Reply to Raised Catholic and unsure if/how to pass those traditions to my kids

Forum Index » Religion

Reply to "Raised Catholic and unsure if/how to pass those traditions to my kids"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]OP:  I think you are getting way ahead of yourself worrying about the religious upbringing (or not) of children who do not exist and may never exist.

You say you feel drawn to religious practices and traditions but conflicted about, for want of a better word, church management and probably some “hot button” issues as well.

Welcome to the club.

What has helped me is to avoid becoming distracted by anything that does not immediately and directly concern me and my spiritual and moral relationship with God and others.  Put another way, I make an effort to avoid intellectualizing in favor of trying to develop an interior life focused on the God of my experience.  Before getting all wrapped up in debates about Church teaching think it is also important to (1) actually know the teaching and its nuances; (2) understand the philosophical, theological, traditional and human background of the teaching; and (3) understand moral discernment and the role of a well-formed conscience.

At its core, Catholicism teaches that we were made to know, love and serve God in this life and enjoy eternal happiness in God’s presence in the next; that people are weakened by the sin of our forbears, which makes us want what is not really good for us and frequently unable to tell the difference; that God sent Jesus to redeem us and show us how to live; that Jesus established the Church as a community of believers whose job it is to help each other get to heaven; that the people who make up the Church will always be vulnerable to defects in understanding and make mistakes and even do evil; that forgiveness is available to one who is sincerely sorry; and that God will guide those who seek the divine will with a sincere heart.

You might find it helpful to find an experienced spiritual director to talk over these matters. Getting in concrete service activity is another way to actualize belief and meet good people along the way.

Being Catholic is about Faith. Faith is a living turning over of self to God. Christian experience is the fruit of a life lived in obedience to Faith.

Here is something Pope Benedict XVI had to say:

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person,
which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.  [T]rue knowledge of God consist[s] in a personal, profound experience of Jesus Christ and of his love. And, dear brothers and sisters, this is true for every Christian: faith is first and foremost a personal, intimate
encounter with Jesus, it is having an experience of his closeness, his friendship and his love. It is in this way that we
learn to know him ever better, to love him and to follow him more and more. May this happen to each one of us!  Christianity is not an intellectual system, a collection of dogmas, or a moralism. Christianity is an encounter, a love
story; it is an event.”  For each one of you, as for the apostles, the encounter with the divine Teacher who calls you friends may be the
beginning of an extraordinary venture: that of becoming apostles among your contemporaries to lead them to live
their own experience of friendship with God, made Man, with God who has made himself my friend.  We, however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. An “adult”
faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in
friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to
distinguish the true from the false, and deceit from truth.  Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to
him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something
significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished
and deprived of our freedom? . . . No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of
what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this
friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty
and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of
life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything.
When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and
you will find true life. Amen.”

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics