Timelytidbits’s Weblog

I am sure it would not surprise you to know that there are those out there in the world of Church who would call me a liberal.  Truthfully I hate the label because from the moment we identify ourselves on one side or the other the conversation turns into an argument.  Who is right and who is wrong?  And does it really matter.  Personally, when I am asked about my tendencies or leanings in faith I say that I am orthodox.  I have studied my faith and continue to work with it everyday and my hope is that I am making God happy with my walk, way and choices.  But what happens when what I believe I am being lead to differs from the mainline of the Church?  What happens when what I believe God is calling me to is outside the teachings of the Church? 

 In the outside world Catholics have been characterized as mindless drones.  Our “job” as the faithful is to listen and obey or so some believe.  Unfortunately many of the people who believe that are Catholics themselves.  To be Catholic; a good a faithful Catholic is to think and to think critically.  Don’t believe me.  Spend some time reading and studying the lives of the saints.  We identify these holy men and women not because their lives were perfect but because they made their lives about drawing close to God and doing, what they understood, as God’s will.  But sometimes follow God meant putting themselves in conflict with the structured Church.  Take St. Francis of Assisi.  It was not his goal to confront an obese papacy growing fat and lazy but Francis did.   God called him to “rebuild my Church.”  Do you think Rome was happy with those directions?  Or how about Joan of Arc?  How about Joseph, the spouse of Mary.  According to the guidelines of the church of the time Joseph should have divorced Mary.  God never asked us to turn off our brains when we engage our hearts.

For some civil disobedience is a call in their faith.  There is a process we are called, by our faith to follow which most Catholics are not aware of.   First and foremost we must know our faith.  It is never enough to say “God told me to do this.”  We must know what the Catholic Church teaches and why is teaches what it teaches.  We must seek wise counsel.  Again this doesn’t mean talking to people who already agree with you.  If you are faithfully seeking for the truth then you must fully investigate both sides of the argument and understand them.  You don’t have to agree with someone or something to understand it.  And we must be in prayer — constant prayer seeking all sacraments as often as possible including the sacrament of Penance where we investigate whether our ego is getting in the way.  And once all this is done we are called by faith to go through it all again making sure no stone is left unturned.   This is called a formed conscience.

I cannot be a person of faith unless every part of my being is celebrated and wanted and that means my mind as well as my heart.  There are those who will disagree with this statement but Jesus didn’t “go along” with the official Church institution of the time.  He didn’t ridicule the church but when unnecessary rules got in the way of following love and healing he choose God’s way over the “rules”.  I am not advocating disregarding the teachings of the Catholic Church.  I love my church and have dedicated my life to helping others fall in love with her as well.  But I am a servant of God first and foremost and some day that may mean my stepping on some people’s toes. I remain, your servant in Christ,

Theresa