Mini-rant--feeling like we complicate things

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PrayingDuck

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Sometimes I feel like all this talk about mortal vs. venial sin, and was this tradition established in the Bible, and is the Bible even valid, and blah blah blah is just complicating things. It seems like the way we practice our Catholic faith today is way more complicated than it was back in the time of the early Christians. They didn’t have a Catechism telling them exactly what they believed and the proper way to do every little thing. I mean, was it really supposed to be this complicated? Especially just reading through CAF, things (read: sins) come up that I wouldn’t have ever even thought about.
 
And so it’s a good time to have Pope Francis with us, who is providing the simple message of Jesus Christ.

I just started re-reading a book I read back in 1976, when I first accepted Christ into my life,
“Francis, the Journey and the Dream,” by Fr Murray Bodo. Brings me back to where I should be in my walk with Christ.

Pope Francis is the shinning reminder of St Francis of Assisi.

Jim
 
i am so thankful for the Catechism of the Catholic Church!!! thank God we have it, what a blessing it is as we travel through life 🙂

i can’t imagine how it makes life more complicated or difficult…
 
PrayingDuck said:
Sometimes I feel like all this talk about mortal vs. venial sin, and was this tradition established in the Bible, and is the Bible even valid, and blah blah blah is just complicating things. It seems like the way we practice our Catholic faith today is way more complicated than it was back in the time of the early Christians. They didn’t have a Catechism telling them exactly what they believed and the proper way to do every little thing. I mean, was it really supposed to be this complicated? Especially just reading through CAF, things (read: sins) come up that I wouldn’t have ever even thought about.
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Not so complicated…

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Jesus founded the Catholic Church.
The Church is the pillar and foundation of Truth.

The Pope’s message today will give a hint as to who might try and complicate things…

en.radiovaticana.va/m_articolo.asp?c=736378
 
~The message of Jesus Christ ~amen!

As has been also professed by Pope Benedict XVI, and Bl. Pope John Paul II (who gave us the Catechism), Pope John Paul I, Pope Paul VI etc :)…

Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever~!

The faith as one said can like a body of water where a child can swim and and elephant can dive~!

Splendidly simple and splendidly deep.
 
PrayingDuck said:
Sometimes I feel like all this talk about mortal vs. venial sin, and was this tradition established in the Bible, and is the Bible even valid, and blah blah blah is just complicating things. It seems like the way we practice our Catholic faith today is way more complicated than it was back in the time of the early Christians. They didn’t have a Catechism telling them exactly what they believed and the proper way to do every little thing. I mean, was it really supposed to be this complicated? Especially just reading through CAF, things (read: sins) come up that I wouldn’t have ever even thought about.
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They had the Teachings of the Apostles …etc etc…

And ss the Scriptures put it there is sin that is deadly…and as especially Paul speaks of those “not inheriting the kingdom of God”! …

And as the early Christian Writings outside the New Testament put it – there is a way that leads to life and a way that leads to death (and what do they do? such as the first century document? – they start listing all sorts of mortal sins!)
 
It may seem that the Catholic faith is full of over complex directives that overwhelm our every day lives with “rules” It is true that in a committed website such as this there will be discussion on the intellectual basis of our faith. But surely this is a good thing? Did not Paul state that we should have an understanding of the Faith within us?
Sure some posts on sin have an unhealthy emphasis founded in scrupulosity, but this site does much work to overcome such scrupulosity which bedevils many committed good catholics.
I admired the post that said the faith was very simple and very deep. Our faith is the foundation of our very existence and is a valid subject for our intellectual enquiries within epistemology eschatology; theology and exegesis.
Similarly its truths are directly relevant to our world view, our politics and our day to day family life. Our faith in Jesus Christ and His Church is so foundational to our lives that it guides our emotional cognitive and experiential lives. Most rules that you describe are simply common sense responses to this overwhelming Truth that gives meaning and purpose to our lives towards a final union with our God, our Father.
It is not a meaningless bureaucratic set of pilpuls but a delightful stream of consciousness that is founded in our very nature inspired by the revealed Word of God. Be glad!
 
When I feel my mind getting close to the “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin” mind set, I reread Matthew 25:31-46, it brings me back to reality. Jesus plainly explained how we would be judged. I don’t understand why we try to complicate it. Maybe because what he asks is so hard to do, that we sometimes like to distract ourselves with peripheral issues? Reading about the lives of the saints helps. They show what is ultimately of greatest importance. Mother Teresa, St. Philip Neri, Padre Pio, and many more are examples of living the spirit of the law.
 
PrayingDuck said:
Sometimes I feel like all this talk about mortal vs. venial sin, and was this tradition established in the Bible, and is the Bible even valid, and blah blah blah is just complicating things. It seems like the way we practice our Catholic faith today is way more complicated than it was back in the time of the early Christians. They didn’t have a Catechism telling them exactly what they believed and the proper way to do every little thing. I mean, was it really supposed to be this complicated? Especially just reading through CAF, things (read: sins) come up that I wouldn’t have ever even thought about.
Click to expand...
Back then if you had the Holy Spirit in you an committed a serious sin if would kill you
 
PrayingDuck said:
Sometimes I feel like all this talk about mortal vs. venial sin, and was this tradition established in the Bible, and is the Bible even valid, and blah blah blah is just complicating things. It seems like the way we practice our Catholic faith today is way more complicated than it was back in the time of the early Christians. They didn’t have a Catechism telling them exactly what they believed and the proper way to do every little thing. I mean, was it really supposed to be this complicated? Especially just reading through CAF, things (read: sins) come up that I wouldn’t have ever even thought about.
Click to expand...
I agree with much that has been posted here already, about Pope Francis and his example of simplicity and all. Consider this as well: It is easy to assume that everything was simple and uncomplicated in the days of the early Church, but that’s not really what we find in Sacred Scripture and the Acts of the Apostles. Christianity is rooted in Judaism, and Jewish laws and customs were hardly simple and uncomplicated. The early Christians had to deal with all of this, and the eventual inclusion of the Gentiles, and there were contentious disagreements from the start.

But if (and only if) you are blessed with perfect charity, you can perhaps follow the uncomplicated advice of St. Augustine, “Love, and do what you will”
 
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