I am Now A Catholic In Name Only

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Terry_from_Ypsi

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Sunday, May 17, 2009 I was in South Bend. I help a sign and heard some of the speakers in the “South Quad.” I even told someone who said they were a Catholic who openly admitted using artificial birth control so he and his wife could have sex without concieving a child they were not a Catholic and was going to hell.

But I no longer believe in half of the US Bishops and Cardinals as being really “successors” to the Apostles and the majority of priests who supposedly act in “the person of Jesus Christ” are more phonies than the priests who were involved in the sex scandals.

So, although I do believe that the majority of the fullness of the truth is in the Catholic Church, that as much as thewre are folks here who I believe are Catholics in name only, I guess so am I. I will imitate them. I will go to mass, recieve Holy Communion,
but not listen to what is taught or preached, unless it is something that really rings true to me. I sure won’t pay any attention to the USCCB unless it is a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

So please understand that I am a CINO - Catholic in name only.

For those becoming Roman Catholic, please do it for the “right reasons” that you honestly read the Catechism, go to class and if you hear something different than what is in the Catechism. ask for clarification. Remember, thyis is the most important decision you will make do it for the right reasons.

I guess if you want to be Catholic in Name Only then consider what does it mean to “Believe all that the Catholic Church believes and teaches.” I sure do not anymore
believe all that the Catholic Church teaches because different priests and Bishops teach differently about the same subject.

Regards to all,
 
But I no longer believe in half of the US Bishops and Cardinals as being really “successors” to the Apostles and the majority of priests who supposedly act in “the person of Jesus Christ” are more phonies than the priests who were involved in the sex scandals.
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On the basis of why you said, you apparently believe that half of the “US Bishops and Cardinals” ARE successors of the apostles, and some of the priests are NOT phonies.

How have you determined who is real and who is not? What are your criteria?
 
Cluny said:
On the basis of why you said, you apparently believe that half of the “US Bishops and Cardinals” ARE successors of the apostles, and some of the priests are NOT phonies.

How have you determined who is real and who is not? What are your criteria?
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Terry’s Critieria for Evaluating Bishops and Cardinals:
  1. Does their sermons correctly reflect the teaching of the Bible ?
  2. How do they show respect to Mary the Mother of Jesus and the saints of the Church
  3. Does their teaching and example reflect what is taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church ?
  4. In their speaking, how do they use the words “diversity”, inclusiveness ?
  5. Is their teaching clear or is it confusing ?
  6. What is the place of “reliance on God” and personal prayer in their lives ?
  7. Does their life reflect the “fruits of the spirit” in Ephesians or does it reflect the "fruits of the world. "
  8. Does it seem that the most important thing is making budget and money versus
    prteaching the message of Jesus Christ ?
  9. Have they ever been “persecuted” for “righteousness” sake ?
  10. Do members of their flock speak of them as “a good man”, a faithful Catholic ?
  11. What theologians and teachers and mentors have had the biggest effect upon their lives ?
Priests:
  1. How do they act in CHurch ?
  2. Does it matter where the tabernacle is to be ?
  3. What do they teach about birth control abortion and homosexuality ?
  4. DO they really recognize they are acting in the person of Christ ?
  5. WHat do they teach about the Catechism ?
  6. What do they allow catechists to teach in their religious instruction classes ?
  7. What do they teach about Mary and the Saints ?
  8. See list from above.
  9. Are they a better Pastor or a better “social service worker” ?
  10. Do they preach about heaven, hell and the need for a saviour ?
  11. Do people get “fed” ?
Regards.
 
Oh, good…another person who thinks that they are the one who determines who and what makes a “true” catholic.:rolleyes:
 
Terry, you’re not a CINO, but a faithful Catholic.

What you have forgotten is that none of the Apostles were perfect, either. They ran away when Jesus was arrested, and our first Pope, St. Peter, denied Him 3 times.

The Magisterium is made up of human beings. We can all be stupid, and can all sin. This applies to Bishops, too. And even Popes. Some of them were pretty carnal.

I certainly agree that many priests and Bishops have let the Church down. But the Church herself hasn’t changed. You support what she really teaches, not what some misguided people say, or imply, or “forget” to teach. You are not a CINO!
I even told someone who said … they were not a Catholic and was going to hell.
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That’s not your call; only Jesus can tell them they are going to hell. All we can say is that they are in grave sin, and in danger of going to hell. But I’m glad you had the guts to speak out.

And, like you, I wish our priests collectively would do more preaching about “How to Get to Hell!” You might be able to find one. They are out there.

I wish that more of them understood that loving one’s neighbor doesn’t mean being kind to him by not pointing out when he’s wrong!

Then again, what have I done today to keep someone’s soul out of hell? 😊

God bless you,

Ruthie
 
Don’t blame Holy Mother Church for the actions and decisions of the heretics that walk the halls of Notre Dame.
“Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.”
  • G.K. Chesterton "
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Terry - You raise some interesting questions.

The disgust with the Catholic hierarchy, as evidenced even recently with the Notre Dame protest against Obama’s pro-abortion politics, is evidence of a growing distrust among Catholics who are disheartened by the hierarchy’s actions.

This all boils down to whether we, as Catholics, have a voice.

Do we have a right to object?

Or is the Catholic Church a dictatorship where silence is required?

I would argue that you have a right to object, especially to odious policies and actions of the Church hierarchy. Many Catholics would consider this blasphemy. Nevertheless, if you are adhering to moral principles and taking the higher ground, you have every right to object.

That doesn’t mean, as the prior post below implies, that you are “determining what makes a true Catholic”.

It does mean that you have an intellect, a moral compass, and an independent mind that can think for itself. Use these God-given gifts to help the Church, and to take corrective action where needed.

The Church is not perfect, despite what some Catholics believe. It is a work in progress, and sometimes needs revolutionaries like yourself that can take a stand against clear cut cases of Church wrongdoings.

The Church needs vocal adherents that call for changes in policy and actions. That may upset some people, but so be it.

As long as this vocal dissidence is respectful, and adheres to moral principle - such as objecting to Church scandals such as child abuse, etc. - then you are standing on solid ground.
 
StGerardMagella, Terry from Ipsi wasn’t saying that he disagreed with the teaching of the Church. Quite the opposite. He was frustrated with the lack of some of the ordained to teach faithfully. He doesn’t want to take on the doctrine of the church, but the failure of the church leaders and its members to follow what the church teaches. Terry, correct me if I’m wrong.
 
StGerardMajella said:
Terry - You raise some interesting questions.

The disgust with the Catholic hierarchy, as evidenced even recently with the Notre Dame protest against Obama’s pro-abortion politics, is evidence of a growing distrust among Catholics who are disheartened by the hierarchy’s actions.

This all boils down to whether we, as Catholics, have a voice.

Do we have a right to object?

Or is the Catholic Church a dictatorship where silence is required?

I would argue that you have a right to object, especially to odious policies and actions of the Church hierarchy. Many Catholics would consider this blasphemy. Nevertheless, if you are adhering to moral principles and taking the higher ground, you have every right to object.

That doesn’t mean, as the prior post below implies, that you are “determining what makes a true Catholic”.

It does mean that you have an intellect, a moral compass, and an independent mind that can think for itself. Use these God-given gifts to help the Church, and to take corrective action where needed. .
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Thank you for the encouragement in the midst of my dispair
StGerardMajella said:
The Church is not perfect, despite what some Catholics believe. It is a work in progress, and sometimes needs revolutionaries like yourself that can take a stand against clear cut cases of Church wrongdoings.

The Church needs vocal adherents that call for changes in policy and actions. That may upset some people, but so be it.

As long as this vocal dissidence is respectful, and adheres to moral principle - such as objecing to Church scandals such as child abuse, etc. - then you are standing on solid ground.
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How can I be respectful ? Give me some examples. I am so frustrated with Cardinal Rigali and Cardinal George. They could have done a lot for many if they would have gone to South Bend. I am surprised that Cardinal George wasn’t at the Commencement, he seems to love working with President Obama.

Only 100 Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals out of 330 in the USCCB “Bishops” listing
came out publicly with statements criticizing Notre Dame University. Is this supportive of the Cathechisms’ statement about abortion ? Not hardly. I wonder if Blessed Mother Theresa were alive, what would she have said ?

Let’s see now isn’t it 34% of Americans who identify themselves as Catholic go to Sunday mass on a regular basis. Isn’t it interesting that less than 30% of those listed in the USCCB Bishops list bothered to point out to other Catholics the error by Notre Dame. Gee, I wonder ?

The former Archbishop of San Francisco even supported Notre Dame !!!

Oh well.

God bless the students at NDResponse who stayed faithful to the Church.

Regards,
 
Terry_from_Ypsi said:
Thank you for the encouragement in the midst of my dispair

How can I be respectful ? Give me some examples. I am so frustrated with Cardinal Rigali and Cardinal George. They could have done a lot for many if they would have gone to South Bend. I am surprised that Cardinal George wasn’t at the Commencement, he seems to love working with President Obama.

Only 100 Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals out of 330 in the USCCB “Bishops” listing
came out publicly with statements criticizing Notre Dame University. Is this supportive of the Cathechisms’ statement about abortion ? Not hardly. I wonder if Blessed Mother Theresa were alive, what would she have said ?

Let’s see now isn’t it 34% of Americans who identify themselves as Catholic go to Sunday mass on a regular basis. Isn’t it interesting that less than 30% of those listed in the USCCB Bishops list bothered to point out to other Catholics the error by Notre Dame. Gee, I wonder ?

The former Archbishop of San Francisco even supported Notre Dame !!!

Oh well.

God bless the students at NDResponse who stayed faithful to the Church.

Regards,
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Even if the True Faith is reduced to a handful of adherents, it does not make it any less true. Now more then ever The Church needs Orthodox Catholics like you. Yes, the Church in America is rather wonked. I am honestly impressed that 75 Bishops even spoke up!

Our Church is not called The Holy Catholic Church because of the fidelity of its Clergy or its Laity, but our Founder Jesus Christ.

Was I upset yesterday? Assuredly. Is it a message that The Church needs more Young Orthodox men to take up the reigns when Fr.Jenkins and his ilk pass? Undoubtedly.
Take heart that the Orthodox Communities in the Church are thriving in Vocations and Members. The Summonrum Pontificum was a major victory and a sign that the times are a changing, yes the change is slow, we are Conservatives we know the folly of Over Night presto change-o magic.

Besides, if we think this is bad imagine how early Christians must have felt about Arianism and Gnosticism 👍
 
If you’re baptized, you’re not Catholic in name only. You might be faithful, unfaithful, righteous, self-righteous, or any of a number of other things, but you can’t make yourself more or less Catholic unless you formally repudiate the faith and leave.

Likewise, if a priest is ordained, he’s a priest. An irreverent, ignorant, or well-meaning-but-off-base priest is still a priest. If a bishop doesn’t lead well, he’s still a bishop. If you signed on with the Catholic Church knowing that the Medici family had their hands on the papacy for awhile, then nothing that happens in our time should make you doubt that our Church will always combine the work of the Holy Spirit and the stain of human frailty, and that goes from the bottom to the top. I can’t understand how anybody can study Church history and not get that. We are not different from other ages, except in the part of the spectrum our faults happen to fall on. That there are faults is a constant.

If you have a bone to pick with the heirarchy, then with all respect, pick as it is your duty to pick. But do not be tempted into despair. There is such a thing as the cure being deadlier than the disease…and despair is your choice. It is a deadly sin, and you know it. Apostasy is a deadly sin, and you know it. Do not make threats about those things, like a despondent teenager threatening to commit suicide. Idle or not, those kinds of threats can work their way into your soul! I know of priests that pray every day that they will lose neither their faith nor their priesthood. We should do the same, and not tempt Heaven or the demons with our wild talk. The accuser prowls like a lion. Don’t ever forget it.

That isn’t to say a bishop won’t answer for those lead astray by his fault, but those who choose to go astray will still have the inevitable consequences to endure. The wrath of God is nothing other than reality rearing its head, which is only ugly to the self-deluded. Be grateful for the beautiful blessings you have received without merit. Count the rest as work that is not below you to do, for we all owe more than we can ever repay.

What I mean to say is hang in there, but chin up. No one promised us this would be easy, or that only the ordained would get any heavy lifting.
 
Failure in the exercise of ministry, or even person sin, does not stop a bishop from being a bishop, or a priest from being a priest.

They continue as such until deposed by proper authority.

To say anything else is to at least skirt the edges of the Donatist heresy.
 
I want to thank you all for the many replies. I am 59 but I must confess that I am like that “teenager” mentioned in the above replies.

Yes, I was looking for attention. But evenmore, I needed to talk. Each time a “man of God” shows up. I have hopes of change. When I read in books of mediatation or hear a story of a miracle and long for God to act to change a person’s heart. Then my hopes are “dashed to pieces.” There is so much that I am not doing.

Oh how I hoped that hundreds of thousands would throng to South Bend. How I had hoped that thousands of students and families would skip the graduation. How I had hoped for a mighty sign of God changing hearts and minds.

But 12500 students at a packed Convocation Center cheered-on the most Pro-Choice man in America. Only 100 leaders spoke out. Where were the Knights of Columbus councils with banners flying. Where were the Catholic Pentecostals leading charismatic worship ? Where were the orders of nuns and brothers and monks who are devoted to Mary the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ ? Where was the Church ?

In the bus I was on was a “baptist” who drove 70 miles to get on a bus leaving at 6:30am on a Sunday morning to protest at a Catholic college. In my opinion, this woman is a better Catholic than a lot of Catholics.

I do not pray rosaries. I do pray hail mary’s and prayers.

I fight to remember that just because God does not intervene, God has not abandoned the Catholic Church.

I am so saddended over Catholics arresting Catholics because they carried a cross on a campus once dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Echoing in my mind are the words of Coach Glenn “Bo” Schembechler of the University of Michigan: “To hell with Notre Dame.” How I regretted that Bo said that. But on that Sunday and days before, that is how I felt about Notre Dame University.

I have lost a great deal of faith in the Catholic Church and have lost a lot of confidence in its teachings and it being the “one true Church.” But most of all I cry for many who I failed.

I need a “sign” from God that the Catholic Church is the one true Church and that I can truly have faith that the fullness of faith is in the Catholic Church. The Catechism and the confusion in the US Catholic Church only adds to my doubts and questioning.

Yes, I believe the Eucharist is the body,blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Yes I believe that Mary is the Mother of God and ever virgin. Yes I believe in the statements of the Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed. But there is so much I am not so sure of anymore. The events around Notre Dame add evenmore to my confusion.

Thank you.
 
Terry_from_Ypsi said:
I want to thank you all for the many replies. I am 59 but I must confess that I am like that “teenager” mentioned in the above replies.

Yes, I was looking for attention. But evenmore, I needed to talk. Each time a “man of God” shows up. I have hopes of change. When I read in books of mediatation or hear a story of a miracle and long for God to act to change a person’s heart. Then my hopes are “dashed to pieces.” There is so much that I am not doing.

Oh how I hoped that hundreds of thousands would throng to South Bend. How I had hoped that thousands of students and families would skip the graduation. How I had hoped for a mighty sign of God changing hearts and minds.

But 12500 students at a packed Convocation Center cheered-on the most Pro-Choice man in America. Only 100 leaders spoke out. Where were the Knights of Columbus councils with banners flying. Where were the Catholic Pentecostals leading charismatic worship ? Where were the orders of nuns and brothers and monks who are devoted to Mary the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ ? Where was the Church ?

In the bus I was on was a “baptist” who drove 70 miles to get on a bus leaving at 6:30am on a Sunday morning to protest at a Catholic college. In my opinion, this woman is a better Catholic than a lot of Catholics.

I do not pray rosaries. I do pray hail mary’s and prayers.

I fight to remember that just because God does not intervene, God has not abandoned the Catholic Church.

I am so saddended over Catholics arresting Catholics because they carried a cross on a campus once dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Echoing in my mind are the words of Coach Glenn “Bo” Schembechler of the University of Michigan: “To hell with Notre Dame.” How I regretted that Bo said that. But on that Sunday and days before, that is how I felt about Notre Dame University.

I have lost a great deal of faith in the Catholic Church and have lost a lot of confidence in its teachings and it being the “one true Church.” But most of all I cry for many who I failed.

I need a “sign” from God that the Catholic Church is the one true Church and that I can truly have faith that the fullness of faith is in the Catholic Church. The Catechism and the confusion in the US Catholic Church only adds to my doubts and questioning.

Yes, I believe the Eucharist is the body,blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Yes I believe that Mary is the Mother of God and ever virgin. Yes I believe in the statements of the Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed. But there is so much I am not so sure of anymore. The events around Notre Dame add evenmore to my confusion.

Thank you.
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You have a sign. The Eucharist. At every Mass you witness the miracle of transubstantiation, and receive Jesus, Truly Present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, into your human body.

Stop looking for other signs. Go back to EasterJoy’s excellent post, copy it, and read it several times a day.

Are you a Catholic or a Protestant? I’m not sure from your posts. You don’t pray a Rosary? WHY NOT?! That, is one of the most powerful ways to stop evil.

As for why thousands didn’t show up to protest–well, most of us have other responsibilities that we can’t abandon, mainly work, school, or family (children). Most people in the U.S. can’t just drop everything and drive to Indiana. A lot of people have money problems at the moment and can’t afford such a trip. Lots of people have health issues, or they are elderly.

And there are a lot of people, Catholics, who honestly, truly, are following their conscience (which may be formed poorly) and believe that Pres. Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame is an honor for the students. (I agree with that–my disagreement was with his receiving an honorary degree.)

You simply have to be more forbearing and recognize that the Catholic Church is made up of real people who have everyday lives. I personally don’t think that Notre Dame was “the hill to die on.”

One more thing–my kid will graduate from St. Louis University next year, and I plan to write a heart-felt letter to Father Biondi and respectfully ask him to please make sure that the graduation speaker is not offensive to the Catholic Church. There are so many deserving Catholics who could be the graduation speaker–I’m going to suggest Mary Anne Glendon! That would give SLU publicity and notoriety, but not contradict the Church.
 
Just make sure you keep the faith, you follow Christ alone and pray that the rest will catch up to you before it’s too late.
 
Terry,

You might find a retreat beneficial for rebuilding your faith. There really are many faithful Catholics and wonderful bishops and priests. Look for a Cursillo retreat in your area. Or ask around to find another parish or diocese that will help you beyond where you are now. I know many people who come to our parish because they didn’t feel the reverence for the Eucharist at their home parish. Consider spending time at a retreat in Steubenville this summer. (SalvationHistory.com)

Another poster wrote that there are great things happening where faithful bishops lead. Full seminaries, women choosing the religious life - these things should encourage you. Did you know that Mother Angelica’s community in Alabama has an average age of nuns in their 20’s? Good things are happening. More people now call themselves pro-life than pro-choice.

Most of all, you must trust in God. He is in charge and he uses everything. I think He is using the Notre Dame (and Georgetown) situations to fire up Catholics so that we speak out for what is right, and perhaps if the people in the pews speak out, some of our weak Bishops will have the courage to do the same.

You might look for a book called The Tide is Turning Toward Catholicism by David Hartline. It’s an optimistic portrait of what’s happening in our church.

May God restore your faith and bring you joy!
 
Terry_from_Ypsi said:
I want to thank you all for the many replies. I am 59 but I must confess that I am like that “teenager” mentioned in the above replies.

Yes, I was looking for attention. But evenmore, I needed to talk. Each time a “man of God” shows up. I have hopes of change. When I read in books of mediatation or hear a story of a miracle and long for God to act to change a person’s heart. Then my hopes are “dashed to pieces.” There is so much that I am not doing.

Oh how I hoped that hundreds of thousands would throng to South Bend. How I had hoped that thousands of students and families would skip the graduation. How I had hoped for a mighty sign of God changing hearts and minds.

But 12500 students at a packed Convocation Center cheered-on the most Pro-Choice man in America. Only 100 leaders spoke out. Where were the Knights of Columbus councils with banners flying. Where were the Catholic Pentecostals leading charismatic worship ? Where were the orders of nuns and brothers and monks who are devoted to Mary the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ ? Where was the Church ?

In the bus I was on was a “baptist” who drove 70 miles to get on a bus leaving at 6:30am on a Sunday morning to protest at a Catholic college. In my opinion, this woman is a better Catholic than a lot of Catholics.

I do not pray rosaries. I do pray hail mary’s and prayers.

I fight to remember that just because God does not intervene, God has not abandoned the Catholic Church.

I am so saddended over Catholics arresting Catholics because they carried a cross on a campus once dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.

Echoing in my mind are the words of Coach Glenn “Bo” Schembechler of the University of Michigan: “To hell with Notre Dame.” How I regretted that Bo said that. But on that Sunday and days before, that is how I felt about Notre Dame University.

I have lost a great deal of faith in the Catholic Church and have lost a lot of confidence in its teachings and it being the “one true Church.” But most of all I cry for many who I failed.

I need a “sign” from God that the Catholic Church is the one true Church and that I can truly have faith that the fullness of faith is in the Catholic Church. The Catechism and the confusion in the US Catholic Church only adds to my doubts and questioning.

Yes, I believe the Eucharist is the body,blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Yes I believe that Mary is the Mother of God and ever virgin. Yes I believe in the statements of the Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed. But there is so much I am not so sure of anymore. The events around Notre Dame add evenmore to my confusion.

Thank you.
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God sent us His only begotten Son. That’s not enough of a sign?

The pomps and posturings of a media-anointed messiah and a campus in full collaboration with him does not in one whit take a way from God’s true Church. The fact that humans are prone to sin and sometimes listen to the snares of the Devil proves only that we are fallen in nature.

What God wants is for us to be faithful—not necessarily successful. Though sometimes we are… Why not pray the Rosary? It worked a personal miracle for me.
 
Terry_from_Ypsi said:
I want to thank you all for the many replies. I am 59 but I must confess that I am like that “teenager” mentioned in the above replies.

Yes, I was looking for attention. But evenmore, I needed to talk. Each time a “man of God” shows up. I have hopes of change. When I read in books of mediatation or hear a story of a miracle and long for God to act to change a person’s heart. Then my hopes are “dashed to pieces.” There is so much that I am not doing. …

I have lost a great deal of faith in the Catholic Church and have lost a lot of confidence in its teachings and it being the “one true Church.” But most of all I cry for many who I failed.

I need a “sign” from God that the Catholic Church is the one true Church and that I can truly have faith that the fullness of faith is in the Catholic Church. The Catechism and the confusion in the US Catholic Church only adds to my doubts and questioning.

Yes, I believe the Eucharist is the body,blood soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. Yes I believe that Mary is the Mother of God and ever virgin. Yes I believe in the statements of the Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed. But there is so much I am not so sure of anymore. The events around Notre Dame add evenmore to my confusion.

Thank you.
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Luther saw a lot of real abuses in the Catholic Church. So did St. Francis. They just responded in different ways, and with different consequences. Decide to follow St. Francis’ way, or the way of saints who were like him. There are ways to challenge power that please the Lord. Use those, and only those.

Roughly 1/3 of the world’s population counts itself as Christian. Of those, over a billion, or about 1/6, are Roman Catholic. Another 225 million are Orthodox. The remainer, nearly a billion people, are spread among roughly *38,000 *countable denominations. (This presumably doesn’t count the “denomination of one” that used to preach on my old college campus.) Once you defy Our Lord’s prayer “that they be one”, there is no telling where you could end up. Ask any of us who have left and come back: Do Not Go There. You are at an edge with no rail. Back Away, and Stay Away. Heaven forbid that you fall, as we did!! Too many never come back.

Here’s your sign: get out your Bible and read the accounts of how Satan tempted Eve and Adam and Our Lord. What did he do in both cases? He attempted to introduce doubt that the tempted person correctly understood what obedience demanded! Aha! Do you see what is being tried on you?

“Put not your trust in princes” but “I will not leave you orphans.” You can put your confidence in the sure graces attached to each of the offices given to the princes of the Church. You cannot put your confidence in the princes themselves!! Do not let their frailty, or yours, put doubt into your minds about the faith that has been handed down to us. There will be trials: this is a certainty.

I know it is hard to see so many at Notre Dame waving at Mr. Obama, when you can see him as Neville Chamberlain, promising “Peace in Our Time” while the Holocaust is being planned back in Berlin. You must accept, though, that these trials will always come.

Here is another sign for you: Mr. Obama, who told abortion supporters that signing FOCA would be the first thing he’d do when he hit office, has since announced that it is not a high priority for him. In other words, the politicians who support “abortion rights” can be just as nominal in their support as those who oppose. The cards are not all stacked against us.

Also, though, do not forget that we are commanded–not just been counselled that it would be a nice thing to do, but commanded–to love our enemies. Will you consent to obedience? Obedience obeys even when obeying becomes hard.

Pray for the enlightenment of those people who fail to see the evil of abortion. Pray for mercy on them, “for they know not what they do.” Be unfailingly patient, kind, never rude, and in every way loving to all, including them. Then, when you fall, you will be able to allow God’s compassion to reach you, too. We are not unlike other men. We are all in need of the mercy of God, and in every minute we depend in every way on his graces. If any stray further from God than we do, all we can say is this: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Be assured that many who are more advanced than we say the same of us! Yet if they truly are more advanced than we, they look on us in compassion, and do not give up hope that the Lord will conquer our willfulness.

When the prospect that someone else may be headed for eternal damnation crosses your mind, then, let your anger always be a compassionate anger that is rooted in your sure knowledge of how Jesus thirsts for their souls, how much he loves them, how much their sin is hurting them. For if you saw a child who was addicted to drugs, would you not be filled with pity? How much different are we, who cling in denial to our favorite sins, who presume vainly that our virtues are our own doing? So root your anger in loving compassion. When Jesus cleared the Temple of moneychangers, after all, it was for the good of the moneychangers, too. It was not he who did them harm, but he who awakened them to the harm they were doing. I like to think that some of them woke up on that account.

Also, it is OK that you do not feel like doing any of this. You only have to be obedient. If virtue has some savor to you, give thanks. If it doesn’t, accept it, anyway. Our tastes will catch up, until God has purged us of every taste for sin.

Finally, if you want any virtue, ask for it. Ask, ask, ask again, and most of all, ask in a group. God did not put a desire for good things in your heart, only to give you something less. Dare to pursue what he has given you to desire. Dare to ask those whom God has given you as brothers to pray with you on your behalf. This is God’s will for us.
 
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