Building a Faith Not Based on Fear

[BarbTh]

@Marie16 Martin Luther abandoned his priestly vows in Catholicism, married an ex nun and had several children, 5 or 6 I think it was. He did passionately preach but not what The Church preached. Be that as it may, he did have things to say that needed to be said. The Church needed to amend its ways, correct its very real faults… as is happening again today.

Luther however helped to organise people into churches outside of Catholicism as he was. What he started was not a reformation but a revolution. It could be said said that reformation is by a person within the institution and acts from within. Revolution is by a person who leaves the institution and acts on the institution from without.

Here is a quite lengthy read, but answers many questions raised as well as statements made re Martin Luther Catholic Culture article: “New Light on Martin Luther”

 

[BarbTh]

Excerpts from the above article “New Light on Martin Luther”:

QUOTE:"That Luther’s revolt against the Catholic Church was not inspired by God should be evident to anyone who believes in Christ, and has a knowledge of the Gospels. Christ Himself said, “I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Anyone who says that the Church as Christ established it so failed later on that men had to leave it, and begin new Churches, contradicts Christ. Yet that is what Luther did. Saying that the forces of evil had prevailed against the Catholic Church, he left it to start a new Church of his own. That meant that Christ could not keep His promise to protect the Church against such radical corruption. That there were abuses amongst Catholics, both clergy and laity, in Luther’s time, no one could deny. Christ Himself predicted such abuses when He said that His Church would be like a net holding good and bad fish. There were plenty of bad fish inside the net at the time of the Reformation. But bad fish do not mean a bad net. Where Luther made the mistake was in condemning the net as well as the bad fish, and going off to make a net of his own. If he really wanted a reformation, he should have stayed inside the net guaranteed by Christ, and spent his energies turning the bad fish into good ones. Realizing this, good Protestants today should get back to the net Luther abandoned — the Catholic Church.

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No decent Protestant could read the booklet, “Hans Worst,” written by Luther in 1541, without utter disgust. Zwingli, his fellow Protestant reformer, complained of the vile language in this dirty little pamphlet. Again, no decent Protestant could read Luther’s “Table Talk” without shame and indignation. D. P. Smith, the Protestant biographer, in his book “Luther,” p. 321, writes, “It strikes the modern reader with no less than astonishment, almost with horror, to find the great moralist’s private talk with his guests and children, his lectures to students, even his sermons, thickly interlarded with words, expressions, and stories, such as today are confined to the frequenters of the lowest bar-rooms.” There is no doubt that Luther’s teachings and practical advice, and example in conversation, were infinitely below the moral standards of the Catholic Church he reviled, and below even the standards now generally accepted by Protestants themselves." UNQUOTE

 

[Marie16]

I’m sorry. I should have been more specific. I meant he left the Catholic Church, which is something that would greatly sadden me personally to do. Not that good couldn’t be accomplished through that as well, but there are many parts of the Catholic Church I love and would hate to lose.

I would love to start the study.

 

[BarbTh]

I am a huge fan of St Faustina’s Diary. I started it around April this year and finished in July. So many of her struggles reminded me so much of my own and for once I felt like I wasn’t alone in them. Often she would make comments that when I had made similar statements to Catholics I know before I’d been ridiculed for. I’m considering going through it again and maybe at an even slower pace. I do truly believe her intercession played a role in me fully coming back to the faith late this summer. I’m grateful she addresses such tough areas.

The Diary of St Faustina will not lead you astray for sure. I would rely more on what she wrote than what some Catholics and others, including me, might say. Jesus has told us to expect derision and ridicule etc “They have persecuted Me and they will persecute You” Vatican Bible HERE. There are many forms of persecution and ridicule is one of them.

Prayer for your journey - and please keep me in your own prayer.

 

[Mi_Rose]

Saint Francis de Sales wrote wonderful books about living as a layperson and God’s tremendous love for us.

 

[BarbTh]

Thank you and how very true! Great recommendation.
I am thinking of “Introduction to The Devout Life” by St Francis, which predates St Faustina’s diary by hundreds of years and goes back to the early 1600’s. But St Francis has written it specifically for lay persons in the world who desire to live a holy life in the world. St Francis advocates a beautiful and gentle spirituality. Most all spiritual books at that time seemed to indicate one needed to retire from the world into religious life - and/or reject the world totally in order to be holy. From that concept, the world was viewed as something contrary to Jesus and His Gospel - and to holiness of life.

St Francis de Sales, however, is quite prophetic and looks forward to our own day when the Laity has come to be seen as an important institution within The Church with its own unique vocation and mission in The Church and the world St Pope John Paul II - CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI (Vatican Website) Christifideles Laici translates as THE VOCATION AND MISSION OF THE LAY FAITHFUL IN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD.

Introduction to The Devout Life by St Francis de Sales is online HERE

St Francis wrote the excerpt only, as below, in an introduction to this work. The entire text of his introduction is in the online copy link I gave above.

QUOTE: Almost all those who have written concerning the devout life have had chiefly in view persons who have altogether quitted the world; or at any rate they have taught a manner of devotion which
would lead to such total retirement. But my object is to teach those who are living in towns, at court, in their own households, and whose calling obliges them to a social life, so far as externals are concerned. Such persons are apt to reject all attempt to lead a devout life under the plea of impossibility; imagining that like as no animal presumes to eat of the plant commonly called Palma Christi, so no one who is immersed in the tide of temporal affairs ought to presume to seek the
palm of Christian piety.
And so I have shown them that, like as the mother-of-pearl lives in the sea without ever absorbing one drop of salt water; and as near the Chelidonian Isles springs of sweet water start forth in the midst of the ocean and as the firemoth hovers in the flames without burning her
wings; even so a true stedfast soul may live in the world untainted by worldly breath, finding a well-spring of holy piety amid the bitter waves of society, and hovering amid the flames of earthly lusts without singeing the wings of its devout life. Of a truth this is not easy, and for that very reason. I would have Christians bestow more care and energy than heretofore on the attempt, and thus it is that, while conscious of my own weakness, I endeavour by this book to afford some help to those who are undertaking this noble work with a generous heart.UNQUOTE

 

[Hodos]

I would disagree with your assessment that Luther left the Church. Anyway, my desire is not for you to leave the Church. My desire is that you know and understand the gospel. That being said, I would start with reading Romans 1. What I would like you to do is to try to keep an outline of Paul’s argument. What are the major themes and points that Paul is making? How is he transitioning from one point to another? In other words, what is the flow of his argument? Feel free to PM me when you have had a chance to read through it and we can discuss. I will warn you, the first two and a half chapters of Romans have quite a bit of bad news. But take heart, you have to understand the bad news so that we see the good news (gospel) in its full light. By the time we get to Chapter 8, you will see why I recommended Romans to give you assurance of your righteous standing before God. God bless.

One final note, Verse 17 in Romans 1 can be a bit confusing. The Greek underlying the English translation is a little idiomatic, so it is difficult to render in English so that it carries the same meaning. Take note of it though, because it sets Paul’s entire thesis for his letter. We can discuss when you get through it.

 

[goout]

At times, the spiritual life can become confusing and distracting. There are many scripture passages and many homilies, many words from saints to guide us. All good.
Sometimes I just have to surrender it all to God and soak in his loving goodness. And get off the merry go round to enjoy a piece of God’s simplicity. Admit to God that I am fearful and anxious, and not run from it. And give it to God.

“You are my beloved son, in you I am well pleased”.
His grace is the only thing that truly suffices. He will transform us.

 

[BarbTh]

At times, the spiritual life can become confusing and distracting. There are many scripture passages and many homilies, many words from saints to guide us. All good.
Sometimes I just have to surrender it all to God and soak in his loving goodness. And get off the merry go round to enjoy a piece of God’s simplicity. Admit to God that I am fearful and anxious, and not run from it. And give it to God.

Well said… and thank you

 

[Marie16]

@BarbTh

I hope it won’t lead me astray. I keep praying that she will intercede for me. I am happy to keep you in my prayers. Thank you for the link to Introduction to the Devout Life!

@Mi_Rose

I have never read anything by Saint Francis de Sales. I will look more into his writings. Thank you!

@Hodos

This sounds great! I will do so during adoration tonight and get back to you.

@goout

This is very good advice. Maybe I need to spend more time telling God about what’s going on instead of trying to fix it by myself for Him. I want to be better for Him, but I do underestimate that He is on my side through this.