And yet I chose to ignore a woman with whom I had a professional relationship for a year, and instead listen to two men whom I had never met, **and who had every reason in the world to lie! ** How naive could I possibly get? :doh2:
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You have to take a step back and think about a few things.
The history professor is not a theologian. She is giving you history from a very secular perspective. There is such a thing as secular history and theological history. They are two arms of one discipline.
For example, in secular history we find very little about Jesus of Nazareth. There are suggestions that there was such a man and that he was crucified in Jerusalem. That’s it. However, we do not use that as the criteria to decide that there is no reason to believe in Christ. There is a great deal of theological history that supports not only his existence, but also his identity.
The same thing happens with the Sacrament of Marriage and the other sacraments too. Historically, they are often canonized much later in history. This is a secular historical fact. On the other hand, this does not mean that the faith was not there. In fact, the reason why marriage is canonized as a sacrament at the end of the first millenium is because it had been held and tuaght as such from the time of Christ himself, through Paul and Peter and their followers. Peter and Paul speak at great length about the sanctity of marriage and the roles of spouses toward each other. They elevate marriage to the status of sign of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Anything that is a sign, not symbol, is a proof. This means that it actually does what it says. It sanctifies those who participate in the sign.
The argument about married people being second class citizens in the Church has little or no basis in reality. The real issue was that heretics were attacking the celibate state. The Church came to the defence of the celibate state by redirecting our attention to the writings of Paul who said that this was the highest vocation that one could be called to live.
When Paul says this, he is not reducing married people to second class citizens. He is being very practical. The highest call that God can make to anyone is to live only for him, in intimacy with him, without the mediation of grace that comes through a spouse. Think of it another way. The Office of the Presidency or that of a Monarch is the highest office in a nation. That does not make other people less citizens. But not everyone can be the President, Prime Minister or Monarch. Most peope don’t even want that office. They are not called to it.
As to sex being bad, that has never been the teaching of the Church. The Church has always taught that lust is wrong and she still teaches this. There is a difference between a healthy sexual appetite and lust. Lust seeks its own satisfaction with little concern for the good of the other. Sexuality seeks unity with another person in an intimate relationship. The key word here is “relationship.” That word does not exist in lust.
Relationship and religion come from the same Latin roots “re” and “legare” or in English, “to bind again”. Here is the key. Sexual activity is part of binding, not entertainment.
I’m still a little confused why you believe that John Paul II and Benedict XVI have a reason to lie, lie about what?
The fact that you have never met them is not a requirement to establish their credibility. I never met our Holy Father Francis. He lived and died 800 years ago; but I vowed to live the Gospel according to his rule and his manner until my death. Why? Because his life and work are credible and have never been proven otherwise. He achieved something that I want, great holiness.
When I look at Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI I see two men who have also lived holy lives. What’s there not to want about their lives?
Remaining in the Catholic Church, to avoid proving your mother right, is signing your own spiritual death sentence. One can be in the Church and be in grave spiritual danger. It is not the Church that is putting you in danger, but pride. You have to place distance between you and this pride. You have to get to the point where you allow God to strengthen that faith that you had when you entered the Church.
You know, I have found that part of the process of growing in the spiritual life is going through these peaks and valleys. We often go down in order to bounce to a higher plane of spiritual living. Pray for that gift.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
