the church, and right now, I can’t reconcile that with regular practice. It feels contradictory and dirty.
There is no doubt at all in my mind that a lot of what you’re proposing here Br Casey would make a great and lasting difference to the church in our world today. I especially loved your comments about adult faith formation. In recent years, I’ve spent a good deal of time searching out content (like your videos) to help inform my understanding of our faith. Because of that, I am continually dismayed at the lack of understanding of even the most fundamental elements of the faith in my local parish and in that, I’m certain that my experience is far from the exception.
I think the #1 thing any church can do to prevent loss of members is on the members themselves - living as if what you believe makes a real difference in your life and helps you to live alongside other people with kindness, respect, and basically decent behavior (as opposed to picking on other people, putting others down to build yourself up, and/or doing unethical things with the stance that it only matters if you get caught doing it or others judge you for what you've done). Have you noticed just how many people say they became disillusioned with their church, no matter which one, because of the "hypocrisy" of its members and "not seeing a lot of good coming out of it"? I argue that many people may be more open to dealing with differences in theology and leadership to be part of something enriching alongside supportive people they can be proud to join than they are with doing the same thing just to give themselves the same label as some truly nasty people who reflect badly on the other members of their group and make them feel like the effort just isn't worth it. I'd like to see church leaders in general reminding people that the things they do in their daily lives and to other people matter, and if they really care that much about their faith, they should learn to be good examples of it and ambassadors who build good will.
Thank you, Father, for sharing inspiring thoughts. Your points deeply resonate with me. Particularly those about greater concern about protecting people than reputation and getting fired up about redemption, learning about the bible, and spreading good news!
As a protectant who has been lead by the spirit to move toward becoming Catholic. This has been a lonely process that feels like trying to get into a closed club. The Rcia is closed for the next few months - so come back in September. Very disheartening. Everyone is busy and I feel like I am intruding. I don't understand the process here but it seems that the Priests are not really hands on and without knowing my story, everyone I guess is given to Rcia. - don't mean to complain but ugh!
This does sound frustrating, I am very sorry to hear it's been a struggle. Some parishes and diocese are too hands off. Maybe this is an opportunity to deepen in faith in other ways. In any case, may God bless you.
I’m waiting for RCIA with you. God knows your struggles, and knows how important being Catholic is to you. Just try your best to fit in. God will guide you every step of the way. Just put yourself out there for him.
Fr. Casey. I appreciate this video. It gave me a lot to think about....For me the longer format, as opposed to the "shorts" provide much more substance. Well, thought out. I'm looking forward to the video you mentioned doing in the fall. Thank you.
Excellent Vid except my experience is 180 degrees from what you said at the start. I lived 20 years in the Bible belt and very rarely hear people outside of a worship service and a fish decal on their minivan did I find a very big presence of God in their daily lives. They really like "fellowship" but as practiced it's just a pep rally for people who see God the same was as they do. As a Catholic I talked a lot more about God and his Goodness. As the old joke goes: "Friend have you found Jesus? I'm Catholic I never lost him"
As a Protestant, we have a tradition of witnessing. Telling our story of Faith, why and how we “came to Jesus.” What it is that makes us Christian. What some denominations are missing is the beauty, majesty and Mystery of the Catholic Faith. I have many friends that are Catholic, when I share with them my belief, I have seen them glance at each other and slightly smirk. For some it is truly uncomfortable. I have friends that have left the Catholic Church, and even say that they have been “injured” by the church. They are hungry to talk, share ideas and hear about others encounters with the risen Christ. If we would stop arguing, and start sharing we might truly have the Universal Church ❤️ One of the reasons I watch and subscribe to your channel. I love the Catholic Church, but I love all perspectives. I love Christ. Keep doing what you do Father Casey!
@@komnennos I hear you, but I think it is because there was a Vatican II and as faithful Catholics we cannot reject it. Whether you agree with it or not is personal, but we cannot reject it. Perhaps Fr. Casey could elaborate on this. I personally grew up with Latin mass and though I understand some sense of reverence it imparts, I have no desire to go back to it. You would have had to live through it to understand what I mean.
@BreakingInTheHabit Wonderful content Fr., as always. But regarding the Mass, humbly, it's too late for that though I wish it wasn't. An attachment to the old Mass has, from the early sixties, been tightly bound up with a rejection of the Church's authority to change anything whatsover. Now, in 2024, this dissent is voiced by many more Catholics, openly and aggressively: against the Pope, Vatican II - an Ecumenical Council, we recall, and against the Magisterium, and the Liturgy that developed from it. Summorum pontificum, which was a generous gesture of goodwill from the late Pope Benedict, was interpreted not as a call to coexistence, but as an encouragement to dissent. The dissent continued to snowball uncontrollably, while Pope Ratzinger seemed unaware of any of it. Someone had to do something, but it took Pope Bergoglio eight whole years to come up with Traditiones custodes. It was desperately needed, but what has been the reaction of the so-called 'true, good and faithful Catholics', as tradestants call themselves? More disobedience, more attacks. And what has been their reaction to Viganò's long-overdue excommunication? Even more disgraceful and slanderous attacks on the Church and its Pope. No. It's time to end the old form of the Mass which has been twisted into a weapon with which to continually continually scourge the Mystical Body of Christ. May the Lord continue to bless you in this holy, invaluable work you do.
Not to trivialize the urgency of your concerns, but....many (if not most) of these solutions have been (and are still being) implemented by churches in Africa.....but the criticisms still apply
It seems to me like churches elsewhere could learn a thing or two from the churches in Africa then. From where I'm sitting, in the United States, it doesn't look like very many American Catholics are willing to learn from the African churches though. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.
@breakinginthehabit Im not nor never been catholic How ever i have been into a mass After seeing how you guys operate I firmly believe that in the end we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and that we need to all come back together as one body and not be divided
I won't lie, I prefer the tlm, but if you go to novus ordo that's perfectly I fine to me I do always tell them about the beauty of it. However what you said about baptism and confirmation at baptism is great, it leaves the entire life of the child to grow and learn, christ won't have the same meaning to a young happy child as a life tattered 47 year old, amazing point I pray that that can be considered.
@@russellmiles2861 I doubt it, like he says the sacraments are kind of set up in a graduation style, once you're done, you're done seems to be the overall view of it, but it would be helpful in promoting people to further learn and grow with the church and christ.
3:20 "Being united doesn't mean we have to be uniform." This is a truth that I have come to understand as a Baptist. Unity does not mean uniformity; unity also does not means unanimity. The Body of Christ has different parts, and the Holy Spirit uses different parts in different ways.
It would be great to see such videos of people who have had their lives changed by Jesus and thanks to the church, over here in this channel. Also replying to people on videos might help as well, since wanting some change of any type might need debate a healthy one that leads towards betterment. I myself apply that in things I like in the world to change.
@@downenout8705 Do you know about the placebo effect? If so the way it heals would not be supernatural, since it can not be measured, but is still effective despite that.
@@lmclrain Do you understand what a non sequitur is? Your claim is that a supernatural "Jesus" has changed peoples lives. That is a million miles away from a mundane claim that the belief in the truth of a holy book has, by means of a placebo effect, changed peoples lives.
Good points, simple but clearly not easy. We need God’s intervention. Lord God, without You we are but lost sheep. Forgive us and lead us back to You. Increase our faith and love for one another and keep us away from the devil. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Absolutely. And as I tried to mention at the beginning, Jesus is the head of the Church. He is going to protect us from annihilation, but we certainly have our part to play.
I recently went through reconciliation with my Catholic faith. Although I agree with this video I also believe that a intelectual emphasis is needed. Catholicism has a vast intellectual heritage. In a more “rationally” or secular world many are led to believe that Science and atheist rational thought has everything figured out (even if they say they don’t state that they act like they do). This lends itself to a rational vacuum that one often witnesses in Christian communities when faced with more complex but more common questions. Philosophy and science RUclips clips of more in depth topics are now abundant. Many Catholics are then faced with an abundance of knowledge and a lack of instruction of how that knowledge is not against faith or how much of that knowledge is the product of the Catholic Church’s endeavors into philosophy and reason. My 2 cents. Enjoy your videos.
You would probably enjoy and benefit from reading (if you haven’t already) Pope St John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio, which addresses much of what you’ve spoken about.
Father Casey, thank you for the videos, you're an inspiration and I am grateful to have found you here on RUclips. I have a question : Do you, by any chance, do any sort of counseling online? Helping people with their faith by having them talk to you about their experience, etc... even confessions? I ask because I feel like you'd be perfect for the job. I don't know any priests where I live (France) and I've got to say they're kinda hard to find, since churches are open to the public but no one is there... they're mostly a tourist attraction. Of course you'd find a priest during mass, but he won't be available during that time so.... Yeah this is why ask. I feel there are a lot of people like me who would love to share their experience and have some guidance. Sorry if my question/request is weird. Thank you for reading and please keep doing what you're doing. God bless you.
In France, most priests would stay in front of the church after mass, talking to the people, feel free to use that, greet him and ask for an appointment for that, a lot of priests would be open, probably even happy to do that :)
Thank you for this Fr. Casey! Been thinking about this since the first time I studied Bible the first time at the age of 40. I tried to write a simple book about this relevant to a field I have been studying - communication - and Jesus is at the center of all my communication behaviour.
Hit the nail on the head with the "universality" point. Two things come to mind: 1. The Vatican movement to restrict TLM celebration is antagonist to universality. 2. My family began attending an Eastern Rite Catholic Church. Our Roman friends are under the belief that it means we can "never come back." Come back?! We never left the Catholic Church. Edit: I'll note that this video does a bit of what I'm complaining about in Part II. When talking about infant Communion and Confirmation/Chrismation, you say the Orthodox do it that way, and we should go back to it. The Eastern Rite of our Catholic Church still does it this way. What you're really saying is that the Roman Rite should do like the Eastern Rite (and Orthodox). Edit 2: None of this intended to be hate. I'm a subscriber and have deep love for you and your mission!
1. Read the reason why it was restricted. It has nothing to do with validity or universality and everything to do with the schism that is forming in the Extraordinary Form community. Had people simply gone to that mass without constantly causing fights over the Novus Ordo, there would never have been a problem. 2. Right, it is the same church, just different rite. To you note, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that we, the Roman Rite, did something for over 1000 years, and had the same order of sacraments until the 20th century, and we need to correct that. It's not about looking across the aisle or dreaming about the past, it's about seeing that we have a theological and practical problem that needs to be remedied.
@@DarrLaw I simply don't understand why those that favor the former Mass order don't seek to use all of many options in the current Mass order, which practically brings them to their legitimate desire. The Mass can be said in Latin, using Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon), at an altar against the apse, with people receiving communion their preferred way, with all the incense desired, fiddleback vestments, and with the prayers for the conversion of Russia added after Mass (which some progressive parishes are doing since Putin's invasion). With all of that, it seems the most significant remaining matter is the Lectionary. Do these folks really resent the OT reading that much?
Have we, as a Church, fully confronted the depth of our need for true repentance and transformation? The way you articulated the need for renewal within the Catholic Church was both powerful and heartfelt! Thank you! I believe, like many others, that in promoting the culture of encounter and evangelization that you speak of, deeper listening and openness to our own conversion as a Church are crucial. We must understand and respond to the real wounds in those we serve to avoid further harm and to evangelize authentically. For instance, listening can help us acknowledge that some have left the Church not only due to the abuse of minors but also in solidarity with those they perceive as victims of other forms of abuse, including racism, misogyny, homophobia... Addressing their concerns can lead to greater fidelity to the mission and growth. Regarding universality, as you mentioned, the Church should embrace the diversity of experiences, languages, cultures, and individual identities. This means allowing people to live out the Gospel in their unique experiences, even if these do not perfectly align with our own traditional understanding. Take the example of slavery or of how Indigenous persons have historically had their identities suppressed, as evidenced by policies like "Kill the Indian" in Canada. Lack of listening seems to be a significant issue regarding abuse. The Church must prioritize listening in authentic encounters. Without this, it risks becoming static and stagnant, losing the trust and life of those it seeks to serve. Instead, by embracing mutual transformation and compassionate listening, the Church can truly transform and reflect the living body of Christ, leading to mutual healing and flourishing.
I’ve been trying to work up the courage to visit my local Catholic Church but I’m so deeply uncertain of how to proceed, what to wear to be dressed appropriately (I don’t have many nice clothes), how to participate… all of it. It’s honestly kind of intimidating.
Just be yourself and be honest. If you tell people you've never been to the Catholic Church and are looking to learn, they will be more than happy to welcome you!
@@BreakingInTheHabit Thank you for the reply, Father. I’m gonna pray for the courage to face my own anxieties and just go for a visit sooner rather than later.
@@RealBelisariusCawlDon't worry about clothes. You don't have to be a fashion plate. As long as you are modestly dressed you will be fine. There are usually greeters at the door and if you tell them you are new they can steer you to someone who will guide you through it.
I am a protestant, that has been going to the Catholic Church for a couple of years now since my wife is Catholic. And i will agree that the Church needs more Jesus. I remember going to Good Friday, and after the Mass they spend half an hour doing a Rosary, and then doing the letany, which is calling Virgin Mary a bunch of different names. It really seem odd that on the day Jesus was crucified, the Church spends so much time on things for Mary.
Well, for your background it might sound strange. But every thing Mary related is also Jesus related deep down. Mary IS who she is Because Jesus is! We Will never venerate and love Mary more than Our Lord Jesus does
Uh... With all due respect...there are no Masses celebrated on Good Friday anywhere in the world so it must have been another day you attended the Mass to which you are referring.
Father Casey, I have been watching your videos since you were in Seminary, and I think this may be the best one you have ever done. I am a convert from a Fundamentalist background and I have said for years that the biggest "problem" I have with our beloved Church is that we don't Shepherd our people. (We could learn a lot from the Protestants in this regard). Bottom line - you knocked this one out of the park! Extremely well done!!
I'm not militant about the TLM. I like it and think it's a great tradition worth keeping. If the Pope allowed it to remain as a viable option, I think most of the TLM people couldn't care less about the novus ordo.
DEFINITELY not my experience. I’m glad you find it helpful, but I have rarely met someone who goes to the Extraordinary Form who doesn’t wear it as a badge of defiance. “Oh, I don’t go to those masses.” Not all, of course, but it is very prevalent.
@@BreakingInTheHabit That may be what happens in the USA, but it seems to me that an excessive amount of attention is being paid to what goes on in that part of the world. In particular, it has provided an excuse for this pope to ban the traditional Mass in countries where martyrs in earlier times died for celebrating it.
Thank you for Father Casey for your efforts in evangelizing and unifying Christ's Universal Church. Every current and future Church leader should watch this. Working to heal and regain trust is paramount. And we, as lay missionaries, should not shy away from these truths. And not just that, but live in the love of Christ, we must set the example in a society of people that thirst for meaning and structure, whether they realize it or not. May our Lord Jesus Christ walk with us in this often cruel and callous world. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amén.
I've been so many types of protestant that I lost count. Never truly felt Jesus' presence in church until I became a Catholic. Also, any adult who thinks they've got nothing left to learn once they're confirmed has a fundamental misunderstanding of just how long the Church has been thinking and writing down their thoughts about what we truly believe. Part of the reason I was drawn to Catholicism is the extensive intellectual heritage of the Church.
Not trying to be polemical, just asking a sincere question, but did you ever visit Presbyterian or Lutheran churches and if so did they actually teach properly? I ask this as a Presbyterian as it seems to me that many people are not taught/catechized properly across the various denominations and many problems arise from this.
@@EthanMeraz-zd3ul I have been to both, though never became a member. Both of them were alright for the most part; they certainly had a level of solemnity and ritual that other flavors of protestant lack. Still, I never felt Jesus' *presence*. It was always more like a memorial service - near on to a funeral - or a symbolic retelling of something that happened thousand of years ago, instead of Jesus really being THERE, right then, as if time didn't make a dent in His miraculous presence. Maybe those particular churches (which, I feel I should add, were all in the same town where I grew up) were, as you say, led by people who were poorly taught.
Yes, the suppression seems to be coming from a very flawed place. No one wants to account for the 100s of millions of souls lost since the Sixties, greatly ccelerated thanks to the off-putting Brutalist in-your-face liturgy. Trying to cover that up by hiding or even blaming the excellent rite of our forefathers, is un-Catholic.
Having grown up Protestant, I was shocked when I became Catholic to find that Sunday school for adults was not “a thing”. We all need ongoing formation.
This varies from parish to parish.
We don't need "Sunday school" for adults, if you consider that the Mass is itself a form of catechesis.
Despite this, in my parish (I live in Bergamo, Italy) we offer catechesis programs for adults during the week, but they are attended only by a few people. I'm afraid it won't be enough.
just curious. what made you decide to become catholic?
Yes you are true : We all need ongoing formation.
But, everyone can use a little time in his/her week to read and learn the Gospel, the teachings of the church or watch an instructiv video on YT.
People prefer all the tings of the world and does not give 1 or 2 hour per week for a personal work to learn about Jesus Christ.
God bless You and yours.
@@TedruUges1 I was a Lutheran, and in college I was in an ecumenical Bible study of Lutherans, Catholics, and Episcopalians. First time I’d ever met a nun! I began to study the issues in the Reformation, only to find that most of the legitimate concerns had been addressed. I then was exposed to the rich heritage of the centuries before 1517, which belied the simplistic view that, “after the apostles died the church became corrupt”, in which I had been raised. In short, after studying for 2-3 years, I became convinced that the Catholic Church was the church founded by Christ.
I separated myself from the universal church from after my first communion at 12 up until about two years ago when I turned 27. It was only after going through something devastating that it led me back to God. I think what I was missing the most through all those years was inspiration. The church always felt like routine, obligation, etc to me. To be fair to the Protestants they inspired me to look into my faith. When I read on the church history I came home to the Catholic Church. Now I know I’m where I’m meant to be. Amen.
Watching the division in the world made me wanna search to be closer to God. Coming out of the world waiting to be apart of the sacraments; I found myself facing more division. Now I just continue to focus on Jesus and only listen to our spiritual Fathers. They are the only thing I need right now. God bless!
As a retired evangelical minister, I think it's wonderful that some of us were able to be there for you and that you came back to your faith in Jesus. Also happy that you are now grounded in the Catholic Church.
@@vincewarde thank you. God bless you. 🙏🏽
Are you actually me? That sounds like I could have written it about my own life, even down to the ages things happened at (although I came back at 26).
God bless you my brother in Christ.
@@sirzorg5728 it’s interesting how alike some of our testimonies can be. I think this is why it’s important to share them within the Catholic Church. God bless you always 🙏🏽.
As an 83 year-old priest, let me just say that this is courageous and brilliant! Thank you for this. Thank you for your ministry.
I wouldn't have thought the average priest is poorly trained in Bible study and theology: as are most Protestant clergy.
Where would the church obtained folk sufficiently educated to conduct Bible study. To be frank: a typical atheist can beat any clergyman in a Bible quiz. Oh I was beaten by a school chaplain who knew all 17 names of the 12 diciples.
God bless you Jesus loves you!
Ok you"re awesome.
@@thegiantbeagle thank you
@@russellmiles2861 lol yeah, but after watching The Chosen series, I can now recite all their names, even that of their parents
I am so sick of seeing the novas order vs Latin mass arguments online. 😒
Geez me too
Right?? And it ain’t from the Novus Ordo people…
But what about the Byzantine Rite tho…..isn’t it the best😂
@@RedKansas the byzantine rite is nuance and hyperqualified, not like the latin mass which fills in schism the church
@@kianoghuz1033you're watching reeeeeeeason and theology liiiiive
"They'll never forgive us if we turn out to be just as worldly as everyone else." I think this might just be a perfect summation of the whole video and the crux of our problems. Thank you for bringing to light our true nature and purpose as a Church! People need this!💕💕
Who are you referring to(they will never forgive)Jesus forgives, He is your redeemer and saviour It is Jesus that Justifies by his death on the Cross Whosoever believes will be saved 🙏
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God We all need Jesus as Savior That’s why he came to die in our place Suffer in our place to overcome the curse of death , by rising from the dead and the firstborn into heaven so that whosoever shall believe shall be saved
@@hannanolan8140 By 'they' I mean non-Christians. We've all messed up, but as the video talks about we rarely come forth and admit to our sins. So what I'm saying is that non-Christians perceive Christians as hypocrites, people who preach against sin but refuse to repent our own sins. This perceived image (be it faulty or not) is what we need to change in the Church. People should see that we're 'in the world but not of the world' and be inspired by this.
God bless!🙏💕
As a Ukrainian Greek Catholic, I say, "Amen" to returning to the original way the Sacraments of Initiation were originally celebrated. Not only is it the way the Orthodox do it, but it's how we Eastern Catholics do it as well. I was born and raised Latin Catholic, but I canonically transferred my membership in 2017, and have witnessed two Baptisms in our parish. The beauty of not only being there when an infant is Baptized, Chrismated, and Communed for the first time, but the community's participation, is a wonderful occasion indeed. We all, along with the parents and godparents, participate in the renunciation of sin and Satan, the Profession of Faith, and in the Promises of Baptism, thus agreeing that this child's faith formation is the responsibility of all of us. And when the priest Chrismates him/her, he anoints the forehead, eyes, ears, shoulders, hands, and feet of the child, saying, "Sealed with the Holy Spirit." And each time he anoints the child, we all affirm this by exclaiming, "Sealed!" Thus we reaffirm that we are all participants in this Child of God's faith formation. And when it's time for Communion, the newly Baptized and Chrismated child is the first to receive, via the priest placing a tiny droplet of the Precious Blood into his/her tiny mouth. Thus the child is recognized from that day onward to be in full communion.
Many, actually most Latin Catholics I speak to, agree!
No, no way I can get on with guitar Masses. Joke
Okay, but what they have to do with my comment on the Sacraments of Initiation I fail to understand. Even if you are joking, the joke falls flat in this context. Oh, and since the Byzantine Rite Divine Liturgy is sung a capella, one needn't worry about such things anyway.
As a Latin, I agree.
-Kids need more grace, and earlier, especially today.
-Sacramental prep is almost simony in many places.
Amen ☦️
I am a Protestant. I would love if all Christian’s could come back together as one. We all believe and follow Jesus.
Oh the churches would not want that. They wouldn't want most folk being involved and creating expectations, making demands.
💯 correct, division in humanity unity in God
That will require huge humility.
Mass is my sustenance. The body of Christ is so important to my salvation. I love attending mass
I find the beauty and majesty of the sacrament so moving
Mass is Anti-Biblical for your information
AMEN AVE MARIA 🙏
Amen to that.
In what way?
This attitude towards self-reflection and self-correction are absolutely necessary if we are to prevent the schisms that marred the Church, and which resulted in the Protestant reformation, as well as the mindboggling amount of denominations that have fragmented Protestantism ever since. Thank you, Father Casey, for this much needed intellectual honesty.
I have frequently appreciated Breaking In the Habit. As a Protestant theologian, I disagree with the use of some scripture at times in the Fr's talks. But I fully fully agree with and encourage the church in these matters. Excellent and hopeful humility, washing feet, seeking to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation given us by Christ, these are what make the church stand out in a world hungry for the love of God (though they have NO idea of this). I love my Catholic brothers and sisters. Thankful for this message.
An Irish Catholic here, Godbless
I'm amazed at the points you made. It's truly great. Thank you
I was accepted into the Catholic Church 3 Easter's ago and yesterday a friend of mine insisted that I watch comedian Jim Gaffigan and then Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's video from the Alfred Smith Catholic Charities fundraiser dinner and I have come to the conclusion the church has a lot that needs to be worked on aside from the issues you mentioned in this video. The only thing I can always and absolutely say that I believe in is Jesus Christ. Thank you Fr Casey for the videos you post on RUclips.
I'm a pro-Catholic Protestant, and I agree with your positive ways to make Catholicism more effective in reaching people with the Good News. Much of what you say applies to us as well.
What is a pro-catholic Protestants. I assume you except all peoples human right to practice their faith and raise family as they choose.
@@russellmiles2861 I see us as allies, not enemies.
@@bobleroe3859 and Methodist, Muslims, Jews, Hindi and non-belivers?
I’m a former Protestant, now Catholic, happy to hear about allies like yourself. May our Lord lead us all to unity through our common baptism.
@@russellmiles2861 He that is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-40).
Protestants, Orthodox and Catholics share in the same baptism and the same body of Christ. Stop mistreating them, please.
My priest mentioned you in his serrmon today, said someone sent him this video and mentioned the community part of the 5 things. (to keep sermon short) Made me smile; : )
Hi Father! Great video - I agree with all your points. 3:45 - well said. When I was first learning of Catholicism, I was impressed how united it was instead of the near-constant schism of Protestant denominations. However, I eventually ran into the N.O. vs TLM debate. I was disappointed to see the vitriol and reminded me of the division I just came from. I've had to warn my wife, who isn't Catholic yet, to ignore the debate.
As a Dominican, I am completely with this here! We can fix it quick!
WOW ! This was both uplifting and inspiring for me. I am a cradle Catholic, and while I have had my periods of coolness and non-involvement, but I always come back. I totally agree with all your points; especially continuing education.
Why can’t we have both forms without either side feeling self righteous?”
Amen to that! And yet when I even suggested something tangentially traditional for our parish’s 150th feast day, my pastor turned to me, a then 20 year old college student and said, “a procession with the relic? That’s Lefebvrist.”
I think many who discover the EF have been reaaaaaly burned over the years, and that simmering angst is really bubbling over. TC did not give both a path to not feel self righteous; it just intensified the issue.
Many blessings, Fr Casey!
I am an African from Cameroon. Very good. God bless you and guide you ❤
Africa was one of the centres of Christianity in the early days of the church. I sense that a rebirth of faith will come from Africa in this century. From Germany, with love.
@@DeepJiesel Very true 🔥
Thank you father for all that you do to bring us together. Hope everyone here is having a great day!
I came back to the Catholic Church around 2 years ago and I am now undergoing lay leadership formation. Having spent some time going to Anglican and other churches, I fully understand your zeal for evangelism. I pray we can reach out, as people of God, and be the example set out for us by our saviour Jesus Christ. Please keep beating that drum father. We all need to hear it. God bless
Your words are exactly what I wish all could be preached at Masses all over. Thank you, Fr. Casey 🙏
Ft. Casey,
I'm so glad you are doing what you are doing, and that I found your channel a while back. You are definitely one of the major reasons I recently came back to the Church. Keep up the great work. God Bless.
Father, i am a Ukrainian Catholic who attended Roman Catholic schools through 12th Grade. So I deeply appreciate this message. You are spot on. Keep up the good work.☦️
I was just confirmed and when OCIA was over I really wanted a year two to continue the fire in my heart for the faith. God bless you Father
I spent an hour today listening to a wonderful talk on Scripture and Liturgy. It was given by one of the brothers at The Oratory, Birmingham. UK. The weekly talk is part of a full programme to engage children and adults. We have both the Latin and vernacular mass to choose from every day. It is a thriving community.
I feel so blessed to live in this Christ- centred Parish.
Thanks for your wise words on ways we can truly live in the Light of Our Lord, within the Catholic Church. 🙏💗
I think Marian devotion is sorely needed too. The world has fallen into much cruelty and darkness and as mother of all believers it’s her gentle touch that can help guide souls back to her son Christ. St. Mary, pray for us!
To be honest, it should be the other way. The Church should have more focus on Jesus, and less in Mary.
Welcome Home...♡
All our love and honor for Mary has the end of bringing us closer to her son and to worship of him.@@joshuarivera2422
@@joshuarivera2422 what do you mean
Imo, Marian worship should be ended or at least be severly reduced. It has little biblical basis.
I would also reform RCIA. Just imagine Peter converting 3,000 but ending with: "...and step over here to sign up for RCIA next month."
What ideas do you have towards this?
@dannyscroggins3913 Are we looking for people to enter into a deep relationship with Christ? Do we want people to understand the basics of the Faith so they will not be thrown to and fro by the world or by anti-Catholics who will convince them to abandon the Faith?
Do we want them to enjoy community with the Parish so they will not fall away? These are all important aspects of the RCIA process.
@dannyscroggins3913 Is it ridiculous to ask someone who wants to enter the Christian life to learn and practice obedience, submission, humility as they are getting to know their Lord?
Is our goal quick Christians, or those that understand the practice and thus will not fall away from the Faith?
Are you Catholic?
@dannyscroggins3913 All good questions that can be studied. If RCIA is teaching Truth AND those that go through it take the Faith seriously, they will not leave the Church. Our Church has about 20 people going through RCIA each year and is very solid. Are there RCIA programs that are weak and need to be vastly improved - I am sure there are. I am doing what I can to help improve this. I invite you to also.
Good afternoon Father Casey,
I agree with everything you've said and I'm saying that as a protestant. I would love to see the day when God's church, Catholic, Orthodox, and all the various protestant denominations truly become one body again. We all need to respect the truth that God is big enough to call us to worship Him without requiring us to be identical in our expressions of awe. Sound theology is crucial. Reverence for the truth and for what God has done and commanded of us are crucial. But much of the arguments we have made about our cultural and artistic differences are entirely superfluous.
I very much like your idea of the discipleship process for church members, and think it's the most Biblically sound way of teaching given how it is described in Acts and the various Pauline epistles. As a Franciscan I'm sure you know this better than I do--our primary job as the Church isn't just to replace ourselves with our children, it's to go out and reach the Lost. I am curious, what are some ways you would adapt that teaching style you mentioned to someone who only comes to the church as a teenage or adult convert?
I was just saying this to a friend. Catholics almost tend to love the church more than it loves Jesus. We talk about ourselves much, much more than we talk about Jesus and his love and his mercy.
Well said brother, well said. We Catholics tend to forget about Jesus himself, and focus too much in our "earthy church and organization" not our heavenly church and the body of Christ
@@onisuryaman408 guys the church is the wife of Christ, when who came from the body of Christ himself in the crucifixion. is the church is not doing well many souls will go to hell, and hurts Jesus. Defend our lord by defending the church.
The Church IS Jesus. It’s not separate. It’s the Church he began
@aljay2955obviously you’re never been to a mass or don’t understand it
@@catholicguy1073why is the church a body of Jesus? Or makes it that? I am curious
Thank you Fr Casey. It seems many are more caught up in the practice of Catholicism than the practice of the gospel if that makes sense.
Very real...
Our lives must be dedicated to Christ, the Church and most important his People.
God bless you and your work Father.
AMEN! You explained it so eloquently I had my hand up in praise to King Jesus!
And that's why I love your channel since the very early days. You speak what I often see, and convey it in quite a calm manner. I could expand way more on that, but I'm short of time right now (actually something positive in regarding one of the points mentioned.) If you are interested (both brother Casey or the viewers) let me know. Of course let's do it in civilized manner. Oh and I have both U.S. and Polish perspective these days. And keep on doing the good work.
Our parish is becoming so divided - so much so that after 35 years in music ministry, I was actually told by a young priest in our parish who believed the traditional Latin Mass was the only “honorable” one that organ was the only acceptable instrument for Mass and that if I continued to play the piano that was still in the choir loft, I would have to go to confession. I was dumbfounded….and devastated that even much of the sacred music we have played for decades has been subject to bans by our clergy 😢. Also that receiving in the hand offends God - maybe it’s not everyone’s preference, but offending God? Didn’t they use their hands at the Last Supper? 😑
I would recommend that you do some research to try and understand what this young Priest was trying to say, then you can have an informed discussion with him, instead of posting something scandalous on social media; for instance, the following is from Word On Fire FAQs about Vatican II:
Q: Did Vatican II forbid Latin, Gregorian Chant, pipe organs, and ad orientem worship in the Mass?
No. Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, did not forbid any of these things.
On the contrary, it preserved Latin as the official language of the Latin rite, and had this to say of the use of Latin in the Mass: “Steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them.”
Regarding Gregorian Chant, it said: “The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.”
Regarding pipe organs, it said: “In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”
It said nothing about liturgical orientation-that is, whether the priest celebrates the Mass ad orientem (facing the altar) or versus populum (facing the people). In fact, many churches have incorporated ad orientem worship into the Ordinary Form of the Mass.
Disagreements about these issues and more are due to the misimplementation of the Second Vatican Council texts, not the texts themselves.
Women running the "music ministry" makes men flee to traditionalist parishes. Much of the 'sacred music' that has been played for decades is Taizé type ecumenical kumbaya nonsense that has no place in a catholic environment.
Your world is crumbling and I can't wait to see the end of it.
"tra le sollecitudine" - motu proprio of Pope Pius X - no piano !
@@confiteordeo3863no need to be cruel. These women were asked to play music for us for years and did so with their heart and soul. While I agree about the more traditional music being better, that is a matter of taste. There is no reason church cannot have different music for different services.
I went to my first Mass on Sunday. It was reverent and solemn in a way that I’ve never seen in the Protestant churches I have attended. I will also say the church felt alive. It was filled with young families and kids everywhere.
I would also like to add that from an outsiders perspective, Sunday has enough hours for both Latin and Novus Ordo Masses. Nobody should feel like their church leadership is waging a war against them.
Glad to hear it! But if I may add some context for an outsider... no one in the Church leadership is waging a war. This is the rhetoric of some with a persecution complex. The Church allowed the Extraordinary Form a few decades ago because it thought that it would help the unity of the Church. What has been very apparent is that the opposite has happened. Pope Francis has limited its use because of the rampant schism that exists in many communities.
Taking all in consideration. It's not the rites, it's the people. I'd never had problems with the N.O. rite and had not seen abuse while attending in my life so considered I am blessed. I doubt that people on both sides know much about the faith if they don't read the Bible and Catechism and spend more time study and prayer (obedience to the teachings of the Magisterium is a big problem today). The number on the pew doesn't reflect piety and holiness. Only God knows men's heart.
@@BreakingInTheHabita persecution complex? Father, have you always had this problem of psychoanalyzing the faithful?
I left the church because of the hypocrisy I saw in its members back when I was 16. Then, so my mom would stop harassing me, I became a very apathetic/agnostic catholic who would lie about going to mass on Sundays, would leave early from mass and rarely confessed.
It took me getting diagnosed with cancer at the age of 24 to seek God and appreciate the beauty the Mass and Church offers. For that I can say I was blessed to go through this disease for my own good.
Pío "Blessed is the crisis that made you grow, the fall that made you look to heaven and the problem that made you look to God."
Great video Father. I agree with alI that you said.
I do miss small groups from my Protestant days. We met every week and read books, did Bible studies and prayed for each other. At my parish the Deacon is the only one allowed to lead Bible studies, so we only do two a year.
I also miss adult Sunday school. I could see having classes about the Catechism, Church History, The Mass. So many possibilities.
At my Parish there's little opportunity to connect and make friends. After Mass everyone just leaves. I was confirmed four years ago and I still don't know that many people. In my Protestant church I knew tons of people. I don't want to say Catholics aren't as friendly, maybe just less social.
At least in my experience, RCIA could also use some fixing.
All that being said, I LOVE the Catholic Church and the Mass. Our priest is absolutely wonderful. The people I have made friends with are kind and generous.
It makes me sad when others don't see the real beauty of life in the Church.
Excellent thought provoking video. Continuous professional formation is common in other areas of life, and it should be no different for the Catholic faithful.
Your evangelical minister admirer here. WOW, what a video. You are 100% Catholic, but you are also, IMHO, a fellow evangelical. ALL Christians should be evangelical, it is what Jesus is all about!
I know you were shooting for 5 points, but I would suggest one addition: Apologetics. This summer I am teaching an 8 week course to our Jr and Sr High students. When these kids get out in the world, their faith will be attacked. They need to have answers to the questions they will be asked, and they need to have their questions answered.
Very good addition imo!
Excellent addition. Many wander away from the Church as an early adult as they don't see anyone shouting about how reasonable the faith is, nor do they spend enough time in their young formation wrestling with these difficult questions themselves.
It's important but honestly inside the Catholic school system no one can touch us. I have a Baptist father in law pastor (essentially and he knew my grandpa and ministers to my alma mater) and I can largely go toe to toe theologically with him. This with only a fifth grade religious education and Confirmation under my belt (and Bible study) against his theological degrees. The biggest issue is going to be student interest. Good apologetics are about the student, more than the instructor.
@@userJohnSmith I would agree with you. Out of the 50 or so students in the class, only a small number are really engaged. Of course, I hope that the others, when challenged, will remember that we have good answers. Frankly, I don't care if they stay in the Free Methodist Church, another Wesleyan denomination or become Catholic. IMHO, our mutual "enemy" is secular humanism, and aggressive atheism with it pseudo intellectualism. That is what they will face in the world. That is what stands in opposition to Jesus Christ.
@@vincewardeatheism is much easier to confront than quasi religious who"believe in God" but unwilling to commit to one specific religion, imo
Thank you Father . I listened to this various times to understand this related to my life. I love the church I go to and the Father. Very accessible person and answers his cell phone if u call. I get to church early Sunday and have discussed some of these topics with him . I follow God not man and I shall remain Catholic until I die . If there is disagreement in the church pray to God but I remain faithful. I left the church for some years but never again. My parents took us to church every Sunday after we did our confirmation so that’s not my case . When I grew up in Connecticut we had youth groups and various activities based around fomenting friendship with other Catholics and yes that is lacking here in Puerto Rico. Father mentioned how the family is dying and almost no children that even come for sacraments. Ur right there is a generation that is lost . I am praying 🙏 to bring my Godson/nephew back to church . He is 29 and hasn’t done his confirmation. His mother went to Protestant religion and he got lost . His brother said he was interested but I’m praying .
I came across you very recently and absolutely resonate with so much you say. I am a convert to the church. I wish you were around 30 years ago preaching these ideas. I feel deeply about the topics you venture to discuss. I am relieved hear your courageous voice. Thank you!
Thank you for the hopeful message!
This is why i'm becoming a catechist for children. We need good education, love and fire in our hearts for the Lord, if we want to turn things around.
Lukewarm is not going to cut it! Let's go catholic, in all it's beauty and unity and diversity!
What we have is such a treasure... yet barely anyone knows it.
Please, please pray for me! And all the children and adults that need to learn faith!
As a Protestant strongly considering converting to Catholicism, this set my heart on fine! Many of the issues that you addressed are concerns that I have and I’m so glad to hear that the Church isn’t completely blind to these crucial issues. I hope that changes can be made to bring congregants back on mission and share the Gospel of Christ with the world. We all have a personal responsibility to live out this mission and I hope we find our way back to that call.
Your comments about there being many options for Mass including Novus Ordo and the traditional Latin Mass strikes a particular chord with me. I do not understand what issue the Pope and his advisors have with Catholics having a renewed interest in the Latin Mass. While I have not attended a Latin Mass myself, I find it extremely heartening that people during the pandemic rediscovered the Latin Mass when they were stuck at home and forced to watch Mass online; the inspiration it has generated in young Catholics is particularly encouraging. Why would the Vatican want to stifle that is beyond me; what may be a temporary fad could motivate these people to return to the Catholic Church overall, bringing their families with them. What's not to like about that?
You should try going one of these times. It's so easy to demonize people you don't know, but speaking as someone who moved his family across the united States to be in one of these communities, it's incredible how kind and generous these people are. A lot of us live in tight-knit, mutually reliant communities where we try to live the gospel as best we can. There's more families coming all the time, lots of children, and so many vocations.
Totally agree with the first point. Catholics don’t deserve all the online criticism from Protestants about how we don’t appreciate Jesus enough. However, I think we could work him in a bit more. Just look at our parishes… I’m hard pressed to find any that are named for Christ. Our lady makes up 25% of parish names. And I love the fact that we have a diverse set of saints to honor as well. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing more parishes named for Christ and more Christ statues in gardens (I see plenty of Mary).
My understanding as a Protestant is that the Virgin Mary is highly associated with flowers- particularly roses and lilies. When I get to Heaven I will have to ask her if those really are her favourite flowers.
She is our blessed Mother. She leads us to her Son Jesus and makes sure we stay there and not go astray.
We have warriors who are fighting the wrong people. Nobody goes to heaven alone, the body of Christ is how we get there. One part of the body hurts, we all hurt. Embrace one another and love one another, dont let the evil spirits shred us apart like it already has to our country.
I love how my priest Fr Glenn brought up this video sent to him by a friend. He said to look it up but he concentrated on repentance and community. Thank you for your voice.
One thing and only one thing I envy when I hear counselors online talk to callers who are evangelical or "born again". They always say "do you have a church?" If not, they suggest some and say they need community to help them. They always ask like it's one big family which I know isn't true, but it sounds so much nicer than nodding to people or having the clique's the Catholic church usually does with clubs or functions. Many say they have so many contacts for jobs, for Bible study, to help widows or children without dads or moms. Do you feel that way in your Catholic church? I know it's for reverence and Eucharist and communion with God but community sure helps tie it up in a bow.
I sometimes listen to Dave Ramsey and although I don't follow his credit card advice, I do hear him talk about the community of the church and how so many callers need that. I never felt that way with my Catholic church, I love it but community, no. I joined social action committees etc, but never felt anyone cared about me personally or that other members were thought about when not in church. It's just a different setup. I wouldn't change but I do envy that community also.
Excellent presentation. All the 5 points are right on!
You need to tell this to the dioceses, not to us. Parishioner voices are often not listened to...
Amen!
Not a democracy
Thank you and well done. I was in active priestly ministry for 20 years. Thank you for the balanced approach and for calling out the essentials. Count on my support. Hopefully you and others will be interested in my voice and those of others like me that have so many years of formation and service. We can continue to support priests and the Church’s ministry. Well done. Count on my support.
Thank you for emphasizing the fact that the Church is a big tent. All are welcome and there are different ways to express the faith. It would be wise for church leaders to respect this before there is no one left in church..
Except those who marry after divorce, consider Jesus a mythical story, the Eucharist symbolic and support Western nuclear deterrence
You are a brave man to publicly saying such truths. I agree with you, especially, the way the Church uses the Sacraments as some sort of stages or rites of passages according to age, but once Confirmation arrives it is over and done. God Bless you and may the The Holy Spirit continue to guide you and protect you.
Not a Roman Catholic anymore, but it's an interesting mix of new and old ideas for you guys, you're suggesting. I've grown to like this channel. Its the only Catholic channel that doesn't treat Christian charity as a foreign concept.
Pints with aquinas is also charitable
@@foodforthought8308 he is not. I watched his video on Orthodoxy where him and his guest flat out lied and misrepresented our church throughout the entire video.
So true! We need more focus on the Bible study and we need a lot of opportunities to share stories about how Jesus effects our daily life with real testimonies to help us rooted in Gospels!
Our daily mass has 2 or 3 relevant readings which are great things with a lot of great homilies followed(but a lot come from online! )
Also, the other problem is after mass we rarely remember any Bible verses at all! This is so important we need to know only Lord’s body &blood(Eucharist)in his LIVING words(Scriptures)can feed people’s soul!
I genuinely think that these changes are necessary to continue with the mission put in the shoulders of the Apostles, more than 2000 years ago. In general, the church has to stop being an institution that just looks like any other government, and instead be with the people side to side, trying to redeem every soul that can be. However, these changes might be popular and doable for the lower hierarchy, but without the compromise and reorganization of the upper hierarchy, it would be very difficult to change the perspective of society.
You made this Orthodox Christian smile when you talked about the sacraments of initiation. Great video!
Father, as a recently convert to Catholicism, from Baptist, I agree wholeheartedly that the Church needs desperately structured and ordered bible studies. This is coming from a former Protestant’s perspective. And also a greater role in lay ministers and volunteers, and more deacons. Amen on more missionaries, particularly at home. More Prison fellowships, and visiting and praying for the sick and dying in hospitals. Even the Mormons do a better job at this. Mormon children have to go to bible study an hour before leaving for school. And Mormons have scripture studies also on Sundays. And most Mormon young adults go on missions! The Catholic Church could change things so dramatically for the better.
I definitely agree with Fr Casey on the first step: Proclaim Redemption. This is what is sorely lacking in the spiritual growth of many Catholics, even among those who are actively involved in parish organizations.
I, too, am an active servant in our parish. One problem that I saw in my years of service is the lack of pastoral formations to enrich our understanding and appreciation of Jesus and of our Catholic faith. I was a former altar server, choir member and a lecturer. Many of my fellow members in those organizations are not interested whenever I suggested that we organize prayer meetings or studies of the Word of God and the basic teachings of the Church for the members. For them, doing our bit every Mass and going to a pilgrimage from time to time is enough.
I felt that I was not knowing Jesus well merely through fulfillment of religious obligations or observance of traditions.
Fortunately, my longing to know and love Christ better was answered when I joined a Catholic charismatic community. I appreciated the group's emphasis on evangelism and renewal of oneself, the family and the community. I also appreciated the Charismatic community's advocacy to reflect the tenets of the Catholic faith in the lives of the members, and taking definitive moral stances on social concerns.
In this way, my Catholic faith is no longer just a religious affiliation, but a conviction as well, as expressed in my daily life.
Good video. I was born and raised in the church but I no longer practice, yet I still watch your videos. My conscience gives me a lot of pause going back until the church makes up for its offenses of abuse in a way that actually feels legitimate.
I also think the church handcuffs itself to several things that prevent it from being a relevant piece of modern society, you have mentioned several of them.
If the church was filled with people like you, I would be much more open to coming back.
A small tiny percentage of the church messed up so you are going to toss aside Jesus church ? Jesus said pick up your cross, not abandon me.
@@JenniferMiller-sx1xn Jesus is still my Lord and Savior. I did not abandon Him, I have a relationship there. I still pray. My problem is my heart tells me that wickedness still infects many influential people in the church, and right now, I can’t reconcile that with regular practice. It feels contradictory and dirty.
@@steampunkedbull yes it absolutely does. Wickedness infects every church as it does every space in life. But this is Jesus church.
@@JenniferMiller-sx1xn and that church is run by people. People are imperfect. God is perfect. I only want His perfection guiding me.
There is no doubt at all in my mind that a lot of what you’re proposing here Br Casey would make a great and lasting difference to the church in our world today. I especially loved your comments about adult faith formation. In recent years, I’ve spent a good deal of time searching out content (like your videos) to help inform my understanding of our faith. Because of that, I am continually dismayed at the lack of understanding of even the most fundamental elements of the faith in my local parish and in that, I’m certain that my experience is far from the exception.
I think the #1 thing any church can do to prevent loss of members is on the members themselves - living as if what you believe makes a real difference in your life and helps you to live alongside other people with kindness, respect, and basically decent behavior (as opposed to picking on other people, putting others down to build yourself up, and/or doing unethical things with the stance that it only matters if you get caught doing it or others judge you for what you've done). Have you noticed just how many people say they became disillusioned with their church, no matter which one, because of the "hypocrisy" of its members and "not seeing a lot of good coming out of it"? I argue that many people may be more open to dealing with differences in theology and leadership to be part of something enriching alongside supportive people they can be proud to join than they are with doing the same thing just to give themselves the same label as some truly nasty people who reflect badly on the other members of their group and make them feel like the effort just isn't worth it. I'd like to see church leaders in general reminding people that the things they do in their daily lives and to other people matter, and if they really care that much about their faith, they should learn to be good examples of it and ambassadors who build good will.
Thank you, Father, for sharing inspiring thoughts. Your points deeply resonate with me. Particularly those about greater concern about protecting people than reputation and getting fired up about redemption, learning about the bible, and spreading good news!
As a protectant who has been lead by the spirit to move toward becoming Catholic. This has been a lonely process that feels like trying to get into a closed club. The Rcia is closed for the next few months - so come back in September. Very disheartening. Everyone is busy and I feel like I am intruding. I don't understand the process here but it seems that the Priests are not really hands on and without knowing my story, everyone I guess is given to Rcia. - don't mean to complain but ugh!
This does sound frustrating, I am very sorry to hear it's been a struggle. Some parishes and diocese are too hands off. Maybe this is an opportunity to deepen in faith in other ways. In any case, may God bless you.
I’m waiting for RCIA with you. God knows your struggles, and knows how important being Catholic is to you. Just try your best to fit in. God will guide you every step of the way. Just put yourself out there for him.
Sorry to hear this. Perhaps try another Catholic parish.
Fr. Casey. I appreciate this video. It gave me a lot to think about....For me the longer format, as opposed to the "shorts" provide much more substance. Well, thought out.
I'm looking forward to the video you mentioned doing in the fall.
Thank you.
Excellent Vid except my experience is 180 degrees from what you said at the start. I lived 20 years in the Bible belt and very rarely hear people outside of a worship service and a fish decal on their minivan did I find a very big presence of God in their daily lives. They really like "fellowship" but as practiced it's just a pep rally for people who see God the same was as they do. As a Catholic I talked a lot more about God and his Goodness. As the old joke goes: "Friend have you found Jesus? I'm Catholic I never lost him"
Beautiful saying there at the end! Never heard of this mic drop "old joke" I ask for permission to steal it.
Wonderful. Thank you.
As a Protestant, we have a tradition of witnessing. Telling our story of Faith, why and how we “came to Jesus.” What it is that makes us Christian. What some denominations are missing is the beauty, majesty and Mystery of the Catholic Faith. I have many friends that are Catholic, when I share with them my belief, I have seen them glance at each other and slightly smirk. For some it is truly uncomfortable. I have friends that have left the Catholic Church, and even say that they have been “injured” by the church. They are hungry to talk, share ideas and hear about others encounters with the risen Christ. If we would stop arguing, and start sharing we might truly have the Universal Church ❤️ One of the reasons I watch and subscribe to your channel. I love the Catholic Church, but I love all perspectives. I love Christ. Keep doing what you do Father Casey!
I just dont understand why there cant be both the TLM & NO masses? Just pick and choose the one you want?
Exactly.
To be fair, bishops keep banning the TLM and the only ones willing to do it in most places are in not great terms with Rome
Point No.3 I agree mostly with.
@@komnennos I hear you, but I think it is because there was a Vatican II and as faithful Catholics we cannot reject it. Whether you agree with it or not is personal, but we cannot reject it. Perhaps Fr. Casey could elaborate on this. I personally grew up with Latin mass and though I understand some sense of reverence it imparts, I have no desire to go back to it. You would have had to live through it to understand what I mean.
@BreakingInTheHabit
Wonderful content Fr., as always.
But regarding the Mass, humbly, it's too late for that though I wish it wasn't. An attachment to the old Mass has, from the early sixties, been tightly bound up with a rejection of the Church's authority to change anything whatsover. Now, in 2024, this dissent is voiced by many more Catholics, openly and aggressively: against the Pope, Vatican II - an Ecumenical Council, we recall, and against the Magisterium, and the Liturgy that developed from it.
Summorum pontificum, which was a generous gesture of goodwill from the late Pope Benedict, was interpreted not as a call to coexistence, but as an encouragement to dissent. The dissent continued to snowball uncontrollably, while Pope Ratzinger seemed unaware of any of it.
Someone had to do something, but it took Pope Bergoglio eight whole years to come up with Traditiones custodes. It was desperately needed, but what has been the reaction of the so-called 'true, good and faithful Catholics', as tradestants call themselves? More disobedience, more attacks. And what has been their reaction to Viganò's long-overdue excommunication? Even more disgraceful and slanderous attacks on the Church and its Pope. No. It's time to end the old form of the Mass which has been twisted into a weapon with which to continually continually scourge the Mystical Body of Christ.
May the Lord continue to bless you in this holy, invaluable work you do.
I am a deacon in the Syriac Orthodox Church. I am glad you are sharing steps all churches can follow. I hope we can work together in some way.
Not to trivialize the urgency of your concerns, but....many (if not most) of these solutions have been (and are still being) implemented by churches in Africa.....but the criticisms still apply
It seems to me like churches elsewhere could learn a thing or two from the churches in Africa then. From where I'm sitting, in the United States, it doesn't look like very many American Catholics are willing to learn from the African churches though. Hopefully I will be proven wrong.
I completely agree about confirmation and ongoing formation programs
I'm Baptist, and have a deep love for the Catholic Church, the answers Catholicism offers are hard to defend
ask one question.. what is hard to defend?
@breakinginthehabit
Im not nor never been catholic
How ever i have been into a mass
After seeing how you guys operate
I firmly believe that in the end we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and that we need to all come back together as one body and not be divided
I won't lie, I prefer the tlm, but if you go to novus ordo that's perfectly I fine to me I do always tell them about the beauty of it. However what you said about baptism and confirmation at baptism is great, it leaves the entire life of the child to grow and learn, christ won't have the same meaning to a young happy child as a life tattered 47 year old, amazing point I pray that that can be considered.
I imagine some folk do, but most Roman Catholics are indifferent to such things. This is unlikely to make any difference to church attendance
@@russellmiles2861 I doubt it, like he says the sacraments are kind of set up in a graduation style, once you're done, you're done seems to be the overall view of it, but it would be helpful in promoting people to further learn and grow with the church and christ.
Your mission is to keep making these videos. I look forward to seeing your videos. God bless you!
3:20 "Being united doesn't mean we have to be uniform." This is a truth that I have come to understand as a Baptist. Unity does not mean uniformity; unity also does not means unanimity. The Body of Christ has different parts, and the Holy Spirit uses different parts in different ways.
PREACH!!!!! I’m all in on all of this and am doing my part in my small corner of the church as a Campus Minister.
It would be great to see such videos of people who have had their lives changed by Jesus and thanks to the church, over here in this channel.
Also replying to people on videos might help as well, since wanting some change of any type might need debate a healthy one that leads towards betterment. I myself apply that in things I like in the world to change.
Peoples lives are always changing, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that such changes are supernatural in nature.
@@downenout8705 Those still happen, dude.
Even if according your perception are or not supernatural.
@@lmclrain Sorry but it's not my "perception" that there is no evidence of changes to peoples lives having supernatural causes, it's a matter of fact.
@@downenout8705 Do you know about the placebo effect? If so the way it heals would not be supernatural, since it can not be measured, but is still effective despite that.
@@lmclrain Do you understand what a non sequitur is?
Your claim is that a supernatural "Jesus" has changed peoples lives. That is a million miles away from a mundane claim that the belief in the truth of a holy book has, by means of a placebo effect, changed peoples lives.
Good points, simple but clearly not easy. We need God’s intervention. Lord God, without You we are but lost sheep. Forgive us and lead us back to You. Increase our faith and love for one another and keep us away from the devil. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Absolutely. And as I tried to mention at the beginning, Jesus is the head of the Church. He is going to protect us from annihilation, but we certainly have our part to play.
@@BreakingInTheHabit indeed Father. Ora et labora
I have to agree about the bickering over the Novus Ordo vs the TLM. I prefer the TLM but go to the Novus Ordo as well.
Bless you Fr Casey. May God Bless you for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I recently went through reconciliation with my Catholic faith. Although I agree with this video I also believe that a intelectual emphasis is needed. Catholicism has a vast intellectual heritage. In a more “rationally” or secular world many are led to believe that Science and atheist rational thought has everything figured out (even if they say they don’t state that they act like they do). This lends itself to a rational vacuum that one often witnesses in Christian communities when faced with more complex but more common questions. Philosophy and science RUclips clips of more in depth topics are now abundant. Many Catholics are then faced with an abundance of knowledge and a lack of instruction of how that knowledge is not against faith or how much of that knowledge is the product of the Catholic Church’s endeavors into philosophy and reason. My 2 cents. Enjoy your videos.
Check out Bishop Robert Barron and his Word on Fire ministries. He is one of the great leaders in the new intellectual tradition.
You would probably enjoy and benefit from reading (if you haven’t already) Pope St John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio, which addresses much of what you’ve spoken about.
Beautiful. I'm encouraged and strengthened in my faith and I'm not even Catholic. So appreciate you.
Father Casey, thank you for the videos, you're an inspiration and I am grateful to have found you here on RUclips.
I have a question : Do you, by any chance, do any sort of counseling online? Helping people with their faith by having them talk to you about their experience, etc... even confessions? I ask because I feel like you'd be perfect for the job. I don't know any priests where I live (France) and I've got to say they're kinda hard to find, since churches are open to the public but no one is there... they're mostly a tourist attraction. Of course you'd find a priest during mass, but he won't be available during that time so.... Yeah this is why ask. I feel there are a lot of people like me who would love to share their experience and have some guidance.
Sorry if my question/request is weird. Thank you for reading and please keep doing what you're doing. God bless you.
In France, most priests would stay in front of the church after mass, talking to the people, feel free to use that, greet him and ask for an appointment for that, a lot of priests would be open, probably even happy to do that :)
Thank you for this Fr. Casey! Been thinking about this since the first time I studied Bible the first time at the age of 40. I tried to write a simple book about this relevant to a field I have been studying - communication - and Jesus is at the center of all my communication behaviour.
Hit the nail on the head with the "universality" point. Two things come to mind:
1. The Vatican movement to restrict TLM celebration is antagonist to universality.
2. My family began attending an Eastern Rite Catholic Church. Our Roman friends are under the belief that it means we can "never come back." Come back?! We never left the Catholic Church.
Edit: I'll note that this video does a bit of what I'm complaining about in Part II. When talking about infant Communion and Confirmation/Chrismation, you say the Orthodox do it that way, and we should go back to it. The Eastern Rite of our Catholic Church still does it this way. What you're really saying is that the Roman Rite should do like the Eastern Rite (and Orthodox).
Edit 2: None of this intended to be hate. I'm a subscriber and have deep love for you and your mission!
1. Read the reason why it was restricted. It has nothing to do with validity or universality and everything to do with the schism that is forming in the Extraordinary Form community. Had people simply gone to that mass without constantly causing fights over the Novus Ordo, there would never have been a problem.
2. Right, it is the same church, just different rite.
To you note, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that we, the Roman Rite, did something for over 1000 years, and had the same order of sacraments until the 20th century, and we need to correct that. It's not about looking across the aisle or dreaming about the past, it's about seeing that we have a theological and practical problem that needs to be remedied.
@@BreakingInTheHabit But surely banning / restricting the TLM, regardless of reasoning, isn't going to help the bickering, right?
@@DarrLaw I simply don't understand why those that favor the former Mass order don't seek to use all of many options in the current Mass order, which practically brings them to their legitimate desire. The Mass can be said in Latin, using Eucharistic Prayer I (the Roman Canon), at an altar against the apse, with people receiving communion their preferred way, with all the incense desired, fiddleback vestments, and with the prayers for the conversion of Russia added after Mass (which some progressive parishes are doing since Putin's invasion). With all of that, it seems the most significant remaining matter is the Lectionary. Do these folks really resent the OT reading that much?
@@kurt4320 All very good points. At the end of the day, if folks want to use the TLM, why not?
@@DarrLaw Or just let folks say Mass however they want.
Have we, as a Church, fully confronted the depth of our need for true repentance and transformation? The way you articulated the need for renewal within the Catholic Church was both powerful and heartfelt! Thank you!
I believe, like many others, that in promoting the culture of encounter and evangelization that you speak of, deeper listening and openness to our own conversion as a Church are crucial. We must understand and respond to the real wounds in those we serve to avoid further harm and to evangelize authentically. For instance, listening can help us acknowledge that some have left the Church not only due to the abuse of minors but also in solidarity with those they perceive as victims of other forms of abuse, including racism, misogyny, homophobia... Addressing their concerns can lead to greater fidelity to the mission and growth.
Regarding universality, as you mentioned, the Church should embrace the diversity of experiences, languages, cultures, and individual identities. This means allowing people to live out the Gospel in their unique experiences, even if these do not perfectly align with our own traditional understanding. Take the example of slavery or of how Indigenous persons have historically had their identities suppressed, as evidenced by policies like "Kill the Indian" in Canada. Lack of listening seems to be a significant issue regarding abuse.
The Church must prioritize listening in authentic encounters. Without this, it risks becoming static and stagnant, losing the trust and life of those it seeks to serve. Instead, by embracing mutual transformation and compassionate listening, the Church can truly transform and reflect the living body of Christ, leading to mutual healing and flourishing.
I’ve been trying to work up the courage to visit my local Catholic Church but I’m so deeply uncertain of how to proceed, what to wear to be dressed appropriately (I don’t have many nice clothes), how to participate… all of it. It’s honestly kind of intimidating.
Just be yourself and be honest. If you tell people you've never been to the Catholic Church and are looking to learn, they will be more than happy to welcome you!
@@BreakingInTheHabit Thank you for the reply, Father. I’m gonna pray for the courage to face my own anxieties and just go for a visit sooner rather than later.
XD No one will care about you really. Most of people in mass dont know each other.
@@RealBelisariusCawlDon't worry about clothes. You don't have to be a fashion plate. As long as you are modestly dressed you will be fine. There are usually greeters at the door and if you tell them you are new they can steer you to someone who will guide you through it.
This video is SO good! As a deacon and youth minister I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I am a protestant, that has been going to the Catholic Church for a couple of years now since my wife is Catholic. And i will agree that the Church needs more Jesus. I remember going to Good Friday, and after the Mass they spend half an hour doing a Rosary, and then doing the letany, which is calling Virgin Mary a bunch of different names. It really seem odd that on the day Jesus was crucified, the Church spends so much time on things for Mary.
It's the day Mary lost her son; why wouldn't so much time be spent on things for her?
Well, for your background it might sound strange. But every thing Mary related is also Jesus related deep down.
Mary IS who she is Because Jesus is! We Will never venerate and love Mary more than Our Lord Jesus does
@@paulchapman8023 and that is the thing, that day is all for Jesus. Why does Mary always need to come to the picture?
@@joshuarivera2422 I never heard of that before, usually parishes do the divine mercy chaplet on Good Friday.
Uh... With all due respect...there are no Masses celebrated on Good Friday anywhere in the world so it must have been another day you attended the Mass to which you are referring.
Father Casey, I have been watching your videos since you were in Seminary, and I think this may be the best one you have ever done. I am a convert from a Fundamentalist background and I have said for years that the biggest "problem" I have with our beloved Church is that we don't Shepherd our people. (We could learn a lot from the Protestants in this regard). Bottom line - you knocked this one out of the park! Extremely well done!!
I'm not militant about the TLM. I like it and think it's a great tradition worth keeping. If the Pope allowed it to remain as a viable option, I think most of the TLM people couldn't care less about the novus ordo.
DEFINITELY not my experience. I’m glad you find it helpful, but I have rarely met someone who goes to the Extraordinary Form who doesn’t wear it as a badge of defiance. “Oh, I don’t go to those masses.” Not all, of course, but it is very prevalent.
@@BreakingInTheHabit That may be what happens in the USA, but it seems to me that an excessive amount of attention is being paid to what goes on in that part of the world. In particular, it has provided an excuse for this pope to ban the traditional Mass in countries where martyrs in earlier times died for celebrating it.
Exactly my experience and position.
Thank you for Father Casey for your efforts in evangelizing and unifying Christ's Universal Church. Every current and future Church leader should watch this. Working to heal and regain trust is paramount. And we, as lay missionaries, should not shy away from these truths. And not just that, but live in the love of Christ, we must set the example in a society of people that thirst for meaning and structure, whether they realize it or not. May our Lord Jesus Christ walk with us in this often cruel and callous world. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amén.
I've been so many types of protestant that I lost count. Never truly felt Jesus' presence in church until I became a Catholic.
Also, any adult who thinks they've got nothing left to learn once they're confirmed has a fundamental misunderstanding of just how long the Church has been thinking and writing down their thoughts about what we truly believe. Part of the reason I was drawn to Catholicism is the extensive intellectual heritage of the Church.
Not trying to be polemical, just asking a sincere question, but did you ever visit Presbyterian or Lutheran churches and if so did they actually teach properly? I ask this as a Presbyterian as it seems to me that many people are not taught/catechized properly across the various denominations and many problems arise from this.
@@EthanMeraz-zd3ul I have been to both, though never became a member. Both of them were alright for the most part; they certainly had a level of solemnity and ritual that other flavors of protestant lack. Still, I never felt Jesus' *presence*. It was always more like a memorial service - near on to a funeral - or a symbolic retelling of something that happened thousand of years ago, instead of Jesus really being THERE, right then, as if time didn't make a dent in His miraculous presence. Maybe those particular churches (which, I feel I should add, were all in the same town where I grew up) were, as you say, led by people who were poorly taught.
What a well thought out, humble yet bold vision to make the Church everything it should be. Catholics of all stripes can rally around this.
What was the video you did where you showed how we got to this way of catechisis?
What an excellent podcast!!! Thank you Father for your insights and knowledge. May God Bless You ! 🙏🏻❤🙏🏻.
The bickering about NO vs TLM is ugly, but I have to say that the Vatican is wrong for suppressing TLM. Both NO and TLM should be allowed.
Yes, the suppression seems to be coming from a very flawed place. No one wants to account for the 100s of millions of souls lost since the Sixties, greatly ccelerated thanks to the off-putting Brutalist in-your-face liturgy. Trying to cover that up by hiding or even blaming the excellent rite of our forefathers, is un-Catholic.
Excellent inspirational messages. 😊