And the one who posted it is a relative of mine.
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| Martin Luther |
Reformation Day marks the Protestant Reformation. It honors the men who walked away from the Catholic Church and began creating denominations.
I come from a Protestant family. Dad was a preacher. I don't remember celebrating Reformation Day, and I didn't even realize it existed until I became Catholic.
When I first heard about it, I was sad. Really? We think it's fun to celebrate this greatest of divisions? We delight in the fact that so many have gone a different way and left the Sacraments behind - the Eucharist behind?
In my dad's second pastorate, there were some high school boys. When the adults weren't looking,
they would thump us on the head - really hard - with their knuckles. They would glom onto our toys and mistreat them. Sometimes, they would break them.
And we would blink back tears.
That's how it feels to read celebratory posts about Reformation Day.
It stings. It's like being hurt by kids who don't really understand how it feels. Kids who can move on to other things in a few minutes and not realize you are still stinging from their pranks. It's like having our toys used and abused.
Okay, I'm going to blink back the tears and move on now. It's All Hallows Eve. Time for Mass. Time to prepare to celebrate what really matters!
We have brothers and sisters who went before us and overcame. It is time to remember what matters. Holiness is possible. Jesus really does save. Saints are praying.
Thanks be to God!
This is exactly how I feel about Reformation Day! Several years ago, I first heard the term from dear friends who were celebrating RD. The father is a fallen away Catholic, but the entire family now attend non-denominational churches. When I heard the daughter say her family celebrates RD, I really felt like someone punched me in the stomach. Like you, I asked myself, why would anyone want to celebrate division?
ReplyDeleteSince they don't as yet(!)have a Catholic understanding of RD pray Our Lady draw them to her son/the fullness of truth, the Holy Eucharist. As a mother, when your child does not understand something, do you mourn? No you GET BUSY :) Pray,Hope,&Don't worry! ST PADRE PIO.
ReplyDeleteHuh. I'm a Protestant turned Catholic as well, and I've never heard of Reformation Day. I agree though...it is very sad. :( Thank you for this informative post!
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