J
JustaServant
Guest
Lately the anti-Catholic liberal news media has has a feeding frenzy over new abuse scandals in Europe. I will admit, I have been so busy over the past few months thatI have barely had time to pay much attention to it. As a revert who became a Baptist for 20 years before coming home, I would like to chime in.
I don’t want to talk about the news stories, but instead the reaction to them. Over the past few weeks I have spoken to, and read posts on various internet websites from cradle Catholics who are ready to abandon the Faith. The lapsed Catholics now have a good excuse for not going to Mass this Easter (thier response is always “they’re all hypocrites”).
In days like this, I am glad I spent twenty years across the Tiber.
Why do I say this? Well, Evangelicals speak of a ‘personal relationship’ with Christ. As I have said elsewhere, this phrase is modern Western, individualistic terminology unknown to the writers of Scripture and the early Church. I acknowledge it is a rather childish understanding, but that does not mean there is not some merit to it.
‘Personal’, to be sure, is not exclusive (which is an easy trap to fall into, including many lapsed Catholics), however it is intensly personal. Catholics have a personal relationship with Christ. We know Him as Lord and Savior, we are members of His Body (how much more personal can one get?), we pray to Him, we worship Him, we adore Him, we seek to follow Him. More importantly, receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ into our very person is pretty darn personal.
‘Personal’ is something I learned across the Tiber, that apparently many uncatechised Catholics never learned.
Why are so many cradle Catholics ready to abandon the Church? Why are so many lapsed Catholics ready to buy into the heretical concept that makes them think they can ‘worship at home’ in the privacy of their living room listening to a TV preacher or sacred hymns. Jesus gave a very clear worship COMMAND that requires other human beings. No ‘Lone Ranger’ christianity.
My Catholic faith is not based on what occurs with fallen human beings in an increasingly depraved world.
When I was a Baptist preacher and things got tough, I would keep in mind Colossians 3:
If anything, this scandal makes me MORE devout, not less.
NOW is the time to converts and reverts to stand up against the onslaught against the Church. And more importantly, be examples of the faith to those to whom being Catholic is simply a badge they wear.
Last night I witnessed five ADULTS being baptized into the Catholic Church. That sight filled me with hope.
We need to remember St. Paul’s words, and set our minds on things ABOVE.
I don’t want to talk about the news stories, but instead the reaction to them. Over the past few weeks I have spoken to, and read posts on various internet websites from cradle Catholics who are ready to abandon the Faith. The lapsed Catholics now have a good excuse for not going to Mass this Easter (thier response is always “they’re all hypocrites”).
In days like this, I am glad I spent twenty years across the Tiber.
Why do I say this? Well, Evangelicals speak of a ‘personal relationship’ with Christ. As I have said elsewhere, this phrase is modern Western, individualistic terminology unknown to the writers of Scripture and the early Church. I acknowledge it is a rather childish understanding, but that does not mean there is not some merit to it.
‘Personal’, to be sure, is not exclusive (which is an easy trap to fall into, including many lapsed Catholics), however it is intensly personal. Catholics have a personal relationship with Christ. We know Him as Lord and Savior, we are members of His Body (how much more personal can one get?), we pray to Him, we worship Him, we adore Him, we seek to follow Him. More importantly, receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ into our very person is pretty darn personal.
‘Personal’ is something I learned across the Tiber, that apparently many uncatechised Catholics never learned.
Why are so many cradle Catholics ready to abandon the Church? Why are so many lapsed Catholics ready to buy into the heretical concept that makes them think they can ‘worship at home’ in the privacy of their living room listening to a TV preacher or sacred hymns. Jesus gave a very clear worship COMMAND that requires other human beings. No ‘Lone Ranger’ christianity.
My Catholic faith is not based on what occurs with fallen human beings in an increasingly depraved world.
When I was a Baptist preacher and things got tough, I would keep in mind Colossians 3:
Becoming a Catholic is not like joining the Elks club. You are joining the Church of all Ages, the Church of Paul, Francis of Assisi, Augustine.
If anything, this scandal makes me MORE devout, not less.
NOW is the time to converts and reverts to stand up against the onslaught against the Church. And more importantly, be examples of the faith to those to whom being Catholic is simply a badge they wear.
Last night I witnessed five ADULTS being baptized into the Catholic Church. That sight filled me with hope.
We need to remember St. Paul’s words, and set our minds on things ABOVE.