Doing My Part

By Jenny Dendinger

Having five kids means I referee a lot of fights. Sometimes I spend time listening to each side and helping them sort through their feelings, and other times, when I’m really fed up with the fighting, I shut it all down. I immediately take away the source of the disagreement and send everyone to different corners of the house with instructions to think about what they did wrong.

While I know that not everyone involved is always a part of the problem, I still try to encourage my kids to think through what happened. Is there a way to help prevent these problems from arising? Which virtues do they need to practice? What work can be done in their hearts to assist them in becoming a better sibling or friend?

When Pope Francis recently published the new guidelines for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, many of us felt like the announcement was a sweeping punishment. He is obviously more aware of the problems in the Church than we are, but that doesn’t take away the sting of these restrictions.

Thankfully, Archbishop Aymond celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass with our community at Our Lady of Mount Carmel that same day, and in his homily, he addressed our concerns and promised that our celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass would continue.

“Be at peace,” he reassured us.

With that in mind, I am trying to move forward in prayer. I am seeking wisdom to help me better understand the concerns that led Pope Francis to this point, and I am asking God which virtues I need to practice to help me avoid being a part of the problem. What work can I do in my own heart to help unify our Church?

I think these are worthy questions for all Catholics to consider. Because, no matter which form of the Mass you prefer to celebrate, the same truth remains: we are all called to be humble participants in the solution.