D
DL82
Guest
Recently, I’ve encountered a number of people who are attracted to the prayer of the Church but not its’ teachings.
In particular, two ex-pagan friends, one of whom is now a Catholic and the other an atheist. I have a past in paganism as well. Pagans don’t generally adopt their faith because they ‘believe’ in it (in fact, many have constructed an interesting postmodern argument for acting as though they believed what they cannot in fact deny is blatant nonsense about multiple gods and supernatural beings). For me, and for them, what paganism held, which protestant Christianity lacked, was a sense of time, of human nature, of the passing seasons of the day, the year and human life.
Also, I know a number of Anglican Christians who worship in a Catholic way, but cannot bring themselves to believe what the Church demands.
Finally, I saw a thread from someone on this forum who was interested in becomming a NUN despite being a pantheist and a non-Catholic.
Catholic Christianity doesn’t just accept these seasons in our nature, it tries to sanctify them. This is one of the great appeals of Catholicism to me.
For much of Catholic history, there were large numbers of people who had not yet formally entered the Church, nor even become catechumens, but who attended Church and were in some sense ‘adherents’.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi - the way we pray is the way we believe. It’s sad that much of protestant Christianity has lost this connection. Many Catholics have even lost it. At the same time, we have entered a postmodern period of ‘lifestyle choice’ and ‘plural culture’ where choosing to behave or believe a particular way is justification enough, where no further reason need be given, and no further reason can be given. People are searching. Many of them see the richness of Catholic Tradition and they can tell that this is what they are searching for, but they open the book of Catholic teaching, and they can’t accept it (yet).
Anyway, I had a thought - how about simply encouraging people to come along and pray. To pray the rosary, or a part of the liturgy of the hours, to have an awareness of the meditations for the liturgical seasons, to come to weekly mass? Maybe at first to do nothing more than decorate their room the colour of the liturgical season.
As people pray, and as they become part of the prayer of the Church, maybe the teaching of the Church will begin to make sense to them. Rather than trying to ram doctrine down people’s throats (I’ve never seen anyone converted by argument alone), or offering to pray for them, how about inviting them to pray with us, even if they don’t entirely know what they’re praying to yet.
Maybe this idea will come across to some as too postmodern, too liberal, but I believe that it is in fact rooted deeply in tradition.
Not sure what to do with this idea. At the moment it’s just a lonely idea rattling around inside my head. When I push ‘submit’ it will be a lonely idea sitting on a forum saying ‘here I am, think about me’. After that, it’s in God’s hands, and yours. Thanks for reading.
In particular, two ex-pagan friends, one of whom is now a Catholic and the other an atheist. I have a past in paganism as well. Pagans don’t generally adopt their faith because they ‘believe’ in it (in fact, many have constructed an interesting postmodern argument for acting as though they believed what they cannot in fact deny is blatant nonsense about multiple gods and supernatural beings). For me, and for them, what paganism held, which protestant Christianity lacked, was a sense of time, of human nature, of the passing seasons of the day, the year and human life.
Also, I know a number of Anglican Christians who worship in a Catholic way, but cannot bring themselves to believe what the Church demands.
Finally, I saw a thread from someone on this forum who was interested in becomming a NUN despite being a pantheist and a non-Catholic.
Catholic Christianity doesn’t just accept these seasons in our nature, it tries to sanctify them. This is one of the great appeals of Catholicism to me.
For much of Catholic history, there were large numbers of people who had not yet formally entered the Church, nor even become catechumens, but who attended Church and were in some sense ‘adherents’.
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi - the way we pray is the way we believe. It’s sad that much of protestant Christianity has lost this connection. Many Catholics have even lost it. At the same time, we have entered a postmodern period of ‘lifestyle choice’ and ‘plural culture’ where choosing to behave or believe a particular way is justification enough, where no further reason need be given, and no further reason can be given. People are searching. Many of them see the richness of Catholic Tradition and they can tell that this is what they are searching for, but they open the book of Catholic teaching, and they can’t accept it (yet).
Anyway, I had a thought - how about simply encouraging people to come along and pray. To pray the rosary, or a part of the liturgy of the hours, to have an awareness of the meditations for the liturgical seasons, to come to weekly mass? Maybe at first to do nothing more than decorate their room the colour of the liturgical season.
As people pray, and as they become part of the prayer of the Church, maybe the teaching of the Church will begin to make sense to them. Rather than trying to ram doctrine down people’s throats (I’ve never seen anyone converted by argument alone), or offering to pray for them, how about inviting them to pray with us, even if they don’t entirely know what they’re praying to yet.
Maybe this idea will come across to some as too postmodern, too liberal, but I believe that it is in fact rooted deeply in tradition.
Not sure what to do with this idea. At the moment it’s just a lonely idea rattling around inside my head. When I push ‘submit’ it will be a lonely idea sitting on a forum saying ‘here I am, think about me’. After that, it’s in God’s hands, and yours. Thanks for reading.