Today I want to briefly discuss perceptions. This is in light of the past few posts and comments.
When it comes to interactions with others, especially in matters of faith, we need discernment. This will help us not to judge another and try to see, as best we can, the intentions of another There may be some who approach us who we may only perceive are “judging” us. They may have the best of intentions, and they may not realize they are coming across that way. It is also possible they are being entirely generous, and our attitude may be judgmental of them. That is why discernment is needed. There are times when people are judgmental, and times when they are not, and we only think they are. That is why we should always pray for charity towards our neighbor, and to pray for our neighbor, that they be charitable as well. God Bless.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Witnessing with love
Thank you Augustine 1121 for your comments. What you have written is exactly what I would like to focus on today. Charity.
I was mercifully lifted out of this false sense of holiness when I began to actively discern the priesthood in my life. The Diocese that I was to study for sent me to live in a parish for a year to do pastoral work. When I arrived there, I was still in the place I described in my last post. I thought I needed to “save” everybody by pointing out what they were doing wrong, and show them how to do things right.
Well, the priest I lived with very quickly put me in my place. He noticed that I lacked charity, and I was humbled (and humiliated) more than once. The priest began to show me that what I believed in was good, but my approach to it wasn’t. He taught me about hating the sin, but loving the sinner. It took a while, because I fought with him, but over time I realized that I also was a sinner, and I was suffering from pride. Father did to me what I did to others; he pointed out my sin, but he did it with love, and not with condemnation. He then challenged me to do the same.
Over the years, I have found that one can attract people to the faith much better with honey than they can with vinegar. I have encountered people who do not practice their faith, and those who do who may not understand it as well as I have been gifted to, but there is a difference in my approach now. I stop and think that perhaps these individuals were not raised in a Catholic environment where they were taught their faith. Perhaps they have not had a personal experience of Jesus that I was gifted with. Perhaps God put me in that person’s path to show them the Father but in a way that is loving, inviting them to “come and see.” That approach, I have seen works much better.
I want to make something clear. I still do assent to the teachings of the Catholic faith entirely. I still strive to conform my life to the definition given from the Catholic encyclopedia, which is reposted here:
Orthodoxy (orthodoxeia) signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not merely subjective, as resting on personal knowledge and convictions, but is in accordance with the teaching and direction of an absolute extrinsic authority. This authority is the Church founded by Christ, and guided by the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, is orthodox, whose faith coincides with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As divine revelation forms the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church for man's salvation, it also, with the truths clearly deduced from it, forms the object and content of orthodoxy.
There is, unquestioningly, objective truth which must be adhered to. The fullness of that truth has been given to us by God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Holy Catholic Church. Those of us who have been gifted with this knowledge and understanding are called to “go and make disciples of all nations.” While hating sin, let us love sinners and invite them to “come and see” Jesus. Let us invite them to experience the power of Christ’s healing through our loving invitations to come home. They will then experience Jesus through the beautiful Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, and their wounds will begin to heal, as our wounds have already begun to. Finally, the one who can help us be more loving to our neighbors, and more trusting in God’s Love and Mercy, is the Mother of Mercy, Holy Mary. Her intercession will bring us farther then our own prayers ever can.
I will post back soon. Until then, God Bless.
In Christ, Joe Sweeney
P.S. I invite all to post suggestions to discuss. If there is a topic of theology, or other Catholic teaching that people would like to talk more about, feel free to mention it.
I was mercifully lifted out of this false sense of holiness when I began to actively discern the priesthood in my life. The Diocese that I was to study for sent me to live in a parish for a year to do pastoral work. When I arrived there, I was still in the place I described in my last post. I thought I needed to “save” everybody by pointing out what they were doing wrong, and show them how to do things right.
Well, the priest I lived with very quickly put me in my place. He noticed that I lacked charity, and I was humbled (and humiliated) more than once. The priest began to show me that what I believed in was good, but my approach to it wasn’t. He taught me about hating the sin, but loving the sinner. It took a while, because I fought with him, but over time I realized that I also was a sinner, and I was suffering from pride. Father did to me what I did to others; he pointed out my sin, but he did it with love, and not with condemnation. He then challenged me to do the same.
Over the years, I have found that one can attract people to the faith much better with honey than they can with vinegar. I have encountered people who do not practice their faith, and those who do who may not understand it as well as I have been gifted to, but there is a difference in my approach now. I stop and think that perhaps these individuals were not raised in a Catholic environment where they were taught their faith. Perhaps they have not had a personal experience of Jesus that I was gifted with. Perhaps God put me in that person’s path to show them the Father but in a way that is loving, inviting them to “come and see.” That approach, I have seen works much better.
I want to make something clear. I still do assent to the teachings of the Catholic faith entirely. I still strive to conform my life to the definition given from the Catholic encyclopedia, which is reposted here:
Orthodoxy (orthodoxeia) signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not merely subjective, as resting on personal knowledge and convictions, but is in accordance with the teaching and direction of an absolute extrinsic authority. This authority is the Church founded by Christ, and guided by the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, is orthodox, whose faith coincides with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As divine revelation forms the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church for man's salvation, it also, with the truths clearly deduced from it, forms the object and content of orthodoxy.
There is, unquestioningly, objective truth which must be adhered to. The fullness of that truth has been given to us by God in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Holy Catholic Church. Those of us who have been gifted with this knowledge and understanding are called to “go and make disciples of all nations.” While hating sin, let us love sinners and invite them to “come and see” Jesus. Let us invite them to experience the power of Christ’s healing through our loving invitations to come home. They will then experience Jesus through the beautiful Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, and their wounds will begin to heal, as our wounds have already begun to. Finally, the one who can help us be more loving to our neighbors, and more trusting in God’s Love and Mercy, is the Mother of Mercy, Holy Mary. Her intercession will bring us farther then our own prayers ever can.
I will post back soon. Until then, God Bless.
In Christ, Joe Sweeney
P.S. I invite all to post suggestions to discuss. If there is a topic of theology, or other Catholic teaching that people would like to talk more about, feel free to mention it.
Friday, September 3, 2010
What is orthodoxy?
Thank you to those who have posted comments:
One of the comments defined what orthodoxy is in the Catholic Encyclopedia: here is the definition:
Orthodoxy (orthodoxeia) signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not merely subjective, as resting on personal knowledge and convictions, but is in accordance with the teaching and direction of an absolute extrinsic authority. This authority is the Church founded by Christ, and guided by the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, is orthodox, whose faith coincides with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As divine revelation forms the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church for man's salvation, it also, with the truths clearly deduced from it, forms the object and content of orthodoxy.
My aim (with God's help) is to show how I believe this is to be integrated into authentic Catholic life. I will share my journey in several posts, the first being here.
I opened this blog the other day seeking to create an opportunity for people to chat on what their faith means to them. I had mentioned that being Catholic means to be Orthodox. I would now like to elaborate on what that means.
Being an orthodox Catholic in “orthodox” circles may mean 1 of 2 things. It could mean that all the “rules” are being followed, which is part of what orthodoxy is. The other meaning, which is fuller, is when one fully assents to the teachings of the church unwaveringly. However, I have come to understand, through personal experience, that this is not enough.
Back in 1995, I had a rather dramatic experience of conversion. I felt God’s presence come into my life in a way I had not felt before. Without getting too detailed, I began to take up the study of theology and I would read all kinds of Catholic books because my passion for the faith was insatiable. However, I also began to realize something else. I was saying a lot of prayers everyday, and I felt compelled to say them to the point where it would stress me out if I wasn’t praying them. I would have to say all these prayers on all these holy cards, and because I was becoming more familiar with the “rules” of the church, I had to make sure I was following them to a tee. In addition, I was beginning to take notice of others, and if they weren’t doing exactly what I was doing, well they were in trouble, because I was RECITING ALL THESE PRAYERS AND FOLLOWING ALL THESE RULES! And THEY WERE NOT! They were SINNERS, while I was becoming this great SAINT! I was SACRIFICING! What were they doing!? Well they obviously were not as holy as I was, so I was obviously HOLIER THAN THOU! While they would all be burning in HELL, I would be boasting from my well-deserved place in HEAVEN!
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Has anyone met someone like this? Look at that closely, and you will see that God is not mentioned anywhere other than the first sentence of the last paragraph. Who was I really impressed with? God, or MYSELF?
Well, what happened to me? Did I change? Am I still that judgmental, holier than thou, self-righteous person? Well, I will tell you that although I still struggle with sin, the Lord has helped me to grow and change beyond what is written above. In my next post, I will describe how God has helped me to grow and change. I will preface it by saying that although the “rules and rituals” of our faith are wonderful and so needed, they must be interwoven into the most important orthodoxy there is: allowing the grace of the sacraments and the light of revealed truth to help in forming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Until my next post, God Bless you all!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Joe Sweeney
One of the comments defined what orthodoxy is in the Catholic Encyclopedia: here is the definition:
Orthodoxy (orthodoxeia) signifies right belief or purity of faith. Right belief is not merely subjective, as resting on personal knowledge and convictions, but is in accordance with the teaching and direction of an absolute extrinsic authority. This authority is the Church founded by Christ, and guided by the Holy Ghost. He, therefore, is orthodox, whose faith coincides with the teachings of the Catholic Church. As divine revelation forms the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church for man's salvation, it also, with the truths clearly deduced from it, forms the object and content of orthodoxy.
My aim (with God's help) is to show how I believe this is to be integrated into authentic Catholic life. I will share my journey in several posts, the first being here.
I opened this blog the other day seeking to create an opportunity for people to chat on what their faith means to them. I had mentioned that being Catholic means to be Orthodox. I would now like to elaborate on what that means.
Being an orthodox Catholic in “orthodox” circles may mean 1 of 2 things. It could mean that all the “rules” are being followed, which is part of what orthodoxy is. The other meaning, which is fuller, is when one fully assents to the teachings of the church unwaveringly. However, I have come to understand, through personal experience, that this is not enough.
Back in 1995, I had a rather dramatic experience of conversion. I felt God’s presence come into my life in a way I had not felt before. Without getting too detailed, I began to take up the study of theology and I would read all kinds of Catholic books because my passion for the faith was insatiable. However, I also began to realize something else. I was saying a lot of prayers everyday, and I felt compelled to say them to the point where it would stress me out if I wasn’t praying them. I would have to say all these prayers on all these holy cards, and because I was becoming more familiar with the “rules” of the church, I had to make sure I was following them to a tee. In addition, I was beginning to take notice of others, and if they weren’t doing exactly what I was doing, well they were in trouble, because I was RECITING ALL THESE PRAYERS AND FOLLOWING ALL THESE RULES! And THEY WERE NOT! They were SINNERS, while I was becoming this great SAINT! I was SACRIFICING! What were they doing!? Well they obviously were not as holy as I was, so I was obviously HOLIER THAN THOU! While they would all be burning in HELL, I would be boasting from my well-deserved place in HEAVEN!
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Has anyone met someone like this? Look at that closely, and you will see that God is not mentioned anywhere other than the first sentence of the last paragraph. Who was I really impressed with? God, or MYSELF?
Well, what happened to me? Did I change? Am I still that judgmental, holier than thou, self-righteous person? Well, I will tell you that although I still struggle with sin, the Lord has helped me to grow and change beyond what is written above. In my next post, I will describe how God has helped me to grow and change. I will preface it by saying that although the “rules and rituals” of our faith are wonderful and so needed, they must be interwoven into the most important orthodoxy there is: allowing the grace of the sacraments and the light of revealed truth to help in forming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Until my next post, God Bless you all!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Joe Sweeney
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Greetings!
My name is Joe Sweeney. I am a young Catholic who feels this is a good place for people to come and share what they believe really being Catholic means. This is not necessarily a blog for apologetics, but merely a place for people to share. I invite anyone to post here, as long as the post is done in charity. If someone sees something written by someone and they disagree, feel free to respond, but in charity. I just wanted to post here to begin. I will begin by saying that being Catholic means Orthodoxy, but what does that mean? That is something I will explore later, but in the meantime feel free to post. God Bless.
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Joe Sweeney
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Joe Sweeney
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