I
am here to tell you, in no minced words, that we do not get to pick and choose
what we believe when it comes to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is founded upon and
rooted in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and the commandments given to us
by God. We do not and cannot know more
or understand more about the teachings of Jesus Christ than the leaders of the
Catholic Church who are inspired by the Holy Spirit. And how dare we assume such a thing? We are called to obedience of Jesus and
obedience of His Church here on earth.
Take
a moment to reflect on the situation of obedience parents look to establish in
their own homes. We give our children
rules and expect that they obey all of those rules, rather than picking and
choosing which ones they would like to follow.
The same situation has been established by God and by the Catholic
Church. God is our Father and His Church
has been established here on earth to lead us.
God and the Church have called us to obedience in following the teachings
of Christ and God’s commandments. Much
as we do not like our children picking and choosing which rules they will
follow, God feels the same way.
In
those moments of weakness when we desire to follow another path and those around
us tell us “it’s okay, the Church is just behind the times” we must pause and
recognize that in that moment we are being tempted by none other than the
devil. Think back to how the story
played out in the garden so many years ago.
He sees our weakness, our struggles, our desires, and he longs to tempt
us and draw us near him. He longs to
pull as many sheep from the flock as he can.
We must be strong, we must hold our ground, and we must fight. Society does not know what is best for
us. Society has been changing its stance
on social and moral issues for millenia, as it follows its own whims and
desires. The Catholic Church has held
fast to the truth and has remained unwavering, a true sign of its adherence to
the true teachings of Christ.
Let
us pause in those moments when we think we know better than those priests “who
just can’t understand what real life is like for real families.” Let us pause and seek their council in our
times of doubt and misunderstanding. Let
us dust off and open up our Catechism of the Catholic Church and consult Church
teaching on the matter we are struggling with.
Let us turn to the Church and to God for guidance, rather than our next
door neighbor. For only with sound
guidance can we make sound decisions. It
would seem that relying on the guidance of a Church that has been around for
thousands of years, was established by Christ, is inspired by the Holy Spirit,
and is the best way to go.
Are
you ready to be “all in” with the Catholic Church?
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