R
RKS89
Guest
I was fortunate that when I finally started to be fair to the Catholic Church I was already so fed up and frustrated with every other spiritual/religious tradition I’d looked into that most of my issues were cleared up pretty painlessly. For example, once I actually learned what and who the Pope is (and what and who he is not) I quickly had no more problems with the Papacy.
I explain the Catholic faith to a lot of people. Sometimes they ask me, sometimes it naturally arises, and sometimes I hear a particularly outrageous statement and I do my best to charitably correct it. But time and time again I’ve noticed one thing among all the non-Catholics (and, to be fair, some Catholics) I’ve interacted with in the last two years- they often cannot see the mercy within, or at the heart of, the Church’s teaching.
For example, I have a co-worker who is Lutheran and we’ve amicably discussed our faiths. Two topics that seem to stick in her craw are the intercession of the saints and annulments. Now I understand some people see the intercession of the saints as pagan, or witchcraft or what have you, but I fail to understand how people simply can’t see God has given us these holy men and women to be examples for us by their lives and also to intercede for us after their deaths. Let’s say you have to drive from Traverse City to Detroit, but you can only drive in reverse. And you have the option of either using all your mirrors, plus jacking your neck around to look over your shoulder to sre. OR you can have someone ride in the back and watch the route and give you directions. You can still use your mirrors but you’ve also got help. Who would turn that down? And with annulments, same deal. My co-worker thinks it’s just am excuse for us to remarry, and that once you’re married that’s it, regardless of circumstances. Again, I can understand that position, but after having explained it to dozens of people, even sharing the stories of people I know who had marriages declared null and how healing and relieving it was, how can people fail to see the mercy in that? How about confession? The Eucharist? Marian devotion? Indulgences and Holy Days? I mean, we Catholics have a wealth of graces and mercy to utilize and even the faithful can fail to see it.
That’s what I’ve found to be most frustrating when talking to non-Catholics. I often understand where they’re coming from, especially when their views are obviously so far askew from what the Church actually teaches they couldn’t help but be in error. But I struggle knowing that, where I see gifts of great mercy from a God who loves us and wants only our good and holiness, others see “gotchas” and loopholes crafted by man.
Sorry for the ranty-ness of this, I don’t usually vent but sometimes it really makes me want to tear my hair out.
I explain the Catholic faith to a lot of people. Sometimes they ask me, sometimes it naturally arises, and sometimes I hear a particularly outrageous statement and I do my best to charitably correct it. But time and time again I’ve noticed one thing among all the non-Catholics (and, to be fair, some Catholics) I’ve interacted with in the last two years- they often cannot see the mercy within, or at the heart of, the Church’s teaching.
For example, I have a co-worker who is Lutheran and we’ve amicably discussed our faiths. Two topics that seem to stick in her craw are the intercession of the saints and annulments. Now I understand some people see the intercession of the saints as pagan, or witchcraft or what have you, but I fail to understand how people simply can’t see God has given us these holy men and women to be examples for us by their lives and also to intercede for us after their deaths. Let’s say you have to drive from Traverse City to Detroit, but you can only drive in reverse. And you have the option of either using all your mirrors, plus jacking your neck around to look over your shoulder to sre. OR you can have someone ride in the back and watch the route and give you directions. You can still use your mirrors but you’ve also got help. Who would turn that down? And with annulments, same deal. My co-worker thinks it’s just am excuse for us to remarry, and that once you’re married that’s it, regardless of circumstances. Again, I can understand that position, but after having explained it to dozens of people, even sharing the stories of people I know who had marriages declared null and how healing and relieving it was, how can people fail to see the mercy in that? How about confession? The Eucharist? Marian devotion? Indulgences and Holy Days? I mean, we Catholics have a wealth of graces and mercy to utilize and even the faithful can fail to see it.
That’s what I’ve found to be most frustrating when talking to non-Catholics. I often understand where they’re coming from, especially when their views are obviously so far askew from what the Church actually teaches they couldn’t help but be in error. But I struggle knowing that, where I see gifts of great mercy from a God who loves us and wants only our good and holiness, others see “gotchas” and loopholes crafted by man.
Sorry for the ranty-ness of this, I don’t usually vent but sometimes it really makes me want to tear my hair out.
