The Conflict of Being Catholic

The backstory is found in Acts 14:8-20. Suffice it to say that Paul and Barnabas were preaching and evangelizing in Lystra. The Jews didn’t like it. They stoned Paul and left him for dead. When the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the city. The next day they went to Derbe where they continued proclaiming the good news and made disciples.

“After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘it is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” [Acts 14:21-22]

Through many persecutions … through many tribulations … we must enter the kingdom of God.

The words cause me to stop, think, and personalize them … a personalization that recognizes the realness of the conflict that confronts us as Catholic Christians, and especially Catholic Christians in the Deep South Bible Belt.

The world has always been diabolically opposed the Church.

Why think that it will change its position when the picture painted by John’s Revelation [and other parts of Scripture] point to a latter end when things will be hot and hard against the Church? Our Catholic understanding of the “end-times” rejects the Rapture theory found in millennialism and teaches that the Church will go through a hard time of purification [persecution] during the last days before Christ returns. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 675-677, plainly and succinctly addresses the end times issue.

Can anyone honestly say that the global state of affairs [or even our own National state of affairs] presents a scene that is hospitable to the precepts and principles of Christ and the Christian faith? These states of affairs are anything but hospitable and rapidly increasing in their hostility toward the Christian faith. The BBC, Newsweek, FOX, and other media platforms tell us that the persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide" levels and that in some countries Christianity is near extinction.

We do not [yet] know in this country what it means to choose Christ at the peril of dire persecution and loss of life. How would we fare, would we persevere even to our death, if [when] these conditions challenge our Western "easy beliefism"? We can speculate an answer but we'll never honestly know unless presented with the opportunity to receive the martyr's crown.

There is the opposition and conflict that comes from the world of fundamental evangelicalism [of which I was once a part].

I think, where this opposition and conflict with fundamental evangelicals is concerned, that their [at times angry and vehement] opposition is based more on ignorance than anything else. My former opposition and protest against Catholic Christianity were, when it came right down to it, based on my own ignorance and indoctrination.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen made the statement that “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” I discovered that it is impossible to hate the Catholic Church once you are able to finally see her for what and who she is.

I think that, as a matter of Christian unity and in the spirit of ecumenism, with the growing hostility of the anti-christs [which, by the way, includes the aggressive overtaking nature of Islam and its creeping Sharia Law] it would behoove Christians of all stripes to stand shoulder to shoulder as One body and One voice in support of the historic Christian faith and morals handed down to and promulgated by the Apostles of Christ.

There is the conflict within myself.

 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may [1] know him and the power of his resurrection, and may [2] share his sufferings, [3] becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11

I like the part about knowing the power of the resurrection with all its good feelings. It is in the rest of the story where the struggle resides; inside this business of knowing the fellowship of his sufferings and becoming like him in his death where the daily challenge occurs. The first third of the Christian life equation, the part that can be called the “jump and shout” of the matter, is only a third of what the Christian life is about. As long as the “jump and shout” remains our priority and focus, we will never honestly know Christ as fully as he wants us to know him or, for that matter, as fully as we need to know him.

Benedictine monks and nuns take vows of Obedience, Stability and Conversatio Morum. Benedictine Oblates make Solemn Promises to these same Benedictine standards. Conversatio Morum is usually translated as conversion of life. It signifies a commitment to dying daily to self in order to realize and internalize more of the life of Christ into our own lives and lifestyles. It signifies a transformation or conversion of the heart … an internal transformation evidenced by a change in external behavior and attitude.

I confess that it is easy for me to grow comfortable and complacent. It is also easy for me to be attracted to distractions. The struggle within myself never really goes away. I have to make conscious efforts toward the Solemn Promises that I made in order to continue progressing in this lifelong challenge that Saint Benedict called Conversatio Morum … the very process wherein I may [1] experientially know him and the power of his resurrection, [2] enter into and share in his sufferings, and [3] personally become more and more like him in his death while I live my life in hope of my own resurrection from the dead.

So, in consideration of these things, I recall the words of John and leave them here as a marker along the Oblate Reflections pathway.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17

Encountering Condemnation

All of us [as followers of Christ] have need of acceptance and encouragement.

It is easy to allow our personal need for acceptance to become something inordinate. Inordinate in the sense that it causes us to seek popularity from persons and peers to the degree that being popular with Christ takes a back seat or is booted to the curb altogether.

I am often reminded of something that Thomas Merton wrote regarding his writing as a contemplative monk at the Abbey of Gethsemane. He wrote, “If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people you have got to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn.”

The broader truth contained in this statement by Merton is that, if you live in a way that counters and runs contrary to popular cultural ideals, you are going to encounter condemnation from people.

There is no way to avoid the backlash. We can always, however, choose to live in a way that avoids the backlash by bowing to the popular idols of modern culture.

We can water down, lower the volume, and cool the fire of the message of our lives enough that people, even those that totally disagree with us, extend measures of acceptance as small olive branches of tolerance. Lukewarm Avenue, over in Laodicea, appeals to a lot of people who profess to be Christians.

I have lived in Laodicea. I know the Laodicean lifestyle very well.

There are three very harsh realities attached to living in Laodicea.

The first one is that spiritual lukewarmness does not last. It always loses what little warmth it has and takes on the ambient spiritual temperature of the surrounding environment. The second is that spiritual lukewarmness [lukewarm affection toward Christ] receives a harsher rejection from Christ than having no personal affection for him. “I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are neither cold or hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” [Revelation 3:15-16] The third is that it is extremely hard to move out of Laodicea once you have set up housekeeping within its proverbial municipal jurisdiction.

I would much rather encounter the condemnation of the world [and the rejection of family and friends] than to encounter the judgment of God … something that begins this side of the transparent veil where interior peace, joy, and love are replaced with turmoil, despair, and hatred as a foretaste of something intended to lead us to God. Judgment is not just on this side of the veil. Imagine an eternity of turmoil, despair, and hatred felt with the entire capacity of our spiritual capabilities. That will be hell. 

I have had enough of hell already on this side of the veil.

I am much more interested in an everlasting experience of peace, joy, and love felt with the entire capacity of my spiritual capabilities and cannot content myself with anything that detracts or distracts from realizing and enjoying the benefits of eternity in the dimension referred to as Heaven. Especially now that the only significant Rite of Passage left for me this side of the transparent veil is my own physical death.

In looking back over the prior decades of my life, and looking ahead at the uncertain measure of time that remains before my own personal passage, I realize that I still have a work left to do while I have my capabilities. [All of us have a work to do for Christ and his kingdom. We are always, regardless of our state and status in life, working either for or against Christ in his effort to redeem fallen humanity.]

I also realize that the life I am living sets me up for condemnation from men. I expect it. I accept it.

Ecumenism - In The Spirit of Genuine Christian Unity

Ecumenical activity is great.

The Body of Christ, fractured by schisms, separations, and splits, needs to set differences aside and work together in ways that present at least an image of a unified front. We are, after all, the One Body of Christ even though we are divided and sub-divided by denominational and non-denominational theories and differences. 

An uncomfortable ecumenism, one where groups from diverse denominational backgrounds occasionally get along for the sake of getting along, accomplishes very little though.

Here is a confession for you.

I experienced (and even practiced) this “getting along” kind of ecumenism during the years I was a Protestant pastor. I was not the only one. I had quite a lot of company.

I participated in monthly “ministerial association” meetings where we “ministers” got along because we were supposed to get along. We even, on occasions, brought our separate denominational and non-denominational flocks together for joint ecumenical services. One thing that I remember about those meetings is how often we “ministers” used those occasions to promote our own denominations at the sake of discrediting others. We were, in essence, representing our denominations first. Representing Christ fit into the equation somewhere after representing and promoting our denominations.

It is amazing how clear hindsight can be, especially when being honest becomes the jewel to be valued most. I have, at this age and stage of life, no reason to be anything other than down-to-the-core honest. I hope that my honesty is not viewed as negative criticism. I will be honest and take the chance of being misunderstood.

What was it that Jesus said?

“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”[1]

When we compromise the truth contained in the word of Christ, we enter into bondage. When we compromise being honest with ourselves and those around us, we enter into bondage. Being in bondage, any kind of bondage, is a bad place to be.

One of the great achievements of Vatican II was the actions taken in recognizing the valid faith of Christians in denominations and fellowships separated from the Roman Church. Huge strides have been taken as a result of the Council, careful and purposeful strides aimed at readying the Church to continue performing her mission of guarding the deposit of faith while evangelizing lost souls amidst the strains and stresses of these modern times.

An openness to work toward unity with all Christians, regardless of denominational affiliation, is one of the strides taken by Vatican Council II. The Council recognized that unity would be a long and difficult process. It also recognized that honest dialog regarding doctrinal and dogmatic differences would necessarily and naturally be a part of long process.[2]

The Council recognized that ecumenism, to be most effective, cannot be just another politically correct platform where personal identities and doctrinal beliefs are silenced and sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. Personal relationships and deeper levels of understanding are not enhanced by this type of politically correct ecumenism. It is through maintaining our identities and doctrinal beliefs, while refusing to negate and put down the identities and doctrinal beliefs of other followers of Christ, where we deepen in our relationships with and understanding of other Christian believers who are, like us, working out their salvation with fear and trembling.[3]

Though Protestants are always welcome to come home to the Catholic Church, the emphasis of the Decree on Ecumenism already mentioned and footnoted, is not on proselytizing, either overtly or covertly, from the realm of Protestantism. Its emphasis is on acceptance, understanding, and working together for the salvation of humankind.

The Catholic Church, in the understanding of this Protestant convert to the Catholic Church, is still going through the growing pains of Vatican Council II.

The Post-Vatican II Church has become highly polarized. One pole is charged by Traditionalists fighting to hold onto Pre-Vatican II ways. The other pole is charged by the current generated by liberal Catholic thinkers working to move the Catholic Church away from certain of her historical doctrinal and moral stances. Traditionalists pulling from the one side. Liberals pulling from the other side.

And, here in the middle, kneel multitudes of Catholics that are in love with Christ, in love with his Church, and trying to remain focused and faithful despite the polarizing currents that are at work within the Church.

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[1] John 8:31-32

[2] DECREE ON ECUMENISM, Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio, 21 November, 1964

[3] Philippians 2:12