First of all, I think some people have had an off-kilter understanding my saying “two evils” but first…
Tell that to the politicians, the philosophers, or even the entertainers, and the business elite. Try putting yourself in their shoes and see if you can still keep your white robes of spiritual purity wholly clean without even a few specks of mud. As much as you hate to admit however, we can’t all be sweet little saints feeling very secure in our chapels only to go out on small charity events. Sure such things are quite sweet and good, they don’t exactly make/shape a civilization.
My parents are businessmen who subscribe to a typical modernist mix of New Age Philosophies and Christianity (though I doubt either are aware of that). You’d think as me being a Catholic, it’d be my duty to preach to them or express some form of disapproval. Well guess what? I can’t because so far, that’s the only thing that’s keeping them on and striving to make their business company successful. Thanks to that motivation though we got a decent income that pays our bills, gets me and my siblings a quality education, which in turn helps us get ready to live our own lives independently.
Second example, I have a little sister who’s already a freshmen in college. Being that we Christians are of course called to love our family, I try to show that love and care as much as I can. However, I also try my best to recognize her as a growing woman, that I can’t tell her what to do (too much anyways), that preaching to her will only make things worse. What’s the problem? She hangs out with all kinds of eccentric people… some of them being anti-religious idiots of the liberally indoctrinated 4chan culture. I even saw them goofing around with Tarot cards in their usual hang out and she wanted to try it as well. Now I got a bad rep in that joint as it is. Religion’s got a bad rep there too. Do you really think being a “shining Christian example” is gonna help? Trust me, I talk to these people. You’d be nothing but a street lamp and them the moths. You may stay a lamp but neither do those moths become fireflies if you know what I mean. All you’d be doing is have them swarm you with contempt. In fact, make 'em numerous enough and your light would actually be obscured.
Instead of sympathizing though, all the spiritual types just cross themselves and uphold people like me as an example of “being of the world”. Man, at least I’m trying to find some way to deal with it with the least compromise to my morals. Instead of praise though, I get pity. In case someone accuses me of that same pity towards religious folks though, I’ll have you know I don’t pity people who like where they are. Just as long as they don’t see themselves better than people like me who have life outside the chapel.
Forgive me if I sound too critical to those in a certain vocation but it’s not like I wouldn’t be saying such things if I hadn’t found such people just as guilty of being condescending too you know.
i’m not sure if you took what i said how i meant it, but what i was getting at was, you don’t have to be sheltered to be a good person, it’s just a matter of how you react or receive any given situation,
being a good catholic also does not consist of just preaching, i forget which saint said it…might have been saint Vincent Ferrer(correct me if i’m wrong) “Preach often, and when necessary, use words”, basically, we do the most good by our example, not by our words, so yes, even without preaching to your loved ones, you can still help them, simply by practicing your virtues,
i by no means consider myself a saintly person, i still have so many things to overcome and change in myself, but i also have overcome so much, and so i know from all of that, which was not easy to get past, that i can definitely overcome, by the grace of God, the rest of my sins as well, and although we grow spiritually the most by daily prayers and contemplation, i also find that i overcome my sins alot faster when i have something to test me,
i’m really sorry if i’ve ever talked down to you, but i’m honestly not trying to get personal with anyone, i’m just here to help people understand the faith and to love God and know how much He loves them, and although i talk to people irl as well, i actually like it better here because i’m better at writing than i am at speaking d:
but there is something more important than teaching the faith or helping people or even being a “shinning” example,
and that is just spending time with God, we have to remember why we are here and where we are going when we are done, God is the most important one in our lives, and He is the one we will be spending the rest of our lives with, so really, those who spend alot of time in chapels, they are not just praying rosaries and chaplets, they are meditating and contemplating and spending quality time with God, getting to know and love Him more and more, and when they leave that chapel, they come out alittle more perfect each time, because they fill themselves with God, who is perfection.
that is how we become perfect, by emptying our hearts of useless things and filling it with God, and when we go out into the world filled with God, we spread Him around to everyone around us, even if we can’t see it, God can, and that’s really all that matters.
anyways, if i offended you by what i said i’m sorry, sometimes i don’t pick the most choice things to say
i know you’re a good person, i just really don’t know you personally, but i’m sure we’d be good friends if i did.(although i consider you a friend anyways d: )
alright well i guess that’s all, take care.
