What's the difference between being "worldly" and "spiritual"?

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Please describe the difference between being a worldly person and being a practicing Catholic. I think a lot of Catholics don’t give this distinction much thought. They just think going to Mass on Sundays is enough and don’t understand the idea of conversion. I was just curious what your own indvidual insights are (in accord with church teaching of course 😃 ) on this. I’m trying to grow in my understanding of the faith and your (name removed by moderator)ut would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
We should be in the world but not of the world.

In order not to be of the world, we should think more about things in heaven, less things on earth. This is not to say to ignore our responsibilities in life but not to dwell on things in daily life only. Therefore, Mass attending, Bible reading, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, working on virtues should all be part of our routine life.

Saint Francis de Sales’ “Introduction to the Devout Life” is a good reading to get oneself more spiritual.
 
Mark_Robert said:
Please describe the difference between being a worldly person and being a practicing Catholic. I think a lot of Catholics don’t give this distinction much thought. They just think going to Mass on Sundays is enough and don’t understand the idea of conversion. I was just curious what your own indvidual insights are (in accord with church teaching of course 😃 ) on this. I’m trying to grow in my understanding of the faith and your (name removed by moderator)ut would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Practicing Catholic = we are all called to be saints. It’s that simple. That means fixing our eyes and life on heaven; surrender and obedience to the will of God in all things; living the beatitudes…none of this the world does. All of these things are totally opposed to the world’s view. So, the difference has more to do, initially, with our view of things; then, out of that view will grow a way of life that is Christ-like.

Another good book recommendation: Map of Life by Frank Sheed
 
I think the other posters have pretty well summed it up. We are to be IN the world but not OF the world. We are heaven bound. We are to focus our energy on the things of heaven and not the material gains of the world. We are called to do the will of The Lord which is not necessarily our OWN will. We are called to “deny ourselves and follow HIM”.
 
p.s. Pretty tall order when you actually put it into practice. In my babyhood of Christianity, I actually thought that the EASIEST thing in the world would be to follow Christ…to be a CHRISTIAN. :rolleyes: The cross just seems to get heavier and heavier as time goes on…now I know that it takes constant prayer and all of God’s help to actually follow him. But do not doubt that HE is ALWAYS with you to help you…HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND!:nope:
 
The knack all the Saints had was to be in the world and spiritual. It is not possible this side of life to be disconnected from the physical and be only spiritual, the two must co-exist in order.

Disordered is to be concerned with worldly things above spiritual things or to be only concerned with the world and to exclude God or to use God’s gifts for evil or misuse of the physical (greed for possessions, misuse of the body and of others body etc). Ordered is to spiritualise the physical by placing spiritual things first.

So first is God, love of God and naturally, love of neighbour.
Second is proper use of all that is physical because all things will be ordered thereafter if first we love God.

I have perceived many times that ‘things’ do not exist in the sense of existing eternally, but of course they exist here in reality on earth. I can explain this only by saying that what we do with everything that is in the world should only serve to show our love of God being always thankful to Him. Imagine that you are within your home and that all the things around you become invisible yet you go about and you use them and you allow others to use them and you do good with them, the objects themselves do not matter, what matters is what you are doing and the love in your heart for God and for others.This enables you to focus on what you are doing and not on the things in the world. It is you and your soul and others and their souls that in God have eternity and not the things in the world.

Not one man has taken a single worldly item with them to the next life! The only three who have taken any physical thing with them are Elijah, Jesus and Mary and that was themselves in the flesh, but no worldly item.

Unfortunately we are easily distracted by the world and so we keep praying!🙂
 
I think 1 John 2:15 puts it very well.

"Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.

Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever. "

So I need to focus on the things of God that will not pass away and keep in mind that nothing here in the world will go with me. For me, this means I hold on to my possessions with a very loose grip and keep my eyes on the prize!
 
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