Lil Red Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Good article. Secondly, and more seriously, the disappearance of the bad Catholic impoverishes the Church theologically. It is not a sign that Catholics are holier than they used to be. It is a sign that today’s Church is less capable of creating a space in which the individual can experience the reality of the human condition: that is, the frightening gap between the Command of God the Lawgiver and the deeds of a human life. And yet, the creation of such a space is essential to the Church’s mission. Without it, true conversion of heart cannot take place. Learning how to faithfully uphold a set of moral standards while consistently falling short of them is something allChristians must master, not just “bad Catholics.” Bad Catholics simply show the rest of the Church how it is done in a particularly illustrative way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 For some reason I'm reminded of these guys: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I'm quoting this again for a reason, because I keep thinking about it. Secondly, and more seriously, the disappearance of the bad Catholic impoverishes the Church theologically. It is not a sign that Catholics are holier than they used to be. It is a sign that today’s Church is less capable of creating a space in which the individual can experience the reality of the human condition: that is, the frightening gap between the Command of God the Lawgiver and the deeds of a human life. And yet, the creation of such a space is essential to the Church’s mission. Without it, true conversion of heart cannot take place. Learning how to faithfully uphold a set of moral standards while consistently falling short of them is something allChristians must master, not just “bad Catholics.” Bad Catholics simply show the rest of the Church how it is done in a particularly illustrative way. I keep thinking about how in my own spiritual life, I feel the pressure to be the perfect Catholic, to never say a cross word or even think it, to never swear, to never get angry, to never mess up. To be constantly "on point". Sometimes within my own circle of a few Catholic friends, if I say something playfully mean about someone else, all of a sudden it's " :o Oh my gosh, now it's time for you to go to Confession!" First off, don't tell me when I have to go to Confession. My own conscience will bother me about that, and I don't need you to do so. Second, don't tell me something is sinful when I was joking. Sometimes (again, in my own experience only) I feel like those who are striving to live a holy life can be so rigid when it comes to others' behaviors and experiences that instead of inspiring me to holiness, it depresses me and tells me…there is no way that I will ever measure up. I feel this online as well - the attitude from members here particularly has turned me off in recent years. (hence why my visits are few and far between) So I've started to just muddle through on my own - I rarely listen or pay attention when people tell me I "need" to do something about my behavior (especially online). I go to confession, I go to Mass, I sometimes receive Communion, I ask for clarification from my priest or from priest friends when I need it, attempt to pray daily (often failing), attempt to raise my children well, attempt to be a good wife, read good Catholic books, visit with good Catholic friends; I drink, I swear, I get angry, I am often impatient, unkind, cross, laugh at inappropriate things, watch "scandalous" movies, listen to crazy music, associate with all sorts of people from all walks of life without attempting to convert them. I'm just trying my best to not be too rigid and not be too lax. I am a bad Catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggyie Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Red you sound like a pretty good Catholic to me!! Now me, I'm bad, very serious sins, and I hope to go to confession again one day, but for the moment I don't feel very sorry, so... Well sorry that I violated the rules but not sorry about the sins themselves... In a "sorry you're offended Jesus, please don't cry" way. So I sit in back at mass and make bitey faces at people. Grrrr grrrr. So if you are bad think what I am!!! Luciferette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Red you sound like a pretty good Catholic to me!! Now me, I'm bad, very serious sins, and I hope to go to confession again one day, but for the moment I don't feel very sorry, so... Well sorry that I violated the rules but not sorry about the sins themselves... In a "sorry you're offended Jesus, please don't cry" way. So I sit in back at mass and make bitey faces at people. Grrrr grrrr. So if you are bad think what I am!!! Luciferette Oh, we can definitely make bitey faces at people. :) I'm pretty much in the same boat as you right now. I identify with bad Catholics more than I do a "good" Catholic because, I'll be honest, usually bad Catholics are a helluva lot more fun to hang around ;) Also: Luciferette? haha! :hehe2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Also: because I tend to feel way less judged for falling short when I'm around bad Catholics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amppax Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 I've more and more convinced as of late that the less we look at the sins of others and look to our own, the more we will grow in sanctity. On a somewhat related note, a professor of mine recently said in class (I'm paraphrasing): "The only liturgical abuse I tend to see at a Mass is my own reception of the Eucharist." I was really struck by this, because I've really been trying to embrace the same sort of attitude (and failing miserably for the most part); trying not to look at the sins of others, but for the good. St. Therese is really helping me with that, or at least letting me see the goal that I so often fall well short of. Another saint who's really stuck out to me recently is St. Claude de la Columbiere. Don't know why, but he reminded me of this thread. I was reading about him in Alban Goodier's Saints for Sinners yesterday, here's a taste: When he is known, is it [not] easy at first to discover the sanctity in its highest degree which was his. There is little to show us that any of his contemporaries and friends looked on him as anything more than an excellent religious, and even that on some accounts might have seemed to need qualification. There are saints whom no man would discover if God did not discover them for him; one of these was La Colombiere. There are saints who have never dreamt they were saints; it would seem that of no one could this be more truly said than of him. The last line, I think, was what brought this thread to mind. The section described him as someone who, in life, received no consolation, and did what he felt was his duty. And that was it. Apparently struggled with severe temptations to despair, etc. Anyway, for whatever reason, felt like a good idea to post about him here. Here's a link to the whole section about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Love that book, I'll have to go read that part again. Thanks Amppax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrincessKRS Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I'm quoting this again for a reason, because I keep thinking about it. I keep thinking about how in my own spiritual life, I feel the pressure to be the perfect Catholic, to never say a cross word or even think it, to never swear, to never get angry, to never mess up. To be constantly "on point". Sometimes within my own circle of a few Catholic friends, if I say something playfully mean about someone else, all of a sudden it's " :o Oh my gosh, now it's time for you to go to Confession!" First off, don't tell me when I have to go to Confession. My own conscience will bother me about that, and I don't need you to do so. Second, don't tell me something is sinful when I was joking. Sometimes (again, in my own experience only) I feel like those who are striving to live a holy life can be so rigid when it comes to others' behaviors and experiences that instead of inspiring me to holiness, it depresses me and tells me…there is no way that I will ever measure up. I feel this online as well - the attitude from members here particularly has turned me off in recent years. (hence why my visits are few and far between) So I've started to just muddle through on my own - I rarely listen or pay attention when people tell me I "need" to do something about my behavior (especially online). I go to confession, I go to Mass, I sometimes receive Communion, I ask for clarification from my priest or from priest friends when I need it, attempt to pray daily (often failing), attempt to raise my children well, attempt to be a good wife, read good Catholic books, visit with good Catholic friends; I drink, I swear, I get angry, I am often impatient, unkind, cross, laugh at inappropriate things, watch "scandalous" movies, listen to crazy music, associate with all sorts of people from all walks of life without attempting to convert them. I'm just trying my best to not be too rigid and not be too lax. I am a bad Catholic. This is my life. You've said it so well. <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 This is my life. You've said it so well. <3 love ya, chica. <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossCuT Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Is there such thing as a good Catholic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Red you sound like a pretty good Catholic to me!! Now me, I'm bad, very serious sins, and I hope to go to confession again one day, but for the moment I don't feel very sorry, so... Well sorry that I violated the rules but not sorry about the sins themselves... In a "sorry you're offended Jesus, please don't cry" way. So I sit in back at mass and make bitey faces at people. Grrrr grrrr. So if you are bad think what I am!!! Luciferette Hear that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice_nine Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Is there such thing as a good Catholic? yeah probably. Unless you want to be cynical and think that every pious and yet humble person is secretly hiding some terrible, deviant sins. Some people really are just better. I'm not one of them, but they're out there. The trick is if somebody acts like they're better, then theyr'e really just as much of a bastard as you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I'm quoting this again for a reason, because I keep thinking about it. I keep thinking about how in my own spiritual life, I feel the pressure to be the perfect Catholic, to never say a cross word or even think it, to never swear, to never get angry, to never mess up. To be constantly "on point". Sometimes within my own circle of a few Catholic friends, if I say something playfully mean about someone else, all of a sudden it's " :o Oh my gosh, now it's time for you to go to Confession!" First off, don't tell me when I have to go to Confession. My own conscience will bother me about that, and I don't need you to do so. Second, don't tell me something is sinful when I was joking. Sometimes (again, in my own experience only) I feel like those who are striving to live a holy life can be so rigid when it comes to others' behaviors and experiences that instead of inspiring me to holiness, it depresses me and tells me…there is no way that I will ever measure up. I feel this online as well - the attitude from members here particularly has turned me off in recent years. (hence why my visits are few and far between) So I've started to just muddle through on my own - I rarely listen or pay attention when people tell me I "need" to do something about my behavior (especially online). I go to confession, I go to Mass, I sometimes receive Communion, I ask for clarification from my priest or from priest friends when I need it, attempt to pray daily (often failing), attempt to raise my children well, attempt to be a good wife, read good Catholic books, visit with good Catholic friends; I drink, I swear, I get angry, I am often impatient, unkind, cross, laugh at inappropriate things, watch "scandalous" movies, listen to crazy music, associate with all sorts of people from all walks of life without attempting to convert them. I'm just trying my best to not be too rigid and not be too lax. I am a bad Catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisa Marie Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Is there such thing as a good Catholic? Dead ones. :| (Because they're in Heaven, silly...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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