Contronting the facts

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mordocai
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mordocai

Guest
Let’s face it, folks.
The Catholics in America just don’t know their faith. Most Catholics are “constipated Catholics” who just go through the motions during Mass and then there’s the “cafeteria Catholics” who pick and choose what they should like to believe and o my favorite “diet Catholics and/or Catholic lites” who essentially know enough but hey, they have better things to worry about than spreading the Gospel and getting closer to God.

Bare with me for a few moments, I’ve decided to rant. 🙂

WHY is it that this infectious disease is so widespread in America? Is it the same in the rest of the world? It’s like a pandemic! Bishops and Priests have simply failed to teach and Laymen have failed to be receptive.

In my Parish it’s ridiculous. I actually DON’T LIKE going to Sunday Mass anymore. The morning Masses are preferred since you actually have 100% of the people there who WANT to be there. You know if Sunday Mass wasn’t an obligation, how many people would even be there? O and don’t forget about the countless people every Sunday who receive Christ in the state of mortal sin. Sigh… Basically my church sucks.

Lukewarm is the coldest temperature there is.

WHAT CAN WE DO?! How do we evangelize to the lukewarm? What do we say to the priests? Maybe I’ll just write letter after letter to the bishop for a call of evangelization. I don’t know I’m desperate. A friend of mine and I are going to be starting up a catechism/theology discussion group/class soon. And I’d like to get a Bible study going too. My pastor is a former teacher, so I think He shoudl be involved in it. But since it’s a youth group thing, my friend thinks that the kids won’t be receptive to him simply because he’s a priest.

Please pray for my parish and HEEELLLPP!

God Bless!
Mordocai
 
You’re not going to be able to do much about the lukewarmness. That’s basically how people are. You must try, of course, and you’ll probably have some success if you put yourself into it, too. Speaking from experience, the best thing you can do is what you are: starting a Bible Study or Catechism class. You’re going to get the people there who want to be there. Make sure you do a good job, and you’ll keep them. Meeting with that group of Catholics who want to be there will really raise your spirits. You may be able to grow something out from there, for example starting a group which is really just a fellowship of Catholics who want to be there.

Just make sure to avoid becoming too split off from the rest of the parish. You want to continue to be a part of the parish, and not either alienate others or make the members of the group feel “holier than thou.” You also want to make sure to continue trying to heat up the lukewarm members, but in a way that doesn’t make them feel pushed.
 
I just wanted to add that the situation is very similar in Australia. Also, from my own experience, I was once a lukewarm Catholic and ironically it was my girlfriend going to a Protestant Church that kicked me into gear. I went with her a couple of times and was horrified to find out that some of them think that Catholics aren’t Christians, and I ended up diving head-on into theology. The more I learned, the more I felt it was important to be conservative, and the more I felt that it is important to learn even more. I think what you’re doing is a really good idea. Hopefully, the more your students learn, the more they will want to learn, just like me!
 
If you aren’t appreciating Mass lately, I recommend you read Scott Hahn’s “The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth."
After that, you will never see Mass the same again. You will no longer have the problem you describe.
 
Thanks for the advice. And Scott Hahn’s book, I’ve been wanting to get that for so long! But 20 bucks! Man it better be worth it… Anyone know where I can get it for cheaper? 🙂

How should I go about announcing a catechism class? Bulletin of course.
Also, where should I start? Should I get a book and follow along with it?
God Bless,
Mordocai
 
It sounds like you have reached the same crisis awareness point I experienced about 4 years ago.
Up until that point I had been pluggin’ away as a busy wife and mother. Naturally educating my children and picking up the pieces left behind by others for me to pick up. I was too busy to realize how desperate the situation in the Church really is. For every individual that realizes the problem…you me and many others…I say stop and think how we can help resolve the problem. Believe you can move mountains. Believe you can make a difference one person at a time. Start with yourself first. Help yourself in all the ways you know you are lacking. Help others. One at a time.

Travel if you must but go and find a parish you feel you can freely worship and grow in.
 
First of all, I think we approach people in the Church completely incorrectly. If you are able to assess someones boredom during Mass, maybe you’re not paying as much attention as you should be. And why don’t you enjoy going to Sunday Mass? Since it’s a mortal sin to not show up on Sunday, I’m very happy to be there reguardless of what other people might be thinking or feeling. I’m there to worship my God and Savior. And you saying that if it wasn’t necessary, people wouldn’t go shows a huge lack of faith on your part. And as for the people who recieve Christ in the state of mortal sin? Pray for them! Pray for everyone that is having trouble batteling sins and evils and pray for their knowledge that they should go confess before recieving communion. The last thing we should be thinking about in Mass is others faults and oo she did this and oo he did that. God said love one another. And it should be done at Mass as well as in your own home. And then to say your Church sucks? If anyone needs to examine their conscious, I’d say it’s you. And as for Bible Studies, our Parish holds numerous ones every day of the week. I will pray that your Parish will do the same.
 
I have struggled enormously with our parish. I tried so hard to make a difference. I taught 6th grade RE for 5 years. I got on the parish council. I became the pro-life representative. After 8 years of struggling, my husband and I finally made the decision to find another parish. Many, many things factored into our decision. But the biggest thing for us was when one of the priests would get up there during the Homily and preach the exact opposite of what we are trying to teach our children. ( For example he said it was OK to be pro-choice or an active homosexual and still come up to Communion. :eek: We were also the only NFP family I know of that attended that particular parish. ) We just couldn’t take it anymore. We are currently floating, looking for a new parish family that will be a bit of a better fit. I know what you are going through, and for us, it was an agonizing decision. I would try anything I could where you are now, but if you find yourself crying through Mass every Sunday (because of the abuses or heresy) then I would just attend a different church. I, too, found it very difficult to be properly disposed during the Mass because of all the negatives going on around me. I don’t think that God would want that for us.
BTW, if you don’t find a lot of support from your priest on the bible study idea, don’t get discouraged. You could always order a bible study program online (check Catholic Exchange) or order Fr. Corapi’s tapes on the Catechism and hold the classes at your home. You may only start with a couple of people, but as soon as people notice the good fruits that are bound to come from such classes, your attendance will probably increase. “Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name…”
 
I consider it my duty to maintain my own spiritual life and set the best of examples.

Futhermore I have heard many stories of the graces unleashed by Eucharistic adoration and intercession for the churches like that.

Pax tecum,
 
Part of the lukewarmness is a lack of passion (and Passion) in our teaching.

When I was assisting with the RCIA in New York State, I was told never to mention mortal sin, Hell, transubstantiation, or abortion. When I asked why, I was told that most of the people in RCIA weren’t there because they were really drawn to the Faith, but because they were marrying Catholics or for some other reason; those things would just scare them off.

If that’s the way we deal with converts who are interested in learning about the Church, is it any wonder we do not know much about our Faith?
 
40.png
severinus:
When I was assisting with the RCIA in New York State, I was told never to mention mortal sin, Hell, transubstantiation, or abortion. When I asked why, I was told that most of the people in RCIA weren’t there because they were really drawn to the Faith, but because they were marrying Catholics or for some other reason; those things would just scare them off.
Click to expand...
So we can’t discuss sin in a New York church, but we sure don’t hesitate to sound off about wearing jeans. Cheezzz. Welcome to the enlightened liberal church. I’m going back to the south.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top